The Meaning of Acts 25:8 Explained

Acts 25:8

KJV: While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.

YLT: he making defence -- 'Neither in regard to the law of the Jews, nor in regard to the temple, nor in regard to Caesar -- did I commit any sin.'

Darby: Paul answering for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in anything.

ASV: while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

While he answered  for himself,  Neither  against  the law  of the Jews,  neither  against  the temple,  nor yet  against  Caesar,  have I offended  any thing at all. 

What does Acts 25:8 Mean?

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 It would not be agreeable to him to have his jurisdiction superseded on this the first occasion of holding a public inquiry.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 25:8

While Paul said in his defence [του Παυλου απολογουμενου]
Genitive absolute again, present middle participle of απολογεομαι — apologeomai old verb to make defence as in Acts 19:33; Acts 24:10; Acts 26:1, Acts 26:2. The recitative οτι — hoti of the Greek before a direct quotation is not reproduced in English. [source]
Have I sinned at all [τι ημαρτον]
Constative aorist active indicative of αμαρτανω — hamartanō to miss, to sin. The τι — ti is cognate accusative (or adverbial accusative). Either makes sense. Paul sums up the charges under the three items of law of the Jews, the temple, the Roman state (Caesar). This last was the one that would interest Festus and, if proved, would render Paul guilty of treason Nero was Emperor a.d. 54-68, the last of the emperors with any hereditary claim to the name “Caesar.” Soon it became merely a title like Kaiser and Czar (modern derivatives). In Acts only “Caesar” and “Augustus” are employed for the Emperor, not “King” (ασιλευς — Basileus) as from the time of Domitian. Paul‘s denial is complete and no proof had been presented. Luke was apparently present at the trial. [source]
Have I offended [ἥμαρτον]
See on the kindred noun ἁμαρτία , sin, Matthew 1:21. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 25:8 mean?

- Paul made his defense - Neither against the law of the Jews nor the temple Caesar [in] anything have I sinned
Τοῦ Παύλου ἀπολογουμένου ὅτι Οὔτε εἰς τὸν νόμον τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὔτε τὸ ἱερὸν Καίσαρά τι ἥμαρτον

Τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Παύλου  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Genitive 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.
ἀπολογουμένου  made  his  defense 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀπολογέομαι  
Sense: to defend one’s self, make one’s defence.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Οὔτε  Neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὔτε  
Sense: neither, and not.
εἰς  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
νόμον  law 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: νόμος  
Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰουδαίων  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
οὔτε  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὔτε  
Sense: neither, and not.
ἱερὸν  temple 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ἱερόν  
Sense: a sacred place, temple.
Καίσαρά  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.
τι  [in]  anything 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
ἥμαρτον  have  I  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἁμαρτάνω  
Sense: to be without a share in.