Acts 21:3

21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ¹  and left it behind on our port side, ²  we sailed on to Syria and put in ³  at Tyre, ⁴  because the ship was to unload its cargo there.

Acts 24:27

24:27 After two years ⁵  had passed, Porcius Festus ⁶  succeeded Felix, ⁷  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ⁸ 

Acts 25:14

25:14 While ⁹  they were staying there many days, Festus ¹⁰  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ¹¹  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix.

[21:3]  ¹ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3]  ² sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.

[21:3]  ³ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[21:3]  ⁴ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage.

[24:27]  ⁵ tn Grk “After a two-year period.”

[24:27]  ⁶ sn Porcius Festus was the procurator of Palestine who succeeded Felix; neither the beginning nor the end of his rule (at his death) can be determined with certainty, although he appears to have died in office after about two years. Nero recalled Felix in a.d. 57 or 58, and Festus was appointed to his vacant office in a.d. 57, 58, or 59. According to Josephus (Ant. 20.8.9-10 [20.182-188]; J. W. 2.14.1 [2.271-272]), his administration was better than that of his predecessor Felix or his successor Albinus, but Luke in Acts portrays him in a less favorable light: He was willing to sacrifice Paul to court Jewish favor by taking him to Jerusalem for trial (v. 9), regardless of Paul’s guilt or innocence. The one characteristic for which Festus was noted is that he dealt harshly with those who disturbed the peace.

[24:27]  ⁷ tn Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.”

[24:27]  ⁸ tn Grk “left Paul imprisoned.”

[25:14]  ⁹ tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b states, “w. pres. or impf. while, when, as long as…Ac 1:10; 7:23; 9:23; 10:17; 13:25; 19:9; 21:27; 25:14.”

[25:14]  ¹⁰ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:14]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Festus laid Paul’s case before the king for consideration.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατίθημι 2 states, “otherw. only mid. to lay someth. before someone for consideration, declare, communicate, refer w. the added idea that the pers. to whom a thing is ref. is asked for his opinion lay someth. before someone for consideration…Ac 25:14.”