THEN AGRIPPA SAID UNTO PAUL,.... After Festus had made the above speech to him, and to all present, and had introduced the affair of Paul, who now stood before them: THOU ART PERMITTED TO SPEAK FOR THYSELF; which a prisoner might not do, until he had leave; and this leave was granted by Festus the... [ Continue Reading ]
I THINK MYSELF HAPPY, KING AGRIPPA,.... This was an handsome and artificial way of introducing his defense, and of gaining the affection and attention of the king, and yet was not a mere compliment; for it had been his unhappiness hitherto, that his case was not understood; neither Lysias the chief... [ Continue Reading ]
ESPECIALLY, BECAUSE I KNOW THEE TO BE EXPERT IN ALL CUSTOMS,.... Rites and ceremonies of the Jews, whether enjoined by the law of Moses, or by the elders, fathers, and wise men: AND QUESTIONS WHICH ARE AMONG THE JEWS; concerning angels, spirits, and the resurrection of the dead; which were moved an... [ Continue Reading ]
MY MANNER OF LIFE, FROM MY YOUTH,.... That is, his conduct and deportment, his behaviour among men, from the time that he was capable of performing religious exercises, and of knowing the difference between one sect and another, and of being observed and taken notice of by men: WHICH WAS AT THE FIR... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH KNEW ME FROM THE BEGINNING,.... From his youth, from his first coming to Jerusalem: IF THEY WOULD TESTIFY; what they know, and speak out the truth of things, they must say, THAT AFTER THE MOST STRAITEST SECT OF OUR RELIGION I LIVED A PHARISEE; there were three sects of religion among the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW I STAND, AND AM JUDGED,.... Before the Roman governor, and in the presence of Agrippa: FOR THE HOPE OF THE PROMISE MADE OF GOD UNTO OUR FATHERS; either for the hope of righteousness, life, and salvation, by the Messiah; who was promised to the Jewish fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO WHICH PROMISE,.... Of the Messiah, and salvation by him; and of the resurrection of the dead and eternal glory, as following upon it: OUR TWELVE TRIBES, INSTANTLY SERVING GOD DAY AND NIGHT HOPE TO COME; and enjoy the Messiah, and all blessings along with him; and the happy state of the resurre... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY SHOULD IT BE THOUGHT A THING INCREDIBLE WITH YOU,.... You Heathens and Sadducees; for the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was thought an incredible doctrine by the Heathens in general, and therefore was laughed at by the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers at Athens, when preached by the a... [ Continue Reading ]
I VERILY THOUGHT WITH MYSELF,.... This seems to be a correction of himself, why he should wonder at their ignorance and unbelief, particularly with respect to Jesus being the Messiah, and his resurrection from the dead, and expostulate with them about it; when this was once his own case, it was the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH THING I ALSO DID IN JERUSALEM,.... The metropolis of Judea, where he had had his education, and was well known; here he consented to the death of Stephen, and held the clothes of the witnesses while they stoned him; and here he haled men and women out of their houses, and committed them to pri... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I PUNISHED THEM OFT IN EVERY SYNAGOGUE,.... In Jerusalem, where there were many; Acts 24:12; by beating and scourging them there, as the manner was; see Matthew 10:17. AND COMPELLED THEM TO BLASPHEME; the Lord Jesus Christ, both to deny him to be the Messiah, and to call him accursed; as the Je... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREUPON AS I WENT TO DAMASCUS,.... Being intent, upon the above said things, to punish the saints, compel them to blaspheme, imprison them, and even put them to death on account of these things; upon this errand and business he went to Damascus, the chief city of Syria, where he knew there were ma... [ Continue Reading ]
AT MIDDAY, O KING,.... So in Acts 12:6. This circumstance is omitted in Acts 9:3. King Agrippa is called upon by the apostle, to excite his attention to what he was about to relate, it being very wonderful, and of great importance. I SAW IN THE WAY; that is, to Damascus, when near the city; A LIGH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN WE WERE ALL FALLEN TO THE EARTH,.... Saul, and the men that were with him, for fear of the divine Majesty, who by this extraordinary light was thought to be present: the other narratives only relate Saul's falling to the earth; how this is to be reconciled to their standing speechless, in A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAID, WHO ART THOU, LORD? AND HE SAID,.... Or "the Lord said", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions read, I AM JESUS WHOM THOU PERSECUTEST; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "Jesus of Nazareth"; Acts 9:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT RISE AND STAND UPON THY FEET,.... This, and what follows in this and the two next verses, are not in any of the former accounts; and these words are used not only because Saul was fallen to the earth, and are an encouragement to rise up, and stand corporeally, but to take heart, and be of good c... [ Continue Reading ]
DELIVERING THEE FROM THE PEOPLE,.... That is, the people of the Jews, as they are distinguished from the Gentiles; and so the Syriac version, and two of Beza's copies, and two of Stephens's, read; for the Lord knew, that as soon as ever Saul was converted and professed his name, and preached his Gos... [ Continue Reading ]
TO OPEN THEIR EYES,.... The eyes of their understanding, which were shut, and darkened, and blind: one copy reads, "the eyes of the blind"; and the Ethiopic version renders it, "the eyes of their heart"; and to have them opened, is to have them enlightened, to see their lost state and condition by n... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREUPON, O KING AGRIPPA,.... Having been favoured with this illustrious appearance of the Lord and with this declaration and commission from him: I WAS NOT DISOBEDIENT UNTO THE HEAVENLY VISION; to Christ himself, who appeared from heaven in so much light and glory, and spoke unto him, and appoint... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT SHOWED FIRST UNTO THEM OF DAMASCUS,.... The Jews at Damascus to whom the apostle first preached; see Acts 9:20. AND AT JERUSALEM, AND THROUGHOUT ALL THE COASTS OF JUDEA; observing the order of his mission, Acts 26:17 though it was not until after he had been in Arabia, and had returned to Damas... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THESE CAUSES THE JEWS CAUGHT ME IN THE TEMPLE,.... He means the Asiatic Jews, who finding him in the temple, laid hold on him, and dragged him out of it: and, as he says, went about to kill me; for no other reason, but for preaching to the Gentiles, and for preaching the above doctrines to them:... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING THEREFORE OBTAINED HELP OF GOD,.... Both to preach the Gospel, and escape danger; for he had delivered him many a time both from Jews and Gentiles, according to his promise, Acts 26:17 and particularly from the Asiatic Jews, when they were about to kill him, by the means of Lysias the chief c... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT CHRIST SHOULD SUFFER,.... Great afflictions in soul and body, and death itself; this is recorded by Moses, Genesis 3:15 and is the sense of many of the types, as of the passover, brazen serpent, c. and of all the sacrifices which from God were appointed by him, and is the constant account of al... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS HE THUS SPAKE FOR HIMSELF,.... Asserting the integrity and innocence of his past life and conversation, in proof of which he appealed to the Jews themselves; setting forth the prejudices to the Christian religion he had been under; declaring the heavenly vision that had appeared to him, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE SAID, I AM NOT MAD, MOST NOBLE FESTUS,.... That is, Paul said, as the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read: he replied to Festus, to whom he gives his title of honour, not out of fear, nor flattery, but according to custom; and though he... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KING KNOWETH OF THESE THINGS,.... Something of them, of the sufferings and resurrection of the Messiah, and of his showing light to Jews and Gentiles, as they are spoken of by Moses and the prophets, whose writings Agrippa was conversant with, and of these things as fulfilled in Jesus of Naz... [ Continue Reading ]
KING AGRIPPA, BELIEVEST THOU THE PROPHETS?.... What they have said concerning the person, office, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, and that what they have said is fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth? I KNOW THAT THOU BELIEVEST; that what the prophets said were true, and are accomplished.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN AGRIPPA SAID UNTO PAUL,.... Either seriously or ironically; rather the former, arising from the convictions of his mind, which he could not stifle nor conceal: ALMOST THOU PERSUADEST ME TO BE A CHRISTIAN; to profess faith in Jesus as the Messiah, to embrace his doctrine, and submit to his ordi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PAUL SAID, I WOULD TO GOD,.... This prayer of the apostle's shows his affection for the souls of men, and his great desire for their conversion, and also his sense of the power and grace of God, as necessary to it: THAT NOT ONLY THOU, BUT ALSO ALL THAT HEAR ME THIS DAY, WERE BOTH ALMOST AND ALT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD THUS SPOKEN,.... These words are omitted in the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions: THE KING ROSE UP; from the judgment seat; that is, King Agrippa: AND THE GOVERNOR; the Roman governor, Festus: AND BERNICE: the sister of King Agrippa: AND THEY THA... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE GONE ASIDE,.... Into some apartment adjoining to the judgment hall: THEY TALKED BETWEEN THEMSELVES; that the common people might not hear their debates, and the result of them, and what were their sentiments concerning Paul and his case: SAYING, THIS MAN DOTH NOTHING WORTHY OF D... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID AGRIPPA UNTO FESTUS,.... As declaring his sense, and by way of advice and counsel; but not as determining anything himself, for that lay in the breast of Festus, the Roman governor and judge: THIS MAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN SET AT LIBERTY; from his bonds and imprisonment; for ought that appears... [ Continue Reading ]