Acts 25:9-10

25:9 But Festus, ¹  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ²  before me there on these charges?” ³  25:10 Paul replied, ⁴  “I am standing before Caesar’s ⁵  judgment seat, ⁶  where I should be tried. ⁷  I have done nothing wrong ⁸  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ⁹ 

¹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

² tn Or “stand trial.”

³ tn Grk “concerning these things.”

⁴ tn Grk “said.”

⁵ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

⁶ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.

⁷ tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

⁸ sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.

⁹ tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”