Acts 24:5

“For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, etc.] Pointing to Paul, the prisoner at the bar; the word here used signifies the “pest” or “plague” itself; and it was usual with orators among the Romans, when they would represent a man as a very wicked man, as dangerous to the state, and unworthy to live in it, to call him the pest of the city, or of the country, or of the empire, as may be observed in several places in Cicero’s Orations. And a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world: sedition was severely punished by the Romans, being what they carefully watched and guarded against, and was what the Jews were supposed to be very prone unto; and Tertullus would suggest,…”

“a pestilent fellow--a plague, or pest. and a mover of sedition among all the Jews--by exciting disturbances among them. throughout the world--(See on Luk 2:1). This was the first charge; and true only in the sense explained on Act 16:20. a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes--the second charge; and true enough.”

“We have found this man a pestilent fellow - λοιμὸν loimon This word is commonly applied to a plague or pestilence, and then to a man who corrupts the morals of others, or who is turbulent, and an exciter of sedition. Our translation somewhat weakens the force of the original expression. Tertullus did not say that he was a pestilent fellow, but that he was the very pestilence itself. In this he referred to their belief that he had been the cause of extensive disturbances everywhere among the Jews. And a mover of sedition - An exciter of tumult. This they pretended he did by preaching doctrines contrary to the laws and customs of Moses, and exciting the Jews to tumult and disorder. Throughout…”

“24:5 Troublemaker (or agitator) was a charge of political sedition. A Roman court would have taken this charge very seriously (see 16:21; 17:7; 18:13). Similar accusations were made against Jesus before Pilate (Luke 23:2, 5, 14). • The term cult (or party, or sect) is used here in a negative sense to put Paul’s religion under a pallor of suspicion if not illegality (see also Acts 24:14).”

“we have: Act 6:13, Act 16:20, Act 16:21, Act 17:6, Act 17:7, Act 21:28, Act 22:22, Act 28:22; Kg1 18:17, Kg1 18:18; Jer 38:4; Amo 7:10; Mat 5:11, Mat 5:12, Mat 10:25; Co1 4:13 and a mover: Sa1 22:7-9; Ezr 4:12-19; Neh 6:5-8; Est 3:8; Luk 23:2, Luk 23:5, Luk 23:19, Luk 23:25; Pe1 2:12-15, Pe1 2:19 the sect: Act 24:14 \*Gr: Act 5:17, Act 15:5, Act 26:5, Act 28:22; Co1 11:19 \*Gr. Nazarenes: Mat 2:23 Acts 24:6”