Acts 28:16 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

To the captain of the guard:— It was customary for prisoners who were brought to Rome, to be delivered to this praefect, or captain of the praetorian band, who had the charge of the state prisoners, as appears from the instance of Agrippa, who was taken into custody by Macro the praetorian praefect, who succeeded Sejanus; and from Trajan's order to Pliny, when two were in commission. The person who nowheld this office, was the noted Burrhus Afranius; but before and after him it was held by two. The phrase Καθ' εαυτον, rendered by himself, may signify either apart or at his own pleasure; and Acts 28:30 seems to fix the meaning of it to his dwelling apart in his own house. By this means he was excused from all the affliction, which lying in the common prison, among the wretched creatures who would probably have been his companions there, must have given to a mind like his. The soldier was probably chained to him as the Roman custom was, concerning which see the note on ch. Acts 12:4. Who that had met the apostle in these bonds, would have guessed at his real character, and imagined him to have been one of the most upright, pious, benevolent, and generous of mankind? It has been observed, that this entry of St. Paul in chains into the chief city of the world, was more glorious and triumphant to the eye of faith than all the public entries of the Roman emperor