The Meaning of Acts 25:12 Explained

Acts 25:12

KJV: Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.

YLT: then Festus, having communed with the council, answered, 'To Caesar thou hast appealed; to Caesar thou shalt go.'

Darby: Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed to Caesar. To Caesar shalt thou go.

ASV: Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Festus,  when he had conferred  with  the council,  answered,  Hast thou appealed unto  Caesar?  unto  Caesar  shalt thou go. 

What does Acts 25:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Paul"s appeal got Festus off the hook with the Jews, so the governor willingly granted it. He could have released Paul because he was innocent (cf. Acts 26:32), but the charges against him were political sedition and profaning the temple, both of which were capital offenses.
"The narrator shows unusual interest in Felix and Festus. They are complex characters with conflicting tendencies. Felix is attracted to Paul and his message, yet seeks a bribe and leaves Paul in prison to appease Paul"s enemies. Festus presents a favorable image of himself to the public, but his handling of Paul"s case is tainted with favoritism. Neither one is willing to offend the high priests and elders by releasing Paul. The narrator"s characterization of the Roman governors contributes to a portrait of Paul as one caught in a web of self-interested maneuvers by people who vie for support within the political jungle. However, Paul is not just a helpless victim. As opportunity comes, he continues to bear witness to his Lord. Although Paul continues to be denied justice and freedom, the saving purpose of God still has use for this resourceful and faithful prisoner." [1]
Jesus had also stood trial before two Roman officials: Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas I.

Context Summary

Acts 25:1-12 - Granting Appeal To Caesar
How inveterately must these Jews have hated Paul, when after two years they still thirsted for his blood! It would never have done for the trial to be transferred to Jerusalem, as the Jews had requested. If Paul had been brought thither, many plots might have been set on foot for the purpose of ending his life, especially if Festus proved as amenable to a bribe as had his predecessor. Festus was quite prepared to humor the Jews by granting such a transference, and there was no way of averting it other than Paul's availing himself of his right as a Roman citizen to be tried by the emperor himself.
The appeal was a great surprise. Festus himself was probably annoyed. It would not be agreeable to him to have his jurisdiction superseded on this the first occasion of holding a public inquiry. But there was no question that the appeal was admissible, and Festus had therefore no alternative. How strangely God was fulfilling His own word, So must thou bear witness also at Rome! Paul had always desired to visit the imperial city, to bear thither the message of the Cross; but he never expected to go under the safeguard of Roman soldiers and at Roman expense. "Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill" God fulfills His purposes. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 25

1  The Jews accuse Paul before Festus
8  He answers for himself,
11  and appeals unto Caesar
14  Afterwards Festus opens his matter to king Agrippa;
23  and he is brought forth
25  Festus clears him of having done anything worthy of death

Greek Commentary for Acts 25:12

When he had conferred with the council [συνλαλησας μετα του συμβουλιου]
The word συμβουλιον — sumboulion in the N.T. usually means “counsel” as in Matthew 12:14, but here alone as an assembly of counsellors or council. But the papyri (Milligan and Moulton‘s Vocabulary) furnish a number of instances of this sense of the word as “council.” Here it apparently means the chief officers and personal retinue of the procurator, his assessors These local advisers were a necessity. Some discretion was allowed the governor about granting the appeal. If the prisoner were a well-known robber or pirate, it could be refused. [source]
Thou hast appealed unto Caesar [Καισαρα επικεκλησαι]
The same technical word, but the perfect tense of the indicative. Unto Caesar thou shalt go (επι Καισαρα πορευσηι — epi Kaisara poreusēi). Perhaps the volitive future (Robertson, Grammar, p. 874). Bengel thinks that Festus sought to frighten Paul with these words. Knowling suggests that “they may have been uttered, if not with a sneer, yet with the implication ‹thou little knowest what an appeal to Caesar means.‘” But embarrassment will come to Festus. He has refused to acquit this prisoner. Hence he must formulate charges against him to go before Caesar. [source]
Unto Caesar thou shalt go [επι Καισαρα πορευσηι]
Perhaps the volitive future (Robertson, Grammar, p. 874). Bengel thinks that Festus sought to frighten Paul with these words. Knowling suggests that “they may have been uttered, if not with a sneer, yet with the implication ‹thou little knowest what an appeal to Caesar means.‘” But embarrassment will come to Festus. He has refused to acquit this prisoner. Hence he must formulate charges against him to go before Caesar. [source]
The council []
A body of men chosen by the governor himself from the principal Romans of the province. These were called assessors, sometimes friends, sometimes captains. Though a Roman citizen had the right of appeal to the emperor, a certain discretion was allowed the governors of provinces as to admitting the appeal. It might be disallowed if the affair did not admit of delay, or if the appellant were a known robber or pirate. In doubtful cases the governor was bound to consult with his council, and his failure to do so exposed him to censure. Cicero, in his impeachment of Verres, the brutal governor of Sicily, says: “Will you deny that you dismissed your council, the men of rank with whom your predecessor and yourself had been wont to consult, and decided the case yourself?” (ii., 33). That Festus exercised this discretion in Paul's case is shown by his conferring with the council. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 25:12

Acts 25:21 When Paul had appealed [του Παυλου επικαλεσαμενου]
Genitive absolute with first aorist middle participle of επικαλεομαι — epikaleomai the technical word for appeal (Acts 25:11, Acts 25:12). The first aorist passive infinitive τηρητηναι — tērēthēnai (to be kept) is the object of the participle. [source]
Acts 28:19 I was constrained [ηναγκαστην]
“I was compelled,” first aorist passive indicative of αναγκαζω — anagkazō the very word used of Paul‘s efforts to get the Christians to blaspheme (Acts 26:11) which see. Paul was compelled to appeal to Caesar (See note on Acts 25:11, and note on Acts 25:12 for this phrase), unless Paul was willing to be the victim of Jewish hate when he had done no wrong. Not that I had aught to accuse my nation of (ουχ ως του ετνους μου εχων τι κατηγορειν — ouch hōs tou ethnous mou echōn ti katēgorein). This use of ως — hōs with a participle (εχων — echōn) is common in Greek for the alleged reason. The genitive case with the infinitive κατηγορειν — katēgorein is regular. Paul says ετνος — ethnos instead of λαος — laos as in Acts 24:17; Acts 26:4. [source]
2 Corinthians 1:23 I call God for a record [τὸν Θεὸν ἐπικαλοῦμαι]
Rev., better, witness. A common classical idiom. Compare Plato: “Next will follow the choir of young men under the age of thirty, who will call upon the god Paean to testify to the truth of these words” (“Laws,” 664). Homer: “For the gods will be the best witnesses” (“Iliad,” xxii., 254). Compare Romans 1:9; Galatians 1:20; Philemon 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:5, 1 Thessalonians 2:10; Genesis 31:50, Sept. This particular form of expression occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The verb is often translated appeal, as Acts 25:11, Acts 25:12. Also to call upon, in the sense of supplication, Romans 10:12, Romans 10:13, Romans 10:14; 1 Corinthians 1:2. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 25:12 mean?

Then - Festus having conferred with the Council answered To Caesar You have appealed to Caesar you will go
Τότε Φῆστος συλλαλήσας μετὰ τοῦ συμβουλίου ἀπεκρίθη Καίσαρα ἐπικέκλησαι ἐπὶ Καίσαρα πορεύσῃ

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Φῆστος  Festus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Φῆστος  
Sense: the successor of Felix as procurator of Judea.
συλλαλήσας  having  conferred 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: συλλαλέω  
Sense: to talk with.
συμβουλίου  Council 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: συμβούλιον  
Sense: counsel, which is given, taken, entered upon.
ἀπεκρίθη  answered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
Καίσαρα  To  Caesar 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Καῖσαρ  
Sense: the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title.
ἐπικέκλησαι  You  have  appealed 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐπικαλέω  
Sense: to put a name upon, to surname.
Καίσαρα  Caesar 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Καῖσαρ  
Sense: the surname of Julius Caesar, which adopted by Octavius Augustus and his successors afterwards became a title, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as part of their title.
πορεύσῃ  you  will  go 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: πορεύομαι  
Sense: to lead over, carry over, transfer.