Acts 25:16

16 ¹I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone ²before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.

Acts 25:16 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 25:16

To whom I answered
As follows:

it is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die; or to
give any man to destruction;
to pass sentence of death upon him, without hearing his cause, and purely at the request of another, and merely to gratify him:

before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face;
so as to speak to his face, or before him, what they have to charge him with:

and have licence to answer for himself, concerning the crime laid
against him;
and this was also according to the law of the Jews, ( John 7:51 ) though Festus, from such an application to him by the chief priests and elders, might conclude that their manner was different, he being ignorant of their laws and customs; but their prejudice to the apostle carried them to act such an illegal part, or at least to desire it might be acted: it is one of the Jewish canons, that it is unlawful for a judge to hear one of the contending parties, before the other is come in.

Acts 25:16 In-Context

14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man left prisoner by Felix,

15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.

16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.

17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.

18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.

Cross References

• 1. ver. 4, 5
• 2. [John 7:51]; See Acts 23:30