{Desiring to gain favour with the Jews} (	hel(936e) tois
Ioudaiois charin katathesthai). Precisely the expression used of
Felix by Luke in  24:27  which see. Festus, like Felix, falls a
victim to fear of the Jews. {Before me} (ep' emou). Same use of
epi with the genitive as in  23:30  24:19,21 . Festus, seeing
that it was unjust to condemn Paul and yet disadvantageous to
absolve him (Blass), now makes the very proposal to Paul that the
rulers had made to him in Jerusalem (verse  3 ). He added the
words "ep' emou" (before me) as if to insure Paul of justice.
If Festus was unwilling to give Paul justice in Caesarea where
his regular court held forth, what assurance was there that
Festus would give it to him at Jerusalem in the atmosphere of
intense hostility to Paul? Only two years ago the mob, the
Sanhedrin, the forty conspirators had tried to take his life in
Jerusalem. Festus had no more courage to do right than Felix,
however plausible his language might sound. Festus also, while
wanting Paul to think that he would in Jerusalem "be judged of
these things before me," in reality probably intended to turn
Paul over to the Sanhedrin in order to please the Jews, probably
with Festus present also to see that Paul received justice (me
presente). Festus possibly was surprised to find that the
charges were chiefly against Jewish law, though one was against
Caesar. It was not a mere change of venue that Paul sensed, but
the utter unwillingness of Festus to do his duty by him and his
willingness to connive at Jewish vengeance on Paul. Paul had
faced the mob and the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, two years of
trickery at the hands of Felix in Caesarea, and now he is
confronted by the bland chicanery of Festus. It is too much, the
last straw.