But that I don’t delay you, I entreat you to bear with us and hear a few words.
Parallel Translations
-
But that I don’t delay you, I entreat you to bear with us and hear a few words.
-
Notwithstondinge that I be not tedeous vnto the I praye the that thou woldest heare vs of thy curtesy a feawe wordes.
-
But that I be not tedious vnto thee, I pray thee, that thou wouldest heare vs of thy courtesie a fewe wordes.
Cross-references (1)
Passages linked to Acts 24:4 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Hebrews 11:32 What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto…
4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
Ver. 4. That I be not further tedious unto thee] Gr. ινα μη επι πλειον σε εγκοπτω, that I hinder thee not in thine haste to other businesses; that I put not a stop to thy praise worthy proceedings, by a troublesome prolixity, &c. Thus he cunningly insinuateth into the judge’s affections; which is one of the rhetorical precepts: and another is (Tertullus likely had learned it out of Cicero), Non ad veritatem solum, sed etiam ad opinionem eorum qui audiunt, accommodanda est oratio. An orator may make a little bold with the truth to give his hearers content. Socrates in his apology, "My lords" (said he to his judges), "I know not how you have been affected with mine accusers’ eloquence while you heard them speak; for my own part, I assure you that I, whom it toucheth most, was almost drawn to believe that all they said, though against myself, was true: when they scarcely uttered one word of truth."
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 Be not further tedious unto thee; hinder thee, or…
Be not further tedious unto thee; hinder thee, or take thee away from other occasions: this is another artifice of an orator, to promise brevity, especially when he speaks to men of employment or business.
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 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee,....…
Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee,.... Suggesting, that he could say a great deal more under this head, but, for brevity sake, should omit it; and because he would not tire his patience, and hinder business going forward:
I pray thee, that thou wouldst hear us of thy clemency a few words; he praises him for his humanity and good nature, and for his patience in hearing causes, and promises him great conciseness in the account he should give him; and entreats that, according to his wonted goodness, he would condescend to hear what he had to lay before him; all which was artfully said to engage attention to him.
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 But that I may not trouble thee any further…
But that I may not trouble thee any further - By trespassing either on thy patience or modesty. The eloquence of Tertullus was as bad as his cause: a lame introduction, a lame transition, and a lame conclusion. Did not God confound the orator's language?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 4. That I be not farther tedious unto…
Verse 4. That I be not farther tedious unto thee] That I may neither trespass on thy time, by dwelling longer on this subject, nor on thy modesty, by thus enumerating thy beneficent deeds.
Hear us of thy clemency] Give us this farther proof of thy kindness, by hearkening to our present complaint. The whole of this exordium was artful enough, though it was lame. The orator had certainly a very bad cause, of which he endeavoured to make the best. Felix was a bad man and bad governor; and yet he must praise him, to conciliate his esteem. Paul was a very good man, and nothing amiss could be proved against him; and yet he must endeavour to blacken him as much as possible, in order to please his unprincipled and wicked employers. His oration has been blamed as weak, lame, and imperfect; and yet, perhaps, few, with so bad a cause, could have made better of it.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Act 24:4-9. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious…
Act 24:4-9. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious — Ινα δε μη επι πλειον σε εγκοπτω, that I may not trouble thee any further, by trespassing either on thy patience or modesty. The eloquence of Tertullus was as bad as his cause; a lame introduction, a lame transition, and a lame conclusion! Did not God confound the orator’s language? I pray that thou wouldest hear — What we have to offer; of thy clemency — With thy usual candour and well-known goodness. For we have found this man a pestilent fellow — Or rather, a pestilence, or plague, as λοιμος signifies; a man infecting others with pernicious principles, and spreading mischief wherever he comes; and a mover of sedition among all the Jews — Rendering them disaffected to the government, and exciting them to rise in rebellion against it; and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes — A term of reproach, which, it seems, was given to the disciples of Christ even at that early period. Who also hath gone about to profane the temple —
By bringing heathen into it. “Tertullus artfully mentions this, as the most express fact he had to charge upon him, as he knew that the Romans allowed the Jews a power of executing, even without forms of law, any person who should be found in such an act of profanation; and he seems to have intended to make a merit of their moderation, that they intended, nevertheless, fairly to have tried him, and not to have destroyed him on the spot, as Lysias had justly charged them with attempting to do. And it is observable, that Tertullus nowhere expressly avows so much as a design to have put Paul to death, though it was undoubtedly intended.” — Doddridge. Thus, after a fawning preface, Tertullus prefers charges against Paul, for which there was not the shadow of a foundation, except that he was a leading person among the Nazarenes, or Christians. For that he had moved the Jews to sedition against the government, or that he went about to profane the temple, was utterly false; (see Act 21:28;) and so it was also, that they took him to judge him according to their law; for they took him by violence, and drew him out of the temple, and went about to kill him without any judicial process. In short, the whole accusation, together with the circumstances by which the orator aggravated it, were all mere fictions, of which he offered no proof whatever, only that (Act 24:9) the Jews — Namely, the high-priest and the elders; assented, saying that these things were so.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Be not further tedious unto thee - By taking…
Be not further tedious unto thee - By taking up your time with an introduction and with commendation.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 4. Tedious—Tertullus did not fear that his compliments had…
4. Tedious—Tertullus did not fear that his compliments had grown to a tedious length, but that his coming accusations may. His charges are three: sedition, heresy, and sacrilege.
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 4. be not … tedious] The notion in the…
4. be not … tedious] The notion in the verb is that of stopping a person’s way and so hindering him. Tertullus would imply that Felix was so deeply engaged in his public duties that every moment was precious.
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 (4) That I be not further tedious . .…
(4) That I be not further tedious . . .—Better, that I may not detain thee too long. Here again we note the tact of the sycophant. He speaks as if obliged to restrain himself from the further panegyrics which his feelings would naturally prompt.
Of thy clemency . . .—The Greek word expresses the idea of equitable consideration. The epithets of the hired orator stand in striking contrast with the “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,” of which the Apostle afterwards spoke to the same ruler.
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 But for notwithstanding, A.V.; I entreat thee for I…
But for notwithstanding, A.V.; I entreat thee for I pray thee, A.V.; to hear for that thou wouldest hear, A.V. Of thy clemency (th sh ejpieikeia). The word is rendered "gentleness" in 2Co_10:1, where alone it occurs in the New Testament; ejpiei is most frequently rendered "gentle" (1Ti_3:3 (R.V); Tit_3:2; Jam_3:17; 1Pe_2:18) A few words. The Greek has suntomwv, briefly, concisely, found only here in the New Testament, but common in classical Greek and especially in medical writers, where it means "rapidly," "in a short time."
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 2
See notes on verse 2
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 General Information:
General Information:
The word "we" refers to Ananias, certain elders, and Tertullus. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We")
Read full note →
So that I detain you no more
Possible meanings are 1) "so that I will not take up too much of your time" or 2) "so that I will not tire you"
briefly listen to me with kindness
"kindly listen to my short speech"
this man to be a pest
This speaks of Paul as if he were a plague that spreads from one person to another. AT: "this man to be a trouble maker" (See: Metaphor)
all the Jews throughout the world
The word "all" here is probably an exaggeration used to strengthen their accusation against Paul. (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)
He is a leader of the Nazarene sect
The phrase "Nazarene sect" is another name for the Christians. AT: "He also leads the entire group whom people call the followers of the Nazarene" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
sect
This is a smaller group of people within a larger group group. Tertullus considers the Christians to be a small group within Judaism.
translationWords
Jew
rebel
Nazareth
desecrate
temple
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.