Acts 24:5

Pestilent fellow (λοιμὸν) Lit., a plague or pest. Ringleader (πρωτοστάτην) Originally, one who stands first on the right of a line; a file-leader. Thus Thucydides says that all armies when engaging are apt to thrust outward their right wing; and adds, "The first man in the front rank (ὁ πρωτοστάτης) of the right wing is originally responsible for the deflection" (v., 71). Here, of course, metaphorically, as A. V. and Rev. Only here in New Testament. Sect (εἱρέσεως) See on heresies, 2 Peter 2:1. Nazarenes The only passage in scripture where this term is used to denote the Christians. See on Matthew 2:23.

A pestilent fellow; a pest, or plague, the abstract being put for the concrete, as implying, that no word he could use could properly signify the mischievousness of that man, whom he falsely charges with sedition (not that the Jews would have disliked him for that, had it been true, but) to make St. Paul the more odious, and in danger of his life. The sect, or heresy, which in common use was then taken more favourably, for any doctrine. Of the Nazarenes; of the Christians; for they who out of Judea were called Christians, in Judea were called Nazarenes. The Jews did call our Saviour and his followers thus, it being accounted an ignominious term; and they who were born at Nazareth disgraced by it, as appears by Nathanael’s question, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? John 1:46 . Yet this name is most glorious, as imposed upon our Saviour by God himself, Matthew 2:23 .

Acts 24:5 . Εὑρόντες ) for εὕρομεν .— ἄνδρα λοιμὸν ) So 1Ma 15:3 , ἄνδρες λοιμοί .— στάσεις ) So the best MSS.[136] Others read ΣΤΆΣΙΝ . Sedition was an invidious term among the Romans and Jews.— πρωτοστάτην ) a ringleader .— Ναζωραίων , of the Nazarenes ) A name (nickname) of Christians, taken from the surname applied to our Lord, which Paul does not refuse: Acts 24:14 . [136] Therefore in this passage both the margin of Ed. 2 withdraws from the larger Ed., and the Germ. Vers. agrees with the more recent decision.—E. B. Στάσεις is the reading of ABE e Vulg. Memph. None of the oldest authorities, except both Syr. Versions and Theb., support the στάσιν of Rec. Text and Tisck.—E. and T.

For we have found this man a {c} pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a {d} ringleader of the sect of the {e} Nazarenes: (c) Literally, a plague. (d) As one would say, a ringleader, or a flag bearer. (e) So they scoffingly called the Christians, taking the name from the towns where they thought that Christ was born, whereupon it happened that Julian the apostate called Christ a Galilean.

5-8. a pestilent fellow—a plague, or pest. and a mover of sedition among all the Jews—by exciting disturbances among them. throughout the world—(See on [2104]Lu 2:1). This was the first charge; and true only in the sense explained on Ac 16:20. a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes—the second charge; and true enough.

Verse 5. - Insurrection for sedition , A.V. and T.R. We have found ( εὑρόντες ). The construction of the sentence is an anacoluthon. The participle is not followed, as it should be, by a finite verb, ἐκρατήσαμεν (in ver. 6), but the construction is changed by the influence of the interposed sentence, "who moreover assayed to profane the temple," and so, instead of ἐκρατήσαμεν αὐτόν , we have ὅν καὶ ἐκρατήσαμεν . A pestilent fellow ( λοιμόν ); literally, a pestilence ; as we say, "a pest," "a plague," or "a nuisance," like the Latin pestis. It only occurs here in the New Testament, but is of frequent use in the LXX., as e.g. 1 Samuel 2:12 ; 1 Samuel 10:27 , and 1 Sam 25:25, υἱοὶ λοιμοὶ , "sons of Belial;" 1 Macc. 10:61 1 Macc. 15:3 ἄνδρες λοιμοί : and 15:21, simply λοιμοὶ (rendered "pestilent fellows" in the A.V.), and elsewhere as the rendering of other Hebrew words. It is occasionally used also in this sense by classical writers. A mover of insurrections ( στάσεις , R.T.). This was the charge most likely to weigh with a Roman procurator in the then disturbed and turbulent state of the Jewish mind (camp. Luke 23:2 ; John 19:12 ). Felix himself had had large experience of Jewish insurrections. The Jewish riots at Philippi ( Acts 16:20 ), at Thessalonica ( Acts 17:6 ), at Corinth ( Acts 18:12 ), at Ephesus ( Acts 19:29 ), and at Jerusalem ( Acts 21:30 ), would give color to the accusation. The world ( ἥ οἰκουμένη ). The Roman, or civilized, world (Luke it. l; Luke 4:5, etc.).

Ringleader ; πρωτοστάτης , only here in the New Testament, but used by the LXX. in Job 15:24 , and not uncommon in classical Greek, as a military term, equivalent to the first, i.e. the right-hand man in the line. Also, in the plural, the soldiers in the front rank. The sect of the Nazarenes . As our Lord was contemptuously called "The Nazarene "( Matthew 26:71 ), so the Jews designated his disciples" Nazarenes." They would not admit that they were Christians, i.e. disciples of the Messiah. Acts 24:5

5 . For we have found this man a pestilent fellow ] The Greek literally says “a pestilence.” The same word in the plural is translated “pestilent fellows” in 1Ma 10:61 , and it is further explained there by “men of a wicked life.” When they say “we have found” it is implied that they have already spent some pains in detecting the evil ways of the prisoner. and a mover of sedition ] ( insurrections , with oldest MSS. and Rev. Ver. ). The first charge had been one of general depravity. On coming to particulars Tertullus puts that first which would most touch the Roman power, and against which Felix had already shewn himself to be severe. Insurrections were of such common occurrence that one man might at this time be readily the prime mover in many. among all the Jews throughout the world ] We must bear in mind that Paul had been assailed at a time when Jerusalem was full of strangers come to the feast. It is not improbable that from some of the Jewish visitors particulars had been gathered about the Apostle’s troubles at Philippi, Corinth, Ephesus and elsewhere, which in the minds and on the lips of his accusers would be held for seditious conduct, conduct which had brought him at times under the notice of the tribunals. This Tertullus would put forward in its darkest colours. “The world” at this time meant “the whole Roman Empire.” Cp.

Cæsar’s decree ( Luke 2:1 ) that “all the world” should be taxed. a ringleader ] The word is used in classical Greek of the front-rank men in an army. of the sect of the Nazarenes ] The adjective is used as a term of reproach equivalent to “the followers of him of Nazareth,” which origin was to the mind of the Jews enough to stamp Jesus as one of the many false Messiahs. Cp. on the despised character of Nazareth, John 1:46 .

Acts 24:5-8 . Καὶ κατὰ … ἐπὶ σέ is to be deleted. See the critical remarks. εὑρόντες γὰρ κ . τ . λ .] The structure of the sentence is anacoluthic , as Grotius already saw. Luke has departed from the construction; instead of continuing, Acts 24:6 , with ἐκρατήσαμεν αὐτόν , he, led astray by the preceding relative construction, brings the principal verb also into connection with the relative. Comp. Winer, pp. 330, 528 [E. T. 442, 710]; Buttmann, p. 252 [E. T. 293]. Comp. on Romans 16:27 . The γάρ is namely ; see on Matthew 1:18 . Examples of λοιμός and pestis , as designating men bringing destruction , may be seen in Grotius and Wetstein. Grimm on 1Ma 10:61 . τὴν οἰκουμ .] is here, in the mouth of a Roman , before a Roman tribunal, to be understood of the Roman orbis terrarum. See on Luke 2:1 . πρωτοστάτην ] front-rank man, file-leader. Thuc. v. 71. 2, and Krüger in loc . τῶν Ναζωραίων ] a contemptuous appellation of Christians as the followers of Jesus of Nazareth, whose presumed descent from Nazareth stamped Him as a false Messiah ( John 7:42 ). ὃς καὶ τ . ἱερὸν κ . τ . λ .] who even the temple , etc. Comp. ἔτι τε καί , Acts 21:28 .

Acts 24:8 . παρʼ οὗ ] refers, as the preceding mention of Lysias is spurious, to Paul , to whom, however, it could not have been referred, were the preceding portion genuine, in opposition to Cornelius a Lapide, Grotius, Limborch, Rosenmüller, who have, moreover, arbitrarily understood ἀνακρίνας of a quaestio per tormenta ; it denotes judicial examination generally. ὧν ] = ἅ a by attraction. That we have not before us the speech of Tertullus in a quite exact reproduction is obvious of itself, as the source of the narrative could only be the communication of Paul. The beginning, so much in contrast with the rest, is doubtless most faithfully reproduced, impressing itself, as it naturally did, alike as the commencement of the imposing trial and by reason of the singularly pompous flattery, with the most literal precision on the recollection of the apostle and, through his communication, on the memory of Luke.

(5) We have found this man a pestilent fellow. —The Greek gives the more emphatic substantive, a pestilence, a plague. The advocate passes from flattering the judge to invective against the defendant, and lays stress on the fact that he is charged with the very crimes which Felix prided himself on repressing. St. Paul, we may well believe, did not look like a sicarius, or brigand, but Tertullus could not have used stronger language had he been caught red-handed in the fact. A mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world.—The “world” is, of course, here, as elsewhere, the Roman empire. (See Note on Luke 2:1.) The language may simply be that of vague invective, but we may perhaps read between the lines some statements gathered, in preparing the case, from the Jews of Thessalonica (Acts 17:6) and Ephesus (Acts 21:28) who had come to keep the Feast of Pentecost at Jerusalem. A ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.—This is the first appearance of the term of reproach as transferred from the Master to the disciples. (Comp. Note on John 1:46.) It has continued to be used by both Jews and Mahometans; and it has been stated (Smith’s Dict. of Bible, Art. “Nazarene”), that during the Indian Mutiny of 1855 the Mahometan rebels relied on a supposed ancient prophecy that the Nazarenes would be expelled from the country after ruling for a hundred years.