Acts 25:1-3 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

When Festus was come into the province And had taken possession of the government; after three days he ascended from Cesarea The usual residence of the Roman governors; to Jerusalem The capital city; probably, both that he might gratify his curiosity in the sight of so celebrated a place, and also that he might there, as at the fountain-head, inform himself of the present state of their public affairs. Then the high- priest, &c., informed him against Paul In so long a time their rage was nothing cooled: so much louder a call had Paul to the Gentiles. And besought him That he would not (as, it is probable, they pretended Lysias and Felix had done) obstruct the course of public justice against one whom they knew to be so notorious an offender; and desired favour against him Requested of him, as a peculiar favour; that he would send for him to Jerusalem To be judged there; laying wait, &c. Secretly purposing to lay an ambush of desperate wretches for him, who they knew would readily undertake to intercept and kill him by the way. “The high- priests, about this time, were, according to the account Josephus gives of them, such monsters of rapine, tyranny, and cruelty, that it is not to be wondered such a design should have been favoured by him who now bore the office. Josephus also mentions a great number of assassins at this time, called sicarii, or poniarders, from the weapons they carried, by whom many innocent persons were murdered.”