Acts 25:1-12
Acts 25:1-12. ARRIVAL OF FESTUS. PAUL’S CAUSE HEARD BEFORE HIM. PAUL APPEALS TO THE EMPEROR... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:1-12. ARRIVAL OF FESTUS. PAUL’S CAUSE HEARD BEFORE HIM. PAUL APPEALS TO THE EMPEROR... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΙΒᾺΣ ΤΗ͂Ι ἘΠΑΡΧΊΑΙ, _was come into the province_. This may either mean ‘when he had reached Cæsarea,’ to which, as the seaport, he would naturally come first; or, with margin of the Rev. Vers., ‘when he had entered upon his province.’ The former seems to be the preferable sense because of what fol... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ� with אABCEL. _Vulg_. ‘principes sacerdotum.’ 2. ἘΝΕΦΆΝΙΣΆΝ ΤΕ, _and they informed_. The verb indicates that the proceedings here assumed a legal form. It was no mere mention in any irregular way, but a definite charge was made, no doubt in the same terms which Tertullus had used before. See on... [ Continue Reading ]
ΑἸΤΟΎΜΕΝΟΙ ΧΆΡΙΝ ΚΑΤ' ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂, _desiring favour against him_, i.e. they begged that their case might have some special consideration. They were many and rich; the accused man was alone and an obscure person, and it was much easier to bring one man from Cæsarea, than for their whole body to undertake... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΕΚΡΊΘΗ ΤΗΡΕΙ͂ΣΘΑΙ ΤῸΝ ΠΑΥ͂ΛΟΝ ΕἸΣ ΚΑΙΣΆΡΕΙΑΝ, _he answered that Paul was kept in charge at Cæsarea_. The governor’s position was that the prisoner had been placed by his predecessor in a certain state of custody, and that this could not be interfered with. ἙΑΥΤῸΝ ΔῈ ΜΈΛΛΕΙΝ ἘΝ ΤΆΧΕΙ ἘΚΠΟΡΕΎΕΣΘΑΙ,... [ Continue Reading ]
ἌΤΟΠΟΝ after ἈΝΔΡῚ with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘crimen.’ 5. ΟἹ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ἘΝ ὙΜΙ͂Ν … ΔΥΝΑΤΟΊ, _let them which are of power among you_. The words of Festus do not refer to whether some of them could go to Cæsarea or not, but to the character of those who should go down, that they should be men of influence and c... [ Continue Reading ]
ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ΟΥ̓ ΠΛΕΊΟΥΣ ὈΚΤῺ Ἢ ΔΈΚΑ with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘dies non amplius quam octo aut decem.’ 6. ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ΟΥ̓ ΠΛΕΊΟΥΣ ὈΚΤῺ Ἢ ΔΈΚΑ, _not more than eight or ten days_. This seems a more likely reading than that of the _Text. recept_. It is more probable that the writer would use words to mark the shortness... [ Continue Reading ]
κατὰ τοῦ Παύλου omitted with אABC. Not represented in _Vulg_. 7. ΠΕΡΙΈΣΤΗΣΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΟἹ … Κ.Τ.Λ., _the Jews which had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him_. They were eager to set upon him and so compassed him about on every side. ΠΟΛΛᾺ ΚΑῚ ΒΑΡΈΑ ΑἸΤΙΏΜΑΤΑ ΚΑΤΑΦΈΡΟΝΤΕΣ, _bringing against... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΠΑΎΛΟΥ� with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘Paulo rationem reddente.’ 8. ΤΟΥ͂ ΠΑΎΛΟΥ�, _while Paul said in his defence_. He offered an ἀπολογία for himself. He did not make a defence against the unsubstantiated charges, but alluded only to those points on which they would try to prove their case, i.e. his all... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΦΗ͂ΣΤΟΣ ΔῈ ΘΈΛΩΝ ΤΟΙ͂Σ ἸΟΥΔΑΊΟΙΣ ΧΆΡΙΝ ΚΑΤΑΘΈΣΘΑΙ, _but Festus desiring to gain favour with the Jews_. See above, Acts 24:27. Though he had not consented to their request when in Jerusalem Festus now went some way towards doing so by his question to Paul. ΘΈΛΕΙΣ ΕἸΣ ἹΕΡΟΣΌΛΥΜΑ�.Τ.Λ., _wilt thou g... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠῚ ΤΟΥ͂ ΒΉΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΊΣΑΡΟΣ ἙΣΤΏΣ ΕἸΜΙ, _I am standing before Cæsar’s judgment seat_. The Roman authorities had taken charge of him and had kept him in custody for two years. Of this he reminds the governor, and refuses to be turned over to another tribunal, where he would have for judges, if he ever... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸ ΜῈΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν�, _if then I am a wrong-doer_. He has asserted that he was innocent so far as the Jews are concerned. If there be anything against him, it is for the civil jurisdiction of Rome, not for the religious tribunal at Jerusalem, to decide upon. ΕἸ ΔῈ ΟΥ̓ΔΈΝ ἘΣΤΙΝ ὮΝ, _but if there be none of... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΛΛΑΛΉΣΑΣ ΜΕΤᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ ΣΥΜΒΟΥΛΊΟΥ, _having conferred with the council_. Having taken the opinion of those who sat as assessors with him. Such persons would be specially needed for a new governor, and the governors of Judæa were changed frequently. Of the existence of such assessors in the provinces, s... [ Continue Reading ]
FESTUS CONSULTS KING AGRIPPA ABOUT HIS PRISONER. AGRIPPA WISHES TO HEAR PAUL’S DEFENCE... [ Continue Reading ]
ἩΜΕΡΩ͂Ν ΔῈ ΔΙΑΓΕΝΟΜΈΝΩΝ. For διαγίνεσθαι, of the lapse of time, cf. Mark 16:1; Acts 27:9. ἈΓΡΊΠΠΑΣ Ὁ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΎΣ, _king Agrippa_. This was Herod Agrippa II., son of Herod Agrippa I., and consequently a great-grandson of Herod the Great. He was therefore brother of Bernice and Drusilla. On account of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ�, _the chief priests_. See above on Acts 25:2, and on ἐμφανίζω also. ΚΑΤΑΔΊΚΗΝ, _judgment_, but always with the sense of adverse judgment. Hence Rev. Ver. ‘sentence.’ The word implies that those who asked thought there could be but one opinion and that a condemnatory sentence might be at once pr... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰς� omitted with אABCE. _Vulg_. has in some texts ‘damnare,’ in others ‘donare’ for ΧΑΡΊΖΕΣΘΑΙ. 16. ΧΑΡΊΖΕΣΘΑΊ ΤΙΝΑ ἌΝΘΡΩΠΟΝ, _to give up any man_. See above, Acts 25:11, on the force of χαρίζεσθαι The language throughout shews that the Jews thought the influence of their party was enough to gain... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΕΛΘΌΝΤΩΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν ἘΝΘΆΔΕ, _therefore when they were come together here_, i.e. the accusers from Jerusalem and the accused who was in custody. Then they were κατὰ πρόσωπον, as the Roman law required.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΟΝΗΡΆΝ added at the end of the verse with AC. _Vulg_. ‘malum.’ See notes. 18. ΠΕΡῚ ΟὟ ΣΤΑΘΈΝΤΕΣ ΟἹ ΚΑΤΉΓΟΡΟΙ, _concerning whom the accusers when they stood up_. Or there may be the same sense in the expression as in περιέστησαν of Acts 25:7, ‘When they stood round about him’ eager each to give emp... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΕΡῚ ΤΗ͂Σ ἸΔΊΑΣ ΔΕΙΣΙΔΑΙΜΟΝΊΑΣ, _concerning their own religion_. Cf. St Paul’s use of the cognate adjective, when he was speaking to the Athenians. The word is one which might be employed without offence by any one in speaking of a worship with which he did not agree. Addressing Agrippa, Festus woul... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΟΡΟΎΜΕΝΟΣ ΔῈ ἘΓῺ ΤῊΝ ΠΕΡῚ ΤΟΎΤΩΝ ΖΉΤΗΣΙΝ, _and I being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things_. The whole subject would be strange to Festus, and when he found that some Jews in part at least agreed with St Paul, while others of them were his bitter opponents, he could find no better pla... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΗΡΗΘΗ͂ΝΑΙ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΕἸΣ ΤῊΝ ΤΟΥ͂ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ͂ ΔΙΆΓΝΩΣΙΝ, _to be kept for the decision of the emperor_, τηρεῖσθαι is used above, Acts 24:23, where the centurion was commanded to ‘keep’ Paul. He desired to be under the care of the Roman authorities until his case could be properly heard. Σεβαστός, the titl... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔφη omitted with אAB. _Vulg_. has ‘dixit.’ ὁ δὲ omitted with אAB. _Vulg_. does not represent it. 22. ἘΒΟΥΛΌΜΗΝ ΚΑῚ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΣ ΤΟΥ͂�, _I was wishing_ [Rev. Ver. ‘could wish’] _also to hear the man myself_. Agrippa intimates that he knew something of the Apostle and his labours, as indeed was not unlike... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΕΤᾺ ΠΟΛΛΗ͂Σ ΦΑΝΤΑΣΊΑΣ, _with great pomp_. The children follow in the steps of their father, who formerly had sat on his throne in Cæsarea arrayed in royal apparel, to listen to the flatteries of the Tyrian deputation (Acts 12:21). ΦΑΝΤΑΣΊΑ is found only here in N.T., and in this sense is very rare... [ Continue Reading ]
ASSEMBLY OF THE COURT, AND ADDRESS OF FESTUS.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝΈΤΥΧΌΝ ΜΟΙ, _made suit to me_. In all other places of N.T. ἐντυγχάνειν is used of ‘making intercession’ to God. In the LXX. it is also used thus, Wis 8:21 ἐνέτυχον τῷ κυρίῳ; but also very frequently of those who come before some authority with a complaint, as the Jews did against St Paul. See 1Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤΕΛΑΒΌΜΗΝ with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘comperi.’ αὐτόν after ΠΈΜΠΕΙΝ omitted with אABC. _Vulg_. does not represent it. 25. ἘΓῺ ΔῈ ΚΑΤΕΛΑΒΌΜΓΝ, _but I found_. Cf. above, Acts 25:18-19. ΜΗΔῈΝ ἌΞΙΟΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΘΑΝΆΤΟΥ ΠΕΠΡΑΧΈΝΑΙ, _that he had committed nothing worthy of death_. To ask for the life of a prison... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΊ ΓΡΆΨΩ with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘quid scribam.’ 26. ΤΩ͂Ι ΚΥΡΊΩΙ, _to my lord_. Octavianus by an edict forbade the title ‘Lord’ to be given to him. The practice had its rise from parasites; but you find ‘Dominus’ often used in Pliny’s letters to Trajan, so that not many emperors were like Octavian. ἘΦ'... [ Continue Reading ]
ἌΛΟΓΟΝ, _unreasonable_. In this sense, which is quite the classical usage of the word, ἄλογος is not found again in N.T. ΠΈΜΠΟΝΤΑ, _when sending_. This may mean ‘when I am sending,’ and if so taken, then the accusative participle following the dative pronoun μοι may be compared with Hebrews 2:10, ἔ... [ Continue Reading ]