NOW WHEN FESTUS WAS COME INTO THE PROVINCE,.... Of Judea, which was a Roman province, over which he was made governor by Nero, the Roman emperor, in the room of Felix; he now being landed in some part of the province, namely, at Caesarea, and so might be said to have entered upon the government of i... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE HIGH PRIEST,.... Ananias, as in Acts 23:2 the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin version, and all the Oriental versions, read, "the chief priests", the whole college of the priests: AND THE CHIEF OF THE JEWS; their rulers and elders, the members of the Jewish sanhedrim; INFORMED HIM AGAI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DESIRED FAVOUR AGAINST HIM,.... Paul; they asked what would be a favour to them, and a prejudice to him: or "of him", that is, of Festus; they asked a favour of him, and desired it as such, as what would be gratefully accepted and acknowledged by them; which sense is confirmed by the Syriac vers... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT FESTUS ANSWERED, THAT PAUL SHOULD BE KEPT AT CAESAREA,.... Or that he was kept there, and was in proper custody, under the care of a centurion, and should continue there; nor was there any reason why he should be removed, especially since he should return thither speedily, as he adds: AND THAT... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THEM THEREFORE, SAID HE, WHICH AMONG YOU ARE ABLE,.... Who are at leisure, can spare time, and to whom it will be convenient, without interrupting other business, to take such a journey; and who are able to bear the expenses of it, without hurting their families, and whose health and age will ad... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD TARRIED AMONG THEM MORE THAN TEN DAYS,.... The Alexandrian copy, and three of Beza's copies, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version read, "no more than eight or ten days"; and the Syriac and Ethiopic versions leave out the phrase "no more", and read "when he had stayed there... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE WAS COME,.... Into court: THE JEWS WHICH CAME DOWN FROM JERUSALEM; along with Festus, perhaps the high priest with the elders, and Tertullus the orator, as before: STOOD ROUND ABOUT; either the Apostle Paul, or the judgment seat; the witnesses and accusers were to stand, as well as the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE HE ANSWERED FOR HIMSELF,.... As he was allowed by the Roman laws to do, he pleaded his own cause, and showed the falsehood of the charges exhibited against him; by observing, that as the crimes alleged against him were reducible to three heads, neither of them were just and true: NEITHER AGAI... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT FESTUS, WILLING TO DO THE JEWS A PLEASURE,.... As did his predecessor Felix, Acts 24:27 he being just entered upon his new government, and having met with some caresses and civilities from the Jews at Jerusalem, by whom he had been much pressed and urged about the affair of the apostle: ANSWERE... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID PAUL, I STAND AT CAESAR'S JUDGMENT SEAT,.... Not that here was a seat in the judgment hall built by Herod for Caesar himself to sit in, should he ever come there, as some have thought; but the seat on which Festus sat is called Caesar's judgment seat, because it was in a Raman court of jud... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF I BE AN OFFENDER,.... Against the law of Moses, or the temple at Jerusalem, or Caesar the Roman emperor: OR HAVE COMMITTED ANYTHING WORTHY OF DEATH; by the laws of the Romans, as sedition, murder, c. I REFUSE NOT TO DIE signifying that he did not decline going to Jerusalem, either through a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN FESTUS, WHEN HE HAD CONFERRED WITH THE COUNCIL,.... Not with the Jewish sanhedrim, or any part of it that came down on this occasion; but with Roman counsellors, which he had to assist him in judgment, when any difficult matters were before him; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "with... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER CERTAIN DAYS,.... Several days after the above appeal made by Paul: KING AGRIPPA AND BERNICE CAME UNTO CAESAREA TO SALUTE FESTUS: this King Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, who killed James the brother of John, and of whose death mention is made in Acts 12:1 the Jewish chronologer h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD BEEN THERE MANY DAYS,.... Indulging themselves in pleasure, and spending their time in conversing on various subjects; and in order to carry on the conversation, and pass away time, FESTUS DECLARED PAUL'S CASE UNTO THE KING; in the following manner: SAYING, THERE IS A CERTAIN MAN... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT WHOM, WHEN I WAS AT JERUSALEM,.... Quickly after he came to his government: THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS OF THE JEWS INFORMED ME; brought an accusation to him, exhibited to him charges against him, presented to him a bill of information, setting forth various crimes he had been guilty of: DE... [ Continue Reading ]
TO WHOM I ANSWERED,.... As follows: IT IS NOT THE MANNER OF THE ROMANS TO DELIVER ANY MAN TO DIE; OR TO GIVE ANY MAN TO DESTRUCTION; to pass sentence of death upon him, without hearing his cause, and purely at the request of another, and merely to gratify him: BEFORE THAT HE WHICH IS ACCUSED HAVE... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE WHEN THEY WERE COME HITHER,.... To Caesarea, namely the chief priests and elders of the Jews: WITHOUT ANY DELAY ON THE MORROW, I SAT ON THE JUDGMENT SEAT: that is, the next day after they came down, Festus went into the judgment hall, and took his place there, in order to hear this cause;... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST WHOM WHEN THE ACCUSERS STOOD UP,.... As they were obliged to do, whilst they were exhibiting their charges, bearing their testimonies, and producing their proofs; Acts 25:7. THEY BROUGHT NONE ACCUSATION OF SUCH THINGS AS I SUPPOSED: for by his being left in bonds, and by the information of... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HAD CERTAIN QUESTIONS AGAINST HIM OF THEIR OWN SUPERSTITION,.... Or religion; as about their law, which they said Paul had spoke against; and about their temple, which they pretended he had polluted; and about the resurrection of the dead, which he asserted, and some denied: AND OF ONE JESUS WH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BECAUSE I DOUBTED OF SUCH MANNER OF QUESTIONS,.... Or was ignorant of them, and knew not what to make of them, or to say to them, and was at an entire loss what to do in this affair: I ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WOULD GO TO JERUSALEM, AND THERE BE JUDGED OF THESE MATTERS; before the Jewish sanhedrim,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN PAUL HAD APPEALED TO BE RESERVED,.... In custody at Caesarea: UNTO THE HEARING OF AUGUSTUS; to have his cause heard, tried, and judged of, by the Roman Emperor Nero, here called Augustus; for as it was usual for a Roman emperor to be called Caesar, from Julius Caesar, the first of them, so... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN AGRIPPA SAID TO FESTUS,.... After he had given him the above account: I WOULD ALSO HEAR THE MAN MYSELF; Agrippa being a Jew by profession, and knowing more of these things than Festus did, and very likely had heard much concerning Jesus Christ; and if not of the apostle, yet however of the Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ON THE MORROW, WHEN AGRIPPA WAS COME,.... Into the hall, or court of judicature: AND BERNICE; his sister, along with him: WITH GREAT POMP: in rich dress, with the "regalia", or ensigns of royalty carried before them, and attended with a large train and retinue of servants: AND WAS ENTERED INT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FESTUS SAID, KING AGRIPPA,.... He addressed himself to him in the first place, as being the principal person, and of great dignity, as well as knowledge: AND ALL MEN WHICH ARE HERE PRESENT WITH US; the chief captains, and principal inhabitants of the city: YE SEE THIS MAN the prisoner at the b... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN I FOUND THAT HE HAD COMMITTED NOTHING WORTHY OF DEATH,.... Which was a public testimony of the apostle's innocence, to the great mortification of his enemies, some of whom might be present; a like testimony was given of him by Lysias, Acts 23:29. AND THAT HE HIMSELF HATH APPEALED UNTO AUGU... [ Continue Reading ]
OF WHOM I HAVE NO CERTAIN THING,.... No certain crime, charge, or accusation; nothing of any moment or consequence, no particular thing, nothing but a heap of confused notions, of I know not who or what: TO WRITE UNTO MY LORD; meaning the Roman emperor, under whom he served as governor of Judea: W... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IT SEEMETH TO ME UNREASONABLE TO SEND A PRISONER,.... A man bound as if he was a malefactor, and guilty of some heinous crimes, to Rome, to be tried before Caesar: AND NOT WITHAL TO SIGNIFY THE CRIMES LAID AGAINST HIM; for which he is a prisoner, and for which he is sent to the emperor: it seem... [ Continue Reading ]