Acts 25:5

25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders ¹  go down there ²  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ³  they may bring charges ⁴  against him.”

Acts 25:15-16

25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, ⁵  the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed ⁶  me about him, ⁷  asking for a sentence of condemnation ⁸  against him. 25:16 I answered them ⁹  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ¹⁰  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ¹¹  and had been given ¹²  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ¹³ 

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¹ tn Grk “let those who are influential among you” (i.e., the powerful).

² tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

³ tn Grk “and if there is anything wrong with this man,” but this could be misunderstood in English to mean a moral or physical defect, while the issue in context is the commission of some crime, something legally improper (BDAG 149 s.v. ἄτοπος 2).

⁴ tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.”

⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶ tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “to convey a formal report about a judicial matter, present evidence, bring charges…ἐ. περί τινος concerning someone 25:15.”

⁷ tn Grk “about whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 15 (where the phrase περὶ οὗ [peri Jou] occurs in the Greek text).

⁸ tn BDAG 516 s.v. καταδίκη states, “condemnation, sentence of condemnation, conviction, guilty verdict…αἰτεῖσθαι κατά τινος κ. ask for a conviction of someone Ac 25:15.”

⁹ tn Grk “to whom I answered.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 16.

sn “I answered them.” In the answer that follows, Festus is portrayed in a more positive light, being sensitive to justice and Roman law.

¹⁰ tn Grk “any man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos).

¹¹ tn Or “has met his accusers in person.”

¹² tn Grk “and receives.”

¹³ tn Or “indictment” (a legal technical term). BDAG 273-74 s.v. ἔγκλημα 1 states, “legal t.t.…ἀπολογία περὶ τοῦ ἐ. defense against the accusation Ac 25:16.” L&N 56.6 defines ἔγκλημα (enklhma) as “(a technical, legal term) a formal indictment or accusation brought against someone – ‘indictment, accusation, case.’ …‘and might receive an opportunity for a defense against the indictment’ Ac 25:16.”