1
Φῆστος οὖν ἐπιβὰς τῇ ἐπαρχείᾳ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀνέβη εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀπὸ Καισαρείας,
Festus therefore, having set foot in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea;
first here Caesarea Καισάρεια Kaisareia
2
ἐνεφάνισάν ⸀τε αὐτῷ ⸂οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς⸃ καὶ οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων κατὰ τοῦ Παύλου, καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν
and the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews notified him against Paul, and were urging him,
first here Jews Ἰουδαῖος Ioudaios
3
αἰτούμενοι χάριν κατ’ αὐτοῦ ὅπως μεταπέμψηται αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἐνέδραν ποιοῦντες ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ὁδόν.
asking a grace against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem — making an ambush to do away with him on the road.
first here Jerusalem Ἰερουσαλήμ Ierousalēm
4
ὁ μὲν οὖν Φῆστος ἀπεκρίθη τηρεῖσθαι τὸν Παῦλον ⸂εἰς Καισάρειαν⸃, ἑαυτὸν δὲ μέλλειν ἐν τάχει ἐκπορεύεσθαι·
So Festus answered that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go out speedily.
5
Οἱ οὖν ⸂ἐν ὑμῖν, φησίν, δυνατοὶ⸃ συγκαταβάντες εἴ τί ἐστιν ἐν τῷ ἀνδρὶ ⸀ἄτοπον κατηγορείτωσαν αὐτοῦ.
“Let those among you who are able, then,” he says, “go down with me, and if there is anything out of place in the man, let them accuse him.”
6
Διατρίψας δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἡμέρας ⸂οὐ πλείους ὀκτὼ⸃ ἢ δέκα, καταβὰς εἰς Καισάρειαν, τῇ ἐπαύριον καθίσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐκέλευσεν τὸν Παῦλον ἀχθῆναι.
And having stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day, sitting on the judgement seat, he ordered Paul to be brought.
7
παραγενομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ περιέστησαν ⸀αὐτὸν οἱ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καταβεβηκότες Ἰουδαῖοι, πολλὰ καὶ βαρέα αἰτιώματα ⸀καταφέροντες ἃ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀποδεῖξαι,
And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and heavy charges which they were not able to demonstrate,
8
⸂τοῦ Παύλου ἀπολογουμένου⸃ ὅτι Οὔτε εἰς τὸν νόμον τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὔτε εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν οὔτε εἰς Καίσαρά τι ἥμαρτον.
while Paul made his defence: “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in anything.”
first here Caesar Καῖσαρ Kaisar
9
ὁ Φῆστος δὲ ⸂θέλων τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις⸃ χάριν καταθέσθαι ἀποκριθεὶς τῷ Παύλῳ εἶπεν· Θέλεις εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀναβὰς ἐκεῖ περὶ τούτων ⸀κριθῆναι ἐπ’ ἐμοῦ;
But Festus, wanting to lay up grace with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before me about these things?”
10
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος· ⸂Ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος Καίσαρος ἑστώς⸃ εἰμι, οὗ με δεῖ κρίνεσθαι. Ἰουδαίους οὐδὲν ⸀ἠδίκησα, ὡς καὶ σὺ κάλλιον ἐπιγινώσκεις.
And Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgement seat, where I must be judged. I have wronged the Jews in nothing, as you also know better.
11
εἰ μὲν ⸀οὖν ἀδικῶ καὶ ἄξιον θανάτου πέπραχά τι, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν· εἰ δὲ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὧν οὗτοι κατηγοροῦσίν μου, οὐδείς με δύναται αὐτοῖς χαρίσασθαι· Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι.
If then I am a wrongdoer and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing in the things of which these accuse me, no one can hand me over to them as a favour. I call upon Caesar.”
Why this rendering
Acts.25.11 Observation
Syntactic observation
οὐδείς με δύναται αὐτοῖς χαρίσασθαι· Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι — no one can hand me over to them as a favour. I call upon Caesar. ἐπικαλέω (middle, call upon) is in this edition the verb of calling on the name of the Lord (2:21; 9:14; 22:16) — the base text uses the same word for the legal act of appealing to the emperor. This edition does not paraphrase it as appeal but keeps call upon — v.12 you have called upon Caesar; to Caesar you will go, and vv.21, 25 called upon the Sebastos, are all one word. χαρίζομαι, hand over as a favour, is the verb of 3:14, you asked for a murderer to be granted to you — and in v.16 Festus takes it up: it is not the custom of Romans to hand over any man as a favour. V.3 asking a grace (αἰτούμενοι χάριν) and v.9 to lay up grace (χάριν καταθέσθαι) keep χάρις as grace — in this chapter grace is the currency of governor and accusers. V.10 ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος Καίσαρος, Caesar’s judgement seat — the seat Festus sits on, Paul calls Caesar’s.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “I call upon Caesar” — ἐπικαλέω as “call upon”
Basis To erase that the word for calling on the name of the Lord is used of Caesar would divide one word of the base text in two.
“I appeal to Caesar”
Basis Clear as a legal term.
Rejected It cuts the link with 2:21 and 22:16.
12
τότε ὁ Φῆστος συλλαλήσας μετὰ τοῦ συμβουλίου ἀπεκρίθη· Καίσαρα ἐπικέκλησαι, ἐπὶ Καίσαρα πορεύσῃ.
Then Festus, having talked with the council, answered, “You have called upon Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”
13
Ἡμερῶν δὲ διαγενομένων τινῶν Ἀγρίππας ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ Βερνίκη κατήντησαν εἰς Καισάρειαν ἀσπασάμενοι τὸν Φῆστον.
And when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, greeting Festus.
14
ὡς δὲ πλείους ἡμέρας ⸀διέτριβον ἐκεῖ, ὁ Φῆστος τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀνέθετο τὰ κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον λέγων· Ἀνήρ τίς ἐστιν καταλελειμμένος ὑπὸ Φήλικος δέσμιος,
And as they were staying there many days, Festus laid before the king the things concerning Paul, saying, “There is a certain man left behind by Felix as a prisoner,
15
περὶ οὗ γενομένου μου εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐνεφάνισαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τῶν Ἰουδαίων, αἰτούμενοι κατ’ αὐτοῦ ⸀καταδίκην·
about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews notified me, asking for a sentence against him;
16
πρὸς οὓς ἀπεκρίθην ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἔθος Ῥωμαίοις χαρίζεσθαί τινα ⸀ἄνθρωπον πρὶν ἢ ὁ κατηγορούμενος κατὰ πρόσωπον ἔχοι τοὺς κατηγόρους τόπον τε ἀπολογίας λάβοι περὶ τοῦ ἐγκλήματος.
to whom I answered that it is not the custom of Romans to hand over any man as a favour before the accused has his accusers face to face and receives a place of defence concerning the charge.
first here Romans Ῥωμαῖος Rhōmaios
17
συνελθόντων ⸀οὖν ἐνθάδε ἀναβολὴν μηδεμίαν ποιησάμενος τῇ ἑξῆς καθίσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐκέλευσα ἀχθῆναι τὸν ἄνδρα·
So when they had come together here, making no delay, on the next day I sat on the judgement seat and ordered the man to be brought;
18
περὶ οὗ σταθέντες οἱ κατήγοροι οὐδεμίαν αἰτίαν ⸀ἔφερον ὧν ⸂ἐγὼ ὑπενόουν⸃ ⸀πονηρῶν,
about whom the accusers, standing up, brought no cause of such evil things as I supposed,
19
ζητήματα δέ τινα περὶ τῆς ἰδίας δεισιδαιμονίας εἶχον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ περί τινος Ἰησοῦ τεθνηκότος, ὃν ἔφασκεν ὁ Παῦλος ζῆν.
but had certain questions against him about their own fearing of divinities, and about a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul asserted to be alive.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
Why this rendering
Acts.25.19 Observation
Syntactic observation
ζητήματα δέ τινα περὶ τῆς ἰδίας δεισιδαιμονίας εἶχον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ περί τινος Ἰησοῦ τεθνηκότος, ὃν ἔφασκεν ὁ Παῦλος ζῆν — certain questions about their own fearing of divinities, and about a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul asserted to be alive. In a Roman governor’s mouth the resurrection shrinks to one sentence — a certain Jesus who had died (τινος Ἰησοῦ τεθνηκότος) and to be alive (ζῆν); the word ἀνάστασις is not used. δεισιδαιμονία, fearing of divinities, shares a root with δεισιδαίμων at the Areopagus (17:22) — the word Paul used of the Athenians, Festus uses of the Jews; this edition joins the two places. V.26 τῷ κυρίῳ, to my master — a place where κύριος means the emperor; this edition keeps the word of Lord in its master activation (Luke 12:42) and does not paraphrase it as emperor. Vv.21, 25 Σεβαστός, the Sebastos, is the Greek title corresponding to Luke 2:1 Αὐγοῦστος (Augustus, the Latin name) — this edition keeps the two words apart.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “the Sebastos” — transliterated; “to my master” — κύριος
Basis Paraphrasing the title as emperor would merge two words of the base text (Σεβαστός, κύριος) into one.
20
ἀπορούμενος δὲ ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ ⸀τούτων ζήτησιν ἔλεγον εἰ βούλοιτο πορεύεσθαι εἰς ⸀Ἱεροσόλυμα κἀκεῖ κρίνεσθαι περὶ τούτων.
And being at a loss about the inquiry into these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged about these things.
21
τοῦ δὲ Παύλου ἐπικαλεσαμένου τηρηθῆναι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ διάγνωσιν, ἐκέλευσα τηρεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἕως οὗ ⸀ἀναπέμψω αὐτὸν πρὸς Καίσαρα.
But when Paul called upon being kept for the determination of the Sebastos, I ordered him to be kept until I should send him up to Caesar.”
22
Ἀγρίππας δὲ πρὸς τὸν ⸀Φῆστον· Ἐβουλόμην καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀκοῦσαι. ⸀Αὔριον, φησίν, ἀκούσῃ αὐτοῦ.
And Agrippa to Festus: “I myself also was wanting to hear the man.” “Tomorrow,” he says, “you will hear him.”
23
Τῇ οὖν ἐπαύριον ἐλθόντος τοῦ Ἀγρίππα καὶ τῆς Βερνίκης μετὰ πολλῆς φαντασίας καὶ εἰσελθόντων εἰς τὸ ἀκροατήριον σύν ⸀τε χιλιάρχοις καὶ ἀνδράσιν τοῖς κατ’ ⸀ἐξοχὴν τῆς πόλεως καὶ κελεύσαντος τοῦ Φήστου ἤχθη ὁ Παῦλος.
So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp and entered the audience hall with the tribunes and the eminent men of the city, at Festus’s command Paul was brought.
24
καί φησιν ὁ Φῆστος· Ἀγρίππα βασιλεῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ συμπαρόντες ἡμῖν ἄνδρες, θεωρεῖτε τοῦτον περὶ οὗ ⸀ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν Ἰουδαίων ⸀ἐνέτυχόν μοι ἔν τε Ἱεροσολύμοις καὶ ἐνθάδε, ⸀βοῶντες μὴ δεῖν ⸂αὐτὸν ζῆν⸃ μηκέτι.
And Festus says, “King Agrippa, and all you men present with us, you observe this man, about whom the whole multitude of the Jews petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
25
ἐγὼ δὲ ⸀κατελαβόμην μηδὲν ἄξιον ⸂αὐτὸν θανάτου⸃ πεπραχέναι, ⸀αὐτοῦ δὲ τούτου ἐπικαλεσαμένου τὸν Σεβαστὸν ἔκρινα ⸀πέμπειν.
But I perceived that he had done nothing worthy of death; and since he himself called upon the Sebastos, I judged to send him.
26
περὶ οὗ ἀσφαλές τι γράψαι τῷ κυρίῳ οὐκ ἔχω· διὸ προήγαγον αὐτὸν ἐφ’ ὑμῶν καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ σοῦ, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ὅπως τῆς ἀνακρίσεως γενομένης σχῶ τί ⸀γράψω·
About whom I have nothing certain to write to my master; therefore I have led him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that when the examination has taken place I may have something to write.
27
ἄλογον γάρ μοι δοκεῖ πέμποντα δέσμιον μὴ καὶ τὰς κατ’ αὐτοῦ αἰτίας σημᾶναι.
For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not also to signify the causes against him.”
Why this rendering
Acts.25.27 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἄλογον γάρ μοι δοκεῖ πέμποντα δέσμιον μὴ καὶ τὰς κατ’ αὐτοῦ αἰτίας σημᾶναι — for it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not also to signify the causes against him. ἄλογος is the negation of λόγος (word, reason) — in the New Testament only here and at 2 Pet 2:12 and Jude 10 (unreasoning animals). σημαίνω, signify, is the verb of John 12:33, signifying by what death he was about to die, and Acts 11:28. Festus’s difficulty ends the chapter — I have nothing certain to write (v.26, ἀσφαλές τι γράψαι οὐκ ἔχω); ἀνάκρισις, examination (unique in the New Testament), is the noun of ἀνακρίνω, examine. V.23 φαντασία (pomp) and ἀκροατήριον (audience hall) are also unique — ἀκροατήριον is built on ἀκούω, hear. V.18 αἰτία (cause) and v.7 αἰτίωμα (charge) are different words — this edition keeps them apart.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “unreasonable” — the negation of λόγος
Basis The negation is rendered as one adjective; the root is noted here.