“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
Parallel Translations
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“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
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Claudius Lisias vnto the most mighty rular Felix sendeth gretinges.
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Claudius Lysias vnto the most noble Gouernour Felix sendeth greeting.
Cross-references (6)
Passages linked to Acts 23:26 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Acts 15:23 They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.
- Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;
- Acts 24:3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
- Acts 26:25 But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
- James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
- 3 John 1:14 but I hope to see you soon. Then we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain 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 26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix…
26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
Ver. 26. Unto the most excellent] Felix was (as likewise Haman) of base birth, but highly advanced in court by means of his brother Pallas, a great favourite of Nero’s, insomuch as he became husband to three queens successively, as Suetonius writeth. He cruelly killed Jonathan the Jewish priest, and committed many other outrages in this province; so that being complained about at Rome, he had been put to death, but for the greatness of his brother, who begged his pardon. (Josephus.)
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 Most excellent; a title given to persons of great…
Most excellent; a title given to persons of great eminency, as, Luk 1:3, it is given to Theophilus, unto whom also this book of the Acts is inscribed, Act 1:1.
This Felix was brother to one Pallas, who together with Narcissus (the other of the emperor Claudius’s favourites) managed all public affairs, and are by the historians branded for all the mischiefs of that calamitous time. This Felix and his brother Pallas were born slaves, and manumitted by Claudius, and were such as are exalted; as often Providence will show the power it hath in pulling down and setting up whom it pleaseth.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And when I would have known the cause,.... Or…
And when I would have known the cause,.... Or crime, he was guilty of:
wherefore they accused him: which they charged him with, and for which they beat him almost to death:
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I brought him forth into their council; their court of judicature, the great sanhedrim.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain 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.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain 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 26. Claudius Lysias—The name Lysias, which is here first…
26. Claudius Lysias—The name Lysias, which is here first given, intimates that he was a Greek; the name Claudius is Latin, assumed, perhaps, after he had bought his Roman citizenship “for a great price.” So that we have here a note from a Greek-Roman chiliarch to a Greek-Roman procurator.
Most excellent—An official title.
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Greeting—The usual epistolary civility.
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 26–30. Letter of Claudius Lysias to Felix
26–30. Letter of Claudius Lysias to Felix
26. the most excellent governor] The title “most excellent” is that which is given by St Luke at the beginning of his Gospel to the Theophilus for whom he wrote it. Hence it is probable that Theophilus held some official position, it may be under the Romans in Macedonia, where St Luke remained for some time and where he may probably have written his gospel.
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sendeth greeting] The Rev. Ver. omits the first word. The original has only the infinitive “to rejoice” which is of course governed by some word indicating a wish, i.e. = “biddeth to rejoice,” “wisheth joy.”
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 (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 Greeting for sendeth greeting, A.V. Governor; hJgemwn, as ver.…
Greeting for sendeth greeting, A.V. Governor; hJgemwn, as ver. 24; propraetor of an imperial province, as distinguished from the ajnqupatov, or proconsul, who governed the provinces which were in the patronage of the senate. Sergius Paulus (Act_13:7, Act_13:8) was a proconsul, and so was Gallio; (Act_18:10) Pontius Pilate (Mat_27:2) and Felix were procurators, hJgemonev, only in a looser sense, as the more exact name of their office was ejpitropov procurator. Only, as they were appointed by the emperor, and often exercised the full functions of a legatus Caesaris, they were called hJgemonev as well as proprietors. Felix, called by Tacitus, Antonius Felix ("Hist.," 5:9), was the brother of Pallas, the freedman and favorite of Claudius. He as well as his brother Felix had originally been the slave of Antonia the mother of the Emperor Claudius; and hence the name Antonins Felix, or, as he was sometimes otherwise celled, Claudius Felix. Tacitus, after mentioning that Claudius appointed as governors of Judaea sometimes knights and sometimes freedmen, adds that among the last Autenius Felix ruled this province with boundless cruelty and in the most arbitrary manner, showing by his abuse of power his servile origin. He adds that he married Drusilla, the granddaughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, so that he was Mark Antony"s grandson-in-law, while Claudius was Antony"s grandson. But see Act_24:24, note. In the "Annals" (12. 5) Tacitus further speaks of the incompetence of Felix to govern, stirring up rebellions by the means he took to repress them, and of the utter lawlessness and confusion to which the province was reduced by the maladministration of Felix and his colleague, Ventidius Cumanus ("cut pars provinciae habebatur"). He adds that civil war would have broken out if Quadratus, the Governor of Syria, had not interposed, and secured the punishment of Cumanus, while Felix, his equal in guilt, was continued in his government. This was owing, no doubt, to the influence of Pallas. The same influence secured the continued government to Felix upon Nero"s accession, Pallas being all-powerful with Agrippina. Such was "the most excellent governor Felix." For further accounts of him, see Josephus, ("Bell. Jud:," 2:12:8 13) who ignores his share in the government as the partner of Cumauus, and dates his appointment subsequently to the con-detonation of Cumanus at Rome, and is also there silent as to his misdeeds. (For further accounts of Felix, see "Ant. Jud:," 20:7:1, 2 8:5-7, which relate his adulterous marriage with Drusilla, and some of his murders and cruelties.)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain 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.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 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.