In the use of a term such as found one must not suggest that the Jews were out looking for this man. Rather, the meaning is “we experienced the fact that this man” or “we realized the fact that this man.”

The term rendered dangerous nuisance is a word which in other contexts may mean “plague” or “pestilence.” The accusations made against Paul in this verse are three: (1) he is a dangerous nuisance, (2) he starts riots among the Jews all over the world, and (3) he is a leader of the party of the Nazarenes. Even though all three of these charges are actually made on the basis of religious grounds, they are calculated to make the Roman governor suspect Paul as a political nuisance and danger. The designation of the Christian movement as the party of the Nazarenes came from the fact that its founder was Jesus of Nazareth (see 2.22). It is quite likely that the term rendered party in the present context is used in a rather derogatory sense (see Jerusalem Bible).

The rendering of dangerous nuisance may be “he causes trouble and he is a danger to the country” or “… a danger to the government.” Tertullus obviously has is mind an accusation which would not only indicate that Paul was a troublemaker but that he was potentially dangerous to the Roman power.

The reference to the party of the Nazarenes is no doubt also an attempt by Tertullus to implicate Paul as being politically active and therefore, by implication, a threat to Roman power.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .