Bible Strands
Acts 25:7
When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they could not prove.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Festus presides over Paul's hearing in Caesarea after his brief visit to Jerusalem, while Jewish accusers surround him to present unproven charges.
The words — The verb περιεστησαν (periestēsan) = they stood around describes the physical positioning of the accusers as they apply pressure during the proceeding.
The thread — This pattern of unproven accusations and surrounding accusers appears in Acts 24:13 and Luke 23:2, 10.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to distinguish between the weight of numbers and the necessity of proof, recognizing that intimidation cannot manufacture evidence.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
Cross-references
- Acts 24:13 Nor can they prove to you any of their charges against me.
- Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
- Luke 23:10 Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood there, vehemently accusing Him.
- Acts 24:5 We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
- Acts 25:24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
- Psalms 27:12 Do not hand me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
- Ezra 4:15 that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
- Esther 3:8 Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.
- Psalms 35:11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
- Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.