And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
Paul had scarcely touched the power of Christ's death and resurrection, the very heartbeat of his cause, when Festus cuts him off, calling him mad. But this is the expedient of a coward: by declaring Paul insane, Festus avoids both condemning him as a criminal and believing him as a preacher. A convenient escape, but a contemptible one.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 26:24-32
And when they were gone aside,.... Into some apartment adjoining to the judgment hall: they talked between themselves; that the common people might not hear their debates, and the result of them, and what were their sentiments concerning Paul and his case: saying, this man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds; according to the Roman laws; for as yet there were no laws...
when he had thus spoken, the king rose--not over-easy, we may be sure.