Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Acts 25:20

in Acts 25

Since I was at a loss as to how to investigate these matters, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.

KJV

And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.

⋯

This verse in Acts 25

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
And because I doubted of such manner of questions,.... Or was ignorant of them, and knew not what to make of them, or to say to them, and was at an entire loss what to do in this affair: I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters; before the Jewish sanhedrim, who best understood them.

This site's exposition

I was at a loss

on Acts 25:20-21

Festus was at a loss how to investigate these matters, so he offered a trial in Jerusalem, which Paul had refused at verse 9. Paul's appeal to the Emperor, an honorific title in place of a birth name, kept him in Festus's custody for Rome.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 51 · Written before 407.

proposed

"And not knowing, for my part, what to make of the enquiry concerning these things" - of course, it went beyond a judge's hearing, the examining into these matters. If thou art at a loss, why dost thou drag him to Jerusalem? But the other would not deign this: no, "To Caesar" says he; as in fact it was touching Caesar that they accused him. Do you hear the appeal? hear the plotting of the Jews? hear their factious spirit? All these things provoked him to a desire of hearing him: and he gives them the gratification and Paul becomes more renowned. For such as I said, are the ill designs of enemies. Had not these things been so, none of these rulers would have deigned to hear him, none would have heard with such quietness and silence. And he seems indeed to be teaching, he seems to be making a defence; but he rather makes a public harangue with much orderliness.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

"Being at a loss regarding the resolution of this question." The examination of such a case left the judge perplexed, since the matter was beyond his understanding.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

(1.) He found him a prisoner when he came into the government of this province; and therefore could not of his own knowledge give an account of his cause from the beginning: There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix; and therefore, if there were any thing amiss in the first taking of him into custody, Festus is not to answer for that, for he found him in bonds.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

I doubted of such manner of questions - Such as, whether he had broken their law, defiled their temple; or whether this Jesus, who was dead, was again raised to life.
And because I doubted of such manner of questions - See the margin. Because I hesitated about the right way of disposing of them; because I was ignorant of their nature and bearing, I proposed to go to Jerusalem, that the matter might be there more fully investigated. It is obvious, that if Paul was not found guilty of any violation of the laws, he should have been at once discharged. Some interpreters understand this as affirming that he was not satisfied about the question of Paul’s innocence, or certain whether he ought to be set at liberty or not.

The words behind it

17 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

4 stops

Each 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 25:9

    But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to stand trial before me on these charges?”

    it leads to

    • Acts 24:27

      After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

    • Acts 12:3

      And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

    • Mark 15:15

      And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

    • Acts 25:3

      to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 25 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 51; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.

Read on in Acts 25 →