Archibald T. Robertson
Robertson's New Testament Word Pictures
Apg 28,19Kommentar zu Apostelgeschichte 28,19
When the Jews spake against it (αντιλεγοντων των Ιουδαιων). Genitive absolute again, αντιλεγοντων (αντιλεγω) common verb for speaking against as in Acts 13:45. Clementer dicit (Bengel). "The word is a mild one to describe the bitter enmity of the Jews" (Knowling).
I was constrained (ηναγκασθην). "I was compelled," first aorist passive indicative of αναγκαζω, the very word used of Paul's efforts to get the Christians to blaspheme (Acts 26:11) which see. Paul was compelled to appeal to Caesar (see Acts 25:11; Acts 25:12 for this phrase), unless Paul was willing to be the victim of Jewish hate when he had done no wrong.
Not that I had aught to accuse my nation of (ουχ ως του εθνους μου εχων τ κατηγορειν). This use of ως with a participle (εχων) is common in Greek for the alleged reason. The genitive case with the infinitive κατηγορειν is regular. Paul says εθνος instead of λαος as in Acts 24:17; Acts 26:4.