Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 28:19
But when the Jews spake against [it,] I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had aught to accuse my nation of.
19. not that I had ought to accuse my nation of ] St Paul shews himself the patriotic Jew. He knew how many things his fellow-countrymen had suffered at the hands of the Roman power, and he did not wish in any way to bring on them any more trouble. He therefore explains that he had taken the course of appealing to Csar only because he saw no other means of obtaining his release. If that were secured he wished to lay no charge at the door of his accusers or their brethren in Rome.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Jews spake against it – Against my being set at liberty.
I was constrained – By a regard to my own safety and character.
To appeal unto Caesar – See the notes on Act 25:11.
Not that I had aught … – I did it for my own preservation and safety, not that I wished to accuse my countrymen. Paul had been unjustly accused and injured; yet, with the true spirit of the Christian religion, he here says that he cherished no unkind feelings toward those who had done him wrong.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The Jews spake against it; the Jews used all their oratory and interest against Paul, both before Felix and Festus. And had it been in Festuss power, (which after Pauls appeal it was not), he would have sacrificed Paul to the malice of the Jews; and by that means got their favour, whom he had so incensed against them.
Not that I had aught to accuse my nation of; Paul did not so much want matter, as mind, to accuse the Jews; and he declares, that whatsoever he had suffered, his intentions were not to calumniate them, but to vindicate himself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. I was constrained to appeal . .. not that I had aught to accuse my nation of“I am herenot as their accuser, but as my own defender, and this not of choicebut necessity.” His object in alluding thus gently to thetreatment he had received from the Jews was plainly to avoid whatevermight irritate his visitors at the first; especially as he was notaware whether any or what information against him had reached theircommunity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But when the Jews spake against it,…. His being cleared and dismissed, and desired he might be sent back to Jerusalem, to be tried and judged there, to which Festus seemed inclined:
I was constrained to appeal to Caesar; to prevent the design of the Jews upon him, which was to way lay him and kill him, or by what ways they could, right or wrong, take away his life; and to provide for his own safety:
not that I had ought to accuse my nation of; meaning, that he had no ill design in this appeal against his country, to expose them, and bring them under reproach and censure, but to vindicate himself, defend his own innocence, and preserve his character and life; suggesting, that what he did was not of choice, but by constraint, and with reluctance; being no friend to Heathen tribunals, nor any enemy to the Jewish nation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the Jews spake against it ( ). Genitive absolute again, () common verb for speaking against as in 13:45. Clementer dicit (Bengel). “The word is a mild one to describe the bitter enmity of the Jews” (Knowling).
I was constrained (). “I was compelled,” first aorist passive indicative of , the very word used of Paul’s efforts to get the Christians to blaspheme (26:11) which see. Paul was compelled to appeal to Caesar (see Acts 25:11; Acts 25:12 for this phrase), unless Paul was willing to be the victim of Jewish hate when he had done no wrong.
Not that I had aught to accuse my nation of ( ). This use of with a participle () is common in Greek for the alleged reason. The genitive case with the infinitive is regular. Paul says instead of as in Acts 24:17; Acts 26:4.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “But when the Jews spake against it,” (antilegonton de ton loudaion) “Then when the Jews spoke against this,” the release for me, with bitter resentment, saying that I ought to die, Act 21:31; Act 21:36; Act 22:22; Act 23:12-14; Act 23:27; Act 25:3. They opposed his acquittal.
2) I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; (enagkasthen epikalesasthai Kaisara) “I was (then) compelled to appeal to Caesar,” Act 25:11; Act 26:32; Act 27:24. This he had to do to obtain a fair, impartial trial, and to save his life.
3) “Not that I had ought to accuse my nation of “ (ouch hos tou ethnous mou echon ti kategorein) “Not that I held anything to accuse my nation of,” to bring as an accusation, a bill of indictment against my nation, Israel, the Jews. They were still his nation of people, and he, a true patriot, was not ashamed to call them “my nation,” when he appeared before the Roman tribunal, Act 24:17; Act 26:4. He loved and desired their salvation still, Rom 9:1-3; Rom 10:1-4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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19. I was enforced to appeal. This appeal was full of hatred and envy for this cause, because the authority and liberty of the Jewish nation did seem to be sore opprest, who could have been content to have lived with their own laws. Secondly, because his defense was joined with infamy and loss of all the people. Therefore he answereth this objection also, because he was enforced with the stubbornness of his enemies to fly to this fortress [asylum]. For he is excused by necessity, because he had no other way to escape death. And after that he had excused that which was done already, he promiseth that he will so handle his matter hereafter, − (678) that he will not labor against the Jews. −
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“
Ita causam suam acturum,” will so plead his cause.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
19. Not accuse my nation The fact of his being compelled to appeal implicated the heads of his nation; but he repudiates the feeling or purpose of accusing. The terms brethren, constrained, my nation, all indicate the deep affection for his kinsmen expressed in his epistle to the Romans, and his burning desire to win them to the Gospel. (Rom 9:1-6.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar; not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.”
But, he added, the Jews in Jerusalem had spoken against it, with the result that he had had to appeal to Caesar. It was not because he wanted to bring a charge against the Jews, but simply that they had brought a charge against him and would not drop it. And that was why he was here under house arrest.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
19 But when the Jews spake against it , I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
Ver. 19. To accuse my nation of ] But to defend Christ’s cause and mine own innocence, with as little reflex on the Jews as may be. It is an ill business to defame a whole nation (one’s own especially), as Scaliger, that proud hypercritic, who gave this base and unmannerly character, Gothi belluae, Scoti non minus, Angli perfidi, inflati, feri, contemptores, stolidi, amentes, inertes, inhospitales, immanes. The Goths are beasts, so are the Scots. As for the English, they are perfidious, proud, fierce, scornful, fools, madmen, sluggards, inhospitable, cruel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
19. ] ‘My appeal was a defensive and necessary step not an offensive one, to complain of my nation.’
The inf. aor. of the rec. would point to some one definite charge : means ‘to play the accuser against my nation in any thing:’ indicating the habit.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 28:19 . .: the word is a mild one to describe the bitter enmity of the Jews (“clementer dicit,” Bengel); they are not actually represented as speaking against Paul’s acquittal, although they are evidently presupposed as doing so by the proposal of Festus, Act 25:9 , and by the belief that sooner or later he would fall a victim to their plots the Apostle was no doubt compelled ( ) to appeal. Holtzmann seems to forget the part played by the Jews, and their bitter enmity, when he says that in reality Paul was compelled to appeal not by the Jews, but by Festus; see also critical note. : they were still his nation, and he was not ashamed to call them so, as a true patriot, when he stood before a foreign tribunal; cf. Act 24:17 , Act 26:4 , “see what friendliness of expression, he does not hold them in odium,” Chrysostom.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
spake against. Greek. antilego. See Act 13:45.
constrained. Greek. anankazo. See Act 26:11 (the only other occurance in Acts).
appeal unto. Greek. epikaleomai. See Act 25:11.
accuse. Greek. kategoreo. See Act 22:30.
nation. Greek. ethnos.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
19.] My appeal was a defensive and necessary step-not an offensive one, to complain of my nation.
The inf. aor. of the rec. would point to some one definite charge: means to play the accuser against my nation in any thing: indicating the habit.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 28:19. , when the Jews spake against it) He speaks mildly: for they had tried, by a plot for murdering Paul, to put an end to his speaking in Palestine.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
I was: Act 25:10-12, Act 25:21, Act 25:25, Act 26:32
not: Rom 12:19-21, 1Pe 2:22, 1Pe 2:23
Reciprocal: Jer 37:20 – lest Act 25:11 – I appeal
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 28:19. Paul appealed unto Caesar as a defendant, and not as a complainant against his nation. That is, he merely wished to clear his own good name, not that he wanted to cause his Jewish brethren any trouble.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 28:19. But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Csar; not that I had ought to accuse my own nation of. He presses this point upon them, being most anxious to show them he was there not as an accuser of, or an enemy to, the peoplethe people whom he loved better than life. It was to do them no harm that he had appealed to the Csar at Rome: it was his last resort to save himself from judicial murder or assassination. We must bear in mind that here, as in the other reports of Pauls sermons and speeches, we only possess the barest outline of the original. No doubt he sketched out to his listeners that day at Rome a full picture of all the dark plottings on the part of his countrymen which had preceded his appeal unto Csar.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 17
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
28:19 {11} But when the Jews spake against [it], I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
(11) We may use the means which God gives us, but in such a way that we seek the glory of God, and not of ourselves.