What Does Acts 23:17 Mean in the King James?
Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek behind “tell” makes the young man a message-bearer, so his age does not define the importance of what he carries.
THE MEANING
A report can travel through a guarded chain of command when someone opens a path for it. The young man’s voice matters because what he carries reaches the person positioned to respond.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that only the powerful can carry consequential truth: the route to the chief captain begins with a young man’s report.
THE ROOT
ἀπαγγεῖλαί
apangeilai
GROWS FROM
ἀγγελ-
angel-
To announce or carry a message.
English “tell” can sound like mere speech, but the Greek word belongs to the same message-bearing family as the word for “messenger.” The young man is carrying consequential news; the route to authority begins when his message is received.
ALSO GROWS
angéllō: Announce or report.
ἀγγέλλω
This related verb makes the act behind “tell” visible: a message is being carried onward.
ángelos: Messenger.
ἄγγελος
The shared word family casts the young man as a bearer of news, not merely someone speaking.
THE PATTERN
Consequential information gains reach when someone carries it to a person able to respond.
And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.THE THREAD
And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.In Acts, “tell” belongs to the same Greek message-bearing family as Luke’s “shew ... glad tidings.” Both scenes turn on a message being carried to its recipient, though the report here is urgent rather than good news.
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