(KJV) Acts 251

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⥃Paul’s Trial before Festus

[1] Now when Festus was come into2 the3 province4, after three days he ascended from Cesarea to Jerusalem. [2] Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,5 [3] And desired6 favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying7 wait in the way to kill him. [4] But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly [thither]. [5] Let them8 therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with [me], and accuse this man, if9 there be any wickedness in him. [6] And when he had tarried among them more than ten days10, he went down unto Cesarea; and the next day sitting11 on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. [7] And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid12 many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. [8] While he answered for himself, Neither13 against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cesar, have I offended any thing at all. [9] But Festus, willing14 to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

⥃Paul Appeals to Caesar

[10] Then said Paul, I stand15 at Cesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou16 very well knowest. [11] For if I17 be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man18 may deliver me unto them. I appeal19 unto Cesar. [12] Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cesar? unto Cesar shalt20 thou go.

⥃Festus Consults Agrippa

[13] And after certain days king21 Agrippa and Bernice came unto22 Cesarea to salute Festus. [14] And when they had been there23 many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: [15] About whom, when24 I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed [me], desiring [to have] judgment against him. [16] To whom I answered, It is not25 the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have26 licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. [17] Therefore, when they were come hither, without27 any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. [18] Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: [19] But had certain28 questions against him of their own superstition29, and of one Jesus, which30 was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. [20] And because I doubted of such manner of questions31, I asked32 [him] whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. [21] But when Paul had33 appealed to be reserved unto the hearing34 of Augustus35, I commanded36 him to be kept till I might send him to Cesar. [22] Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.37

⥃Paul before Agrippa and Bernice

[23] And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with38 great39 pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. [24] And Festus said, King Agrippa40, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about41 whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and [also] here, crying that he42 ought not to live any longer. [25] But when I found that he had committed43 nothing worthy of death, and that44 he himself hath appealed to Augustus45, I have determined to send him. [26] Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially46 before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. [27] For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes [laid] against him. 47

<< Acts 24 Acts 26 >>

  1. Acts 25:1, The Jews accuse Paul before Festus; Acts 25:8, He answers for himself, Acts 25:11. and appeals unto Cesar; Acts 25:14, Afterwards Festus opens his matter to king Agrippa; Acts 25:23, and he is brought forth; Acts 25:25, Festus clears him of having done anything worthy of death. ↩

  2. Acts 23:34 ↩

  3. By the province, Judea is meant; for after the death of Herod Agrippa, Claudius thought it imprudent to trust the government in the hands of his son Agrippa, who was then but seventeen years of age; and therefore, Cuspius Fadus was sent to be procurator. And when afterwards Claudius had given to Agrippa the tetrarchy of Philip, he nevertheless kept the province of Judea in his own hands, and governed it by procurators sent from Rome. ↩

  4. Acts 25:5, Acts 18:22, Acts 21:15 ↩

  5. Acts 25:15, Acts 24:1; Job 31:31; Prov 4:16; Rom 3:12-19 ↩

  6. Acts 9:2; 1Sam 23:19-21; Jer 38:4; Mark 6:23-25; Luke 23:8-24 ↩

  7. Acts 23:12-15, Acts 26:9-11; Ps 37:32-33, Ps 64:2-6, Ps 140:1-5; Jer 18:18; John 16:3; Rom 3:8 ↩

  8. Acts 25:16, Acts 23:30, Acts 24:8 ↩

  9. Acts 25:18-19, Acts 25:25, Acts 18:14; 1Sam 24:11-12; Ps 7:3-5; John 18:29-30 ↩

  10. or, as some copies read no more than eight or ten days ↩

  11. Acts 25:10, Acts 25:17, Acts 18:12-17; Matt 27:19; John 19:13; 2Cor 5:10; Jas 2:6 ↩

  12. Acts 25:24, Acts 21:28, Acts 24:5-6, Acts 24:13; Ezra 4:15; Esth 3:8; Ps 27:12, Ps 35:11; Matt 5:11-12; Matt 26:60-62; Mark 15:3-4; Luke 23:2, Luke 23:10; 1Pet 4:14-16 ↩

  13. Acts 25:10, Acts 6:13-14, Acts 23:1, Acts 24:6, Acts 24:12, Acts 24:17-21, Acts 28:17, Acts 28:21; Gen 40:15; Jer 37:18; Dan 6:22; 2Cor 1:12 ↩

  14. Acts 25:3, Acts 25:20, Acts 12:3, Acts 24:27; Mark 15:15 ↩

  15. Every procurator represented the emperor in the province over which he presided; and as the seat of government was at Cesarea, St. Paul was before the tribunal where, as a Roman citizen, he ought to be judged. Acts 16:37-38, Acts 22:25-28 ↩

  16. Acts 25:25, Acts 23:29, Acts 26:31, Acts 28:18; Matt 27:18, Matt 27:23-24; 2Cor 4:2 ↩

  17. Acts 18:14; Josh 22:22; 1Sam 12:3-5; Job 31:21, Job 31:38-40; Ps 7:3-5 ↩

  18. Acts 16:37, Acts 22:25; 1Thess 2:15 ↩

  19. An appeal to the emperor was the right of a Roman citizen, and was highly respected. The Julian law condemned those magistrates, and others, as violaters of the public peace, who had put to death, tortured, scourged, imprisoned, or condemned any Roman citizen who had appealed to Cesar. This law was so sacred and imperative, that, in the persecution under Trajan, Pliny would not attempt to put to death Roman citizens, who were proved to have turned Christians, but determined to send them to Rome, probably because they had appealed. Acts 25:10, Acts 25:25, Acts 26:32, Acts 28:19; 1Sam 27:1 ↩

  20. Acts 25:21, Acts 19:21, Acts 23:11, Acts 26:32, Acts 27:1, Acts 28:16; Ps 76:10; Isa 46:10-11; Lam 3:37; Dan 4:35; Rom 15:28-29; Phil 1:12-14, Phil 1:20 ↩

  21. Acts 25:22-23, Acts 26:1, Acts 26:27-28 ↩

  22. 1Sam 13:10, 1Sam 25:14; 2Sam 8:10; 2Kgs 10:13; Mark 15:18 ↩

  23. Acts 24:27 ↩

  24. Acts 25:1-3; Esth 3:9; Luke 18:3-5, Luke 23:23 ↩

  25. Acts 25:4-5 ↩

  26. Acts 26:1; Deut 17:4, Deut 19:17-18; Prov 18:13, Prov 18:17; John 7:51 ↩

  27. Acts 25:6 ↩

  28. Acts 25:7, Acts 18:15, Acts 18:19, Acts 23:29 ↩

  29. Acts 17:22-23 ↩

  30. Acts 1:22, Acts 2:32, Acts 17:31, Acts 26:22-23; 1Cor 15:3-4, 1Cor 15:14-20; Rev 1:18 ↩

  31. or, was doubtful how to enquire hereof, etc ↩

  32. Acts 25:9 ↩

  33. Acts 25:10, Acts 26:32; 2Tim 4:16 ↩

  34. or, judgment ↩

  35. Acts 27:1; Luke 2:1 ↩

  36. Acts 25:12 ↩

  37. Acts 9:15; Isa 52:15; Matt 10:18; Luke 21:12 ↩

  38. Acts 12:21; Esth 1:4; Eccl 1:2; Isa 5:14, Isa 14:11; Ezek 7:24, Ezek 30:18, Ezek 32:12, Ezek 33:28; Dan 4:30; 1Cor 7:31; Jas 1:11; 1Pet 1:24; 1John 2:16 ↩

  39. Acts 9:15 ↩

  40. 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, Tarichea, 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. ↩

  41. Acts 25:2-3, Acts 25:7 ↩

  42. Acts 22:22; Luke 23:21-23 ↩

  43. Acts 23:9, Acts 23:29, Acts 26:31; Luke 23:4, Luke 23:14; John 18:38 ↩

  44. Acts 25:11-12 ↩

  45. The honourable title of Σεβαστος G4575, or Augustus, that is venerable or august, which was first conferred by the senate on Octavius Cesar, was afterwards assumed by succeeding Roman emperors. ↩

  46. Acts 26:2-3 ↩

  47. Prov 18:13; John 7:51 ↩