Acts 22:30

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer ¹  wanted to know the true reason ²  Paul ³  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ⁴  to assemble. He then brought ⁵  Paul down and had him stand before them.

Acts 24:2

24:2 When Paul ⁶  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ⁷  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ⁸  of peace through your rule, ⁹  and reforms ¹⁰  are being made in this nation ¹¹  through your foresight. ¹² 

Acts 25:11

25:11 If then I am in the wrong ¹³  and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, ¹⁴  but if not one of their charges against me is true, ¹⁵  no one can hand me over to them. ¹⁶  I appeal to Caesar!” ¹⁷ 

Acts 25:16

25:16 I answered them ¹⁸  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ¹⁹  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ²⁰  and had been given ²¹  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ²² 

[22:30]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[22:30]  ² tn Grk “the certainty, why.” BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2 has “τὸ ἀ. the certainty = the truth (in ref. to ferreting out the facts…ἵνα τὸ ἀ. ἐπιγνῶ) γνῶναι 21:34; 22:30.”

[22:30]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:30]  ⁴ tn Grk “the whole Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[22:30]  ⁵ tn Grk “and bringing.” The participle καταγαγών (katagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to clarify the logical sequence.

[24:2]  ⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:2]  ⁷ tn Or “began to bring charges, saying.”

[24:2]  ⁸ tn Grk “experienced much peace.”

[24:2]  ⁹ tn Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).

[24:2]  ¹⁰ tn This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα).

[24:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “being made for this people.”

[24:2]  ¹² sn References to peaceful rule, reforms, and the governor’s foresight in the opening address by Tertullus represent an attempt to praise the governor and thus make him favorable to the case. Actual descriptions of his rule portray him as inept (Tacitus, Annals 12.54; Josephus, J. W. 2.13.2-7 [2.253-270]).

[25:11]  ¹¹ tn BDAG 20 s.v. ἀδικέω 1.b has “intr. be in the wrong (Ex 2:13) εἰ ἀδικῶ Ac 25:11.”

[25:11]  ¹² tn BDAG 764 s.v. παραιτέομαι 2.b.β, “οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν I am not trying to escape death Ac 25:11 (cp. Jos., Vi. 141).” To avoid redundancy in the translation, the English gerund “dying” is used to translate the Greek infinitive ἀποθανεῖν (apoqanein).

[25:11]  ¹³ tn Or “but if there is nothing to their charges against me.” Both “if” clauses in this verse are first class conditions. Paul stated the options without prejudice, assuming in turn the reality of each for the sake of the argument.

[25:11]  ¹⁴ sn That is, no one can hand me over to them lawfully. Paul was aware of the dangers of a return to Jerusalem.

[25:11]  ¹⁵ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:16]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “to whom I answered.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 16.

[25:16]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “any man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos).

[25:16]  ¹⁸ tn Or “has met his accusers in person.”

[25:16]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “and receives.”

[25:16]  ²⁰ tn Or “indictment” (a legal technical term). BDAG 273-74 s.v. ἔγκλημα 1 states, “legal t.t.…ἀπολογία περὶ τοῦ ἐ. defense against the accusation Ac 25:16.” L&N 56.6 defines ἔγκλημα (enklhma) as “(a technical, legal term) a formal indictment or accusation brought against someone – ‘indictment, accusation, case.’ …‘and might receive an opportunity for a defense against the indictment’ Ac 25:16.”