Acts 26:7

τῶν before Ἰουδαίων omitted with אABCEHILP.

βασιλεῦ at the end of the verse, omitting βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα with אBCEI. Vulg. puts ‘rex’ at the end.

7. εἰς ἥν, unto which (promise). This makes it clear that the promise was the sending of the Messiah, that in Him all the families of the earth should be blessed.

τὸ δωδεκαφυλον ἡμῶν, our twelve tribes. For the word see Protev. Jacobi chap. i. ἀπίει εἰς τὴν δωδεκάφυλον τοῦ λαοῦ.

The Jews regarded themselves as representing the whole race, and not merely the two tribes of the kingdom of Judah, and this no doubt was true, for tribal names continued to be preserved, and with the people of Judah there came back many of the members of the previous captivity of Israel. Thus in the N.T. we find (Luke 2:36) that Anna was of the tribe of Asher, and St James addresses his Epistle (Acts 1:1) ‘to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad’; and Paul himself knew that he was of the tribe of Benjamin. Cf. also 2 Chronicles 31:1 for evidence of the existence of some of the ten tribes after the Captivity. In T. B. Berachoth 20 a Rabbi Jochanan says ‘I am from the root of Joseph.’

ἐν ἐκτενεία, earnestly. The expression ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ μεγάλῃ is found twice in Jdt 4:9, rendered in A.V. (1) ‘with great fervency’ and (2) ‘with great vehemency.’

περὶ ἧς ἐλπίδος, for which hope’s sake, i.e. because I entertain it and press it upon others.

ἑγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, I am accused by Jews, members of the twelve tribes to whom the promise was made. Thus Paul brings out the inconsistency of the situation.