The Meaning of Acts 13:28 Explained

Acts 13:28

KJV: And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

YLT: and no cause of death having found, they did ask of Pilate that he should be slain,

Darby: And having found no cause of death in him, they begged of Pilate that he might be slain.

ASV: And though they found no cause of death in him , yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  though they found  no  cause  of death  [in him], yet desired they  Pilate  that he  should be slain. 

What does Acts 13:28 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 13:25-37 - Condemned By Men But Raised By God
For Paul the Resurrection was always the keystone of faith. He had taken particular care to assure himself of the reality of that foundation fact. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 he sets forth at length the testimony culminating in his own experience, on which he rested his belief. He had been allowed to see that blessed One and hear the word from His mouth. He quotes Psalms 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalms 16:10. He makes unexpected use of the first of these quotations, teaching that it was fulfilled in the Resurrection. This sheds new light on death. It is not death but birth; not an ending but a beginning. Our Lord was the first-born from the dead. We say that a saint has died; angels say that he has been born.
Notice that great word about David, Acts 13:36. He served God's counsel, or purpose, in his own generation. That should be the supreme objective of our lives. Not to get on, or to make money, or to please ourselves, but to serve the will of God who sent us forth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 13

1  Paul and Barnabas are chosen to go to the Gentiles
6  Of Sergius Paulus, and Elymas the sorcerer
13  Paul preaches at Antioch that Jesus is Christ
42  The Gentiles believe;
44  but the Jews talked abusively against Paul,
46  whereupon they turn to the Gentiles, of whom many believe
50  The Jews raise a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, who go to Iconium

Greek Commentary for Acts 13:28

Though they found no cause of death [μηδεμιαν αιτιαν τανατου ευροντες]
Second aorist active with usual negative of the participle. As a matter of fact the Sanhedrin did charge Jesus with blasphemy, but could not prove it (Matthew 26:65; Matthew 27:24; Luke 23:22). At this time no Gospel had probably been written, but Paul knew that Jesus was innocent. He uses this same idiom about his own innocence (Acts 28:18). [source]
That he should be slain [αναιρετηναι αυτον]
First aorist passive infinitive, the accusative case, the direct object of ηιτησαντο — ēitēsanto (first aorist middle indicative, asked as a favour to themselves). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 13:28 mean?

And no cause of death having found they begged Pilate to put to death him
καὶ μηδεμίαν αἰτίαν θανάτου εὑρόντες ᾐτήσαντο Πιλᾶτον ἀναιρεθῆναι αὐτόν

μηδεμίαν  no 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μηδείς 
Sense: nobody, no one, nothing.
αἰτίαν  cause 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: αἰτία  
Sense: cause, reason.
θανάτου  of  death 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θάνατος 
Sense: the death of the body.
εὑρόντες  having  found 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
ᾐτήσαντο  they  begged 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: αἰτέω  
Sense: to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.
Πιλᾶτον  Pilate 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Πειλᾶτος 
Sense: the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified.
ἀναιρεθῆναι  to  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: ἀναιρέω  
Sense: to take up, to lift up (from the ground).