Acts 23:35
in Acts 23he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I will hear thee fully, said he, when thine accusers also are come: and he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s palace.
KJV
I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.
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This verse in Acts 23
Commentary
10 notes on this verseI will hear thee, said he,.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "we will hear", which is a grand courtly way of speaking: when thine accusers are come; which Lysias, in his letter, informed him that he had ordered them to come; which shows the governor to have some sense of justice and integrity, being desirous to hear both sides before he judged of the affair, though there was so much said in the chief captain's letter in favour of Paul's innocence, and against his enemies.
This site's exposition
asked what province Paul was from
on Acts 23:34-35
The governor asked what province Paul was from, since he needed to know whether the case belonged to his own court. Learning that he was from Cilicia, Felix says, I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.
This site's exposition
kept under guard
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown and Adam Clarke take the promise to mean a full hearing, with the accusers present. John Wesley suggests that a tower of the palace served as a state prison. The hearing came five days later.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. Already Lysias has spoken for his exculpation; but the Jews seek to gain the hearer beforehand. And he ordered him to be kept in custody in Herod's praetorium: again Paul is put in bonds.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"In Herod's praetorium." It is noteworthy that in Caesarea there was a praetorium of Herod.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Now that Paul was brought before them he thought to have faced them down, but could not, such was their wicked impudence. However, now was fulfilled in him what God promised to Ezekiel ( ch. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
In Herod's palace - This was a palace and a court built by Herod the Great. Probably some tower belonging to it might be used for a kind of state prison.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
In Herod’s judgment hall - Greek: in the praetorium of Herod. The word used here denoted formerly “the tent of the Roman praetor”; and since that was the place where justice was administered, it came to be applied to “halls (courts) of justice.” This had been raised probably by Herod the Great as his palace, or as a place for administering justice. It is probable, also, that prisons, or places of security, would be attached to such places.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I will hear thee--The word means, "give thee a full hearing." to be kept in Herod's judgment hall--"prætorium," the palace built at Cæsarea by Herod, and now occupied by the Roman procurators; in one of the buildings attached to which Paul was ordered to be kept.
I will hear thee - Διακουσομαι σου; I will give thee a fair, full, and attentive hearing when thy accusers are come; in whose presence thou shalt be permitted to defend thyself. In Herod’s judgment - hall - Εν τῳ πραιτωριῳ, In Herod’s praetorium, so called because it was built by Herod the Great. The praetorium was the place where the Roman praetor had his residence; and it is probable that, in or near this place, there was a sort of guard room, where state prisoners were kept. Paul was lodged here till his accusers should arrive. On the preceeding chapter many useful observations may be made. 1. Paul, while acting contrary to the Gospel of Christ, pleaded conscience as his guide. Conscience is generally allowed to be the rule of human actions; but it cannot be a right rule, unless it be well informed. While it is unenlightened it may be a guide to the perdition of its professor, and the cause of the ruin of others. That conscience can alone be trusted in which the light of God’s Spirit and God’s truth dwells. An ill-informed conscience may burn even the saints for God’s sake! 2. No circumstance in which a man can be placed can excuse him from showing respect and reverence to the authorities which God, in the course of his providence, has instituted for the benefit of civil or religious society. All such authorities come originally from God, and can never lose any of their rights on account of the persons who are invested with them. An evil can never be of use, and a good may be abused; but it loses not its character, essential qualities, or usefulness, because of this abuse. 3. Paul availed himself of the discordant sentiments of his judges, who had agreed to show him no justice, that he might rid himself out of their hands. […]
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| διακούσομαί | diakousomai | I will hear fully | G1251 → | |
| σου, | sou | you, | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἔφη, | ephe | he was saying, | G5346 → | 66 times |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κατήγοροί | kategoroi | accusers | G2725 → | 4 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| παραγένωνται. | paragenontai | may have arrived. | G3854 → | 36 times |
| κελεύσας | keleusas | having commanded | G2753 → | 25 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πραιτωρίῳ | praitorio | Praetorium | G4232 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἡρῴδου | herodou | of Herod | G2264 → | 43 times |
| φυλάσσεσθαι | phulassesthai | to be guarded | G5442 → | 31 times |
| αὐτόν.¶ | auton | him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
διακούσομαίI will hear fully
diakousomaiG1251 →
σου,you,
souG4771 →2973 times
ἔφη,he was saying,
epheG5346 →66 times
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
κατήγοροίaccusers
kategoroiG2725 →4 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
παραγένωνται.may have arrived.
paragenontaiG3854 →36 times
κελεύσαςhaving commanded
keleusasG2753 →25 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πραιτωρίῳPraetorium
praitorioG4232 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Ἡρῴδουof Herod
herodouG2264 →43 times
φυλάσσεσθαιto be guarded
phulassesthaiG5442 →31 times
αὐτόν.¶him.
autonG846 →5565 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 25:16I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.
it leads to
- John 7:51
“Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”
- Deuteronomy 19:17–18
both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.
- Acts 23:30
When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
- Proverbs 18:17
The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.
- John 7:51
Through
Matthew 27:27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him.
it leads to
- John 18:33
Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
- John 18:28
Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
- Acts 10:1
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
- John 18:33
Through
Acts 23:30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
it leads to
- Acts 23:20
He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.
- Acts 23:20
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 9 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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 50; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.