Discovery BoxActs 21:24 
Context21:24 take them and purify 1 yourself along with them and pay their expenses, 2 so that they may have their heads shaved. 3 Then 4 everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told 5 about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with 6 the law. 7
Acts 25:24
Context25:24 Then Festus 8 said, “King Agrippa, 9 and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace 10 petitioned 11 me both in Jerusalem 12 and here, 13 shouting loudly 14 that he ought not to live any longer.
1 sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).
2 tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”
3 tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”
sn Having their heads shaved probably involved ending a voluntary Nazirite vow (Num 6:14-15).
4 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
5 tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).
6 tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”
7 sn The law refers to the law of Moses.
8 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
9 sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.
10 tn Probably best understood as rhetorical hyperbole. BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ states, “people, populace, population…τὸ πλῆθος the populace…ἅπαν τὸ πλ. τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων Ac 25:24.” However, the actions of the leadership are seen by Luke as representing the actions of the entire nation, so the remark is not inaccurate.
11 tn Or “appealed to” (BDAG 341 s.v. ἐντυγχάνω 1.a).
12 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
13 sn Here means “here in Caesarea.”
14 tn Or “screaming.”
