Acts 25:13
in Acts 25After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Cæsarea, and saluted Festus.
KJV
And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cesarea to salute Festus.
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This verse in Acts 25
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
After certain days, king Agrippa - This Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa Act 12:1, and great-grandson of Herod the Great. His mother’s name was Cypros (Josephus, Jewish Wars, book 2, chapter 11, section 6). When his father died he was at Rome with the Emperor Claudius. Josephus says that the emperor was inclined to bestow upon him all his father’s dominions, but was dissuaded by his ministers. The reason of this was, that it was thought imprudent to bestow so large a kingdom on so young a man, and one so inexperienced.
This site's exposition
King Agrippa and Bernice came down
Agrippa is Herod Agrippa the Second, great-grandson of Herod the Great and the last Herodian to hold a royal title, and Bernice was his sister. Their courtesy call on the new governor sets the stage for Paul's most public hearing in Acts.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"Agrippa the king." That is, Agrippa was exercising the rank of king in the provinces, and therefore was addressed as king; or perhaps he himself was king of the eastern parts, Nero being ruler of the western, and while Nero was in Rome. [AMMONIUS]
"And after some days, king Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea." After some days, king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to salute Festus; and as they stayed with him for some time, Festus told king Agrippa, in order, the events that had taken …
"Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council" - do you observe how he seeks to gratify them? for this is favor - "having conferred," it says, "with the council, he said, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shall thou go." See how his trial is again lengthened out, and how the plot against him becomes an occasion for the preaching: so that with ease and in safe custody he should be taken away to Rome, with none to plot evil against him: for it was not the same thing his simply coming there, and his coming on such a cause. For, in fact this was what made the Jews come together there. Then again, some time passes while he tarries at Jerusalem, that you may learn, that, though some time passed, the evil design against him prevails nothing, God not permitting it.
But this king Agrippa, who was also a Herod, was a different Agrippa, after him of James' time, so that this is the fourth Herod. See how his enemies cooperate with him against their will. To make the audience large, Agrippa falls into a desire of hearing: and he does not simply hear, but with much parade.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Agrippa was either a viceroy of the king in the eastern provinces and therefore called a king, or perhaps he was himself a king in the east, while Nero ruled in the west and had his residence in Rome. "Caesar" in Latin means "emperor," since …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
King Agrippa and Bernice came down to Caesarea. This Agrippa who came to Caesarea with his sister is (as I said) the son of Herod Agrippa, whom we read above was killed by the angel, who held the kingdom of Judea until the destruction of …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Agrippa - The son of Herod Agrippa, chap. xii, 1; and Bernice - His sister, with whom he lived in a scandalous familiarity. This was the person whom Titus Vespasian so passionately loved, that he would have made her empress, had not the clamours of the Roman prevented it.
15 ), Thou shalt not set a stranger king over thee, who is not of thy brethren, the tears ran down his cheeks, for he was not of the seed of Israel, which the congregation observing, cried out, Be of good comfort, king Agrippa, thou art our brother; for he was of their religion, though not of their blood." (2.) Bernice came with him.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
And after certain days,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
On his father's awful death (Ac 12:23), being thought too young (seventeen) to succeed, Judea, was attached to the province of Syria. Four years after, on the death of his uncle Herod, he was made king of the northern principalities of Chalcis, and afterwards got Batanea, Iturea, Trachonitis, Abilene, Galilee, and Perea, with the title of king.
King Agrippa - This was the son of Herod Agrippa, who is mentioned Act 12:1. Upon the death of his father’s youngest brother, Herod, he succeeded him in the kingdom of Chalcis, by the favor of the Emperor Claudius: Jos. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 4, s. 2; and Bell. lib. ii. cap. 12, s. 1. Afterwards, Claudius removed him from that kingdom to a larger one, giving him the tetrarchy of Philip, which contained Trachonitis, Batanea, and Gaulonitis. He gave him, likewise, the tetrarchy of Lysanias, and the province which Varus had governed. Jos. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 6, s. 1; Bell. lib. ii. cap. 19, s. 8. Nero made a farther addition, and gave him four cities, Abila, Julias in Peraea, Tarichaea and Tiberias in Galilee: Jos. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 7, s. 4; Bell. lib. ii. cap 13, s. 2. Claudius gave him the power of appointing the high priest among the Jews; Joseph. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 1, s. 3; and instances of his exercising this power may be seen in Joseph. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 7, s. 8, 11. This king was strongly attached to the Romans, and did every thing in his power to prevent the Jews from rebelling against them; and, when he could not prevail, he united his troops to those of Titus, and assisted in the siege of Jerusalem: he survived the ruin of his country several years. See Bishop Pearce and Calmet. Bernice, or, as she is sometimes called, Berenice, was sister of this Agrippa, and of the Drusilla mentioned Act 24:24: She was at first married to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis, Jos. Antiq. lib. xix. cap. 9, s. 1; and, on his death, went to live with her brother Agrippa, with whom she was violently suspected to lead an incestuous life. Juvenal, as usual, mentions this in the broadest manner - Sat. vi. ver. […]
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἡμερῶν | hemeron | When days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| διαγενομένων | diagenomenon | having passed | G1230 → | |
| τινῶν | tinon | some | G5100 → | 528 times |
| Ἀγρίππας | agrippas | Agrippa | G67 → | 11 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεὺς | basileus | king | G935 → | 114 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Βερνίκη | bernike | Bernice | G959 → | 3 times |
| κατήντησαν | katentesan | came down | G2658 → | 13 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| Καισάρειαν | kaisareian | Caesarea | G2542 → | 17 times |
| ἀσπασάμενοι | aspasamenoi | greeting | G782 → | 57 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Φῆστον. | pheston | Festus. | G5347 → | 13 times |
ἩμερῶνWhen days
hemeronG2250 →389 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
διαγενομένωνhaving passed
diagenomenonG1230 →
τινῶνsome
tinonG5100 →528 times
ἈγρίππαςAgrippa
agrippasG67 →11 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
βασιλεὺςking
basileusG935 →114 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ΒερνίκηBernice
bernikeG959 →3 times
κατήντησανcame down
katentesanG2658 →13 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
ΚαισάρειανCaesarea
kaisareianG2542 →17 times
ἀσπασάμενοιgreeting
aspasamenoiG782 →57 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
Φῆστον.Festus.
phestonG5347 →13 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 8:40But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
it leads to
- Acts 21:8
Leaving the next day, we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.
- Acts 23:23
Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
- Acts 23:33
When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
- Acts 25:4
But Festus replied, “Paul is being held in Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
- Acts 10:1
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
- Acts 21:8
Through
1 Samuel 13:10Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 15:13
When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
- Psalms 129:8
May none who pass by say to them, “The blessing of the LORD be on you; we bless you in the name of the LORD.”
- Ruth 2:4
Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.
- 1 Samuel 15:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
What the record shows
2 entries- Herod Agrippa II — attested in contemporary inscriptionwell-supported
Josephus; coins
Biblical figure (King, AD 50-ca. 93) identified in extra-biblical epigraphy.
Counterpoint: Agrippa II is thoroughly attested, but his dates are not settled. The traditional death date of about AD 100 rests on the late Byzantine writer Photius, while Nikos Kokkinos (The Herodian Dynasty) argues from the coinage for AD 93/94 — a difference that also affects how late Josephus's works and Acts can be dated.
- Bernice (Berenice) — attested in contemporary inscriptionwell-supported
Josephus; Beirut (Berytus) inscription; Athens inscription
Biblical figure (Sister of Agrippa II, 1st c. AD) identified in extra-biblical epigraphy.
Counterpoint: The inscriptions confirm Bernice's royal rank and her partnership with Agrippa II, but "Berenice" was an extremely common name in the Herodian and Ptolemaic houses, so individual inscriptions have to be assigned by context and some assignments are argued over. They establish the woman and her standing, not the hearing scene of Acts 25.
About Acts
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 51; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.