Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 26:7
Unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, instantly serving [God] day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
7. unto which promise ] This makes it clear that the promise was the sending of Him in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed.
our twelve tribes ] For 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 (Luk 2:36) that Anna was of the tribe of Aser, and St James addresses his Epistle (Act 1:1.) “to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad” and Paul himself knew that he was of the tribe of Benjamin. Cp. also 2Ch 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.”
instantly serving God ] i.e. earnestly serving God (as R. V.). The old use of the word “instantly” has disappeared, and is not very common in any writings but such as are marked by the use of Scripture phraseology, e. g. Latimer’s Sermons, Bishop Pilkington’s Works, &c.
For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa ] The two last words are omitted in many MSS., in some only the last one.
I am accused of the Jews ] Emphatically placed to mark the inconsistency of the position. The Jews accuse Paul because he looks for the promise which was made to the forefathers of the Jewish race.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Unto which promise – To the fulfillment of which promise they hope to come; that is, they hope and believe that the promise will be fulfilled, and that they will partake of its benefits.
Our twelve tribes – This was the name by which the Jews were designated. The ancient Jewish nation had hoped to come to that promise; it had been the hope and expectation of the nation. Long before the coming of the Messiah, ten of the twelve tribes had been carried captive to Assyria, and had not returned, leaving but the two tribes of Benjamin and Judah. But the name, the twelve tribes, as used to designate the Jewish people, would be still retained. Compare Jam 1:1. Paul here says that the hope referred to had been that of the Jewish nation. Except the comparatively small portion of the nation, the Sadducees, the great mass of the nation had held to the doctrine of a future state. This Agrippa would know well.
Instantly – Constantly; with intensity en ekteneia; with zeal. This was true, for, amidst all the sins of the nation, they observed with punctuality and zeal the outward forms of the worship of God.
Serving God – In the ordinances and observances of the temple. As a nation they did not serve him in their hearts, but they kept up the outward forms of religious worship.
Day and night – With unwearied zeal; with constancy and ardor, Luk 2:37. The ordinary Jewish services and sacrifices were in the morning and evening, and might be said to be performed day and night. Some of their services, as the Paschal supper, were prolonged usually until late at night. The main idea is, that they kept up the worship of God with constant and untiring zeal and devotion.
For which hopes sake – On account of my cherishing this hope in common with the great mass of my countrymen. See Act 23:6. If Paul could convince Agrippa that the main point of his offence was what had been the common belief of his countrymen, it would show to his satisfaction that he was innocent. And on this ground he put his defense – that he held only what the mass of the nation had believed, and that he maintained this in the only consistent and defensible manner that God had, in fact, raised up the Messiah, and had thus given assurance that the dead would rise.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Twelve tribes; so St. Paul still reckons them, notwithstanding that ten tribes had been led captive, without returning again to this day. Yet,
1. There were many left by the king of Assyria in their own land; and though for a while they joined themselves unto the Samaritans rather than to the Jews, yet a century or two before our Saviours time they returned to the Jewish religion and worship, at least very many of them.
2. Though the ten tribes never returned (as tribes) entirely back again, yet many of them doubtless had that love for their religion and country, as they took all opportunities of coming back.
3. At their first defection in Jeroboams time, God touched the hearts of a great many, who rather changed their habitation than their religion.
So that St. James might well dedicate his Epistle to the twelve tribes, for there were some who at the dispersion were scattered out of every tribe.
Instantly serving God day and night; now these, with great intention and earnestness of desire, (as when any stretcheth himself to his utmost length to take hold of aught), endeavoured to obtain that very salvation which God had promised, and the gospel revealed.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. Unto which promisethefulfilment of it.
our twelve tribes (Jas1:1; and see on Lu 2:36).
instantly“intently”;see on Ac 12:5.
serving Godin the sense of religious worship; on “ministered,”see on Ac 13:2.
day and night, hope tocomeThe apostle rises into language as catholic as thethoughtrepresenting his despised nation, all scattered thought itnow was, as twelve great branches of one ancient stem, in all placesof their dispersion offering to the God of their fathers one unbrokenworship, reposing on one great “promise” made of old untotheir fathers, and sustained by one “hope” of “coming”to its fulfilment; the single point of difference between him and hiscountrymen, and the one cause of all their virulence against him,being, that his hope had found rest in One already come, while theirsstill pointed to the future.
For which hope’s sake, KingAgrippa, I am accused of the Jews“I am accused of Jews, Oking” (so the true reading appears to be); of all quarters themost surprising for such a charge to come from. The charge ofsedition is not so much as alluded to throughout this speech.It was indeed a mere pretext.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 resurrection and eternal life: the people of Israel were distinguished into twelve tribes, according to the names of the twelve patriarchs, the sons of Jacob; and though ten of the tribes had been carried captive, and had not returned as tribes, yet there were many of the several tribes, who either were left in the land, or returned along with the two tribes, and were mixed with them: and this way of speaking here used by Paul, and also by James, Jas 1:1 is justified by Jewish writers: the Misnic doctors say c,
“the twelve tribes bring twelve heifers, and for idolatry they bring twelve heifers and twelve goats:”
compare with this Ezr 6:17, yea, they say d
“”twelve tribes” are called, , “a congregation”, eleven tribes are not called a congregation.”
This suggests a reason of the apostle’s use of this phrase, for he here represents the Israelites as a worshipping assembly, serving God continually, night and day, as they were by their representatives, the priests and stationary men in the temple; and that with intenseness, ardour, and fervency, as the word rendered “instantly” signifies being in a longing and earnest expectation of the coming of the Messiah, and of his world to come, and of the resurrection of the dead, and a future state of happiness.
For which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews: for preaching that the Messiah, the twelve tribes hope for, is already come and that there is salvation in him, and in no other, and that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust; and that there is another world and state after this, in which men will be happy and miserable; and these were the charges and accusations, or the sum of what were exhibited against him.
c Misn. Horayot, c. 1. sect. 5. d T. Bab. Horayot, fol. 5. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Our twelve tribes ( ). A word found only here in N.T. and in Christian and Jewish writings, though (twelve month) is common in the papyri and (ten tribes) in Herodotus. Paul’s use of this word for the Jewish people, like Jas 1:1 ( , the twelve tribes), shows that Paul had no knowledge of any “lost ten tribes.” There is a certain national pride and sense of unity in spite of the dispersion (Page).
Earnestly ( ). A late word from , to stretch out, only here in N.T., but in papyri and inscriptions. Page refers to Simeon and Anna (Lu 2:25-28) as instances of Jews looking for the coming of the Messiah. Note the accusative of as in 20:31.
Hope to attain ( ). This Messianic hope had been the red thread running through Jewish history. Today, alas, it is a sadly worn thread for Jews who refuse to see the Messiah in Jesus.
I am accused by Jews ( ). The very word used in 23:28 () which see, and by Jews of all people in the world whose mainspring was this very “hope.” It is a tremendously effective turn.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Twelve tribes [] . Only here in New Testament. A collective term, embracing the tribes as a whole. Meyer renders our twelve – tribe – stock.
Instantly [ ] . Only here in New Testament. Lit., in intensity. See on fervently, 1Pe 1:22. Compare more earnestly, Luk 22:44; without ceasing, Act 12:5; fervent, 1Pe 4:8. See, also, on instantly and instant, Luk 7:4; Luk 23:23.
Serving. Compare ch. 24 14; and see on Luk 1:74.
Come [] . Lit., to arrive at, as if at a goal. Compare ch. Act 16:1; Act 18:19; Act 25:13, etc. Rev. attain.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Unto which promise,” (eis hen) “Unto which promise,” or with reference or relationship to which promise, described specifically, Act 3:17-26.
2) “Our twelve tribes,” (to dodeka plulon hemon) “To our twelve tribes,” of the nation of Israel, Act 15:13-18; Act 10:43.
3) “Instantly serving God day and night,” (en ekteneia nukta kai hemeran latreuon) “Worshipping God with earnestness, night and day,” constantly, zealously, “but not according to knowledge,” Rom 10:1-4.
4) “Hope to come (elpizei katantesai) “Hope to arrive,” eventually, surely, in spite of their many years of captivities among the nations of the world, Rom 8:23-25; Eph 1:14; Eph 4:30; Php_3:20-21; 1Co 15:23-29.
5) “For which hope’s sake,” (peri hes elpidos) “Concerning which hope,” of personal and national resurrection and redemption, Rom 8:11; Eph 1:13-14; Tit 2:13-14.
6) “King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.” (egkaloumoi hupo loudaion basileu) “I am accused by Jews, 0 King; – charged with a crime in relation to the hope of the Messiah, Agrippa knew that this was the hope of every true Israelite; and the apostle Paul laid stress upon the strange fact that Jews should persecute one who identified himself with their deepest and most enduring hope, Act 23:6; Act 23:6-11.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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7. Whereunto our twelve tribes. Paul complaineth before Agrippa, that the state of the Church is come to that pass, that the priests set themselves against the common hope of all the faithful; as if he should say, To what end do those of our nation, who worship God carefully, and spend both days and nights in the duties of godliness, sigh in their prayers, save only that they may at length come unto eternal life? But the same is the mark whereat I aim in all my doctrine; because, when the grace of redemption is set before men, the gate of the kingdom of heaven is set open therewithal. And when I preach the author of salvation raised up from the dead, I offer the first-fruits of immortality in his person; so that the former confirmation of his doctrine was taken out of the Word of God, when he cited the promise made to the fathers. Now, in the second place, he addeth the consent of the Church. And this is the best way to maintain and avouch the opinions of faith, that the authority of God go foremost; and that then the consent of the Church come next. Though we ought therewithal wisely to make choice of the true Church, as Paul doth teach us in this place by his own example; for though he knew that the priests did pretend the visor [mask] of the Church against him, yet he doth boldly affirm, that the sincere worshippers of God are on his side, and he is content with their defense. For when he meaneth [nameth] the twelve tribes, he doth not speak generally of all those which came of Jacob according to the flesh; but he meaneth those only which did retain the true study of godliness. For it had been an unmeet thing to commend the nation generally for the fear of God, which was only in a few. −
The Papists deal very disorderly in both; who, by the voices and consents of men, oppress the Word of God, and give also the name and title of the Catholic Church to a filthy rabblement of unlearned and impure men, without any color or shame. But if we will prove that we think as the true Church thinketh, we must begin with the prophets and apostles; then those must be gathered unto them whose godliness is known and manifest. If the Pope and his clergy be not on our side, we need not greatly to care. And the true affection of true religion is proved by continuance and vehemency, which was of singular force at that time, principally when the Jews were in greatest misery. −
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) Our twelve tribes.The noun is strictly a neuter adjective: our twelve-tribed nation. It will be noted that St. Paul, like St. James (Jas. 1:1), assumes the twelve tribes to be all alike sharers in the same hope of Israel, and ignores the legend, so often repeated and revived, that the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, after they had been carried away by Salmaneser, had wandered far away, and were to be found, under some strange disguise, in far-off regions of the world. The earliest appearance of the fable is in the apocryphal. 2Es. 13:40-46, where they are said to have gone to a country where never man kind dwelt, that they might there keep the statutes which they never kept in their own land. The Apostle, on the contrary, represents the whole body of the twelve tribes as alike serving God (with the special service of worship) day and night, and speaks as accused because he had announced that the promise of God to their fathers had been fulfilled to them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Unto which promise That is, unto the fulfilment of which promise.
Twelve tribes A single word, , the twelve-tribedom. From the time of the rending of the robe of Jeroboam into twelve parts by the prophet Ahijah, and the fulfilment of its symbol in the separation of the ten tribes (1Ki 11:29-39) from the two, there never was a united yet distinct twelve-tribedom restored. The truth seems to be, first, that a remnant was left of the ten in Northern Palestine; and second, that no distinct traces of a distinct ten tribes are to be found anywhere else. In the time of Paul tribe divisions existed in much confusion, and after the destruction of Jerusalem pedigrees were lost, and the authentic distinctions of hereditary tribeship were obliterated. Yet Israelites still loved to view themselves, ideally at least, as the twelve tribes. James, who of all the apostles may be supposed to have retained the strongest Jewish feeling, addressed his epistle to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, (Act 1:1.)
Instantly Intensely.
Serving God With prayers, and sacrifices and good works.
Day and night Like the prophetess Anna, (Luk 2:37.) Reversing the order of clauses, we may paraphrase the sentence thus: Our twelve tribes, worshipping intensely day and night, hope to come to the fulfilled promise of the Messiah.
Hope’s sake accused It was touching this Messianic hope (supposed by him to be fulfilled in Jesus) that Paul was accused by the Jews.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 26:7. Unto which promise, &c. Great numbers of the ten tribes returned with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin from the Babylonish captivity, Ezr 6:16-17; Ezr 8:35. Luk 2:36 and many of them who did not return to the land of Canaan, did nevertheless entertain hopes of the coming of the Messiah, and of a resurrection and future state of happiness. See the note on Luk 20:38.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
Ver. 7. Instantly serving God ] And yet finding enough to do, when they have done their utmost, to get to heaven. The time is short, the task long; Castigemus ergo mores st moras,
Praecipita tempus, mors atra impendet agenti.
Silius.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7. . ] The Jews in Juda and those of the dispersion also. See Jas 1:1 . There was a difference between Paul and the Jews, which lies beneath the surface of this verse, but is yet not brought out: he had already arrived at the accomplishment of this hope, to which they , with all their sacrifices and zeal, were as yet only earnestly tending , having it yet in the future only (so Rom 10:2 ; , ). It was concerning this hope (in what sense appears not yet) that he was accused by the Jews.
The adverb and subst. are disapproved by the philologists, as belonging to later Greek. See Lobeck on Phrynichus, p. 311. We have the adj., sch. Suppl. 990: .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 26:7 . : unto which promise, not spem (Grotius, Bengel), , cf. the same construction with the same verb, Phi 3:11 , Eph 4:13 , only in Luke and Paul, but never by the former elsewhere in metaphorical sense; in classical Greek after verbs of hoping we should have had a future, but in N.T. generally aorist infinitive, Viteau, Le Grec du N.T. , p. 154 (1893). : here only in biblical Greek; perhaps used after the mention of the fathers, as the heads of the tribes; for the word cf. Prot. Jac. , i., 3, Clem. Rom., Cor [399] , Leviticus , 6 ( cf. xxxi. 4), and Orac. Syb. , ; the expression was full of hope, and pointed to a national reunion under the Messiah; for the intensity of this hope, and of the restoration of the tribes of Israel, see on Act 3:21 (p. 115), and references in Act 26:6 , Edersheim, Jewish Social Life , p. 67, and especially Psalms of Solomon , 17:28, 30, 50. , cf. Act 12:5 , 2Ma 14:38 , 3Ma 6:41 , Jdg 4:9 (twice?); Cic., Ad Att. , x., 17, 1. See Hatch, u. s. , p. 12. , cf. Act 20:31 , also used by Paul; elsewhere in his Epistles five times, and once in Mar 5 in genitive, 1Th 2:9 ; 1Th 3:10 ; 2Th 3:8 ; 1Ti 5:5 ; 2Ti 1:3 ; Mar 5:5 . The precise phrase in the accusative also occurs in Luk 2:37 , Mar 4:25 . , cf. Luk 2:37 , joined with . as here, and in both places of the earnest prayer for the Messiah’s coming; same phrase elsewhere in N.T. only in Rev 7:15 . For the force of the expression here and its relation to the Temple worship see Blass, in loco , and Schrer, Jewish People , div. ii., vol. ii., p. 174, E.T. .: by Jews, O King! Agrippa knew that this hope, nowever misdirected, was the hope of every Israelite, and the Apostle lays stress upon the strange fact that Jews should thus persecute one who identified himself with their deepest and most enduring hopes.
[399] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
twelve tribes. Greek. dodekaphulon. Only here. This single word to denote the whole twelve tribes shows that Paul regarded them as one. To him there were no “lost” tribes as fondly imagined to-day.
instantly = in (Greek. en) intensity. Greek. ekteneia. Only here. Compare the adjective ektenes (Act 12:5).
serving. Greek. latreuo. App-137and App-190.
come = arrive. Greek. katantao. See Act 16:1. For which hope’s sake = On account of (Greek. peri. App-104.) which hope.
king Agrippa. The texts omit.
Jews. The texts add, “O king”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7. .] The Jews in Juda and those of the dispersion also. See Jam 1:1. There was a difference between Paul and the Jews, which lies beneath the surface of this verse, but is yet not brought out: he had already arrived at the accomplishment of this hope, to which they, with all their sacrifices and zeal, were as yet only earnestly tending, having it yet in the future only (so Rom 10:2; , ). It was concerning this hope (in what sense appears not yet) that he was accused by the Jews.
The adverb and subst. are disapproved by the philologists, as belonging to later Greek. See Lobeck on Phrynichus, p. 311. We have the adj., sch. Suppl. 990: .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 26:7. , unto which) hope.- the twelve tribes) Even the Ten tribes had in considerable numbers (a good part of them) returned from the East, but they had passed from that into the , of which Jam 1:1 and 1Pe 1:1 speak. For the Ten tribes had not been in the first instance carried away into those localities which James and Peter, in the passages quoted, refer to (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia). All had the hope of the resurrection.-, to attain) A verb frequently used by Paul: Eph 4:13, Till we all come () to the unity of the faith; Php 3:11. The whole of our religion tends towards the future.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
our: Ezr 6:17, Ezr 8:35, Mat 19:28, Luk 22:30, Jam 1:1, Rev 7:4-8
instantly: Act 20:31, Psa 134:1, Psa 134:2, Psa 135:2, Luk 2:36, Luk 2:37, 1Th 3:10, 1Ti 5:5
day and night: Gr. night and day
hope: Luk 2:25, Luk 2:38, Luk 7:19, Luk 7:20, Phi 3:11
For: Act 26:6
Reciprocal: Gen 49:28 – every one Exo 29:39 – in the morning Lev 24:5 – General Act 24:15 – have Act 28:20 – for the Col 1:5 – the hope Rev 21:12 – and names
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Act 26:7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. Before discussing the deeply interesting and important questions suggested by these few words, which represent, no doubt, a long and elaborate portion of this Apology of St. Pauls, we will quote the comment of Professor Plumptre on the words our twelve tribes, who are here represented as waiting for the promise: It will be noted that St. Paul, like St. James (Jas 1:1), assumes the twelve tribes to be all alike sharers in the same hope of Israel, and ignores the legend so often repeated and revived, that the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, after they had been carried away by Shalmaneser, had wandered far away, and were to be found under some strange disguises, in far-off regions of the world. The earliest appearance of the fable is in the apocryphal 2Es 13:40-46, where they are said to have gone to a country where never mankind dwelt, that they might there keep the statutes which they never kept in their own land. The apostle, on the contrary, represents the whole body of the twelve tribes as alike serving God (with the special service of worship) day and night.
In addition to the above-quoted contribution to the much-vexed question respecting the fate of the ten tribes of Israel, it is worthy of note to remember that the words of Ezr 6:17; Ezr 8:35, clearly indicate that many of the lost ten tribes must have returned with Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites (Ezr 1:5-11), to the old loved Land of Promise.
Whether or no the descendants of the lost portions of the ten northern tribes have been preserved a separate people in order one day to swell the ranks of that miraculously preserved nation, known in all lands still as Jews, is uncertain. This much however is clear, and perhaps in the discussions which constantly take place respecting the lost tribes is too much left out of sight, that although the present Jews are largely, possibly mostly, made up of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, still vast numbers of the descendants of the tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, we see from the above passage of Ezra, must be reckoned among the Jews of our day. This fact was certainly recognised by both Paul and James some eighteen centuries ago. It is therefore inaccurate to speak, as is usually the practice, of the lost ten tribes. Now the promise to which all the twelve tribes of Israel hoped to come, as has been already explained above, was eternal life with God; and the attainment of this eternal life, the orthodox Jew was conscious, was bound up with the work and office of the coming Messiah. Paul, carefully trained in this orthodox Jewish school by one of its most famous and, popular teachers, the Rabbi Gamaliel, held this belief firmly from his student days; but Paul had subsequently arrived at a further stage of the common belief than had the Pharisees who now thirsted for his destruction: he had already come to the accomplishment of the hope to which they with their services and sacrifices were earnestly looking on to. In the Crucified and Risen Jesus of Nazareth, Paul knew that the beginning of the promise was reached, that the long-looked-for hope was accomplished, and that eternal life with God had begun for himself and all who recognised this Jesus as Messiah. Had He not vanquished death? Was He not the first-born of the new race who, through the gates of death, had entered into life?
The words, instantly serving God day and night, refer to the elaborate and never-intermitted service of worship and sacrifice, with its symbolism ever pointing to another and a higher lifeever pointing, too, to the sacrifice on the cross, which won for men their access to this higher life. They failed to read aright the awful lesson taught by their perpetual sacrifices, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. For the strange expression day and night, compare Psa 134:1, Bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 4
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Verse 7
Our twelve tribes. Such phraseology was still used to denote the Jewish nation, though ten of the tribes had long before been scattered and lost.