Acts 25:20

25:20 Because I was at a loss ¹  how I could investigate these matters, ²  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ³  there on these charges. ⁴ 

Acts 25:10

25:10 Paul replied, ⁵  “I am standing before Caesar’s ⁶  judgment seat, ⁷  where I should be tried. ⁸  I have done nothing wrong ⁹  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹⁰ 

[25:20]  ¹ tn Or “Because I was undecided.” Grk “Being at a loss.” The participle ἀπορούμενος (aporoumeno") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[25:20]  ² tn L&N 27.34 states, “ἀπορούμενος δὲ ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ τούτων ζήτησιν ‘I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters’ Ac 25:20. The clause ‘about how I could get information on these matters’ may also be rendered as ‘about how I should try to find out about these matters’ or ‘about how I could learn about these matters.’”

[25:20]  ³ tn Or “stand trial.”

[25:20]  ⁴ tn Grk “on these things.”

[25:10]  ⁵ tn Grk “said.”

[25:10]  ⁶ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:10]  ⁷ 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.

[25:10]  ⁸ tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

[25:10]  ⁹ sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.

[25:10]  ¹⁰ 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.”