Limitless Word
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.
Acts 23:29 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
  • BSB I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
  • NKJV I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains.
  • NASB and I found that he was being accused regarding questions in their Law, but was not charged with anything deserving death or imprisonment.
  • NLT I soon discovered the charge was something regarding their religious law—certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Lysias concludes the dispute concerned questions of Jewish law, with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. The Roman officer formally declares Paul innocent of any crime.

Overview

This is one of several official testimonies in Acts to the political innocence of Christianity (compare Acts 18:14-15; 25:25; 26:31). Lysias judges the matter purely religious, not criminal. Luke shows that the gospel poses no threat to civil order, even as it provokes religious opposition.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 10

  • Acts 26:31And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
  • Acts 25:25But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
  • Acts 18:15But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.
  • Acts 28:18Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
  • Acts 25:19–20But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
  • Acts 25:11For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
  • Acts 25:7–8And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
  • Acts 24:10–21Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
  • Acts 23:6–9But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
  • Acts 24:5–6For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 23:29YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 23:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.