What Does Acts 23:29 Mean in the King James?
Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Being accused and being liable for the consequence are not the same thing.
THE MEANING
A claim can be made against you without its substance warranting death or confinement. The verse separates the fact of accusation from whether the alleged matter merits that consequence; being named in a charge does not itself make the charge just.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The accusation against me proves I deserve whatever follows.
THE ROOT
ἐγκαλεῖσθαι
enkaleisthai
GROWS FROM
καλέω
kaleō
To call or summon; with ἐγκαλέω, to call someone to account or accuse.
“accused / charge laid” in this verse is enkaleisthai. The verse uses ἐγκαλεῖσθαι (enkaleisthai, to be accused) and the related noun ἔγκλημα (enklēma, charge): accusation and charge belong to one calling-to-account family. Their presence still does not make the charge weighty enough for death or bonds, so the verse keeps an allegation distinct from a warranted consequence.
ALSO GROWS
kaleō: Call, summon, invite.
καλέω
The accusation verb carries this calling stem: a claim is called against a person, but it is not the person’s nature.
klēsis: Calling, invitation.
κλῆσις
This related form keeps the root’s calling sense visible and illuminates the charge as a call to answer.
ekklēsia: Assembly, congregation.
ἐκκλησία
This word shares the καλέω (kaleō) family in a different compound, naming a gathered assembly rather than a charge.
ἄξιον
axion
GROWS FROM
ἄξιος
axios
Worthy, fitting, or of like value.
“Worthy” carries the sense of being fit to the measure. Death and bonds are consequences that require a charge proportionate to them; the verse says the finding does not meet that measure.
ALSO GROWS
axioō: Deem worthy, consider fitting.
ἀξιόω
This related verb shows worth as a judgment about whether something merits a response.
axiōs: Worthy, fittingly, appropriately.
ἀξίως
This adverb carries the same sense of fitting measure, clarifying why the charge is not enough to warrant those consequences.
THE PATTERN
A claim against a person must be examined and weighed before it becomes grounds for consequence.
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.THE THREAD
To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.Acts 25:16 uses the same Greek noun ἔγκλημα (enklēma, charge) and places it within an examination of the accusation. The shared root makes the distinction precise: a charge can be present while whether it warrants a consequence remains open.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us