Acts 24:2

And when he was called forth There is nothing in the original to represent "forth" which is consequently omitted by the Rev. Ver.The "calling" referred to is that of the crier of the court calling on the case.

Tertullus began to accuse him St Luke has given us but the digest of the advocate's speech. The seven verses, in which it is included, and a large part of which is occupied with compliments to the judge, would not have occupied three minutes in the delivery.

Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness [much peace] The orator seizes on almost the only point in the government of Felix on which he could hang any praise. By severity he had put down false Messiahs, and the partizans of an Egyptian magician, as well as riots in Cæsarea and Jerusalem, so that the country was in a more peaceful condition than it had been for a long time past.

and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence Better (with Rev. Ver.and in accordance with the oldest MSS.) "and that by thy providence evils are corrected for this nation." The word rendered "providence" is found 2MMalachi 4:6 where what is literally "without the king's providence" is rendered "unless the king did look thereto." It was by the severe looking thereto of Felix that disorders were corrected, though we learn from Tacitus (Hist. Acts 24:9; Ann. xii. 54) that his severity in the end bore evil fruit, and it seems probable that his main motive in suppressing other plunderers was that there might be the more left for himself.