Acts 24:10 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Acts 24:10
Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
(little · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
that
δέdé
G1161
but
governor
ἡγεμόνοςhēgemonos
G2232
a leader · noun — genitive singular masculine
beckoned
νεύσαντοςneusantos
G3506
to "nod" · verb — aorist active participle, genitive singular masculine
him
αὐτῷautō
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
speak
λέγειν·legein
G3004
properly · verb — present active infinitive
answered
ἈπεκρίθηApekrithē
G611
to conclude for oneself · verb — aorist middle deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
Forasmuch
περὶperi
G4012
properly · preposition
that
ἐπιστάμενοςepistamenos
G1987
to put the mind upon · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
thou
σέsé
G4571
thee
been
ὤνṓn
G5607
being
of
ἐκek
G1537
literal or figurative · preposition
many
πολλῶνpollōn
G4183
(singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many · adjective — genitive plural neuter
years
ἐτῶνetōn
G2094
a year · noun — genitive plural neuter
judge
κριτὴνkritēn
G2923
a judge (genitive case or specially) · noun — accusative singular masculine
this
τούτῳtoútōi
G5129
to (in
nation
ἔθνειethnei
G1484
a race (as of the same habit) · noun — dative singular neuter
cheerfully
εὐθύμωςeuthumōs
G2115
in fine spirits · adjective — accusative plural neuter
for
ἀπολογοῦμαι·apologoumai
G626
to give an account (legal plea) of oneself · verb — present middle or passive deponent indicative, 1st person singular
myself
ἐμαυτοῦemautoû
G1683
of myself so likewise the dative case
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in…
1 Samuel 2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding the…
Luke 12:14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
Luke 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Acts 12:17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he sai…
Acts 13:16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Acts 18:15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.
Acts 19:33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his de…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Acts 24:10-21
We have here Paul's defence of himself, in answer to Tertullus's charge, and there appears in it a great deal of the spirit of wisdom and holiness, and an accomplishment of Christ's promise to his followers that when they were before governors and kings, for his sake, it should be given them in that same hour what they should speak. Though Tertullus had said a great many provoking things, yet Paul did not interrupt him, but let him go on to the end of his speech, according to the rules of decency and the method in courts of justice, that the plaintiff be allowed to finish his evidence before the defendant begins his plea. And when he had done, he did not presently fly out into passionate exc…
thou hast been many years a judge to this nation--He had been in this province for six or seven years, and in Galilee for a longer period. Paul uses no flattery, but simply expresses his satisfaction at having to plead before one whose long official experience of Jewish matters would enable him the better to understand and appreciate what he had to say.
Adam Clarke on Acts 24:10
Then Paul - answered - The apostle's defense consists of two parts: -
1. The exordium, which has for its object the praise of his judge, whose qualifications to discern and decide on a question of this nature he fully allows; and expects, from this circumstance, to have a favorable hearing.
2. The tractation, which consists of two parts:
I. Refutation:
1. of the charge of polluting the temple;
2. of stirring up sedition;
3. of being a leader of any sect who had a different worship from the God of their fathers.
II. Affirmation:
1. that he had lived so as to preserve a good conscience towards God, and towards men;
2. that so far from polluting the temple, he had been purified in it, and was…
Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned unto him to speak,.... Tertullus having finished his account, Paul was silent to his charge and calumnies, until the governor beckoned with his hand or head, or made some sign to him to speak for himself; which he might not do, until leave was given him; and then he
answered as follows:
forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation; some say he was in the thirteenth, others in the tenth year of his government; some copies read a "just judge"; but this does not so well agree with the character of Felix; See Gill on Acts 24:27.
I do the more cheerfully answer for myself; since if he had been such a mover of sedition…
The Church Fathers
Then Paul; after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a just judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself. This is not the language of flattery, his testifying to the judge's justice: no, the adulation was rather in that speech of the orator, By thee we enjoy great quietness. If so, then why are ye seditious? What Paul sought was justice. Knowing thee to be a just judge, I cheerfully, says he, answer for myself. Then also he enforces this by the length of time: that he had been judge of many years. Why then, he is no stranger or alien or revolutionary person, seeing he had known the judge for many years. And he does well to add the epithet just, that he Felix might not look to the chief priest, nor to the people, nor the accuser. See, how he did not let himself be carried away into abuse, although there was strong provocation.
"Then Paul answered (the governor making a sign to him), saying." When the orator Tertullus had made the claims he wanted, Paul, after first saying things that might win him the goodwill of the judge, responded thus: when he had come to Jerusalem following the custom of his nation to adore the Lord and bring alms to his nation, he had neither gathered a multitude nor caused any tumult; but, while held by centurions, he had cried to the people: "It is concerning the resurrection of the dead, which ye too believe in, that I today stand to be judged." And he affirmed that they could not prove anything like what they, with wicked intentions, had invented about him. By all means, since they were present, they should say if they remembered any other thing done by him that conduced to disorder in the city. The judge Felix put off their hearing until the tribune Lysias should be present, commanding a centurion that Paul, while kept in custody, should be easy, and that he should not prohibit anyone to minister unto him what might contribute to comforting him.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Courts Of Justice · The accused: Permitted to plead their own cause — The accused: Permitted to plead their own cause
Defense · Of PaulAc 22; — Of PaulAc 22;
Flattery · .Paul correctly informs Felix — .Paul correctly informs Felix
Prisoners · Permitted to make — Permitted to make
Self-Defense · 23:3; — 23:3;
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Acts 24:10-21
10. And Paul answered, after that the governor had beckoned to him that he should speak, With a better mind do I speak for myself, forasmuch as I know that thou hast judged this nation this many years: 11. Seeing that thou mayest know that there are yet but twelve days since that I came up to Jerusalem to worship. 12. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, or causing any concourse of people, neither in the synagogues, neither in the city: 13. Neither can they prove those things whereof they accuse me. 14. But this I confess to thee, that according to the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are writ…
Paul’s defense was that (1) he wasn’t in Jerusalem long enough to incite a riot; (2) none of his accusers had ever seen him stirring up a riot; and (3) he worshiped in accord with Jewish law and everything written in the prophets.
