Acts 28:17

Those that were the chief of the Jews (tou onta twn Ioudaiwn prwtou). This use of prwto for the leading men of a city or among the Jews we have already had in John 13:50 ; John 25:2 ; Luke 19:47 . Literally, "Those that were first among the Jews." The position of the participle onta between the article and the adjective prwtou is regular (Robertson, Grammar, p. 777). When they were come together (sunelqontwn autwn). Genitive absolute again. Paul could not go to the synagogue, as his custom was, being a bound prisoner. So he invited the Jewish leaders to come to his lodging and hear his explanation of his presence in Rome as a prisoner with an appeal to Caesar. He is anxious that they may understand that this appeal was forced upon him by Festus following Felix and lot because he has come to make an attack on the Jewish people. He was sure that false reports had come to Rome. These non-Christian Jews accepted Paul's invitation. Nothing against (ouden enantion). Adjective here as in Luke 26:9 , not preposition as in Luke 7:10 ; Luke 8:32 . From en and antio (anti), face to face. Concessive participle poihsa as in verse Luke 4 (diaswqenta) which see. Yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans (desmio ex Ierosolumwn paredoqhn ei ta ceira twn Romaiwn). This condensed statement does not explain how he "was delivered," for in fact the Jews were trying to kill him when Lysias rescued him from the mob ( Luke 22:27-30 ). The Jews were responsible for his being in the hands of the Romans, though they had hoped to kill him first.