Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 24:20
Or else let these same [here] say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
20. Or else let these same here ( R. V. these men themselves) say ] i.e. the Sadducees with Ananias. The assailants of St Paul were of two classes, first the Asiatic Jews, who were furious against him because of his preaching among the Gentiles in their cities, then those in Jerusalem who hated him for preaching the resurrection. He challenges them both, and when the former do not appear, he turns to the other.
if they have found any evil doing in me ] The oldest MSS. have “what wrong doing they found,” omitting “in me.”
while (Better, when) I stood before the council ] Up to the moment, when in the presence of the council he had spoken of the resurrection and so produced a division in the assembly, there was no act of St Paul which had to do with any disturbance. The tumult in the temple and while he was speaking from the Tower-stairs was all caused by the Jewish mob.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Or else – Since they are not here to witness against me in regard to what occurred in the temple, let these here present bear witness against me, if they can, in regard to any other part of my conduct. This was a bold appeal, and it showed his full consciousness of innocence.
Let these same here say – The Jews who are here present.
Any evil doing – Any improper conduct, or any violation of the Law.
While I stood before the council – The Sanhedrin, Act 23:1-10. As they were present there, Paul admits that they were competent to bear witness to his conduct on that occasion, and calls upon them to testify, if they could, to any impropriety in his conduct.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Any evil doing in me while I stood before the council] The Jews of Asia, the most competent witnesses, though my declared enemies, and they who stirred up the persecution against me, should have been here: why are they kept back? Because they could prove nothing against me. Let these, therefore, who are here, depose, if they have found any evil in me, or proved against me, by my most virulent adversaries, when examined before them in their council at Jerusalem.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
St. Paul is willing to allow the present Jews testimony about such things as they could know, having themselves heard and seen them; which was what passed in the council when Paul was brought before it, Act 23:1,9. The sense of a Deity was more quick upon men; and they might then be trusted under the security of an oath.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. Or else let these . . . heresay“Or, passing from all that preceded my trial, letthose of the Sanhedrim here present say if I was guilty of aughtthere.” No doubt his hasty speech to the high priest might occurto them, but the provocation to it on his own part was more than theywould be willing to recall.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Or else let these same here say,…. They that are present, the high priest and the elders, who were come down to accuse him:
if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council; or “Jewish sanhedrim”; when he was brought before them by the chief captain, Ac 22:30 meaning, if any evil was then done by him, or any iniquity proved upon him, let it be declared; for as for his imprecation, or prophecy, that God would smite the high priest, he excused himself on that head, as not knowing it was the high priest.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
These men themselves ( ). Since the Asiatic Jews are not present and these men are.
Wrong doing (). Or misdeed. Old word from , to do wrong. In the N.T. only here and Acts 18:14; Rev 18:5. Paul uses “” from the standpoint of his accusers. “To a less sensitive conscience his action before the Sanhedrin would have seemed venial enough” (Furneaux).
When I stood ( ). Genitive absolute, second aorist active participle of (intransitive), “when I took my stand.”
Before the council ( ). Same use of with genitive as in verse 19.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “Or else let these same here say,” (e autoi houtoi epiatosan) “Or let these themselves say,” the members of the Sanhedrin, who had parroted all together that “these things were so,” that the charges were so, Act 24:9. Their very absence was grounds for suspicion of the falsity of their charges; It is thought they were Jews of the goddess Diana industrial trade in Ephesus, who had instigated this, and they were likely on their way home from the feast gloating over the evil stink they had stirred, Act 21:26-30.
2) “If they have found any evil doing in me,” (ti heuron adikema atantos mou) “What misdeed (unrighteous thing) standing out of me;” Paul simply stated that if “all these things (three charges of Act 24:5-6) were true,” they should at least two or three of them specify what word he said or deed they knew he had done that would constitute evidence or prove that either of the three broadside charges placed against him was true. It was a reasonable request, Joh 8:17.
3) “While I stood before the council,” (epi tou sunedriou) “While I stood (and was examined) before the council,” of the Sanhedrin for their examination of me, in any way relative to these charges that they had brought by Tertullus, their hired accuser, Act 22:30; Act 23:1-2; Act 24:1-8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(20) If they have found any evil doing in me . . .The better MSS. give, what evil thing (or, what wrong act) they found in me. This, from St. Pauls point of view, was the one instance in which any words of his had been even the occasion of an uproar, and in them he had but proclaimed a belief which he held in common with their best and wisest teachers. So far as the proceedings before the Council were concerned, he had not even entered on the question of the Messiahship or the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. These same here Pointing at Ananias and his elders.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Or else let these men themselves declare what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, ‘Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.’ ”
And if these men had found any wrongdoing in him when he stood before the Sanhedrin, let them now declare what it was. Indeed the only matter that had really been discussed in the council about which they could accuse him as being in the wrong was the question of the resurrection. For he himself had stated before the council, ‘Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.’ This was the only ‘wrongdoing’ of which he could be accused. So all their accusations were generalisations and falsehoods.
Some consider that Paul is here admitting that he should not have made that statement which had put the council in an uproar. But it is equally likely that he is simply saying sarcastically that this was the only thing that they could accuse him of, something which was, of course, not criminal at all, and of course was true.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 24:20-21 . Or else (as certainly those absent can make no statement, comp. Baeumlein, Partik . p. 126 f.) let these there (pointing to the Sanhedrists present) say what wrong they found in me, while I stood before the Sanhedrim, unless in respect to this one exclamation, which I made , etc.
. . . forbids us to refer to the Asiatic Jews, Act 24:18 (Ewald). Comp. Act 24:15 .
] The comparative after without is found also in the classics, Alciphr. Ep . iii. 21; Plat. Crit . p. 53 E; Khner, 747, A. 1. Comp. on Joh 13:10 . The article is not placed before , because the sense is: (Khner, ad Xen. Anab . iv. 7. 5). Comp. Stallb. ad Plat. Rev 18Rev 18 A, Gorg . p. 510 D. The exclamation, Act 23:6 , was really the only one which Paul had made in the Sanhedrim. refers back to . In respect of this exclamation I must have offended, if they have found an in me! In this one exclamation must lie the crime discovered in me! A holy irony.
instead of , attracted by , Buttmann, neut. Gr . 247 [E. T. 287].
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
Ver. 20. Or else let these same here say ] This is the best defence, that is thus fetched from the accusers themselves, who are apt to make the worst of everything and to aggravate faults beyond truth. This is no small prejudice to Luther’s adversaries, said Erasmus, that they cannot but say he lives honestly. And the like is recorded of Bucer, Bradford, others; the Papists could not find fault with their lives, only they taxed them for heresy; but so they could not Paul, unless they would conclude themselves also heretics, Act 24:21 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
20. ] Or let these persons themselves say, what fault they found in me while I stood before the Sanhedrim, other than in the matter of this one saying serves for . So in English: What fault but this : i.e. ‘What other fault but this.’
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 24:20 . : “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 accusers present. Kuinoel refers the words to the Sadducees, and thinks this proved from the next verse, but the context does not require this reference, nor can the words be referred with Ewald to the Asiatic Jews, since . is against such an interpretation. , see critical note.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
if. The texts omit.
any = what.
evil doing. Greek. adikema. App-128.
council. Greek. sunedrion. See note on Mat 5:22. Joh 11:47.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
20.] Or let these persons themselves say, what fault they found in me while I stood before the Sanhedrim, other than in the matter of this one saying serves for . So in English: What fault but this: i.e. What other fault but this.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 24:20. ) whilst I stood. That standing is mentioned, ch. Act 22:30, , made him stand.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Reciprocal: 1Sa 12:5 – ye have 1Ki 18:18 – I have not Dan 6:5 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Act 24:20. Or eke let these same here say if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council. Paul well knew that the Sanhedrim had no proof at all that he had committed any of the crimes alleged against him. The first charge, sedition, was merely on hearsay evidence, the offspring of vague reports from a distance. The second charge, that he was an introducer of strange gods, the teacher of an unlawful religion, he had clearly disproved, having shown that to all intents and purposes he was an earnest and devout Jew. The third and gravest of the three charges the Sanhedrim had only cognisance of second hand. The alleged profanation of the temple, which Paul indignantly denied, was borne testimony to by witnesses none of whom were present in Csarea. No; there was only one true explanation of the wrath of the moving spirits in the great Jewish council. With that he proceeds to deal.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 10
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
24:20 Or else let these same [here] say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the {m} council,
(m) Where the tribune brought me.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Paul’s present accusers could not even testify that the Sanhedrin had found him guilty when he appeared before that body. Some of them had disagreed with his belief about resurrection. Therefore, Paul concluded, he was on trial over the issue of the resurrection. This put Felix in the awkward position of having to decide a theological issue over which his Jewish subjects disagreed.
"One of the greatest things about Paul is that he speaks in his own defence with force, with vigour and sometimes with a flash of indignation-but there never emerge the accents of self-pity or of bitterness, which would have been so natural in a man whose finest actions had been so cruelly and deliberately misinterpreted and mis-stated." [Note: Barclay, p. 186.]