Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Courts of justice » Judges of » Conferred together before giving judgment
But a certain Pharisee in the council (Sanhedrin) named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, highly esteemed by all the people, standing up, ordered that the apostles be taken outside for a little while. Then he addressed them [the council, saying]: Men of Israel, take care in regard to what you propose to do concerning these men. For before our time there arose Theudas, asserting himself to be a person of importance, with whom a number of men allied themselves, about 400; but he was killed and all who had listened to and adhered to him were scattered and brought to nothing. read more.
And after this one rose up Judas the Galilean, [who led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew away a popular following after him; he also perished and all his adherents were scattered. Now in the present case let me say to you, stand off (withdraw) from these men and let them alone. For if this doctrine or purpose or undertaking or movement is of human origin, it will fail (be overthrown and come to nothing); But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them; you might even be found fighting against God! So, convinced by him, they took his advice; and summoning the apostles, they flogged them and sternly forbade them to speak in or about the name of Jesus, and allowed them to go.
And after this one rose up Judas the Galilean, [who led an uprising] during the time of the census, and drew away a popular following after him; he also perished and all his adherents were scattered. Now in the present case let me say to you, stand off (withdraw) from these men and let them alone. For if this doctrine or purpose or undertaking or movement is of human origin, it will fail (be overthrown and come to nothing); But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them; you might even be found fighting against God! So, convinced by him, they took his advice; and summoning the apostles, they flogged them and sternly forbade them to speak in or about the name of Jesus, and allowed them to go.
Then Festus, after conferring with [the men who formed] his council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”
Then the king arose, and the governor and Bernice and all those who were seated with them; And after they had gone out, they said to one another, This man is doing nothing deserving of death or [even] of imprisonment.
Jerusalem » Roman government transferred from, to caesarea
Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, “Have two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen;
Now when Festus had entered into his own province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. And [there] the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid charges before him against Paul, and they kept begging and urging him, Asking as a favor that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; [meanwhile] they were planning an ambush to slay him on the way. read more.
Festus answered that Paul was in custody in Caesarea and that he himself planned to leave for there soon. So, said he, let those who are in a position of authority and are influential among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss or criminal about the man, let them so charge him. So when Festus had remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, took his seat the next day on the judgment bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood all around him, bringing many grave accusations against him which they were not able to prove. Paul declared in [his own] defense, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in any way. But Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be put on trial [ before the Jewish Sanhedrin] in my presence concerning these charges? But Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better [than your question implies]. If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go. Now after an interval of some days, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus [to welcome him and wish him well].
Festus answered that Paul was in custody in Caesarea and that he himself planned to leave for there soon. So, said he, let those who are in a position of authority and are influential among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss or criminal about the man, let them so charge him. So when Festus had remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, took his seat the next day on the judgment bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood all around him, bringing many grave accusations against him which they were not able to prove. Paul declared in [his own] defense, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in any way. But Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be put on trial [ before the Jewish Sanhedrin] in my presence concerning these charges? But Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better [than your question implies]. If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go. Now after an interval of some days, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus [to welcome him and wish him well].
Judge » Kings and other rulers as
Then two women who had become mothers out of wedlock came and stood before the king. And one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house. read more.
And this woman's child died in the night because she lay on him. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne. But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other. Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him. Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child's mother. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
And this woman's child died in the night because she lay on him. And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne. But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other. Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him. Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child's mother. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
So David reigned over all Israel, and continued to administer justice and righteousness for all his people.
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, Arise and go with your household and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and moreover, it will come upon the land for seven years. So the woman arose and did as the man of God had said. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to appeal to the king for her house and land. read more.
The king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me all the great things Elisha has done. And as Gehazi was telling the king how [Elisha] had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and land. And Gehazi said, My lord O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life. When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land even until now.
The king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me all the great things Elisha has done. And as Gehazi was telling the king how [Elisha] had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and land. And Gehazi said, My lord O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life. When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land even until now.
He would get up early and stand beside the road to the gate [of the city, where court was held]; and when any man who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”
Give the king [knowledge of] Your [way of] judging, O God, and [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king's son [to control all his actions]. Let him judge and govern Your people with righteousness, and Your poor and afflicted ones with judgment and justice. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, through [the general establishment of] righteousness. read more.
May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor,
May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor,
Now Jesus stood before the governor [Pilate], and the governor asked Him, Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus said to him, You have stated [the fact]. But when the charges were made against Him by the chief priests and elders, He made no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, Do You not hear how many and how serious are the things they are testifying against You? read more.
But He made no reply to him, not even to a single accusation, so that the governor marveled greatly. Now at the Feast [of the Passover] the governor was in the habit of setting free for the people any one prisoner whom they chose. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when they had assembled for this purpose, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to set free for you, Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ? For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over to him. Also, while he was seated on the judgment bench, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that just and upright Man, for I have had a painful experience today in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and the elders prevailed on the people to ask for Barabbas, and put Jesus to death. Again the governor said to them, Which of the two do you wish me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas! Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ? They all replied, Let Him be crucified! And he said, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted all the louder, Let Him be crucified! So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was about to break out, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, I am not guilty of nor responsible for this righteous Man's blood; see to it yourselves. And all the people answered, Let His blood be on us and on our children! So he set free for them Barabbas; and he [had] Jesus whipped, and delivered Him up to be crucified.
But He made no reply to him, not even to a single accusation, so that the governor marveled greatly. Now at the Feast [of the Passover] the governor was in the habit of setting free for the people any one prisoner whom they chose. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. So when they had assembled for this purpose, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to set free for you, Barabbas, or Jesus Who is called Christ? For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over to him. Also, while he was seated on the judgment bench, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that just and upright Man, for I have had a painful experience today in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and the elders prevailed on the people to ask for Barabbas, and put Jesus to death. Again the governor said to them, Which of the two do you wish me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas! Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus Who is called Christ? They all replied, Let Him be crucified! And he said, Why? What has He done that is evil? But they shouted all the louder, Let Him be crucified! So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was about to break out, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, I am not guilty of nor responsible for this righteous Man's blood; see to it yourselves. And all the people answered, Let His blood be on us and on our children! So he set free for them Barabbas; and he [had] Jesus whipped, and delivered Him up to be crucified.
Having read the letter, he asked to what province [Paul] belonged. When he discovered that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province], He said, I will hear your case fully when your accusers also have come. And he ordered that an eye be kept on him in Herod's palace (the Praetorium).
If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.
King » Acts as judge
So David reigned over all Israel, and continued to administer justice and righteousness for all his people.
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, Arise and go with your household and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and moreover, it will come upon the land for seven years. So the woman arose and did as the man of God had said. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to appeal to the king for her house and land. read more.
The king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me all the great things Elisha has done. And as Gehazi was telling the king how [Elisha] had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and land. And Gehazi said, My lord O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life. When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land even until now.
The king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me all the great things Elisha has done. And as Gehazi was telling the king how [Elisha] had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and land. And Gehazi said, My lord O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life. When the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land even until now.
He would get up early and stand beside the road to the gate [of the city, where court was held]; and when any man who had a dispute came to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, He made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”
Give the king [knowledge of] Your [way of] judging, O God, and [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king's son [to control all his actions]. Let him judge and govern Your people with righteousness, and Your poor and afflicted ones with judgment and justice. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, through [the general establishment of] righteousness. read more.
May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor,
May he judge and defend the poor of the people, deliver the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor,
If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.
For there the thrones of judgment were set,
The thrones of the house of David.
And I, being at a loss as to how to investigate these things, asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters.
Paul » Appeals to be heard by caesar
But Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better [than your question implies]. If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.
Paul » His trial before governor festus
Now when Festus had entered into his own province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. And [there] the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid charges before him against Paul, and they kept begging and urging him, Asking as a favor that he would have him brought to Jerusalem; [meanwhile] they were planning an ambush to slay him on the way. read more.
Festus answered that Paul was in custody in Caesarea and that he himself planned to leave for there soon. So, said he, let those who are in a position of authority and are influential among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss or criminal about the man, let them so charge him. So when Festus had remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, took his seat the next day on the judgment bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood all around him, bringing many grave accusations against him which they were not able to prove. Paul declared in [his own] defense, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in any way. But Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be put on trial [ before the Jewish Sanhedrin] in my presence concerning these charges? But Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better [than your question implies]. If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.
Festus answered that Paul was in custody in Caesarea and that he himself planned to leave for there soon. So, said he, let those who are in a position of authority and are influential among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss or criminal about the man, let them so charge him. So when Festus had remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, took his seat the next day on the judgment bench, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood all around him, bringing many grave accusations against him which they were not able to prove. Paul declared in [his own] defense, Neither against the Law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in any way. But Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, answered Paul, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be put on trial [ before the Jewish Sanhedrin] in my presence concerning these charges? But Paul replied, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you know better [than your question implies]. If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.
The Roman empire » Allusions to judicial affairs of » All appeals made to the emperor
If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [ give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then Festus, when he had consulted with the [ men who formed his] council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.