When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,
Parallel Translations
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When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,
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When he was come the Iewes which were come from Ierusalem came aboute him and layde many and greveous complayntes agaynst Paul which they coulde not prove
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And when hee was come, the Iewes which were come from Hierusalem, stoode about him and layd many and grieuous complaints against Paul, whereof they could make no plaine proofe,
Cross-references (14)
Passages linked to Acts 25:7 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Acts 24:13 Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.
- Luke 23:2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
- Luke 23:10 The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.
- Acts 24:5-6 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, and we arrested him.
- Acts 25:24 Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
- Psalms 27:12 Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty.
- Ezra 4:15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.
- Esther 3:8 Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain.
- Psalms 35:11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
- Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
- Matthew 26:60-62 and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward, and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.’ ” The high priest stood up, and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?”
- Mark 15:3-4 The chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer? See how many things they testify against you!”
- Acts 21:28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!”
- 1 Peter 4:14-16 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or a meddler in other men’s matters. But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 7. Many and grievous crimes. So long as Paul…
7. Many and grievous crimes. So long as Paul lived under the law, his integrity was well known and famous. Again, when he was converted to Christ, he was a singular pattern of innocence. Yet we see how he is subject to many slanders, cruel and false accusations. And this is almost always the estate of the servants of Christ, wherefore they must be the more courageous, to pass valiantly through evil report and good report; neither let them think it strange to be evil reported of where they have done good.
In the mean season, they must do their endeavor, that they may not only have a clear conscience before God, but that they may be very well able to defend themselves before men, when they have time and place. For Paul doth not fail in his cause, but courageously setteth the defense of his innocency against their false crimes. Furthermore, let us note that the wicked can never be bridled, but they will speak evil of good men, and will impudently slander them; for they resemble the nature of Satan, by whose spirit they are led. Therefore, whereas we be commanded to stop the mouth of the wicked, it must not be so taken as if he shall be free from all backbiting, whosoever shall behave himself uprightly, but that our life may answer for us, and may wipe away all blots of false infamy. So we see the adversaries of Paul, though they had a favorable judge, yet their slanders were all in vain, seeing he did defend and avouch his innocency by his deeds. And yet it is likely that they wanted not false witnesses, neither were they slack in suborning them; but because the Lord giveth his servants invincible strength, so that the brightness of honesty doth drive away their vain clouds; they are ashamed, and at length they depart from the judgment-seat with this infamy, that they were false accusers. But the defense of Paul doth show what things the Jews laid principally to his charge. The first crime was ungodliness against God, that he overthrew the law and polluted the temple; the other, rebellion against Caesar and the Roman empire, because he raised tumults everywhere. He was helped by the singular grace of God to answer and refute both, who maketh the innocence of his as bright as the morning.
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 They could not prove them certainly and with undoubted…
They could not prove them certainly and with undoubted reasons.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 7 And when he was come, the Jews which…
7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
Ver. 7. Laid many and grievous complaints against Paul] Whereby to take away his precious life: which because they could not, they had little comfort of their own. Some of their own Talmudists have observed that the devil was as much wounded with that restraint that he should not take away Job’s life, as Job was with all those wounds that the devil inflicted on his body.
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 When he was come; the judge sat, and the…
When he was come; the judge sat, and the prisoner brought.
The Jews which came down from Jerusalem; his accusers, which were many, and came with a full cry against him,
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stood round about him, or about the judgment seat.
Many and grievous complaints; what these accusations were, appears in the next verse by Paul’s answer; but they could not demonstrate them, or make them evident; and if it were sufficient to accuse, no man could be innocent.
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 he was come,.... Into court:
And when he was come,.... Into court:
the Jews which came down from Jerusalem; along with Festus, perhaps the high priest with the elders, and Tertullus the orator, as before:
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stood round about; either the Apostle Paul, or the judgment seat; the witnesses and accusers were to stand, as well as the person accused; See Gill on Mar 14:57.
And laid many and grievous complaints against Paul; which they could not prove; for his moral conversation, both before and after conversion, was very strict and conformable to the laws of God and man; and yet as pure and inoffensive as he was, he was not exempt from the calumnies of men; and these many and very grievous; but it was his happiness, and to his honour through the grace of God, that his enemies could not make good anyone thing against 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 Bringing many accusations - When many accusations are heaped…
Bringing many accusations - When many accusations are heaped together, frequently not one of them is true.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 7. The Jews - laid many and grievous…
Verse 7. The Jews - laid many and grievous complaints against Paul] As they must have perceived that the Roman governors would not intermeddle with questions of their law, c., they no doubt invented some new charges, such as sedition, treason, &c., in order to render the mind of the governor evil affected towards Paul but their malicious designs were defeated, for assertion would not go for proof before a Roman tribunal: this court required proof, and the blood-thirsty persecutors of the apostle could produce none.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Grievous complaints - Heavy accusations. Doubtless the same with…
Grievous complaints - Heavy accusations. Doubtless the same with which they had charged him before Felix, Act 24:5-6. Compare Act 25:19.
Which they could not prove - Act 24:13, Act 24:19.
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 the Jews . . . from Jerusalem--clamorously, as at…
the Jews . . . from Jerusalem--clamorously, as at Jerusalem; see Act 25:24.
many and grievous complaints against Paul--From his reply, and Festus' statement of the case before Agrippa, these charges seem to have been a jumble of political and religious matter which they were unable to substantiate, and vociferous cries that he was unfit to live. Paul's reply, not given in full, was probably little more than a challenge to prove any of their charges, whether political or religious.
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 7. Was come—Festus seats himself upon the bema, or…
7. Was come—Festus seats himself upon the bema, or judicial elevation, his council (Act_25:12) or assessors are seated beside him; Paul is called from the guard room of the palace, and the Jews earnestly press around the tribunal.
Could not prove—The court was not convinced by the evidence. (See Act_25:18.)
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 7. the Jews which came, &c.] Better, with Rev.…
7. the Jews which came, &c.] Better, with Rev. Ver., “which had come, &c.”
stood round about] The best authorities give “round about him.” They were eager to set upon him, and so compassed him on every side.
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and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul] The best MSS. have nothing for the last two words. Read, with Rev. Ver., following a slightly different text, “bringing against him many and grievous charges.” In the two years lapse of time they had gathered up every rumour which they could collect, and these they brought forward, even though they could not support them by evidence.
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 (7) Many and grievous complaints.—These were, we may well…
(7) Many and grievous complaints.—These were, we may well believe, of the same nature as those on which Tertullus had harangued. The line of St. Paul’s defence indicates the three counts of the indictment. He had broken, it was alleged, the law of Israel, which Rome recognised as the religion of the province, and was therefore subject to the spiritual jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin; he had profaned the Temple; he was a disturber of the peace of the empire, and taught that there was another king than Nero.
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 Had come down for came down, A.V.; about him…
Had come down for came down, A.V.; about him for about, A.V; bringing against him for and laid against Paul, A.V.; charges for complaints, A.V. Charges; aijtiamata, only here in the New Testament, and rare in classical Greek. The A.V. "complaints" means in older English exactly the same as "charges" or "accusations" (comp. "plaintiff").
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain The Jews laid many and grievous complaints against Paul.
Act_25:7-12
The Jews laid many and grievous complaints against Paul.
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The noble firmness of the Christian in the maintenance of his rights
It is different--
I. From the effrontery of the hypocrite; for the Christian only makes use of a defence founded on fact (Act_25:8).
II. From the defiance of the wicked; for the Christian refuses no judicial examination (Act_25:9-10).
III. From the obstinacy of the litigious; for the Christian submits to every just decision. (Robe.)
The Christian and the world
I. The world has many grievous complaints against the Christian. The Jews, who were the spirit of the world incarnate, had many indeed against Paul which were perfectly true. He was a constant source of irritation because he was a standing menace to their moral corruptions, their superstitious traditions, the policy and ambition of their priests, and their wholesale apostasy from God. So is the Christian an uncompromising enemy to the worlds darling sins, its base pleasures, its unworthy methods, and its low aims. Hence there can be no peace between the two.
II. These are not the complaints that are preferred. The Jews knew better than to air their real grievances, so they accused Paul of offences against their best institutions--the law and the temple, and of treason against the state. So the world masks its real grievances, and charges the Christian with enmity against mans best interests.
1. Happiness. How often has Christianity been charged with moroseness? Not only does it deprive men of the means of enjoyment, but inculcates practices calculated to produce positive pain.
2. Progress. How its precepts would impede the course of commerce, arms, personal and national aggrandisement, thought, etc.
3. Political order. How can a man who lives for another world take an absorbing and influential interest in this?
III. For the overt complaints of the world the Christian should have a prompt answer. Pauls answer was a model of promptness: and it was true. He had put the law in its proper place and had everywhere vindicated its true functions. As for the temple, he had honoured it, and by that very act had imperilled his life. As for Caesar, the emperor had no more loyal subject, and none more solicitous of promoting loyalty throughout the empire. And against the worlds accusation the Christian can say--
1. That Christianity alone can and does promote the true happiness of man.
2. That Christianity has been and is the truest friend of the worlds progress.
3. That the Christian by the doctrine of a future life is bound to maintain the best interests of this.
IV. The Christian should refuse to be arraigned before this worlds tribunals and should make his appeal to the highest. Paul knew that justice at the hands of his accusers was out of the question, and therefore appealed to the only bar at which it was likely to be obtained. So the Christian, if he be wise, will decline the worlds arbitrament. By it he is condemned already. What use therefore of appealing to it? But there is One who judges with righteous and infallible judgment, and he may appeal with confidence to Him. Let men frown as they may, clamour as they may--the Christian need not be frightened and should not give way for an instant. His court of appeal is the judgment seat of Christ. (J. W. Burn.)
But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure.--
Popularity
I. The motive by which it is actuated. Festus was willing to do the Jews a pleasure that he might stand the higher in their esteem. This was necessary to his personal comfort, for he knew the race that he had to govern. This was desirable for the ultimate ends he had in view--successful administration; royal favour. It is remarkable that with the examples of Pilate and Festus before him he should hope to succeed.
1. This motive is a base one. Ambition to please the good and to improve the bad is laudable; but ambition to please the basest is self-degradation.
2. This motive seldom succeeds. Witness Pilate and Festus.
II. The sacrifices it entails. Festus proposed to undertake the toilsome journey to Jerusalem. But to what inconveniences is a popularity hunter obliged to subject himself. He must go where those whom he desires please, and do what they would have him do. Hence the toilsome days and sleepless nights of the popular preacher or politician. He who would really serve his race is not exempt from sacrifice; but he has compensations which the mere popularity seeker wets not of.
III. The degradation to which it stoops. Here is a Roman judge armed with all the authority that Caesar could confer, willing to surrender that authority and to bow to that which was already discredited. And the man who would be popular has often to descend from the highest ground to the lowest, from a sense of justice, honour, and the fitness of things to pander to the base inclinations or passions of the mob.
IV. The accidents to which it is liable. Suppose Paul had been tried at Jerusalem. Had the case gone against him he would certainly have appealed, and Festus would have had to endorse the appeal. In that event his popularity would have indeed been brief. And what a little thing has often sufficed to dash a popular idol to the ground! Both preachers and statesmen know this.
V. The frustration to which it is doomed. Suppose Festus had succeeded, how long would he have enjoyed his popularity? In two short years he was where the objects of the idolatry and the execration of the mob alike lie together. Sic transit gloria mundi. Conclusion: The best course is to do the right and thus seek Gods pleasure, whether man is pleased or not. (J. W. Burn.)
I appeal unto Caesar.
The appeal to Caesar
This is a proof--
1. Of conscience void of offence before God and man.
2. Of a humble submission to Divinely ordained authority.
3. Of an evangelical and sober avoidance of an unnecessary martyrdom.
4. Of an unwearied zeal for the extension of the kingdom of God. (K. Gerok.)
The appeal to Caesar
Where may a Christian seek his denied rights? He may appeal--
1. From the sentence of the wicked to the judgment of the righteous.
2. From the passions of the moment to the justice of the future.
3. From the opinions of the world to the testimony of his own conscience.
4. From the tribunal of man to the judgment seat of God. (K. Gerok.)
Unto Caesar thou shalt go.--
I. Whence this decisive sentence proceeded.
1. From Festus as the speaker.
2. From Paul as the wisher of it.
3. From the Lord as the designer and confirmer of it.
II. To whom it related.
1. To Paul as its subject.
2. To the Romans, who should soon be affected by it--many were converted by Paul.
3. To the world in general.
III. The results which followed it.
1. The plan of the Jews for Pauls murder was frustrated.
2. Pauls wish to go to Rome was fulfilled. (J. H. Tasson.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 7–12. When he was come. When Festus had returned…
7–12. When he was come. When Festus had returned to Cæsarea. The Jews … laid many and grievous complaints against Paul. From the substance of Paul's reply (verse 8), it is easy to determine that these charges were about the same as before Felix, viz: (1) Teaching a new and illegal religion; (2) profaning the temple; (3) sedition, or offending against Cæsar, charges that they could not sustain. It is evident from verse 19 that particular stress was laid upon the fact that he was a “ring-leader of the Nazarenes.”
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 See notes on verse 6
See notes on verse 6
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 25:7 The serious accusations were probably those raised previously…
25:7 The serious accusations were probably those raised previously (21:27-28; 24:5-9), but the accusations were unsupported by the evidence (24:10-13).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.