Acts 25:3

3 They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).

Acts 25:3 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 25:3

And desired favour against him
Paul; they asked what would be a favour to them, and a prejudice to him: or "of him", that is, of Festus; they asked a favour of him, and desired it as such, as what would be gratefully accepted and acknowledged by them; which sense is confirmed by the Syriac version; the Arabic version renders it "to", or "upon them"; that is, they asked him to grant a favour to them, or bestow one on them, which is as follows:

that he would send for him to Jerusalem;
that his case might be heard before him, and he might be tried and judged by him, as they pretended:

laying wait in the way to kill him;
this was their design, though they concealed it, and pretended no other view than that justice might take place: their scheme was, that if they could have prevailed upon Festus to have sent for Paul to Jerusalem, from Caesarea, they would have provided men, perhaps the same forty and upwards as before, in ( Acts 23:12 Acts 23:13 ) to have laid in wait for him in the way as he came, and to have killed him: the whole of this shows the malice of these men, the badness of their cause, the indefatigableness and diligence to attain their end, the danger the apostle was in, and the care of Providence over him.

Acts 25:3 In-Context

1 Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,

2 where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.

3 They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way).

4 But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon.

5 So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.”