Acts 25:21
in Acts 25But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Cæsar.
KJV
But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cesar.
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This verse in Acts 25
Commentary
8 notes on this verse"On the review of Augustus." He calls the emperor Augustus, as well as Caesar; he also calls him lord (sovereign).
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.
This site's exposition
the decision of the Emperor
The emperor at this time was Nero, as Albert Barnes notes, and the title rendered Emperor here is Sebastos, the Greek form of Augustus. Barnes explains that it means one worthy of reverence and was first given to Octavian. Matthew Henry thinks Festus was glad of the appeal.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(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.
), having no other way to stop proceedings here in this inferior court; and therefore I commanded him to be kept a close prisoner till I might send him to Cæsar, for I did not see cause to refuse his appeal, but rather was pleased with it." III.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
But when Paul had appealed to be reserved,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
But when he had appealed - Act 25:11. To be reserved - To be kept; not to be tried at Jerusalem, but to be sent to Rome for trial. Unto the hearing - Margin, “the judgment.” That Augustus might hear and decide the cause. Of Augustus - The reigning emperor at this time was Nero. The name Augustus Σεβαστός Sebastos properly denotes “what is venerable, or worthy of honor and reverence.” It was first applied to Caesar Octavianus, who was the Roman emperor in the time when our Saviour was born, and who is usually nailed Augustus Caesar.
Unto the hearing of Augustus - Εις την του ΣεβαϚου διαγνωσιν; To the discrimination of the emperor. For, although σεβαϚος is usually translated Augustus, and the Roman emperors generally assumed this epithet, which signifies no more than the venerable, the august, get here it seems to be used merely to express the emperor, without any reference to any of his attributes or titles.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | But | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| Παύλου | paulou | Paul | G3972 → | 158 times |
| ἐπικαλεσαμένου | epikalesamenou | having appealed for | G1941 → | 30 times |
| τηρηθῆναι | terethenai | to be kept | G5083 → | 70 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | for | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Σεβαστοῦ | sebastou | Emperor's | G4575 → | 3 times |
| διάγνωσιν | diagnosin | decision | G1233 → | |
| ἐκέλευσα | ekeleusa | I commanded | G2753 → | 25 times |
| τηρεῖσθαι | tereisthai | to be kept | G5083 → | 70 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἕως | he'os | until | G2193 → | 146 times |
| οὗ | hou | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἀναπέμψω | anapempso | I may return | G375 → | |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| Καίσαρα. | kaisara | Caesar. | G2541 → | 29 times |
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
δὲBut
deG1161 →2765 times
ΠαύλουPaul
paulouG3972 →158 times
ἐπικαλεσαμένουhaving appealed for
epikalesamenouG1941 →30 times
τηρηθῆναιto be kept
terethenaiG5083 →70 times
αὐτὸνhimself
autonG846 →5565 times
εἰςfor
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ΣεβαστοῦEmperor's
sebastouG4575 →3 times
διάγνωσινdecision
diagnosinG1233 →
ἐκέλευσαI commanded
ekeleusaG2753 →25 times
τηρεῖσθαιto be kept
tereisthaiG5083 →70 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
ἕωςuntil
he'osG2193 →146 times
οὗthat
houG3739 →1405 times
ἀναπέμψωI may return
anapempsoG375 →
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
Καίσαρα.Caesar.
kaisaraG2541 →29 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
2 Timothy 4:16At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them.
it leads to
- Acts 7:60
Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- John 16:32
“Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father…
- Mark 14:50
Then everyone deserted Him and fled.
- Psalms 31:11–13
Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.
- Acts 7:60
Through
Luke 2:1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.
it leads to
- Luke 3:1
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
- Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
- Luke 3:1
Through
Acts 26:32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
it leads to
- Acts 28:18
They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
- Acts 25:11–12
If, however, I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if there is no truth to their accusations against me, no one has the right to hand…
- Acts 28:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Acts

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 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.
