I will hear thee, said he, when thy accusers come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.
διακουσομαι σου εφη οταν και οι κατηγοροι σου παραγενωνται εκελευσεν τε αυτον εν τω πραιτωριω ηρωδου φυλασσεσθαι
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Lysias had already written in his defense. Nevertheless, the Jews attack again and try to incline the hearer to their side. Paul is again cast into bonds. Hear how this happened: "After five days the high priest Ananias came down with the elders and a certain orator, Tertullus, who complained to the governor against Paul."
Felix promised Paul that he would examine his case when his accusers appeared. Until then, he kept him under guard, though not in the common prison, but in Herod's praetorium, that is, in the procurator's palace, where he himself lived.
“I will hear you,” and so forth, means a detailed judicial examination, in distinction from the brief and private questioning or inquiry just made.
“In Herod’s praetorium” means the palace built by Herod I, in which the procurators lived. Thus Paul was not confined in the public city prison, but was kept under guard in the same house where the procurator lived.
The kind of guard appointed depended on the procurator’s will. Probably the favorable word about the prisoner in Lysias’ letter contributed to the guard being not very restrictive.
The author of Acts later states directly that, after Paul’s examination in the presence of his accusers, the procurator ordered that the prisoner not be restricted (Acts 24:23).
Yet even before this, one may suppose, he was not greatly restricted in this respect, both as a Roman citizen and as an innocent man in Lysias’ opinion.
The governor Felix’s attitude toward the Apostle Paul was cold. He merely asked where Paul was from, and then ordered that he be kept under guard at the same house where he himself lived.
This was at the so-called Herodian praetorium, that is, the building constructed by Herod. Felix promised to examine Paul’s case when his accusers arrived, for as infantrymen they could not keep pace with Paul and his escort.
“The author of Acts later states directly that, after the examination in the presence of his accusers, the procurator ordered that the prisoner not be restricted (see Acts 24:23).
“Yet even earlier, one may suppose,” says His Grace Michael, “he was not greatly restricted in this respect, both as a Roman citizen and as an innocent man. Probably the favorable word about the prisoner in Lysias’ letter contributed to this.”
Concerning Felix, the historian Tacitus reports: “The emperor Claudius gave devastated Judea into the administration of knights or freedmen. One of the latter was Antonius Felix, who stained his rule with cruelty and plunder, and combined absolute royal power with the soul of a slave.”
He was the brother of another slave, Pallas, who through Agrippa’s favor seized into his hands the administration of Rome and the whole empire.
Despite the support of his all-powerful brother, Felix wished to give his rule a certain national foundation. He married Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa and wife of Azizus, king of Emesa, whom she abandoned.
But his harsh character, corrupt life, greed, baseness, and courting of the people, in a word, everything about him repelled others.
After two years of Felix’s rule, Nero recalled him. Had it not been for his powerful brother, he would have paid with his head for his vile despotism in governing Judea.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS