felix Summary and Overview

happy, the Roman procurator of Judea before whom Paul "reasoned" (Acts 24:25). He appears to have expected a bribe from Paul, and therefore had several interviews with him. The "worthy deeds" referred to in 24:2 was his clearing the country of banditti and impostors. At the end of a two years' term, Porcius Festus was appointed in the room of Felix (A.D. 60), who proceeded to Rome, and was there accused of cruelty and malversation of office by the Jews of Caesarea. The accusation was rendered nugatory by the influence of his brother Pallas with Nero. (See Josephus, Ant. xx. 8, 9.) Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa, having been induced by Felix to desert her husband, the king of Emesa, became his adulterous companion. She was seated beside him when Paul "reasoned" before the judge. When Felix gave place to Festus, being "willing to do the Jews a pleasure," he left Paul bound.

(happy), a Roman procurator of Judea appointed by the emperor Claudius in A.D. 53. He ruled the province in a mean, cruel and profligate manner. His period of office was full of troubles and seditions. St. Paul was brought before Felix in Caesarea. He was remanded to prison, and kept there two years in hopes of extorting money from him. #Ac 24:26,27| At the end of that time Porcius Festus [FESTUS] was appointed to supersede Felix, who, on his return to Rome, was accused by the Jews in Caesarea, and would have suffered the penalty due to his atrocities had not his brother Pallas prevailed with the emperor Nero to spare him. This was probably about A.D. 60. The wife of Felix was Drusilla, daughter of Herod Agrippa I., who was his third wife and whom he persuaded to leave her husband and marry him.

FE'LIX (happy), the Roman governor of Judaea, a.d. 52-60, was a profligate and cruel man. Acts 23:26. He was married three times. His third wife was Drusilla, whom he persuaded to leave her husband and marry him, and they were residing at Caesarea when Paul was brought there in custody. He is specially known for the manner in which he treated the exhortations and warnings of Paul, Acts 24:26, who preached before him a most practical sermon, arraigning his crimes and urging upon him the duty of repentance in view of future judgment. The sermon made an impression, for "Felix trembled," but it was transient. He kept the apostle imprisoned for 2 years, and postponed the inquiry respecting his own salvation until a "convenient season," which, so far as we know, never came. Felix was superseded by Porcius Festus 2 years after this event, and tried at Rome before Nero for malversation of office, but escaped punishment through the intervention of Pallas, the freedman of Claudius and his successor, Nero.

(fee' lihx) The procurator of Judea at the time Paul the apostle visited Jerusalem for the last time and was arrested there (Acts 23:24). Antonius Felix became procurator of Judea in A.D. 52, succeeding Cumanus. He remained in office until A.D. 60, when the emperor Nero recalled him. He is depicted in Acts as a man who listened with interest to Paul's defense but failed to make any decision with regard to the case or with regard to the personal implications of Paul's message. Rather he hoped Paul would pay him a bribe (Acts 24:26). Contemporary historians Tacitus and Josephus paint Felix as a brutal, incompetent politician who was finally replaced. Compare Acts 24:27. See Paul; Roman Empire