The Meaning of Acts 25:6 Explained

Acts 25:6

KJV: And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.

YLT: and having tarried among them more than ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, on the morrow having sat upon the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought;

Darby: And having remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day, having sat down on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.

ASV: And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when he had tarried  among  them  more  than  ten  days,  he went down  unto  Caesarea;  and the next day  sitting  on  the judgment seat  commanded  Paul  to be brought. 

What does Acts 25:6 Mean?

Study Notes

more than ten
Or, as some copies read, no more than eight or ten days.

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 It would not be agreeable to him to have his jurisdiction superseded on this the first occasion of holding a public inquiry.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 25:6

On the morrow [τηι επαυριον]
Locative case of the article with ημεραι — hēmerāi understood Festus lost no time for the chief men had come down with him. [source]
Sat on the judgment seat [κατισας επι του βηματος]
A legal formality to give weight to the decision. Ingressive aorist active participle. For this use of βημα — bēma for judgment seat, see Matthew 27:19, John 19:13, Acts 12:21, Acts 18:12, Acts 25:10. Same phrase repeated in Acts 25:17. To be brought (αχτηναι — achthēnai). First aorist passive infinitive of αγω — agō after εκελευσεν — ekeleusen (commanded). Same words repeated in Acts 25:17 by Festus. [source]
To be brought [αχτηναι]
First aorist passive infinitive of αγω — agō after εκελευσεν — ekeleusen (commanded). Same words repeated in Acts 25:17 by Festus. [source]
Judgment-seat []
See on Acts 7:5. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 25:6

Acts 25:4 Howbeit [μεν ουν]
No antithesis expressed, though Page considers δε — de in Acts 25:6 to be one. They probably argued that it was easier for one man (Paul) to come to Jerusalem than for many to go down there. But Festus was clearly suspicious (Acts 25:6) and was wholly within his rights to insist that they make their charges in Caesarea where he held court. [source]
Acts 25:4 Was kept in charge [τηρεισται]
Present passive infinitive of τηρεω — tēreō in indirect assertion. οτι — Hoti with finite verb is more common after αποκρινομαι — apokrinomai but the infinitive with the accusative of general reference is proper as here (Robertson, Grammar, p. 1036). Shortly (εν ταχει — en tachei). In quickness, in speed. Old and common usage, seen already in Luke 18:8; Acts 12:7; Acts 22:18. Festus is clearly within his rights again since his stay in Caesarea had been so brief. He did go down in “eight or ten days” (Acts 25:6). Luke did not consider the matter important enough to be precise. [source]
Acts 25:4 Shortly [εν ταχει]
In quickness, in speed. Old and common usage, seen already in Luke 18:8; Acts 12:7; Acts 22:18. Festus is clearly within his rights again since his stay in Caesarea had been so brief. He did go down in “eight or ten days” (Acts 25:6). Luke did not consider the matter important enough to be precise. [source]
Acts 28:18 When they had examined me [ανακριναντες με]
First aorist active participle of ανακρινω — anakrinō the same verb used already in Acts 24:8; Acts 25:6, Acts 25:26 of the judicial examinations by Felix and Festus. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 25:6 mean?

Having spent then with them days not more than eight or ten having gone down to Caesarea on the next day having sat on the judgment seat he commanded - Paul to be brought
Διατρίψας δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἡμέρας οὐ πλείους ὀκτὼ δέκα καταβὰς εἰς Καισάρειαν τῇ ἐπαύριον καθίσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐκέλευσεν τὸν Παῦλον ἀχθῆναι

Διατρίψας  Having  spent 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: διατρίβω  
Sense: to rub between, rub hard.
ἡμέρας  days 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
πλείους  more  than 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Plural, Comparative
Root: πολύς  
Sense: greater in quantity.
ὀκτὼ  eight 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: ὀκτώ  
Sense: eight.
δέκα  ten 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: δέκα 
Sense: ten.
καταβὰς  having  gone  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καταβαίνω  
Sense: to go down, come down, descend.
Καισάρειαν  Caesarea 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Καισάρεια  
Sense: Caesarea of Philippi was situated at the foot of Lebanon near the sources of the Jordan in Gaulanitis, and formerly called Paneas; but afterward being rebuilt by Philip the tetrarch, it was called by him Caesarea, in honour of Tiberias Caesar; subsequently called Neronias by Agrippa II, in honour of Nero.
τῇ  on  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐπαύριον  next  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐπαύριον  
Sense: on the morrow, the next day.
καθίσας  having  sat 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καθίζω  
Sense: to make to sit down.
βήματος  judgment  seat 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: βῆμα  
Sense: a step, pace, the space which a foot covers, a foot-breath.
ἐκέλευσεν  he  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κελεύω  
Sense: to command, to order.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Παῦλον  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Παῦλος  
Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles.
ἀχθῆναι  to  be  brought 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: ἄγω  
Sense: to lead, take with one.