Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 21:32

"And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul." — Acts 21:32 (ASV)

Word of the riot came to the commander of the Roman garrison stationed in the Fortress of Antonia, a building built by Herod the Great to the north of the temple precincts where it could overlook the temple area to the south and the city to the north and west. With some soldiers and centurions, he rushed into the mob and prevented the people from beating Paul further. While the temple police were drawn from the ranks of the Levites (cf. comments on 4:1), the commander of the fortress was a Roman military officer, whose responsibility was to keep peace in the city. He represented Rome’s interests and was to intervene in the affairs of the people on behalf of those interests.