He wrote a letter like this:
“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
“This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council. I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment. When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.”
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv25, 27, 29, 30 25. And he wrote a letter. First, we must…
25. And he wrote a letter. First, we must briefly admonish the readers who have not been conversant in histories, that this Felix was brother to Pallas, who being Caesar’s freeman, became equal with the chief of the city in wealth and power. Yea, moreover, the senate gave him the ornaments of the praetor, not without titles of filthy and shameful flattery. Therefore, seeing the servants of Claudius abusing his folly, did rule the Roman empire at their pleasure, and chiefly Narcissus and Pallas, no marvel if this latter did appoint his brother to be governor of Judea. The sum of the epistle tendeth to this end, that the chief captain may help Paul with his prejudice; and may admonish Felix of the injuries of his adversaries, and may so discredit them, that they may not be able to do him any hurt.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v26 Lysias is suddenly made by the Lord Paul’s patron.
Lysias is suddenly made by the Lord Paul’s patron.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv25–30 25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:
25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:
Ver. 25. And he wrote a letter] Gr. an epistle, cuius ornamentum est ornamentis carere, saith Politian.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv25–30 It is not certain whether the following words were…
It is not certain whether the following words were the letter itself, or only the sum or contents of the letter.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On v25 The chief captain Lysias having sent St. Paul under…
The chief captain Lysias having sent St. Paul under a strong guard to Cesarea by night, where Felix the Roman governor resided, he writes a letter to acquaint Felix with the accusation laid to the prisoner’s charge.
In which letter observe, 1. The title given to the Roman governor, Most excellent: Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting.
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Titles of civil honour and respect given to persons in place and power are agreeable to the mind and will of God. There is an honour which belongs to men, with respect to their internal qualifications. He that is very honourable as to his place, may not deserve any honour as to his worth; yet ought he to be honoured so far as his place requireth.
Observe, 2. How God overruled the heart and pen of this captain, Lysias, to do the apostle right, in representing his case fairly and indifferently: that he found nothing brought against him that was punishable, either with death or bonds, by the Roman law.
Observe, 3. How triflingly he speaks of the great things in question concerning our blessed Redeemer’s death and resurrection, as also of the whole gospel: he calls them, under-valuingly, questions of their law.
As the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, so the manifold wisdom of God is accounted and esteemed folly by the ignorant and blind world.
Yet observe, 4. How God overruled his very slighting of these controversies in dispute for the apostle’s advantage: he being by that means preserved from the rage of the Jews. When this man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed by them, I came with an army and rescued him.
Behold how God accompolishes his own designs for the preservation of his servants, by the hands of those from whom destruction could rather have been expected.
Thus here, God made use of a heathen captain, to rescue and defend the apostle from the enraged Jews, who sends him under a strong guard, with a friendly letter in favour of him, to Felix the governor at Cesarea, where he gives notice to his accusers to implead him face to face.
Blessed by God, that our times are in hands, not in our enemies’ hands, nor yet in our own; until we have finished the work which God designed us, neither men nor devils can take us off.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv25–30 This man was taken by the Jews,.... Meaning Paul,…
This man was taken by the Jews,.... Meaning Paul, who was presented by the centurions to the governor, and was in his presence when the letter was opened and read, and who was taken by the Jews in the temple, and from thence dragged out and beaten by them:
and should have been killed of them; and would have been killed, had it not been for the chief captain; he was very near being killed by them, he was nigh unto death:
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then came I with an army and rescued him; he came with the Roman band, which he had the command of, perhaps a thousand soldiers; for such a number he should have under him by his title; with these he came upon the Jews on a sudden, as they were beating Paul, and took him out of their hands, and saved him:
having understood that he was a Roman; but this he did not know till afterwards, after he had bound him with two chains, and after he had ordered him to be bound with thongs, and examined by scourging; all which he covers and hides from the governor, and suggests that it was his great concern for the Roman name, and for a Roman citizen, which put him upon this enterprise.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v27 Having learned that he was a Roman - True;…
Having learned that he was a Roman - True; but not before he rescued him. Here he uses art.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv25, 30 Verse 25. He wrote a letter after this manner]…
Verse 25. He wrote a letter after this manner] It appears that this was not only the substance of the letter, but the letter itself: the whole of it is so perfectly formal as to prove this; and in this simple manner are all the letters of the ancients formed. In this also we have an additional proof of St. Luke's accuracy.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 29 Unto the most excellent governor Felix - The most…
Unto the most excellent governor Felix - The most honored, etc. This was a mere title of office.
Greeting - A term of salutation in an epistle wishing health, joy, and prosperity.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv25, 27 This verse is omitted in the Greek. Antipatris was…
This verse is omitted in the Greek. Antipatris was a pleasant city on the Mediterranean sea, situated at equal distance, about 24 miles, between Joppe and Cæsarea, on the way from Jerusalem to this latter city. (Matt. Polus)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 29, 30 Claudius--the Roman name he would take on purchasing his…
Claudius--the Roman name he would take on purchasing his citizenship.
Lysias--his Greek family name.
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the most excellent governor--an honorary title of office.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 27, 29 25. This manner—This type or form. The regular letter…
25. This manner—This type or form. The regular letter form of this document, according to the fashion of that day, shows that Luke offers it as a literal copy. There is no difficulty in supposing that in the many interviews held by Festus with Paul the latter might have seen the original, and furnished a copy to Luke. The latter would value it as an authentic and characteristic document, and worthy to be inserted in his history.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv25–30 25. a letter after this manner] [Rev. Ver. form].…
25. a letter after this manner] [Rev. Ver. form]. As both the writer and receiver of the letter were Romans, it is most likely that Latin would be the language of the original, and that St Luke has given us a representation of the substance of the document rather than its very words.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 29, 30 (26) Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix.—The…
(26) Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix.—The letter may have been sent unsealed, or a copy of it may have been given to St. Paul or St. Luke after his arrival. What we have obviously purports to be a verbal reproduction of it. We note (1) that the epithet “most excellent” is that which St. Luke uses of Theophilus, to whom he dedicates both the Gospel and the Acts (Luk_1:3; Act_1:1), and (2) that the formal salutation, “greeting,” is the same as that used in the letter of the Council of Jerusalem (Act_15:23) and in the Epistle of St. James (Jas_1:1).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv25–30 Form for manner, A.V. After this form. Luke does…
Form for manner, A.V. After this form. Luke does not profess to give the letter verbatim, but merely its general tenor, which Lysias might have communicated to Paul, or which Paul might have learnt at Caesarea.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On v25 25–30. He wrote a letter. Roman law required that…
25–30. He wrote a letter. Roman law required that when a prisoner was sent by a lower official to a higher for trial, a letter should be sent stating the charges. That of Lysias states his understanding of the case.
I rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. Like many modern officials, he prevaricates. He found out he was a Roman after he rescued him.
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I sent him straightway to thee. “Though I held him to be innocent, hearing of the plot against his life, I thought it best to send him to thee.” Had he released Paul in Jerusalem, the conspirators would have murdered him.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain On vv25–30 See notes on verse 23
See notes on verse 23
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv25, 28 General Information:
General Information:
The chief captain writes a letter to Governor Felix about the arrest of Paul.
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General Information:
Claudius Lysias is the name of the chief captain. Governor Felix was the Roman governor over the whole region. (See: How to Translate Names)
Claudius Lysias to the most excellent Governor Felix, greetings
This is a formal introduction to the letter. The chief captain begins by referring to himself. You can translate it in the first person. The words "am writing" are understood. AT: "I, Claudius Lysias, am writing to you, the most excellent Governor Felix. Greetings to you" (See: First, Second, or Third Person and Ellipsis)
to the most excellent Governor Felix
"to Governor Felix who deserves greatest honors"
This man was arrested by the Jews
Here "Jews" means "some of the Jews." This can be stated in active form. AT: "Some of the Jews arrested this man" (See: Synecdoche and Active or Passive)
was about to be killed
This can be stated in active form. AT: "they were ready to kill Paul" (See: Active or Passive)
I came upon them with soldiers
"I with my soldiers arrived at the place where Paul and these Jews were"
translationWords
govern
Jew
Rome
citizen
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v26 23:26-30 The letter of Claudius Lysias to Governor Felix…
23:26-30 The letter of Claudius Lysias to Governor Felix is a typical Hellenistic letter, naming the writer and the person addressed, offering a greeting, and stating the business at hand (though there is no parting word of farewell; see study note on 15:29). It summarizes the events that preceded it and explains the action taken; it also suggests that the commander has followed proper Roman judicial procedure. • The title his Excellency was often applied to persons of high social, political, or economic status (Luke 1:3).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.