25:26 no certain thing to write. Governor Festus was at a complete loss as to what to report to the emperor. He could find no reason to continue to hold Paul, and neither would king Agrippa (Acts 26:32), yet the Jews had demanded Paul’s life, and Paul had appealed to Caesar. Festus could not even fathom the significance of the Jews’ complaint, though he seemed at least to understand the facts of the complaint (Acts 25:19). He was required, in his report, to specify the crimes of which the prisoner was accused, but he could not pinpoint any crimes (Acts 25:27).

25:26 before thee. Agrippa, with his family background and being part Jew himself, knew more about the Jews’ religion than Festus did, and indeed had made considerable study of it on his own (Acts 26:3). Festus therefore hoped Agrippa’s advice could somehow solve his dilemma.