Acts 24:9

24:1-9 See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in evil, like Felix. God's prophets were charged with being troublers of the land, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that he perverted the nation; the very same charges were brought against Paul. The selfish and evil passions of men urge them forward, and the graces and power of speech, too often have been used to mislead and prejudice men against the truth. How different will the characters of Paul and Felix appear at the day of judgement, from what they are represented in the speech of Tertullus! Let not Christians value the applause, or be troubled at the revilings of ungodly men, who represent the vilest of the human race almost as gods, and the excellent of the earth as pestilences and movers of sedition.

And the Jews also assented,.... That is, Ananias the high priest, and the elders that were with him, agreed to what Tertullus said, and confirmed the same. Saying, that these things were so; that Paul was such a person, and was guilty of the crimes he had set forth; and that the chief captain had taken the steps, and done the things he had related.

The high priest, and the rest of the senate that came with him, acknowledged (as the manner was) that Tertullus had spoken their sense, and what they had to say; and some think that this their assent went further, and that they offered themselves as witnesses to the truth of what he had said.

Acts 24:9 . Συνεπέθεντο ) An apposite verb: τὰ ἔθνη τὰ συνεπιτιθέμενα — συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακά Zechariah 1:15 . And so elsewhere. A few read here συνέθεντο .[137]— ΦΆΣΚΟΝΤΕς ) saying , with feigned gravity. [137] Rec. Text has συνέθεντο , with no old authority. ABE support συνεπέθεντο .—E. and T.

Verse 9. - Joined in the charge for assented , A.V. and T.R.; affirming for saying , A.V. Joined in the charge . The reading of the R.T., συνεπέθεντο , means "joined in the attack upon," as in the LXX. of Deuteronomy 32:27 ("behave themselves strangely," A.V.); Psalm 3:6 (Codex Alexandrinus; "set themselves against me," A.V.) The συνέθεντο of the T.R. means "agreed" (as John 9:22 ), "assented." Acts 24:9

9 . And the Jews also assented ] [ Rev. Ver. joined in the charge.] The verb implies much more than assent. They made common cause with their representative, and by their own language reiterated the accusation. saying ( R. V. affirming) that these things were so ] Ananias and the elders must have first instructed their orator. So that the speech was what they had supplied him with, and must have their accord.

Acts 24:9 . Συνεπέθεντο κ . τ . λ .] but the Jews also jointly set upon him ; they united their attack against Paul with that of their advocate, inasmuch as they indicated the contents of his statements to be the true state of the case. Comp. on συνεπιτίθεμαι , Plat. Phil . p. 16 A; Xen. Cyrop . iv. 2. 3; Polyb. i. 31. 2, ii. 3. 6; also in the LXX. φάσκοντες ] comp. Acts 25:19 ; and see on Romans 1:22 .

And the Jews also assented - The Jews who had accompanied Tertullus to Caesarea. They had gone as the accusers of Paul, and they bore testimony, when called upon, to the truth of all that the orator had said. Whether they were examined individually or not is not declared. In whatever way their testimony was arrived at, they confirmed unanimously the accusation which he had brought against Paul.

Acts 24:9 . συνέθεντο : in R.V. συνεπεο ., “joined in the charge,” cf. Acts 18:10 , so in classical Greek; in LXX ( Deuteronomy 32:27 ), Psalm 3:6 [380]S, Zach. Acts 1:15 , here only in N.T.— φάσκοντες , cf. Acts 25:19 , Romans 1:22 , dictitantes , but sometimes with the notion of alleging what is untrue, to pretend, cf. LXX, Bel and the Dragon, Acts 24:8 . The verb is found elsewhere, Genesis 26:20 , 2Ma 14:27 ; 2Ma 14:32 , 3Ma 3:7. [380] Codex Alexandrinus (sæc. v.), at the British Museum, published in photographic facsimile by Sir E. M. Thompson (1879).