Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 25:24
And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and [also] here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
24. have dealt with me] Rev. Ver. “made suit to me.” In all other places of the N. T. this word is used of “making intercession” to God.
and also here ] No doubt the Sadducees from Jerusalem had been able in the course of two years to work up a great deal of feeling against Paul among their party in Csarea. So when Festus came he was appealed to by the great men of the residential city as well as by those from Jerusalem.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Have dealt with me – Have appeared before me, desiring me to try him. They have urged me to condemn him.
Crying … – Compare Act 22:22. They had sought that he should be put to death.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Well might Paul be aghast, to be friendless in so great a multitude, and to be shown and pointed at as a monster, being made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men, as 1Co 4:9. But he found surely the benefit and efficacy of that promise, Mat 28:20, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22-27. I would also hear“shouldlike to hear.”
the man myselfNo doubtPaul was fight when he said, “The king knoweth of these things .. . for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him;for this thing was not done in a corner” (Ac26:26). Hence his curiosity to see and hear the man who hadraised such commotion and was remodelling to such an extent the wholeJewish life.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 bar, meaning Paul:
about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me: applied unto him, interceded with him, and very importunately pressed and desired him to give judgment against him:
both at Jerusalem and also here; at Caesarea, whither they came from Jerusalem to accuse him:
crying: in a very noisy and clamorous way:
that he ought not to live any longer; as they did before Lysias the chief captain, Ac 22:22 and so in the hearing of Festus; for it was his death they sought, and nothing else would satisfy them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Which are here present with us ( ). Present articular participle of (only here in N.T.) with associative instrumental case .
Made suit to me ( ). Second aorist active indicative of , old verb to fall in with a person, to go to meet for consultation or supplication as here. Common in old Greek and Koine. Cf. Rom 8:27; Rom 8:34. See (petition) 1Ti 2:1. Papyri give many examples of the technical sense of as petition (Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 121). Some MSS. have plural here rather than the singular .
Crying (). Yelling and demanding with loud voices.
That he ought not to live any longer ( ). Indirect command (demand) with the infinitive for (it is necessary). The double negative (—) with intensifies the demand.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And Festus said,” (kai phesin ho Phestos) “And Festus began, saying,” made the following opening or introductory remarks:
2) “King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us,” (Agrippa basileu kai pantes oi sumparontes hemin andres) “King Agrippa and all men who are present in concord or harmony with us,” in this fine peaceful gathering.
3) “Ye see this man,” (theoreite touton) “You all observe this man,” take a good look at him, get an eyeful of this man, bound with chains like a wild animal or criminal.
4) “About whom all the multitude,” (peri hou hapan to plethos) “Concerning whom, or regarding whom, all the multitude,” the masses.
5) “Of the Jews have dealt with me,” (ton loudaion enethchon moi) “Of the Jews have petitioned me,” put pressure on me, by their representatives who have demanded his death, Act 22:22; 1Co 4:9; Act 24:27.
6) “Both at Jerusalem and also here,” (en te lerosolumois kai enthade) “Both in Jerusalem and in this place, here in Caesarea,” Jeopardizing his life, insisting he is too wicked to live, dangerous to the law of the Romans, society, and our sacred religion, Act 25:2-3.
7) “Crying that he ought not to live any longer.” (bontes me dein auton zen meketi) “Crying aloud (just bellowing out publicly) that he ought not to live, another day,” no longer at all, 2Co 6:9; Rom 8:36; Act 25:7; Act 25:18-19; as they had cried two years earlier, Act 21:27-31; Act 22:22-23.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(24) Have dealt with me.The general term, held communication with me, is chosen to cover the proposal of Act. 25:2-3, as well as the direct accusation of Act. 25:7. It would seem from the addition, and also here, that the Jews of Csarea had also taken part in the proceedings, and that they too had been clamouring for a capital sentence.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. King Agrippa Festus now introduces the prisoner to the king, stating with due formality what of course Agrippa already knew. The apostle and king are the two principal figures in the scene.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Festus says, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.” ’
Festus then presented Paul. He pointed out to Agrippa and all present that here was a man whom all the large numbers of Jews, both in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, had pleaded be put to death as someone who did not deserve to live any longer.
‘Crying that he ought not to live any longer.’ These may either have been professional crowds primed to do this, or crowds aroused by rabble-rousers whenever the case was put to Festus by the Jewish leaders.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 25:24. Have dealt with me, Have pleaded with me. Doddridge.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 25:24-25 . ] Indicative.
] appears to conflict with Act 25:2 ; Act 25:15 , and is at all events an exaggeration. But how natural is it to suppose that the persons there named were accompanied by an impetuous crowd! Hence also . On , they have approached me , in a hostile spirit towards him, comp. 1Ma 8:32 ; 1Ma 10:61 ; 2Ma 4:36 . On , comp. Act 25:17 .
] and, on the other hand ( , as in Act 22:29 ; see on Joh 6:51 ), this person himself (itemque ipse ille ).
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
Ver. 24. That he ought not to live any longer ] All malice is bloody, and is therefore called murder; because it wisheth him out of the world whom it maligneth. See Trapp on “ Act 25:7 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
24. .] At Jerusalem ( Act 25:1 ) literally, by the popular voice (probably) of some tumultuous outcry: here, by their deputation.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 25:24 . , see above on p. 495. : only here in N.T., cf. Wis 9:10 , Tob 12:12 [395] [396] . .: the statement is not in the least inconsistent with Act 25:2 ; Act 25:7 ; Act 25:15 . In Jerusalem at all events it is easily intelligible that a noisy crowd would second the actual accusers, cf. Act 17:5-6 , while in connection with Csarea we know from the latter years of the government of Felix how bitter the Jews were against the Gentiles, and how natural it would be for them to oppose the Apostle of the Gentiles, Jos., B. J. , ii., 13, 7; Ant. , xx., 8, 7. : “made suit to me,” R.V., Wis 8:20 , 3Ma 6:37 , so in Plut., Pomp. , 55, cf. Polyc., Martyr. , xvii., 2, with dative only; it is used also of those making complaint before some authority, 1Ma 8:32 ; 1Ma 10:61 ; 1Ma 11:35 , 2Ma 4:36 , see Westcott on Heb 7:25 . The verb with the exception of Heb 7:25 and text is only found in Rom 8:27 ; Rom 8:34 ; Rom 11:2 , in each place of making supplication to God. For its use cf. and , of making request to one in authority, cf. Deissmann, Bibelstudien , i., pp. 117, 118, 143, 144, e.g. , the frequent formula on the papyri, . Clemen regards the whole speech of Festus to Agrippa, Act 25:24-27 , as an interpolation on account of the repetition of Act 25:21 in Act 25:25 , and of the contradiction supposed to exist between Act 25:27 ; Act 25:19 . But Jngst differs from him with regard to the latter point, and although admitting the hand of a reviser freely in the first speech, and also in Act 25:14-21 , he hesitates to define the revision too exactly in the latter speech.
[395] Codex Alexandrinus (sc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).
[396] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
which are here present with. Greek. sumpareimi. Only here.
see = behold. Greek. theoreo. App-133.
this man = this (one).
multitude. Greek. plethos. See Act 2:6.
have dealt with = complained to. Greek. entunchano. Literally to meet with, apply to. Elsewhere translated “make intercession”. Rom 8:27, Rom 8:34; Rom 11:2. Heb 7:25.
crying = crying out. Greek. epiboao. Only here. The texts read boao, not so strong a word.
not . . . any longer. Greek. me (App-105) miketi. A double negative.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
24. .] At Jerusalem (Act 25:1) literally, by the popular voice (probably) of some tumultuous outcry:-here, by their deputation.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 25:24. , with us) with me and Agrippa.-, men) Festus spares (does not mention) Bernice, in order not to (seem to) present the prisoner before a woman.-) Indicative: ye see. With this comp. ch. Act 3:16, This man whom ye see; Act 19:26, Act 21:20.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
King Agrippa: King Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa; who upon the death of his uncle Herod, king of Chalcis, ad 28, succeeded to his dominions, by the favour of the emperor Claudius. Four years afterwards, Claudius removed him from that kingdom to a larger one; giving him the tetrarchy of Philip, that of Lysanias, and the province which Varus governed. Nero afterwards added Julias in Peraea, Tarichaea, and Tiberias. Claudius gave him the power of appointing the high priest among the Jews; and instances of his exercising this power may be seen in Josephus. He was strongly attached to the Romans, and did every thing in his power to prevent the Jews from rebelling; and when he could not prevail, he united his troops to those of Titus, and assisted at the siege of Jerusalem. After the ruin of his country, he retired with his sister Berenice to Rome where he died, aged 70, about ad 90.
about: Act 25:2, Act 25:3, Act 25:7
that he: Act 22:22, Luk 23:21-23
Reciprocal: Rom 15:31 – I may
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
Act 25:24. Festus gave Paul a respectful introduction to his audience.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 25:24. King Agrippa… ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. The expression here, all the multitude, is a strange one; but Festus believed, and with some reason, that the feeling against Paul among the Jews was a very general one. Certainly it existed to a great extent among the influential men who guided the destinies of the unhappy people in these last years of their existence as a nation. And all here speaks for the unanimity of the Csarean Jews in this matter with their Jerusalem brethren. Of the words have dealt with me perhaps made petition to me, represent the meaning of the original Greek closer; another rendering suggested is, held communication with me. It is a general and inclusive term, and comprehends the information and request of Act 25:2-3, and the judicial proceedings related in Act 25:7.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 23
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
In reviewing the reasons for conducting this hearing, Festus acknowledged that Paul had done nothing worthy of death as the Jews had charged (Act 25:25). Pilate had made a similar observation about Jesus’ innocence (Luk 23:4; Luk 23:14; Luk 23:22). Festus referred to the emperor (Gr. sebastos, cf. Act 25:21) as his lord (kyrios, definitely majesty, [Note: Werner Foerster, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, s.v. "kyrios," 3:1054-58.] and perhaps deity, [Note: Ladd, "The Acts . . .," p. 1171.] Act 25:25-26). But Paul would preach his Lord, a higher authority than Nero, to this crowd (cf. Joh 19:19). Festus decided to send Paul to Nero rather than sending him back to Jerusalem (Act 25:9; cf. Act 26:32). After explaining his need in face-saving language, Festus turned the hearing over to Agrippa.
"This naïve confession of Festus reveals how unjust has been his whole treatment of Paul." [Note: Robertson, 3:441.]
Luke undoubtedly included Festus’ preamble in Acts because it was another testimony by a Roman official that Paul and Christianity were not threats to the empire.