Acts 24 · Verse 4

Acts 24:4

Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
Acts 24:4, King James Version

Acts 24:4 in other translations

BSBBut in order not to burden you any further, I beg your indulgence to hear us briefly.
WEBBut that I don’t delay you, I entreat you to bear with us and hear a few words.
ASVBut, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us of thy clemency a few words.
YLTand that I may not be further tedious to thee, I pray thee to hear us concisely in thy gentleness;
DARBYBut that I may not too much intrude on thy time, I beseech thee to hear us briefly in thy kindness.
BBEBut, so that I may not make you tired, I make a request to you of your mercy, to give hearing to a short statement.
WebsterNotwithstanding, that I may not be further tedious to thee, I pray thee, that thou wouldst of thy clemency hear us a few words.

What does Acts 24:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 24:2-4

2-4. Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, &c.--In this fulsome flattery there was a semblance of truth: nothing more. Felix acted with a degree of vigor and success in suppressing lawless violence [Josephus, Antiquities, 20.8.4; confirmed by Tacitus, Annals, 12.54]. by thy providence--a phrase applied to the administration of the emperors.

Read the full comment on Acts 24:2-4 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 4. Be not further tedious unto thee. By taking up your time with an introduction, and with commendation.

(&) "tedious" "troublesome" (|) "clemency" "goodness"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 That I be not farther tedious unto thee - That I may neither trespass on thy time, by dwelling longer on this subject, nor on thy modesty, by thus enumerating thy beneficent deeds. Hear us of thy clemency - Give us this farther proof of thy kindness, by hearkening to our present complaint. The whole of this exordium was artful enough, though it was lame. The orator had certainly a very bad cause, of which he endeavored to make the best. Felix was a bad man and bad governor; and yet he must praise him, to conciliate his esteem. Paul was a very good man, and nothing amiss could be proved against him; and yet he must endeavor to blacken him as much as possible, in order to please his unprincipled and wicked employers. His oration has been blamed as weak, lame, and imperfect; and yet, perhaps, few, with so bad a cause, could have made better of it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 24:1-9

See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in evil, like Felix. God's prophets were charged with being troublers of the land, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that he perverted the nation; the very same charges were brought against Paul. The selfish and evil…

Read the full comment on Acts 24:1-9 →

Acts 24:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἵναinaIn order thatG2443
δὲdehoweverG1161
μὴmēnotG3361
ἐπὶepitoG1909
πλεῖόνpleionany longerG4119
σεseyouG4771
ἐγκόπτω,egkoptōI may be a hindrance,G1465
παρακαλῶparakalōI imploreG3870
ἀκοῦσαίakousaito hearG191
σεseyouG4771
ἡμῶνhēmōnusG3165
συντόμωςsuntomōsbrieflyG4935
τῇtēa<the>G3588
σῇsēain yourG4771
ἐπιεικείᾳ.epieikeiakindness.G1932

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 24:4

  • Hebrews 11:32

    And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that.
Heb 11:32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 24:3

    We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

  • Acts 24:4

    Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

  • Acts 24:5

    For 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:

Read all of Acts 24

Acts 24:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero por no molestarte más largamente, ruégote que nos oigas brevemente conforme á tu equidad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Mais afin de ne pas t’arrêter davantage, je te prie de nous entendre brièvement selon ta clémence;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Auf daß ich dich aber nicht länger aufhalte, bitte ich dich, uns in Kürze nach deiner Geneigtheit anzuhören.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ne diutius autem te protraham, oro, breviter audias nos pro tua clementia.