Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 26:31
And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
31. they talked between themselves ] R. V. “they spake one to another.” This is more literal and conveys better the idea that they were all of one mind about the case.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
This man doeth nothing worthy of death – This was the conclusion to which they had come after hearing all that the Jews had to allege against him. It was the result of the whole investigation; and we have, therefore, the concurring testimony of Claudius Lysias Act 23:29, of Felix Acts 24, of Festus Act 25:26-27, and of Agrippa, as to the innocence of Paul. More honorable and satisfactory testimony of his innocence he could not have desired. It was a full acquittal from all the charges against him; and though he was to be sent to Rome, yet he went there with every favorable prospect of being acquitted there also.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Gone aside; either to their houses, or to some apartment nigh to the tribunal. They acquit Paul; for as yet Nero had not made those bloody laws, whereby the profession of Christianity was made capital.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And when they were gone aside,…. Into some apartment adjoining to the judgment hall:
they talked between themselves; that the common people might not hear their debates, and the result of them, and what were their sentiments concerning Paul and his case:
saying, this man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds; according to the Roman laws; for as yet there were no laws among the Romans against the Christians as such, or against their professing and preaching Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
They spake one to another ( ). Imperfect active, describing the eager conversation of the dignitaries about Paul’s wonderful speech.
Nothing worthy of death or bonds ( ). This is the unanimous conclusion of all these dignitaries (Romans, Jews, Greeks) as it was of Festus before (25:25). But Paul had not won any of them to Christ. The conclusion leaves Festus in a predicament. Why had he not set Paul free before this?
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Doeth. Referring, not to Paul ‘s past conduct, but to the general character of his life.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And when they were gone aside,” (kai anachoresantes) “And when they had gone out,” of the public theater, retired or gone aside privately for consultation over what they had heard, observed, and even experienced in the public hearing that day.
2) “They talked between themselves, saying,” (elaloun pros allalous) “They conversed among themselves,” (legontes) “repeatedly saying, affirming, asserting, or agreeing. Festus desired Agrippa’s honest opinion on the issue, from both a moral and legal standpoint. When he had received it, both of them, in one accord agreed, affirmed, or asserted, in conflict with the murderous, conspiratorial wishes of the Jewish mafia of Jerusalem.
1 3) “This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” (hoti ouden thanatou e desmon aksion prassei ho anthropos houtos) “This man has not, or does not, practice (engage in doing) one thing worthy of either bonds (being put in chains) or of death,” such as had been demanded of his accusers and toward which Felix, with his avaricious covetousness and greed for money, had kept Paul in chains for two years, while playing favorites with Paul’s accusers, hoping to receive a bribe, pay-off, or ransom money from Paul’s friends, Act 24:26-27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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31. They spake together. In that Paul is acquitted by the judgment of them all, it turned to the great renown of the gospel. And when Festus agreeth to the rest he condemneth himself, seeing he had brought Paul into such straits through his unjust dealing, by bringing him in danger of his life under color of changing the place. And though it seemeth that the appeal did hinder − (631) the holy man, yet because this was the only way to escape death, he is content, and doth not seek to get out of that snare; not only because the matter was not even now safe and sound, − (632) but because he was admonished in the vision that he was also called by God to Rome ( Act 23:11).
(631) −
“
Damnosa esse,” was injurious to.
(632) −
“
Res jam non erat integra,” matters were no longer entire.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(31) This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.St. Luke obviously dwells on the witness thus given to St. Pauls innocence. To us, knowing him as we do, the anxiety to record the witness seems superfluous; but it was not so when the historian wrote. The charge of what we should call lawless and revolutionary tendencies had been too often brought against the Apostle (Act. 17:6), and was too current against his followers, to make such a record one that he could willingly pass over.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31. They were gone aside Not Agrippa and Festus alone; for it was after a consultation by this they that Agrippa gave his conclusion to Festus. Perhaps Festus’ assessors went to make up the they.
31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
Ver. 31. This man doth nothing worthy ] Here Festus, consenting with the rest, condemneth himself. See Act 25:25 .
31. ] generally, of his life and habits. No definite act was alleged against him: and his apologetic speech was in fact a sample of the acts of which he was accused.
Act 26:31 . , present tense: “agit de vit instituto” (Grotius, Blass).
gone aside. Greek. anachoreo. See Act 23:19.
talked. Greek. laleo. App-121.
between themselves = to (Greek. pros. App-104.) one another,
man. Greek. anthropos. App-123.
nothing. Greek. oudeis, as Act 22:26.
31. ] generally, of his life and habits. No definite act was alleged against him: and his apologetic speech was in fact a sample of the acts of which he was accused.
Act 26:31. , nothing) Is there nothing besides, ye hearers, which ye might have learned from that discourse? Political reflections and favourable opinions pronounced on such a preacher, do not settle the matter.-, doeth) and hath done. They speak not merely of one action, but of the whole life of Paul.
This man: Act 23:9, Act 23:29, Act 25:25, Act 28:18, 2Sa 24:17, Luk 23:4, Luk 23:14, Luk 23:15, 1Pe 3:16, 1Pe 4:14-16
Reciprocal: Deu 21:22 – General Jer 26:16 – General Jer 37:18 – General Mat 13:19 – and understandeth Mar 4:15 – these Act 25:10 – as thou Phi 1:13 – General
Act 26:31. And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. The second of these public expressions of opinion on the part of such exalted personages as Agrippa and Festus, respecting Pauls complete innocence of the really grave charge of promoting sedition and of exciting the peoples of the Empire against the ruling powers, was an important memorandum in the history of the great Gentile apostle, who, we know, eventually was condemned and put to death on a similar false charge.
It tells us how groundless were the accusations made against him by those Jews whose dearest interest he, for the sake of his brother men, was compelled to attacktells us how blameless, how perfectly unselfish, was the whole tenor of that generous brave life.
We need not suppose that this defence of Paul, and that unanimous expression of goodwill he obtained from those distinguished persons who listened to him that day in the Csarean court, were without effect upon the after history of the apostle. Although, as the appeal to the emperor had been formally lodged, it was no longer in the power of any provincial official, however exalted, to acquit or to free, any more than to condemn and to punish the prisoner who had thus appealed to Rome; still, as Festus had arranged this hearing before Agrippa with a view to procure satisfactory material to enable him to make an exhaustive report to the minister at Rome, he no doubt wrote such a favourable view of the prisoners case as eventually brought about his acquittal and freedom from his first Roman imprisonment (On the wearisome delays which frequently postponed for a lengthened period the hearing of these provincial appeals, see Excursus C, in the Chapter Comments for Acts 26)
The favourable report of Festus, too, certainly procured him kindly treatment after his arrival in the capital (he was allowed to dwell in his own hired house and even to receive large numbers of friends and pupils there, chap. Act 28:17-23; Act 28:30-31).
Another result of Pauls great defence of Christianity before King Agrippa II. and the Procurator Festus, was, that from this time a kindly feeling seems to have sprung up in the kings heart towards that strange Nazarene sect which he tells us himself he once almost was persuaded to join. Stier, in his Words of the Apostles, calls attention to the fact of this Agrippa at the outbreak of the great Jewish war, some eight or nine years after the scene at Csarea, protecting the Christians, giving them succour, and receiving them kindly into his territory.
See notes on verse 30
31, 32. After they have returned to the palace they talk over the matter, Agrippa giving his verdict unequivocally decisive of Pauls utter innocence, assuring Festus that there was no reason for not releasing him on the spot except his appeal to Caesar. While King Agrippa was a stalwart Jew, loyal to the fallen church, and in no way disposed to forsake the multitude, incur the ban of popular churchism and fall in with a few despised Nazarenes, he here shows up very beautifully the integrity of a civil officer, contrasting conspicuously with the falsifications, hypocrisy and rascality manifested by the high-priest and the leading ministers of the Jewish church, revealing the sad fact that when preachers are blindly manipulated by the devil, they are decidedly more unjust, cruel and bloodthirsty than civil rulers, though also in the hands of Satan. Ecclesiastical law, hen out of harmony with the Bible, and manipulated by the devil through a fallen clergy, is cruel as the grave and merciless as hell. Wisely did Paul appeal from it to Caesar. While Agrippa manifested no sympathy with Pauls religion, unlike those blood- hounds, i. e., the leading preachers of the fallen church, clamorous for innocent blood, he pronounced an unequivocal verdict of innocence in behalf of Paul.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament