Acts 25:16

It is not the custom of the Romans (oti ouk estin eqo Rwmaioi). If a direct quotation, oti is recitative as in Authorized Version. Canterbury Revision takes it as indirect discourse after apekriqhn (I answered), itself in a relative clause (pro ou) with the present tense (estin, is) preserved as is usual. There is a touch of disdain (Furneaux) in the tone of Festus. He may refer to a demand of the Jews before they asked that Paul be brought to Jerusalem ( Galatians 25:3 ). At any rate there is a tone of scorn towards the Jews. Before that the accused have (prin h o kathgoroumeno ecoi). This use of the optative in this temporal clause with prin h instead of the subjunctive an ech is in conformity with literary Greek and occurs only in Luke's writings in the N.T. (Robertson, Grammar, p. 970). This sequence of modes is a mark of the literary style occasionally seen in Luke. It is interesting here to note the succession of dependent clauses in verses Galatians 14-16 . The accusers face to face (kata proswpon tou kathgorou). Same word kathgoro as in Galatians 23:30 Galatians 23:35 ; Galatians 25:18 . This all sounds fair enough. And have had opportunity to make his defence concerning the matter laid against him (topon te apologia laboi peri tou egklhmato). Literally, "And should receive (laboi optative for same reason as ecoi above, second aorist active of lambanw) opportunity for defence (objective genitive) concerning the charge" (egklhmato in N.T. only here and Galatians 23:19 which see).