1007 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
While he answered for himself,.... As he was allowed by the Roman laws to do, he pleaded his own cause, and showed the falsehood of the charges exhibited against him; by observing, that as the crimes alleged against him were reducible to three heads, neither of them were just and true: neither against the law of the Jews; the law of Moses, whether...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure,.... As did his predecessor Felix, Acts 24:27 he being just entered upon his new government, and having met with some caresses and civilities from the Jews at Jerusalem, by whom he had been much pressed and urged about the affair of the apostle: answered Paul, and said, wilt thou go up to Jerusalem,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat,.... Not that here was a seat in the judgment hall built by Herod for Caesar himself to sit in, should he ever come there, as some have thought; but the seat on which Festus sat is called Caesar's judgment seat, because it was in a Raman court of judicature, and because Festus, who filled it,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For if I be an offender,.... Against the law of Moses, or the temple at Jerusalem, or Caesar the Roman emperor: or have committed anything worthy of death; by the laws of the Romans, as sedition, murder, c. I refuse not to die signifying that he did not decline going to Jerusalem, either through any consciousness of guilt, or fear of death; for if...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council,.... Not with the Jewish sanhedrim, or any part of it that came down on this occasion; but with Roman counsellors, which he had to assist him in judgment, when any difficult matters were before him; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "with his counsellors"; and the Arabic reads in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And after certain days,.... Several days after the above appeal made by Paul: King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus: this King Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, who killed James the brother of John, and of whose death mention is made in Acts 12:1 the Jewish chronologer (h) calls him Agrippa the Second, the son of Agrippa...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when they had been there many days,.... Indulging themselves in pleasure, and spending their time in conversing on various subjects; and in order to carry on the conversation, and pass away time, Festus declared Paul's case unto the king; in the following manner: saying, there is a certain man left in bonds by Felix; the former governor in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
About whom, when I was at Jerusalem,.... Quickly after he came to his government: the chief priests and elders of the Jews informed me; brought an accusation to him, exhibited to him charges against him, presented to him a bill of information, setting forth various crimes he had been guilty of: desiring to have judgment against him; not barely to...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
To whom I answered,.... As follows: it is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die; or to give any man to destruction; to pass sentence of death upon him, without hearing his cause, and purely at the request of another, and merely to gratify him: before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face; so as to speak to his...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore when they were come hither,.... To Caesarea, namely the chief priests and elders of the Jews: without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat: that is, the next day after they came down, Festus went into the judgment hall, and took his place there, in order to hear this cause; which circumstance he mentions, to show how...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Against whom when the accusers stood up,.... As they were obliged to do, whilst they were exhibiting their charges, bearing their testimonies, and producing their proofs; Acts 25:7. They brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: for by his being left in bonds, and by the information of the chief priests and elders, and their violence...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But had certain questions against him of their own superstition,.... Or religion; as about their law, which they said Paul had spoke against; and about their temple, which they pretended he had polluted; and about the resurrection of the dead, which he asserted, and some denied: and of one Jesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive; for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And because I doubted of such manner of questions,.... Or was ignorant of them, and knew not what to make of them, or to say to them, and was at an entire loss what to do in this affair: I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters; before the Jewish sanhedrim, who best understood them.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But when Paul had appealed to be reserved,.... In custody at Caesarea: unto the hearing of Augustus; to have his cause heard, tried, and judged of, by the Roman Emperor Nero, here called Augustus; for as it was usual for a Roman emperor to be called Caesar, from Julius Caesar, the first of them, so to be called Augustus, from Octavius Augustus,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Agrippa said to Festus,.... After he had given him the above account: I would also hear the man myself; Agrippa being a Jew by profession, and knowing more of these things than Festus did, and very likely had heard much concerning Jesus Christ; and if not of the apostle, yet however of the Christian religion; and therefore he was very...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come,.... Into the hall, or court of judicature: and Bernice; his sister, along with him: with great pomp: in rich dress, with the "regalia", or ensigns of royalty carried before them, and attended with a large train and retinue of servants: and was entered into the place of hearing; the causes that were tried...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Festus said, King Agrippa,.... He addressed himself to him in the first place, as being the principal person, and of great dignity, as well as knowledge: and all men which are here present with us; the chief captains, and principal inhabitants of the city: ye see this man the prisoner at the bar, meaning Paul: about whom all the multitude of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death,.... Which was a public testimony of the apostle's innocence, to the great mortification of his enemies, some of whom might be present; a like testimony was given of him by Lysias, Acts 23:29. And that he himself hath appealed unto Augustus; the Emperor Nero; see Acts 25:21. I have...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Of whom I have no certain thing,.... No certain crime, charge, or accusation; nothing of any moment or consequence, no particular thing, nothing but a heap of confused notions, of I know not who or what: to write unto my lord; meaning the Roman emperor, under whom he served as governor of Judea: wherefore I have brought him before you; the whole...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner,.... A man bound as if he was a malefactor, and guilty of some heinous crimes, to Rome, to be tried before Caesar: and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him; for which he is a prisoner, and for which he is sent to the emperor: it seemed to Festus an absurd thing, and what might be...