Acts 25:16

16 I answered them that it's not the Romans' custom to give any man up^[a] before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charge.

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 Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul's case to the king, saying, "There's a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked for a judgment against him.

16 I answered them that it's not the Romans' custom to give any man up before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charge.

17 Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge's bench and ordered the man to be brought in.

18 Concerning him, the accusers stood up and brought no charge of the sort I was expecting.

Footnotes

• [a] Other mss add to destruction