But the disciples taking him in the night, conveyed him away by the wall, letting him down in a basket.

and the disciples having taken him, by night did let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket.

but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a hamper.

But the disciples, taking him away by night, sent him over the wall by letting him down in a basket.

The disciples having taken him by night. There is a question moved here, whether it were lawful for the disciples to save Paul thus or no? and also, whether it were lawful for Paul to escape danger by this means or no? For the laws say that the walls of cities are holy, [sacred,] and that the gates are holy. Therefore, he ought rather to have suffered death, than to have suffered a public order to be broken for his sake. I answer, that we must consider why it is decreed by the laws that the walls should not be violated; to wit, that the cities may not be laid open to murders and robberies, and that the cities may be free [1] from treason. That reason ceaseth when the question is concerning the delivery of an innocent man. Therefore, it was no less lawful for the faithful to be let down in a basket, than it shall be lawful for any private person to leap over a wall, that he may avoid [2] the sudden invasion of the enemy. Cicero doth handle this latter member, and he setteth down very well, that although the law forbid a stranger to come near the wall, yet doth not he offend who shall go up upon the wall to save the city, because the laws must always be inclined [3] to equity. Therefore Paul is not to be blamed, because he escaped by stealth, seeing that he doth that without raising any tumult amongst the people. Nevertheless, we see how the Lord useth to humble those that be his, seeing that Paul is enforced to steal his life from the watchmen of the city if he will save himself. Therefore, he reckoneth this example amongst his infirmities. He was acquainted betime with the cross [4] with this first exercise.

Footnotes

1 - "Tuti," safe.

2 - "Propulset," repel.

3 - "Flectandae," bent.

4 - "Hoc tirocinio ad crucem ferendam mature assuefactus fuit." He was early trained to bear the cross by this first trial.

Took him by night - This was done through a window in the wall, 2-Corinthians 11:33.
In a basket - This word is used to denote commonly "the basket in which food was carried," Matthew 15:37; Mark 8:8, Mark 8:20. It was in this way that Rahab let down the spies Joshua 2:15, and so David escaped from Saul, 1-Samuel 19:12. Probably this occurred in an unguarded part of the wall, where some overhanging houses, as is usual in Eastern cities, opened into the outer country. This conduct of Saul was in accordance with the direction of the Lord Jesus Matthew 10:23, "When they persecute you in one city, flee ye into another," etc. Saul was certain of death if he remained; and as he could secure his life by flight without abandoning any principle of religion, or denying his Lord, it was his duty to do so. Christianity requires us to sacrifice our lives only when we cannot avoid it without denying the Saviour, or abandoning the principles of our religion.

Let him down, by the wall - Favoured, probably, by a house built against or upon the wall, through the window of which they could lower him in a basket; and by this means he made his escape. His escape was something similar to that of the spies at Jericho, Joshua 2:15.

(5) Then the disciples took him by night, and let [him] down by the wall in a basket.
(5) We are not forbidden to avoid and eschew the dangers and conspiracies that the enemies of God lay for us, but only if we do not swerve from our vocation.

Then the disciples took him by night,.... The Alexandrian copy reads, "his disciples"; the disciples of Saul, such as he had been instrumental in making at Damascus: but it is not usual for the saints to be called in Scripture the disciples of any man; therefore the common reading is best, and designs the disciples and followers of Christ; who being concerned for the preservation of so valuable a life, took Saul in the night season,
and let him down by the wall in a basket. Damascus was a walled city; hence we read of the wall of Damascus, Jeremiah 49:27. And the house where Saul was, and which very likely was one of the disciples, was built upon the wall, as the house of Rahab was upon the town wall of Jericho; and as she let down the spies from thence by a cord through the window, Joshua 2:15 so the disciples let down Saul in a basket with cords through the window of the house, as appears from 2-Corinthians 11:33. See Gill on 2-Corinthians 11:33, no doubt, the disciples were directed by the overruling providence of God, in order to preserve the life of the apostle, who had much work to do for Christ in several parts of the world, and therefore must not fall into the hands of his enemies and die, his time not being yet come; and this shows, that it is lawful to make use of all prudent means and proper methods to prevent the designs of wicked men, and escape out of their hands, and preserve life when in danger; by which means Saul escaped their hands.

Then the disciples . . . by night let him down--"through a window" (2-Corinthians 11:33).
by the wall--Such overhanging windows in the walls of Eastern cities were common, and are to be seen in Damascus to this day.

Let him down by the wall. As the gates were guarded, there was no escape that way. Houses built against or on the wall, would afford an opportunity of letting him down on the outside. "And through a window, in a basket, was I let down by the wall and escaped his hands" (2-Corinthians 11:33).