Paragraph 25:6–9
25:6a
After spending no more than eight or ten days with them:
This phrase in Greek is literally “having stayed not more than eight or ten days among them.” Festus spent at the most eight or ten days talking with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. This phrase does not indicate that he lived in the same building with them or even shared meals with them, because the Jewish law forbade those things. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
When he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
He talked with them over the next eight or ten days at the most
25:6b
Festus went down to Caesarea: It is implied that the appropriate Jewish leaders went with him. In some languages, a literal translation would wrongly imply that the leaders did not go. If so, include the implied information in the clause. For example:
Festus went down to Caesarea, ⌊and some of the Jewish leaders went with him,⌋
-or-
he went down to Caesarea, ⌊and those Jewish leaders with the proper authority went with him,⌋
25:6c
he sat on the judgment seat: This clause in Greek is literally “having sat on the seat of judgment.” The “seat of judgment” refers to a special chair that the judge sat on when he was ready to judge cases. Other ways to translate this clause are:
he took his seat in court (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
he took his place as judge (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Festus was seated on the judge’s seat (New Century Version)
25:6d
Paul be brought in: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊someone⌋ bring Paul before him
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