^23:26Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor⁹⁷ Felix,⁹⁸ greetings. ^23:27This man was seized⁹⁹ by the Jews and they were about to kill him,¹⁰⁰ when I came up¹⁰¹ with the detachment¹⁰² and rescued him, because I had learned that he was¹⁰³ a Roman citizen.¹⁰⁴^23:28Since I wanted to know¹⁰⁵ what charge they were accusing him of,¹⁰⁶ I brought him down to their council.¹⁰⁷^23:29I found he¹⁰⁸ was accused with reference to controversial questions¹⁰⁹ about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment.¹¹⁰^23:30When I was informed¹¹¹ there would be a plot¹¹² against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges¹¹³ against him before you.

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Footnotes

97 Grk “Procurator.” The official Roman title has been translated as “governor” ( ἡγεμών 2).
98 Governor Felix. See the note on Felix in v. .
99 The participle συλλημφθέντα (sullēmphthenta) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The remark reviews events of Acts 21:27–40.
100 Grk “and was about to be killed by them.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.
101 Or “approached.”
102 Normally this term means “army,” but according to στράτευμα, “Of a smaller detachment of soldiers, sing. Ac 23:10, 27.” In the plural it can be translated “troops,” but it is singular here.
103 In Greek this is a present tense retained in indirect discourse.
104 The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity. The letter written by the Roman commander Claudius Lysias was somewhat self-serving. He made it sound as if the rescue of a Roman citizen had been a conscious act on his part. In fact, he had made the discovery of Paul’s Roman citizenship somewhat later. See Acts 21:37–39 and 22:24–29.
105 Or “determine.”
106 Grk “to know the charge on account of which they were accusing him.” This has been simplified to eliminate the prepositional phrase and relative pronoun διʼ ἢν (di’ hēn) similar to L&N 27.8 which has “ ‘I wanted to find out what they were accusing him of, so I took him down to their Council’ Ac 23:28.”
107 Grk “their Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
108 Grk “whom I found.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been changed to a personal pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at this point.
109 ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument … Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.… 18:15; 25:19.—In 23:29, since περί had already been used, the subj. of the discussion is added in the ζ. τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν.” With reference to controversial questions. Note how the “neutral” Roman authorities saw the issue. This was a religious rather than a civil dispute. See Acts 18:15.
110 Grk “but having no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.” ἔγκλημα 1 has “legal t.t.… ἔ. ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν a charge deserving death or imprisonment 23:29.” Despite the official assessment that no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment, there was no effort to release Paul.
111 Grk “It being revealed to me.” The participle μηνυθείσης (mēnutheisēs) has been taken temporally.
112 The term translated “plot” here is a different one than the one in Acts 23:16 (see ἐπιβουλή).
113 Grk “the things against him.” This could be rendered as “accusations,” “grievances,” or “charges,” but since “ordered his accusers to state their accusations” sounds redundant in English, “charges” was used instead.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency, Governor Felix:

Greetings.

This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Claudius Lysias,

To the most excellent governor Felix:

Greetings.

When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.

NLTNew Living Translation

“From Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings!

“This man was seized by some Jews, and they were about to kill him when I arrived with the troops. When I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I removed him to safety. Then I took him to their high council to try to learn the basis of the accusations against him. I soon discovered the charge was something regarding their religious law—certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death. But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I immediately sent him on to you. I have told his accusers to bring their charges before you.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Claudius Lysias.

To his excellency Governor Felix.

Greetings!

This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the detachment and rescued him, because I learned that he was a Roman citizen. And because I wanted to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. I found he was accused concerning controversial questions of their law, but having no charge deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was made known to me there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also ordering his accusers to speak against him before you.

KJV 1900King James Version

Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

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