πέντε ἡμέρας : most probably to be reckoned from the arrival of St. Paul at Cæsarea, not from his apprehension in Jerusalem, or from his start from Jerusalem on the way to Cæsarea. This latter view is that of Mr. Page, who takes οἱ μὲν οὖν, Acts 23:31, as answered by the δέ in this verse. But δέ, Ac... [ Continue Reading ]
ἤρξατο : he began with a _captatio benevolentiæ_ after the usual oratorical style, _cf._ Cicero, _De Oratore_, ii., 78, 79, on the _exordium_ and its rules. If obtaining such artificial support was not as Calvin calls it “signum malæ conscientiæ,” it may well indicate the weakness of the Jews' cause... [ Continue Reading ]
πολλῆς εἰρ. τυγχ.: the governors specially prided themselves on keeping peace in their provinces (Wetstein). On the phrase see Malachi 4:6; Malachi 4:6; 2Ma 14:10. κατορθωμάτων : “very worthy deeds,” A.V., the word might mean “successes,” _cf._ Polyb., i., 19, 12, or it might mean _recte facta_, _cf... [ Continue Reading ]
δέ : _autem_, “innuit plura dici potuisse in laudem Felicis,” Bengel. ἐγκόπτω, _impedire_, as if Felix was so busy in his reforms that Tertullus would not interrupt him, but see critical note, _cf._ Romans 15:22; Galatians 5:7. ἐπὶ πλεῖον, _cf._ Acts 4:17; Acts 20:9; in 2 Timothy 2:16; 2 Timothy 3:9... [ Continue Reading ]
εὑρόντες γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα … ὂς καὶ … ὅν καὶ ἐκρατ.: on the anacolouthon, Blass, _Gram. des N.G._, p. 277, Winer-Moulton, xlv., 6 _b_. Blass remarks that Luke gives no address so carelessly as that of Tertullus, but may not the anacolouthon here be the exact expression of the orator's invective? see cri... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐπείρασε : the charge could not be proved, _cf._ Acts 21:28, but the verb here used is an aggravation not a modification of the surmise (ἐνόμιζον, Acts 21:29) of the Jews. βεβ., _cf._ Matthew 12:5 (βαίνω, βηλός, threshold), Jdt 9:8, Malachi 2:12; Malachi 2:12; 1Ma 4:38; 1Ma 4:44; 1Ma 4:54, 2Ma 10:5,... [ Continue Reading ]
μετὰ π. βίας : another statement directly at variance with the facts, Acts 21:32.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνακ.: not an examination by torture, which could not be legally applied either to Paul or to Lysias as Roman citizens, but in the sense of a judicial investigation in this sense peculiar to Luke, _cf._ Luke 4:9, and Plummer on Luke 23:14, _cf._ Acts 25:26 below. A.V., “by examining of whom thyself,... [ Continue Reading ]
συνέθεντο : in R.V. συνεπεο., “joined in the charge,” _cf._ Acts 18:10, so in classical Greek; in LXX (Deuteronomy 32:27), Psalms 3:6 [380] S, Zach. Acts 1:15, here only in N.T. φάσκοντες, _cf._ Acts 25:19; Romans 1:22, _dictitantes_, but sometimes with the notion of alleging what is untrue, to pret... [ Continue Reading ]
On the language of the speech see Bethge, p. 229. This short apology before Felix is not without its traces of Paul's phraseology, _e.g._, ἐλπίδα ἔχων, Acts 24:15, with which we may compare Romans 15:4; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 10:15; Ephesians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13, in all of which we... [ Continue Reading ]
δυν. σοῦ γνῶναι : “seeing that thou canst take knowledge” (ἐπιγ.), R.V., the shortness of the time would enable Felix to gain accurate knowledge of the events which had transpired, and the Apostle may also imply that the time was too short for exciting a multitude to sedition. οὐ πλείους εἰσί μοι ἡμ... [ Continue Reading ]
οὔτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ … οὔτε … οὔτε : step by step he refutes the charge. οὔτε εὗρον, _cf._ Acts 24:5, εὑρόντες, a flat denial to the allegation of Tertullus; R.V. reads more plainly: both acts, the disputing and the exciting a tumult, are denied with reference to the Temple, the synagogue, the city. In δ... [ Continue Reading ]
οὔτε : οὐδὲ, R.V. (so Blass, _Gram._, p. 260, Simcox, _Z. N. T._, p. 165); the Apostle after denying the specific charges made against him in Jerusalem, now proceeds further to a general denial of the charge that he had been an agitator amongst the Jews throughout the empire. παραστῆσαι : _argumenti... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁμολ.: “verbum forense idemque sacrum,” Bengel. “Unum crimen confitetur,” _viz._, that of belonging to the sect of the Nazarenes, “sed crimen non esse docet”. κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἢν λέγ. αἴρεσιν : “according to the way which they call a sect,” R.V. For ὁδὸν see Acts 9:2, and for the reading in [381] text... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐλπίδα ἔχων, _cf._ Acts 23:6 : St. Paul speaks of the hope as a present possession, “ _habens_ id plus quam προσδ. _expectant_,” Bengel; in LXX very frequent with ἐπί, but for εἰς _cf._ Isaiah 51:5, Ps. 118:114, so here, a hope supporting itself upon God. καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι : the Apostle makes no disti... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν τούτῳ : “herein” is rather ambiguous, A. and R.V.; the expression may be used as = _propterea_, as the result of the confession of faith in Acts 24:14-15, _cf._ John 16:30 (Xen., _Cyr._, i., 3, 14). Rendall takes it = meanwhile (so apparently Wetstein), _sc._ χρόνῳ, _i.e._, in this earthly life;... [ Continue Reading ]
πλειόνων : “many,” R.V., but margin, “some,” so Rendall: if Acts 18:22 refers to a visit to Jerusalem (see note) at the close of the Apostle's second missionary journey, the number expressed by πλειόνων would not exceed four or five. ἐλεημοσύνας ποιήσων, see above on collection for the Saints at Jer... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν οἷς, see critical note. If we read ἐν αἷς = “amidst which,” R.V., “in presenting which,” margin, with reference to προσφοράς, including not only the offerings in connection with the Apostle's association of himself with the poor men in the Nazirite vow, but also offerings such as those referred t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔδει without ἄν, _cf._ Luke 11:42; Luke 15:32; on the force of this imperfect, see Burton, p. 14, Winer-Moulton, xli. 2. εἴ τι ἔχοιεν πρός με : the optative of _subjective_ possibility, representing the subjective view of the agent if they had anything against me (in their own belief), Winer-Moulton... [ Continue Reading ]
ἢ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι : “quando-quidem absunt illi, hi dicant,” Blass; as the Jews from Asia are not present as accusers, he appeals to those Jews who are he cannot demand speech from the absent, but he claims it from the present (Weiss): “or else let these men themselves say,” R.V., since they are the only... [ Continue Reading ]
ἤ = ἄλλο ἤ after ἀδίκημα (Rendall); St. Paul, of course, uses the word (ἀδίκημα) of his accusers. St. Paul is taken by some to speak ironically … strange ἀδίκημα, a question of belief with regard to which the Jews themselves were at variance, and which the procurator would regard as an idle contenti... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνεβάλετο : _ampliavit eos_, a technical expression, only here in N. T., the judges were wont to say _Amplius_ in cases where it was not possible to pass at once a judgment of condemnation or acquittal before further inquiry, Cic., _In Verr._, i., 29. ἀκριβ.: “having more exact knowledge concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
τηρεῖσθαι : that he should he kept in charge as a prisoner; not middle as in A.V. ἔχειν τε ἄνεσιν : “and should have indulgence,” R.V., not “liberty,” A.V., word only elsewhere in Paul in N.T., 2Co 2:13; 2 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 8:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7, _cf._ also Sir 26:10, 1Es 4:62. From... [ Continue Reading ]
Δρουσίλλῃ : of the three daughters of Agrippa I. Drusilla was the youngest, her sisters being Bernice (see below) and Mariamne. Married, when about fourteen, to Azizus king of Emeza, she had been seduced from her husband by Felix, who had employed for his evil purpose a certain impostor and magician... [ Continue Reading ]
περὶ δικαι.: Paul does not gratify the curiosity of Felix and Drusilla, but goes straight to the enforcement of those great moral conditions without which, both for Jew and Greek, what he had to say of the Messiahship of Jesus was unintelligible; how grievously Felix had failed in righteousness the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἐλπ.: connected by some with ἀπεκ. (_cf._ Acts 23:25), so Weiss, Wendt, Hackett; others punctuate as W.H [386], R.V., and render it as a finite verb. ὅτι : on the construction with ἐλπίζειν see Simcox, _Language of the N.T._, p. 121, and Blass, _in loco_ : Luke 24:31; 2 Corinthians 1:13;... [ Continue Reading ]
διετίας δὲ πληρ.: on the question of chronology see below, _cf._ Acts 20:30, and for τριετία, Acts 20:31; on διετία in inscriptions see two instances in Deissmann, _Neue Bibelstudien_, p. 86. πληρ.: perhaps indicating that two full years are meant. Weizsäcker throws doubt upon the historical charact... [ Continue Reading ]