Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 25:3

"asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way." — Acts 25:3 (ASV)

Counting on the new governor’s inexperience, the Jewish authorities urged Festus to transfer Paul’s case to Jerusalem for trial. They were hoping to ambush and murder him on the way (cf. 23:12–15). Perhaps also they hoped that with such a change of venue, if their plans for an ambush were again frustrated, they could arrange to have Paul tried before the Sanhedrin on the single charge of profaning the temple—for which they had the right to impose the death penalty .