1. Was come into the province (émiBas 7h érapyia). Lit., having entered upon the province.
2. Besought. The imperfect denotes their persistence : kept beseeching.
3. Laying wait (évéSpav mrowodvtes). Lit., making or arrang- ing an ambush.
584 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cu. XXV.
4. Should be kept (tnpeto9av). This puts it as a peremp- tory denial of the Jews’ request by Festus; whereas it is only his statement of a fact. Render,as Rev., that Paul was kept in charge. Festus’ reply is conciliatory, and is put on the ground of convenience.
6. Judgment-seat. See on ch. vii. 5.
8. Have | offended (juaprov). See on the kindred noun apaptia, sin, Matt.i. 21.
9. Doa pleasure. See on ch. xxiv. 27. Rev., better, to gain favor.
Before me (é7’ cuod). Not with him as judge, but by the Sanhedrim in his presence.
10. Very well (xdddzov). The force of the comparative should be preserved : “thou knowest better than thy question implies.”
11. Deliver (yapicacSa:). With an underlying sense of giv- ing him up as a favor to the Jews.
| appeal (éaexadoduac). The technical phrase for lodging an appeal. The Greek rendering of the Latin formula appelio.
12. The council. A body of men chosen by the governor himself from the principal Romans of the province. These were called assessors, sometimes friends, sometimes captains. Though a Roman citizen had the right of appeal to the emperor, a certain discretion was allowed the governors of provinces as to admitting the appeal. It might be disallowed if the affair did not admit of delay, or if the appellant were a known robber or pirate. In doubtful cases the governor was bound to consult with his council, and his failure to do so exposed him to censure. Cicero, in his impeachment of Verres, the brutal governor of Sicily, says: “Will you deny that you dismissed your council,
Cu. XXV.] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 585
the men of rank with whom your predecessor and yourself had been wont to consult, and decided the case yourself ?” (ii., 33). That Festus exercised this discretion in Paul’s case is shown by his conferring with the council.
13. Agrippa the king. Herod Agrippa II., son of the Herod whose death is recorded in Acts xii. 20-23.
Bernice. Sister of Drusilla, the wife of Felix. She is said to have lived in incestuous relations with her brother. Juvenal, in his sixth satire, alludes to this: “‘A most notable diamond, made more precious by having been worn on the finger of Ber- nice. This a barbarian king once gave to his incestuous love. This Agrippa gave to his sister.”
16. Opportunity (vo7ov). Lit., place. An unclassical use of the word.
18. Stood up (cra3évtes). See on Luke xviii. 11; xix. 8.
19. Superstition (Sevordayovias). See on ch. xvii. 22. Bet- ter, religion, as Rev. As Agrippa was a Jew by religion, Fes- tus would not have insulted him by applying the word super- stition to his faith. Note, however, that he speaks of it as their own religion, not identifying Agrippa with them. It was a non-commnittal expression, since the word meant either religion or superstition according to circumstances. He left Agrippa “to take the word in a good sense, but reserved his own view, which was certainly the Roman one” (Meyer). There is, in- deed, a similar tact in Paul’s use of the word to the Athenians. He selected “a word which almost imperceptibly shaded off from praise to blame” (Trench). *
* ‘ Bernhardy very aptly remarks that the entrance of the word deodamovla marks a critical point in the history of the life of the Greek people. Itmarks the wavering between scepticism and despondency. It leaves the conception of the object of religious reverence wavering between God and demon, and thus fearing becomes the dominant notion. Hence the word carries more re- proach than credit” (Zeschwitz, Profangricitdt und Biblischer Sprachgeist ).