{When he had conferred with the council} (sunlal(8873)as meta
tou sumbouliou). The word sumboulion in the N.T. usually means
"counsel" as in  Mt 12:14 , but here alone as an assembly of
counsellors or council. But the papyri (Milligan and Moulton's
_Vocabulary_) furnish a number of instances of this sense of the
word as "council." Here it apparently means the chief officers
and personal retinue of the procurator, his assessors
(assessores consiliarii). These local advisers were a
necessity. Some discretion was allowed the governor about
granting the appeal. If the prisoner were a well-known robber or
pirate, it could be refused. {Thou hast appealed unto Caesar}
(Kaisara epikekl(8873)ai). The same technical word, but the perfect
tense of the indicative. {Unto Caesar thou shalt go} (epi
Kaisara poreus(8869)). Perhaps the volitive future (Robertson,
_Grammar_, p. 874). Bengel thinks that Festus sought to frighten
Paul with these words. Knowling suggests that "they may have been
uttered, if not with a sneer, yet with the implication 'thou
little knowest what an appeal to Caesar means.'" But
embarrassment will come to Festus. He has refused to acquit this
prisoner. Hence he must formulate charges against him to go
before Caesar.