Εὑρόντες γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον λοιμὸν καὶ κινοῦντα στάσιν πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην, πρωτοστάτην τε τῆς τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως, (Acts 24:5)
Grammar in the Courtroom
In Acts 24:5, the orator Tertullus accuses Paul before Governor Felix, and his legal rhetoric is structured with precision. Through an artful string of participles and appositional phrases, he attempts to portray Paul as:
– A public menace (λοιμός)
– A political agitator
– A ringleader of a sect
The grammar does not merely report facts — it delivers charged legal slander, carefully constructed to evoke Roman concern over social unrest and unauthorized religions.
We’ll unpack the syntax of this accusation through a grammar table, focusing on:
– Aorist and present participles that form the charge
– Appositional nominatives for rhetorical clarity
– Modifiers that describe both scope and substance of Paul’s supposed influence
Grammatical Analysis Table
| Greek Phrase | Form & Morphology | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| εὑρόντες γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον | Aorist active participle, nominative plural from εὑρίσκω |
Temporal/circumstantial participle | “For having found this man…” — introduces the substance of the accusation |
| λοιμόν | Accusative singular masculine noun | Predicate accusative in apposition | “a pest” — figuratively: a social plague, public menace |
| καὶ κινοῦντα στάσιν | Present active participle + accusative object | Describes ongoing action | “and stirring up rebellion” — a charge of inciting unrest |
| πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις | Dative plural with adjective “all” | Dative of disadvantage / indirect object | “among all the Jews” — marks the widespread nature of the charge |
| τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην | Articular participle phrase with prepositional phrase | Attributive modifier | “those throughout the world” — i.e., throughout the Roman Empire |
| πρωτοστάτην τε τῆς τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως | Accusative noun + genitive descriptive phrase | Apposition to τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον | “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazōreans” — charge of heresy and leadership |
Observations on the Syntax of Accusation
– εὑρόντες begins the accusation formally and legally: the accuser “found” Paul doing something dangerous.
– λοιμόν is an inflammatory term — not just a criminal, but a plague, invoking fear.
– The participial phrase κινοῦντα στάσιν targets Roman fears of sedition.
– The phrase πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην exaggerates Paul’s reach — implying global disturbance.
– The phrase πρωτοστάτην… αἱρέσεως clinches the charge: Paul is the leader of an illegal sect — not a private teacher, but a public threat.
Grammar as Legal Weaponry
Acts 24:5 is a striking example of how Koine syntax can be used polemically. The structure mirrors Roman forensic oratory:
– A participial opening,
– A string of appositional accusations,
– A final identification of the religious threat.
Grammar becomes courtroom rhetoric, and participles become prosecutorial blades. Luke preserves not just the accusations, but their grammatical shape, so we can see how truth was distorted in form, not just in fact.
