TRV
Translation
King James Version
Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
Complete Jewish Bible
They examined me and were ready to release me, because I had done nothing to justify a death sentence.
Berean Standard Bible
They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
American Standard Version
who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me.
World English Bible Messianic
who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Who when they had examined me, would haue let me goe, because there was no cause of death in me.
Young's Literal Translation
who, having examined me, were wishing to release me , because of their being no cause of death in me,
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In the KJVVerse 27,918 of 31,102
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Commentary on Acts 28 verses 17–22
17 ¶ And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.
22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.
Paul, with a great deal of expense and hazard, is brought a prisoner to Rome, and when he has come nobody appears to prosecute him or lay any thing to his charge; but he must call his own cause; and here he represents it to the chief of the Jews at Rome. It was not long since, by an edict of Claudius, all the Jews were banished from Rome, and kept out till his death; but, in the five years since then, many Jews had come thither, for the advantage of trade, though it does not appear that they were allowed any synagogue there or place of public worship; but these chief of the Jews were those of best figure among them, the most distinguished men of that religion, who had the best estates and interests. Paul called them together, being desirous to stand right in their opinion, and that there might be a good understanding between him and them. And here we are told,
I. What he said to them, and what account he gave them of his cause. He speaks respectfully to them, calls them men and brethren, and thereby intimates that he expects to be treated by them both as a man and as a brother, and engages to treat them as such and to tell them nothing but the truth; for we are members one of another - all we are brethren. Now, 1. He professes his own innocency, and that he had not given any just occasion to the Jews to bear him such an ill will as generally they did: "I have committed nothing against the people of the Jews, have done nothing to the prejudice of their religion or civil liberties, have added no affliction to their present miseries, they know I have not; nor have I committed any thing against the customs of our fathers, either by abrogating or by innovating in religion." It is true Paul did not impose the customs of the fathers upon the Gentiles: they were never intended for them. But it is as true that he never opposed them in the Jews, but did himself, when he was among them, conform to them. He never quarrelled with them for practising according to the usages of their own religion, but only for their enmity to the Gentiles, Gal 2:12. Paul had the testimony of his conscience for him that he had done his duty to the Jews. 2. He modestly complains of the hard usage he had met with - that, though he had given them no offence, yet he was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. If he had spoken the whole truth in this matter, it would have looked worse than it did upon the Jews, for they would have murdered him without any colour of law or justice if the Romans had not protected him; but, however, they accused him as a criminal, before Felix the governor, and, demanding judgment against him, were, in effect delivering him prisoner into the hands of the Romans, when he desired no more than a fair and impartial trial by their own law. 3. He declares the judgment of the Roman governors concerning him, Act 28:18. They examined him, enquired into his case, heard what was to be said against him, and what he had to say for himself. The chief captain examined him, so did Felix, and Festus, and Agrippa, and they could find no cause of death in him; nothing appeared to the contrary but that he was an honest, quiet, conscientious, good man, and therefore they would never gratify the Jews with a sentence of death upon him; but, on the contrary, would have let him go, and have let him go on in his work too, and have given him no interruption, for they all heard him and liked his doctrine well enough. It was for the honour of Paul that those who most carefully examined his case acquitted him, and none condemned him but unheard, and such as were prejudiced against him. 4. He pleads the necessity he was under to remove himself and his cause to Rome; and that it was only in his own defence, and not with any design to recriminate, or exhibit a cross bill against the complainants, (Act 28:19): When the Jews spoke against it, and entered a caveat against his discharge, designing, if they could not have him condemned to die, yet to have him made a prisoner for life, he was constrained to appeal unto Caesar, finding that the governors, one after another, stood so much in awe of the Jews that they could not discharge him, for fear of making him their enemies, which made it necessary for him to pray the assistance of the higher powers. This was all he aimed at in this appeal; not to accuse his nation, but only to vindicate himself. Every man has a right to plead in his own defence, who yet ought not to find fault with his neighbours. It is an invidious thing to accuse, especially to accuse a nation, such a nation. Paul made intercession for them, but never against them. The Roman government had at this time an ill opinion of the Jewish nation, as factious, turbulent, disaffected, and dangerous; and it had been an easy thing for a man with such a fluent tongue as Paul had, a citizen of Rome, and so injured as he was, to have exasperated the emperor against the Jewish nation. But Paul would not for ever so much do such a thing; he was for making the best of every body, and not making bad worse. 5. He puts his sufferings upon the true footing, and gives them such an account of the reason of them as should engage them not only not to join with his persecutors against him, but to concern themselves for him, and to do what they could on his behalf (Act 28:20): "For this cause I have called for you, not to quarrel with you, for I have no design to incense the government against you, but to see you and speak with you as my countrymen, and men that I would keep up a correspondence with, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain." He carried the mark of his imprisonment about with him, and probably was chained to the soldier that kept him; and it was, (1.) Because he preached that the Messiah was come, who was the hope of Israel, he whom Israel hoped for. "Do not all the Jews agree in this, that the Messiah will be the glory of his people Israel? And therefore he is to be hoped for, and this Messiah I preach, and prove he is come. They would keep up such a hope of a Messiah yet to come as must end in a despair of him; I preach such a hope in a Messiah already come as must produce a joy in him." (2.) Because he preached that the resurrection of the dead would come. This also was the hope of Israel; so he had called it, Act 23:6; Act 24:15; Act 26:6, Act 26:7. "They would have you still expect a Messiah that would free you from the Roman yoke, and make you great and prosperous upon earth, and it is this that occupies their thoughts; and they are angry at me for directing their expectations to the great things of another world, and persuading them to embrace a Messiah who will secure those to them, and not external power and grandeur. I am for bringing you to the spiritual and eternal blessedness upon which our fathers by faith had their eye, and this is what they hate me for, - because I would take you off from that which is the cheat of Israel, and will be its shame and ruin, the notion of a temporal Messiah, and lead you to that which is the true and real hope of Israel, and the genuine sense of all the promises made to the fathers, a spiritual kingdom of holiness and love set up in the hearts of men, to be the pledge of, and preparative for, the joyful resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."
II. What was their reply. They own, 1. That they had nothing to say in particular against him; nor had any instructions to appear as his prosecutors before the emperor, either by letter or word of mouth (Act 28:21): "We have neither received letters out of Judea concerning thee (have no orders to prosecute thee) nor have any of the brethren of the Jewish nation that have lately come up to Rome (as many occasions drew the Jews thither now that their nation was a province of that empire) shown or spoken any harm of thee." This was very strange, that that restless and inveterate rage of the Jews which had followed Paul wherever he went should not follow him to Rome, to get him condemned there. Some think they told a lie here, and had orders to prosecute him, but durst not own it, being themselves obnoxious to the emperor's displeasure, who though he had not, like his predecessors, banished them all from Rome, yet gave them no countenance there. But I am apt to think that what they said was true, and Paul now found he had gained the point he aimed at in appealing to Caesar, which was to remove his cause into a court to which they durst not follow it. This was David's policy, and it was his security (Sa1 27:1): There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines, and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coasts of Israel; so shall I escape out of his hands: and it proved so, Act 28:4. When Saul heard that David had fled to Gath, he sought no more again for him. Thus did Paul by his appeal: he fled to Rome, where he was out of their reach; and they said, "Even let him go." 2. That they desired to know particularly concerning the doctrine he preached, and the religion he took so much pains to propagate in the face of so much opposition (Act 28:22): "We desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest - ha phroneis what thy opinions or sentiments are, what are those things which thou art so wise about, and hast such a relish of and such a zeal for; for, though we know little else of Christianity, we know it is a sect every where spoken against." Those who said this scornful spiteful word of the Christian religion were Jews, the chief of the Jews at Rome, who boasted of their knowledge (Rom 2:17), and yet this was all they knew concerning the Christian religion, that it was a sect every where spoken against. They put it into an ill name, and then ran it down. (1.) They looked upon it to be a sect, and this was false. True Christianity establishes that which is of common concern to all mankind, and is not built upon such narrow opinions and private interests as sects commonly owe their original to. It aims at no worldly benefit or advantage as sects do; but all its gains are spiritual and eternal. And, besides, it has a direct tendency to the uniting of the children of men, and not the dividing of them, and setting them at variance, as sects have. (2.) They said it was every where spoken against, and this was too true. All that they conversed with spoke against it, and therefore they concluded every body did: most indeed did. It is, and always has been, the lot of Christ's holy religion to be every where spoken against.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 17–22. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on Acts 55
"Who having examined me," says he, "found nothing in me." When those ought to have rescued, they "delivered him into the hands of the Romans." And such the superabundance, because those had not power to condemn but delivered him prisoner. "Not as having aught to accuse my nation of," am I come. See what friendliness of expression "my nation:" he does not hold them as aliens. He does not say, I do not accuse, but, "I have not whereof to accuse:" although he had suffered so many evils at their hands. But nothing of all this does he say, nor make his speech offensive: neither does he seem to be sparing them as matter of favor. For this was the main point, to show that they delivered him prisoner to the Romans, when those ought to have condemned him. "For this cause," he says, "I wished to see you:" that it might not be in any man's power to accuse me, and to say what naturally might suggest itself, that having escaped their hands I have come for this: not to bring evils upon others, but myself fleeing from evils. "I was compelled to appeal unto Caesar."
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on Acts 55
"How then is it reasonable," it might be said, "that they should deliver thee up without a cause?" The Roman governors, he says, bear me witness, who wished to let me go. "How was it then that they did not let thee go?" "When the Jews spake against it," he says. Observe how he extenuates in speaking of their charges against him. Since if he had wished to aggravate matters, he might have used them so as to bear harder upon them.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on Acts 55
He wished to exculpate both himself and others; himself, that they might not accuse him, and by so doing hurt themselves; and those others, that it might not seem that the whole thing was of their doing. For it was likely that a report was prevalent, that he had been delivered up by the Jews; and this was enough to alarm them. He therefore addresses himself to this, and defends himself as to his own conduct.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Acts 28:18 captures a pivotal moment in Paul's defense before the Jewish leaders in Rome, where he recounts the consistent findings of Roman authorities in Judea. Despite relentless accusations from his Jewish adversaries, every Roman official who examined Paul—from Felix to Festus and King Agrippa II—found him innocent of any capital crime, confirming that there was no legal basis for a death sentence against him. This verse underscores Paul's vindication within the Roman legal system, highlighting God's providential hand in preserving his life and facilitating his journey to the imperial capital to proclaim the Gospel.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs Legal Language and Understatement. The precise phrase "no cause of death" is a legal declaration, emphasizing the formal, judicial nature of Paul's vindication. This legal precision serves to underscore the baselessness of the accusations against him. The repeated finding of innocence by multiple Roman officials, condensed into this single statement, functions as an Understatement of the intense legal and personal ordeal Paul endured. It also carries an element of Irony: Paul, a prisoner, is repeatedly declared innocent by pagan authorities, while his own countrymen, the Jewish leaders, relentlessly pursue his condemnation based on religious grounds, highlighting the profound spiritual blindness of his accusers. This consistent legal acquittal also serves as a form of Vindication, not just for Paul personally, but for the message he proclaimed, suggesting that the Gospel itself was not a threat to civil order.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Acts 28:18 profoundly illustrates the theme of divine sovereignty working through human legal systems, even those that are imperfect. Paul's repeated acquittal by Roman authorities, despite the persistent and often politically motivated efforts of his accusers, demonstrates God's providential hand in protecting His servant and advancing His kingdom purposes. It shows that even in the face of injustice and false accusations, God can use secular structures to ensure His will is done. This divine oversight not only preserved Paul's life but also facilitated his journey to Rome, the heart of the empire, enabling him to fulfill his mission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, even while imprisoned. The consistent finding of "no cause of death" underscores that Paul's "crime" was never against the state, but rather a theological dispute about the identity of the Messiah and the resurrection, which ultimately vindicated the truth of the Christian message as non-threatening to Roman order.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Paul's experience in Acts 28:18 offers a powerful testament to perseverance and trust in God's sovereign plan, even amidst prolonged adversity and false accusations. For years, Paul endured imprisonment and legal battles, yet he never wavered in his commitment to the Gospel or his confidence in God's ultimate purpose for his life. His consistent vindication by secular authorities, despite the relentless efforts of his religious adversaries, reminds us that truth can prevail, and God can use unexpected means—even the very systems designed to oppress—to advance His kingdom. This narrative encourages believers today to stand firm in their faith, to speak truth with courage, and to trust that God is at work even when circumstances seem bleak or unjust. It challenges us to examine our own responses to adversity: Do we despair, or do we, like Paul, see opportunities for God's purposes to unfold? Our steadfastness in trials can become a powerful witness to the world, demonstrating the reality of God's faithfulness and the non-threatening nature of the Gospel.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Paul remain imprisoned if he was found innocent by Roman officials?
Answer: Paul's continued imprisonment, despite being found innocent, was largely due to political expediency and his own strategic appeal to Caesar. Governor Festus, wanting to curry favor with the Jewish leaders and perhaps avoid further unrest, was reluctant to simply release Paul. He suggested Paul return to Jerusalem for trial, which Paul knew would be a death trap due to plots against him Acts 25:9-10. As a Roman citizen, Paul had the right to appeal his case directly to the Emperor in Rome Acts 25:11. This appeal, though it kept him in custody, was a deliberate choice by Paul to ensure his safety from his Jewish accusers and, providentially, to fulfill God's plan for him to preach the Gospel in Rome Acts 23:11. Thus, his imprisonment was not a result of guilt, but a complex interplay of political maneuvering, personal safety, and divine purpose.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Acts 28:18, in recounting Paul's vindication by Roman authorities, powerfully foreshadows and reflects the ultimate vindication of Christ Himself. Just as Paul was found to have "no cause of death" in him, yet suffered unjustly, so too was Jesus, the righteous one, declared innocent by Pontius Pilate ("I find no fault in him," John 19:4), yet was condemned to death. Paul's suffering and legal battles, culminating in his journey to Rome, mirror Christ's own path of suffering that led to the cross and ultimately to the triumph of the Gospel. Paul's mission to bear witness to Christ, even in chains, becomes a living embodiment of the Lord's command to be His witnesses "unto the uttermost part of the earth" Acts 1:8. Through Paul's seemingly unjust imprisonment, God's sovereign plan to spread the message of salvation to the Gentile world was fulfilled, demonstrating that the Gospel cannot be chained 2 Timothy 2:9. Paul's life, marked by suffering and vindication, serves as a profound Christ-centered example of how God uses the trials of His servants to advance His redemptive purposes, ultimately pointing to the Lamb of God who was slain, yet rose again, conquering death and offering true freedom to all who believe Revelation 5:9-10.