Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 24:8
Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.
8. commanding his accusers to come unto thee ] Which Lysias had not done till Paul was removed beyond reach of pursuit.
by examining of whom ] In the A. V. the relative “whom” is here naturally referred to “accusers.” A glance at the Greek shews that this cannot be, for it is in the singular number. The Rev. Ver. gives the literal rendering of the passage thus, “ From whom thou wilt be able, by examining him thyself. to take knowledge, &c.” If the supposed interpolation be accepted as text, then “whom” and “him” would most properly be referred to Lysias. Felix might on the arrival of the chief captain question him and learn the truth of what had taken place. And with this the remark of Felix in Act 24:22 fits in, “When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will determine your matter.” If however the doubtful words be rejected, then the pronouns must refer to St Paul. But it is curious, to say the least, that Tertullus should suggest to Felix that the truth of his case should be supported by an examination of the person accused. It has therefore been suggested that the word rendered “examining” has regard to some process of torture by which a prisoner might be forced to confess the truth. But for this no sufficient support has been found. The noun derived from this verb is employed (Act 25:26) for the inquiry before Agrippa. On the whole there seems quite as much to be said in favour of the Textus Receptus from internal evidence, as can be brought against it by the evidence of MSS.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Commanding his accusers … – Act 23:30.
By examining of whom – That is, the Jews who were then present. Tertullus offered them as his witnesses of the truth of what he had said. It is evident that we have here only the summary or outline of the speech which he made It is incredible that a Roman rhetorician would have on such an occasion delivered an address so brief, so meagre, and so destitute of display as this. But it is doubtless a correct summary of his address, and contains the leading points of the accusation. It is customary for the sacred writers, as for other writers, to give only the outline of discourses and arguments. Such a course was inevitable, unless the New Testament had been swelled to wholly undue proportions.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. Commanding his accusers to come, c.] Here Tertullus closes his opening and statement of the case and now he proceeds to call and examine his witnesses; and they were no doubt examined one by one, though St. Luke sums the whole up in one word –The Jews also assented, saying, that these things were so. Whoever considers the plan of Tertullus’s speech, will perceive that it was both judicious and artful. Let us take a view of the whole:-
1. He praises Felix to conciliate his favour.
2. He generally states the great blessings of his administration.
3. He states that the Jews, throughout the whole land, felt themselves under the greatest obligations to him, and extolled his prudent and beneficent management of the public affairs every where.
4. That the prisoner before him was a very bad man; a disturber of the public peace; a demagogue of a dangerous party; and so lost to all sense of religion as to attempt to profane the temple!
5. That, though he should have been punished on the spot, yet, as they were ordered by the chief captain to appear before him, and show the reason why they had seized on Paul at Jerusalem, they were accordingly come; and, having now exhibited their charges, he would,
6. proceed to examine witnesses, who would prove all these things to the satisfaction of the governor. 7. He then called his witnesses, and their testimony confirmed and substantiated the charges. No bad cause was ever more judiciously and cunningly managed.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By examining of whom; not that the Jews would have any witnesses produced, and fairly examined; but the pronoun being singular, it refers to Paul, whom Tertullus would have examined, and put to the question, or racked, that he might confess what they would have had him guilty of: or it is as if he had said, (so impudent is impiety), that Paul himself could not deny (if he were asked) the accusation which was brought against him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. Commanding his accusers to comeunto theeHere they insinuate that, instead of troubling Felixwith the case, he ought to have left it to be dealt with by theJewish tribunal; in which case his life would soon have been taken.
by examining whomLysias,as would seem (Ac 24:22).
thyself mayest,&c.referring all, as if with confidence, to Felix.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Commanding his accusers to come unto thee,…. But this was not done till after Paul had set forth his case before the people, upon the stairs leading to the castle: and after he had pleaded his own cause before the sanhedrim; and after the chief captain had had intelligence of the Jews lying in wait to kill him: Tertullus would insinuate that the captain was blameworthy, that he hindered a legal process against Paul; and that it was owing to him, that this trouble was given the governor, as well as the high priest and elders, who by his orders came down from Jerusalem to Caesarea; and that had it not been for him this affair might have been finished with more dispatch, and less trouble.
By examining of whom; not the accusers, but either the chief captain, as some think, or rather Paul:
thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him; so impudent was Tertullus, and of such effrontery and assurance, that he feared not to say, that the governor, by examining Paul himself, would easily come to the knowledge of the things he was accused of, and plainly see that he was guilty of them; so that there would be no need of their attestations, or of producing witnesses against him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
From whom (‘ ). Referring to Paul, but in the Textus Receptus referring to Lysias.
By examining him thyself ( ). Not by torture, since Paul was a Roman citizen, but by hearing what Paul has to say in defence of himself. is to examine thoroughly up and down as in Lu 23:14.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
From whom. Paul. It would refer to Lysias if the omitted passage above were retained.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: (This too is omitted from older manuscripts) Tho the fact is disclosed as occurring later, Act 23:30.
2) “By examining of whom thyself mayest,” (par’ ou dunese autos anakrinas) “From whom examining, when you have examined, you will be able,” through the legal, judicial method of investigation or examination, not by torture or scourging, Act 22:24-25.
3) “Take knowledge of all these things,” (peri panton touton epignonai) “To know fully all these things,” these charges submitted in this brief or abstract that constituted the body of three basic complaints: 1) First, of Sedition, 2) Second, of Heresy, and 3) Third, of Profaning or Desecrating the temple, Act 24:5-6. It was as if Tertullus said this will all be safe in your hands, Felix.”
4) “Whereof we accuse him.” (hon hemeis kategoroumen autou) “Of which we accuse him,” accuse or indict Paul, yet without a sustaining thread of truthful evidence for either of their three charges. Note Tertullus, reeling and rocking in grandiloquent oratory, included himself in the phrase “we accuse him.”
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
−
8. Having made inquiry. A good − (570) request, that the governor do not give sentence before he thoroughly examine and know the matter; and that he do not condemn Paul before he be lawfully convict. But how dare they put in these conditions, seeing their own consciences do accuse them of unjust dealing? I answer, that they had witnesses in readiness; and that they do not offer themselves to prove the matter until they do call them; − (571) though there were another end. For they did hope that Felix would be so persuaded with such glorious words, − (572) that he would turn over unto them the man whom they did accuse for a condemned man, whom they might handle at their pleasure. In sum, the more fierce they be upon him, and the more they were puffed up with some affiance they had in themselves, they think they shall get the upper hand by this means, because the party arraigned shall have no license granted to defend himself. Thus do false accusers boldly boast that their matter is plain, that they may blind the eyes of the judges.
(570) −
“
AEqua,” just, equitable.
(571) −
“
Nec se ad probandum offerre nisi suo arbitrio,” and that they do not offer proof unless he decide that it shall be taken.
(572) −
“
Ampullis,” bombast.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) By examining of whom . . .Literally, from whom thou shalt be able, by examining him thyself, to know thoroughly . . . The English construction suggests that the accusers are the persons to be examined, but as the Greek relative is in the singular this cannot possibly be the meaning. Tertullus apparently suggests that the judge should interrogate the prisonerperhaps, by using a technical term, with a well-understood significance, that he should examine him by scourging, or some other mode of torture. Strictly speaking, the examination of Which Tertullus speaks was a preliminary inquiry, previous to the actual trial, to ascertain whether there were sufficient grounds for further proceedings. It will be observed that he keeps back the fact of St. Pauls being a Roman, and it does not follow that Tertullus knew that Lysias had informed Felix of it. It is possible, however, after all, if we admit the genuineness of Act. 24:7, that the relative pronoun may refer to Lysias and not to the Apostle; and this agrees with the language of Felix in Act. 24:22.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.
Ver. 8. By examining of whom ] By this outfacing boldness, and these specious pretences, they hoped to have swayed the governor to deliver up the prisoner to their pleasure without any more ado, and to have condemned him unheard. But God had otherwise ordered it.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] , if the disputed words be inserted , refers naturally enough to Lysias ; but if they be omitted, to Paul , which would be very unlikely, that the judge should be referred to the prisoner (for examination by torture (Grot. and al.) on one who had already claimed his rights as a Roman citizen can hardly be intended) for the particulars laid to his charge. Certainly it might, on the other hand, be said that Tertullus would hardly refer the governor to Lysias, whose interference he had just characterized in such terms of blame; but (which is a strong argument for the genuineness of the doubtful words) remarkably enough, we find Felix, Act 24:22 , putting off the trial till the arrival of Lysias .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 24:8 . .: 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. Luk 4:9 , and Plummer on Luk 23:14 , cf. Act 25:26 below. A.V., “by examining of whom thyself,” etc., which is quite misleading whether we retain the words omitted above in R.V. or not, because this rendering reads as it Felix was to examine the accusers, whereas the relative pronoun is in the singular, .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Commanding = Having commanded. Lysias had done this after he had sent Paul to Caesarea to escape the plot. Hence the bitterness of the Jews against him. It is one of the strongest grounds for the retention of these verses.
accusers. Greek. kategoros. See note on Act 23:30.
examimng = having examined. Greek. anakrino. App-122.
mayest = wilt be able to.
take knowledge = know fully. Greek. epiginosko. App-132.
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8.] , if the disputed words be inserted, refers naturally enough to Lysias; but if they be omitted, to Paul, which would be very unlikely,-that the judge should be referred to the prisoner (for examination by torture (Grot. and al.) on one who had already claimed his rights as a Roman citizen can hardly be intended) for the particulars laid to his charge. Certainly it might, on the other hand, be said that Tertullus would hardly refer the governor to Lysias, whose interference he had just characterized in such terms of blame; but (which is a strong argument for the genuineness of the doubtful words) remarkably enough, we find Felix, Act 24:22, putting off the trial till the arrival of Lysias.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 24:8. , from whom) i.e. from Paul.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Commanding: Act 23:30, Act 23:35, Act 25:5, Act 25:15, Act 25:16
by: Act 24:19-21
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
Act 24:8. By examining of whom was an admission that the court had not heard any testimony furnished by Paul’s accusers, thereby convicting himself (and the court) of gross injustice.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 24:8. By examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him. If the disputed words are left in the text as in our English Version, then of whom refers of course to Claudius Lysias. Some have supposed that Tertullus suggested questions by torture should be applied; but this is most doubtful, for both Claudius Lysias and Paul were Roman citizens. If, however, we omit the words in accordance with the ordinary rules of criticism, then of whom must refer to St. Paul.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 2