Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 23]
one of the most depraved men of his time. Tacitus says of him
that "with all cruelty and lust he exercised the power of a king
with the spirit of a slave." The term "governor" (\h•gem•n\)
means "leader" from \h•geomai\, to lead, and was applied to
leaders of all sorts (emperors, kings, procurators). In the N.T.
it is used of Pilate (Mt 27:2), of Felix, (Ac 23:24,26,33;
24:1), of Festus (26:30).
23:25 {And he wrote} (\grapsas\). First aorist active participle
of \graph•\, agreeing with the subject (Lysias) of \eipen\ (said)
back in verse 23 (beginning). {After this form} (\echousan ton
tupon touton\). Textus Receptus has \periechousan\. The use of
\tupon\ (type or form) like _exemplum_ in Latin (Page who quotes
Cicero _Ad Att_. IX. 6. 3) may give merely the purport or
substantial contents of the letter. But there is no reason for
thinking that it is not a genuine copy since the letter may have
been read in open court before Felix, and Luke was probably with
Paul. The Roman law required that a subordinate officer like
Lysias in reporting a case to his superior should send a written
statement of the case and it was termed _elogium_. A copy of the
letter may have been given Paul after his appeal to Caesar. It
was probably written in Latin. The letter is a "dexterous mixture
of truth and falsehood" (Furneaux) with the stamp of genuineness.
It puts things in a favourable light for Lysias and makes no
mention of his order to scourge Paul.
23:26 {Most excellent} (\kratist•i\). See on ¯Lu 1:3 to
Theophilus though not in Ac 1:1. It is usual in addressing men
of rank as here, like our "Your Excellency" in 24:3 and Paul
uses it to Festus in 26:25. {Greeting} (\chairein\). Absolute
infinitive with independent or absolute nominative (\Klaudios
Lusias\) as is used in letters (Ac 15:23; Jas 1:1) and in
countless papyri (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1092).
23:27 {Was seized} (\sull•mphthenta\). First aorist passive
participle of \sullamban•\. {Rescued him having learned that he
was a Roman} (\exeilamen math•n hoti Romaios estin\). Wendt,
Zoeckler, and Furneaux try to defend this record of two facts by
Lysias in the wrong order from being an actual lie as Bengel
rightly says. Lysias did rescue Paul and he did learn that he was
a Roman, but in this order. He did not first learn that he was a
Roman and then rescue him as his letter states. The use of the
aorist participle (\math•n\ from \manthan•\) after the principal
verb \exeilamen\ (second aorist middle of \exaire•\, to take out
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