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22 Then Felix,[a] who understood the facts[b] concerning the Way[c] more accurately,[d] adjourned their hearing,[e] saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.”[f] 23 He ordered the centurion[g] to guard Paul,[h] but to let him have some freedom,[i] and not to prevent any of his friends[j] from meeting his needs.[k]

Paul Speaks Repeatedly to Felix

24 Some days later, when Felix[l] arrived with his wife Drusilla,[m] who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak[n] about faith in Christ Jesus.[o]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 24:22 sn See the note on Antonius Felix in 23:24.
  2. Acts 24:22 tn Grk “the things.”
  3. Acts 24:22 tn That is, concerning Christianity.
  4. Acts 24:22 tn BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκριβῶς has “Comp. ἀκριβέστερον more exactly. ἐκτίθεσθαι explain more exactly Ac 18:26, cp. 23:15, 20; also more accurately24:22.” Felix knew more about the Christian movement than what the Jewish leaders had told him.
  5. Acts 24:22 tn L&N 56.18 s.v. ἀναβάλλω has “to adjourn a court proceeding until a later time—‘to adjourn a hearing, to stop a hearing and put it off until later.’…‘then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned their hearing’ Ac 24:22.”
  6. Acts 24:22 tn BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω 2 states, “to make a judicial decision, decide/hear (a case)τὰ καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς decide your case Ac 24:22.”
  7. Acts 24:23 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
  8. Acts 24:23 tn Grk “that he was to be guarded.” The passive construction (τηρεῖσθαι, tēreisthai) has been converted to an active one in parallel with the following clauses, and the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Acts 24:23 tn BDAG 77 s.v. ἄνεσις 1 states, “lit. relaxation of custodial control, some liberty, . ἔχειν have some freedom Ac 24:23.”
  10. Acts 24:23 tn Grk “any of his own” (this could also refer to relatives).
  11. Acts 24:23 tn Grk “from serving him.”
  12. Acts 24:24 sn See the note on Antonius Felix in 23:24.
  13. Acts 24:24 sn It is possible that Drusilla, being Jewish, was the source of Felix’s knowledge about the new movement called Christianity. The youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Agrippa II, she would have been close to 20 years old at the time. She had married the king of a small region in Syria but divorced him at the age of 16 to marry Felix. This was her second marriage and Felix’s third (Josephus, Ant. 19.9.1 [19.354], 20.7.2 [20.141-144]). As a member of Herod’s family, she probably knew about the Way.
  14. Acts 24:24 tn The word “speak” is implied; BDAG 32 s.v. ἀκούω 1.c has “ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆςπίστεως he heard him speak about faith Ac 24:24.”
  15. Acts 24:24 tn Or “Messiah Jesus”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”