Acts 28:18

18 who, [when they] had examined me, were wanting to release [me], because there was no basis for an accusation [worthy] of death with me.

Acts 28:18 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 28:18

Who when they had examined me
About the things laid to his charge, had heard what his accusers had to object to him, and the defence he made for himself:

would have let [me] go;
released him from his bonds, and set him at liberty to go where he pleased:

because there was no cause of death in me;
no crime proved upon him, which was worthy of death; and this was the sense of Lysias the chief captain, and of Felix and Festus the Roman governors, and of King Agrippa.

Acts 28:18 In-Context

16 And when we entered into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who was guarding him.

17 Now it happened that after three days, he called together those who were the most prominent of the Jews. And [when] they had assembled, he said to them, "Men [and] brothers, [although] I had done nothing against [our] people or the customs of our fathers, from Jerusalem I was delivered [as] a prisoner into the hands of the Romans,

18 who, [when they] had examined me, were wanting to release [me], because there was no basis for an accusation [worthy] of death with me.

19 But [because] the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar (not as [if I] had any [charge] to bring against my [own] people).

20 Therefore for this reason I have requested to see you and to speak with [you], for because of the hope of Israel I am wearing this chain!"

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("had examined") which is understood as temporal
• [b]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation