Acts 25:12

12 Then Festus, [after] discussing [this] with [his] council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar--to Caesar you will go!"

Acts 25:12 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 25:12

Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council
Not with the Jewish sanhedrim, or any part of it that came down on this occasion; but with Roman counsellors, which he had to assist him in judgment, when any difficult matters were before him; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "with his counsellors"; and the Arabic reads in the singular number, "with his counsellor"; with these he advised, whether it was proper to admit of Paul's appeal, or not; and having had their opinion,

he answered, hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou
go:
the question is put, partly for the more certain knowledge of the thing, that there might be no mistake in it; and partly on account of the Jews, that they might see that though he was disposed to do them a favour, it was not in his power, because of this appeal; and it may be with some resentment in himself, since it carried in it a sort of reflection upon him, as if he was incapable of issuing this affair, or would not be just and faithful in it.

Acts 25:12 In-Context

10 But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary [for] me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

11 If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

12 Then Festus, [after] discussing [this] with [his] council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar--to Caesar you will go!"

13 Now [after] some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus.

14 And while they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the [case] against Paul to the king, saying, "There is a certain man left behind by Felix [as] a prisoner,

Footnotes

• [a] *Here "[after]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("discussing") which is understood as temporal
• [b] *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [c] *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun