Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 26:10
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against [them.]
10. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem ] Saul must have been a most active and prominent agent in the work of persecution in Jerusalem, for we learn here that the death of Stephen was not the only one for which he had given his vote. He had also had the warrant of the chief priests for other arrests beside those he intended to make in Damascus. We can see that the slaughter of the Christians was not in all cases the result of a sudden outburst of rage at some act or speech, but that some of them were imprisoned, then subjected to a form of trial, and afterwards put to death as men condemned by law.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Which thing I also did … – Act 8:3.
And many of the saints … – Many Christians, Act 8:3.
And when they were put to death – In the history of those transactions, there is no account of any Christian being put to death except Stephen, Acts 7. But there is no improbability in supposing that the same thing which had happened to Stephen had occurred in other cases. Stephen was the first martyr, and as he was a prominent man his case is particularly recorded.
I gave my voice – Paul was not a member of the Sanhedrin, and this does not mean that he voted, but simply that he joined in the persecution; he approved it; he assented to the putting of the saints to death. Compare Act 22:20. The Syriac renders it, I joined with those who condemned them. It is evident, also, that Paul instigated them in this persecution, and urged them on to deeds of blood and cruelty.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. Many of the saints] From what is said in this verse, it seems that Paul, before his conversion, was invested with much power: he imprisoned the Christians; punished many in various synagogues; compelled them to blaspheme-to renounce, and, perhaps, to execrate Christ, in order to save their lives; and gave his voice, exerted all his influence and authority, against them, in order that they might be put to death; and from this it would seem that there were other persons put to death besides St. Stephen, though their names are not mentioned.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The saints; the professors of the religion of the holy Jesus, who are called to be saints, Rom 1:7, and have him for the great example of holiness, who fulfilled all righteousness; and from him they have the Spirit of holiness; being sanctified in him, 1Co 1:2; and whosoever hath not his Spirit, he is none of his, Rom 8:9.
I gave my voice against them: Paul was not one of the council, nor, that we read of, in any office or place to judge any person; besides, the Jews are thought to have had no power of life and death; and that St. Stephen was slain rather in a popular tumult, than legally: but Paul may be said to do this, by carrying the suffrages or sentence to the Roman man president, or any others, to get it executed (for so the words will bear); and howsoever, by his approving, rejoicing at, and delighting in their condemnation, (which was indeed giving his voice, as much as he could, against them), this was verified.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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 prison, and made havoc of the church of Christ, and destroyed the faith, and those that professed it, as much as in him lay.
And many of the saints I shut up in prison; at Jerusalem; see Ac 8:3.
having received authority from the chief priests; to take them up, and imprison them.
And when they were put to death; for it seems there were more than Stephen put to death, though we have no account of them:
I gave my voice against them; not that he sat in council, or was a member of the Jewish sanhedrim, and voted for the execution of the Christians, but he was pleased with the sentence they passed, and approved of it; or he joined the zealots, who, without any form of law, seized on the Christians, and put them to death wherever they found them; and this he assented to, and encouraged: some render the words, “I carried the sentence”; as the Vulgate Latin version; that is, the sentence of condemnation, which the Jewish sanhedrim passed upon the disciples and followers of Christ: this Saul took, and carried, it may be, both to the Roman governor, to be signed by him, and to the officers to put it in execution; so industrious and forward was he in persecuting the saints.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I both shut up many ( ). Effective aorist active of , old word to shut down like a trap door, in N.T. only here and Lu 3:20. Double use of (both–and).
Having received authority from the chief priests ( ). “The authority,” he says. Paul was the official persecutor of the saints under the direction of the Sanhedrin. He mentions “chief priests” (Sadducees), though a Pharisee himself. Both parties were co-operating against the saints.
And when they were put to death ( ). Genitive absolute with present passive participle of .
I gave my vote against them ( ). “I cast down my pebble” (a black one). The ancient Greeks used white pebbles for acquittal (Re 2:17), black ones for condemnation as here (the only two uses of the word in the N.T.). Paul’s phrase (not found elsewhere) is more vivid than the usual for voting. They literally cast the pebbles into the urn. Cf. in Ac 19:19, in Ac 1:26. If Paul’s language is taken literally here, he was a member of the Sanhedrin and so married when he led the persecution. That is quite possible, though he was not married when he wrote 1Co 7:7f., but a widower. It is possible to take the language figuratively for approval, but not so natural.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Saints [ ] . Lit., the holy ones. Paul did not call the Christians by this name when addressing the Jews, for this would have enraged them; but before Agrippa he uses the word without fear of giving offense. On this word agiov, holy, which occurs over two hundred times in the New Testament, it is to be noted how the writers of the Greek scriptures, both in the New Testament and, what is more remarkable, in the Septuagint, bring it out from the background in which it was left by classical writers, and give preference to it over words which, in pagan usage, represented conceptions of mere externality in religion. Even in the Old Testament, where externality is emphasized, agiov is the standard word for holy. 28 Gave my voice [ ] . Lit., laid down my vote. See on counteth, Luk 14:28. Some suppose that Paul here refers to casting his vote as a member of the Sanhedrim; in which case he must have been married and the father of a family. But this there is no reason for believing (compare 1Co 7:7, 8); and the phrase may be taken as expressing merely moral assent and approval.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Which things I also did in Jerusalem: (ho kai epoiesa en lerousolemois) “Which things I certainly did in Jerusalem,” Act 8:1; Act 8:3.
2) “And many of the saints,” (kai pollous te ton hagion) “And many of the holy ones (saints), members of the church, in Jerusalem,” Act 9:1-2.
3) “Did I shut up in prison,” (ego en phulakais katekleisa) “I shut up in prison,” which he also later referred to specifically, as persecuting the church, as an institution, which Jesus purchased with His own blood, Act 20:28.
4) “Having received authority from the chief priests; (te para ton archiereon eksousian labon) “When I had received administrative and executive authority, from the chief priests,” as expressed Act 9:1-2. The hands of the witnesses were the first upon the criminal vvhen one was put to death. The witnesses led out in the execution, casting the first stones, Deu 17:5-7; Joh 8:7.
5) “And when they were put to death,” (anairoumenonte) “Then when they were put to death,” while they were being killed, slain, as Stephen was Act 7:59-60. The accusers or witnesses cast the first stones, then stood back as others finished the job. Paul was once a lead-man in such.
6) I gave my voice against them.” (auton katenegka psephon) “I cast a stone-vote against them,” Act 22:4; against their living, being permitted to live any longer, or in favor of their being stoned to death, The term “vote means my “pebble” indicating “my vote” to see them put to death, Act 8:1-3. It is thought that Paul may have even been a voting member of the Sanhedrin of seventy councilmen.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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10. Which thing I did. He proveth by his very facts with what force of zeal he was carried away to strive against Christ, until greater force did pull him back, and made him go the quite contrary way. Furthermore, his adversaries were witnesses of this his vehemency, so that it was most certain that he was suddenly changed; and undoubtedly the priests would never have put him in any such office, unless he had behaved himself courageously in exercising cruelty; and it was meet that he should be very courageous who should satisfy their fury. This is also to be noted, that Paul was not ashamed to confess how sore he had offended against God, so that that might turn to the glory of Christ. It was to him undoubtedly reproachful, to have been carried away with blind zeal, so that he enforced those to blaspheme which did desire to serve God; to have troubled the good and simple diversely; to have given sentence of the shedding of innocent blood; finally, to have lifted up his horns even unto heaven, until he was thrown down. But he doth not spare his own estimation, but doth willingly utter his own shame, that the mercy of God may the more plainly appear thereby. −
Wherefore, there could no sinister suspicion rest in his speech, seeing that (without having any respect of himself) he saith, that he did utterly offend − (619) in those things whereby he got the praise of all the people. Therefore, he condemneth his very zeal of madness, which others did honor. −
Whereby it appeareth how filthy the ambition of those men is, who are ashamed simply to confess, if they have offended through ignorance or error. For although they do not altogether excuse the same, yet they go about to lessen or paint these things, for which they ought humbly with sorrow and tears to crave pardon. But though Paul might have retained the fame of a courageous man, yet he confesseth he was a madman. For the participle which Luke useth importeth thus much, that he compelled many to blaspheme. By this we know that there was great corruption even in the very first fruits of believers, seeing that having first professed themselves to be disciples of Christ, and being afterwards discouraged with fear or stripes, they did not only deny him, but also spake evil of his blessed name. Though the very denial itself containeth an horrible blasphemy. −
(619) −
“
Ultro sibi in crimen imputat,” voluntarily charges upon himself as criminal.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) Many of the saints did I shut up in prison.The use of the term as applied to the believers in Christ (see Note on Act. 9:13) is remarkable as an example of courage. In the presence of Agrippa, St. Paul does not shrink from speaking of them as the holy ones of Gods people Israelwhat the Chasidim, or devout ones (the Assideans of 1Ma. 7:13; 2Ma. 14:6) had been in an earlier generation.
When they were put to death.The history of the Acts records only one instance. Were there other martyrdoms besides that of Stephen, of which we know nothing? or does the Apostle speak in general terms of that single act? On the whole, the former seems the more probable alternative. He was breathing an atmosphere of slaughter (Act. 9:1). On this view, the language of Heb. 12:4, ye have not yet resisted unto blood, must be referred to the sufferings of a later time, or. more probably, of a different region. In 1Th. 2:15, Jas. 5:10, we have, perhaps, traces of widely extended sufferings.
I gave my voice against them.Better, gave my vote. The words show that St. Paul, though a young man (see Note on Act. 7:58), must have been a member either of the Sanhedrin itself or of some tribunal with delegated authority.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. I also did The apostle paints his sad behaviour with a copious accumulation of particulars. Perhaps a true interpretation would reduce some of his indignant and eloquent self-condemnations as hyperboles.
Saints By this striking word here Paul asserts to Agrippa the holy character of his victims, and aggravates his own misdoing.
They death The plural perhaps for the singular, as it is doubtful whether any person suffered death besides Stephen.
Voice The Greek word signifies the pebble, which (before the invention of the modern paper) was anciently used for voting. Some have inferred from this that young Saul was a member of the Sanhedrin; erroneously, for he was not of sufficient age. Others suppose that his vote was given in the informal consultations that took place. More probably it is a metaphorical use of the word, as we would use the word suffrage to indicate one’s support of a movement.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 26:10. I gave my voice against them. St. Paul had no vote in the sanhedrim, nor do we certainly know that he was personally concerned in the death of any except Stephen, in whose condemnation there was no voting at all. But the meaning plainly is, that he instigated the people against them as much as he could in that instance, and any other that might occur, whether at Jerusalem or elsewhere; which, as we hinted on ch. Act 22:4 might perhaps be more than are recorded. Accordingly the Syriac renders it, I joined with those who condemned them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them .
Ver. 10. I gave my voice ] So did Gerson to the condemnation of John Huss and Jerome of Prague at the Council of Constance, against his conscience doubtless. (Joh. Manl.) So did the Lord Cromwell to the condemnation of Lambert the martyr; for the which he afterwards cried him mercy. And so did Sir John Cheek, in Queen Mary’s days, out of a base fear of the bishops; he was, saith Mr Fox, through the crafty handling of the Catholics, allured first to dine and company with them; at length drawn unawares to sit in the place where the poor martyrs were brought before Bonner and other bishops, to be condemned; and so to give his voice, or seem to do so by his presence there. The remorse whereof so mightily wrought in his heart, that not long after he left this mortal life; whose fall though it was full of infirmity, yet his rising again by repentance was great, and his end comfortable.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
10, 11. ] This is the of ch. Act 8:1 . We are surprised here by the unexpected word , which it might have been thought he would have rather in this presence avoided. But, as Stier remarks, it belongs to the more confident tone of this speech, which he delivers, not as a prisoner defending himself , but as one being heard before those who were his audience, not his Judges . can hardly be taken figuratively , as many Commentators, trying to escape from the inference that the Saul was a member of the Sanhedrim; but must be understood as testifying to this very fact , however strange it may seem. He can hardly have been less than thirty when sent on his errand of persecution to Damascus. The genitive is supposed by Elsner and Kypke to be dependent on ; but this is harsh, and it is better to take (as most Commentators, and Meyer, and De W.) it as absolute, and as local , ‘ detuli sententiam :’ when their deaths were being compassed, I gave in my vote (scil, against them, as in ref.). On the fact, cf. , ch. Act 8:1 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Act 26:10 . , cf. Gal 2:10 (Bethge, p. 272), on the distinction between and Westcott on St.Joh 3:22 . : emphatic. , see above Act 9:13 , cf. its use in Act 9:32 ; the word aggravates St. Paul’s own guilt. Agrippa too would know of pious Jews by the same designation. . : probably pointing to more deaths, not as expressing the death of Stephen alone, cf. Act 8:1 , Act 9:1 , Act 22:4 . The state of affairs which rendered the murder of St. Stephen possible in the capital would easily account for similar acts of outrage in other places, so that there is no need to suppose with Weiss that the notice here is unhistorical. : “I gave my vote,” R.V., the , literally the pebble used in voting, calculum defero sc. in urnam (Grimm), i.e. , addo calculum, approbo, cf. , . or . If the phrase is taken quite literally, it is said to denote the vote of a judge, so that Paul must have been a member of the Sanhedrim, and gave his vote for the death of St. Stephen and other Christians. On the other hand the phrase is sometimes taken as simply = (so amongst recent writers, Knabenbauer), Act 22:20 . (C. and H. think that if not a member of the Sanhedrim at the time of Stephen’s death, he was elected soon after, whilst Weiss holds that if the expression does not imply that the writer represents Paul by mistake as a member of the Sanhedrim, it can only be understood as meaning that by his testimony Paul gave a decisive weight to the verdict in condemnation of the Christians.) Certainly it seems, as Bethge urges, difficult to suppose that Paul was a member of such an august body as the Sanhedrim, not only on account of his probable age at the time of his conversion, but also because of his comparatively obscure circumstances. The Sanhedrim was an assembly of aristocrats, composed too of men of mature years and marked influence, and the question may be asked how Saul of Tarsus, who may not even have had a stated residence in the Holy City, could have found a place in the ranks of an assembly numbering the members of the high priestly families and the principal men of Juda: see Expositor , June, 1897, and also for the bearing of the statement on the question of Paul’s marriage, with Hackett’s note, in loco . For the voting in the Sanhedrim see Schrer, div. ii., vol. i., p. 194. E.T. Rendall, p. 336, meets the difficulty above by referring the expression under discussion to a kind of popular vote confirming the sentence of the court against Stephen, for which he finds support in the language of the law and in the narrative of the proto-martyr’s condemnation.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
also did = did also. He not only thought, but acted.
saints. Greek. hagios. See Act 9:13, Act 9:32, Act 9:41. Only in these four places in Acts applied to God’s people. Frequently in the epistles. Compare Psa 31:23, Psa 31:24.
shut up. Greek. katakleio. Only here and Luk 3:20.
authority. Greek. exousia. App-172.
from. Greek. para. App-104.
chief priests. Greek. archiereus, as in Act 25:15.
put to death. Greek. anaireo. See Act 2:23.
gave = cast. Greek. kataphero. See Act 20:9.
voice = vote. Greek. psephos. The pebble used for voting. Only here and Rev 2:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
10, 11.] This is the of ch. Act 8:1. We are surprised here by the unexpected word , which it might have been thought he would have rather in this presence avoided. But, as Stier remarks, it belongs to the more confident tone of this speech, which he delivers, not as a prisoner defending himself, but as one being heard before those who were his audience, not his Judges. can hardly be taken figuratively, as many Commentators, trying to escape from the inference that the Saul was a member of the Sanhedrim; but must be understood as testifying to this very fact, however strange it may seem. He can hardly have been less than thirty when sent on his errand of persecution to Damascus. The genitive is supposed by Elsner and Kypke to be dependent on ; but this is harsh, and it is better to take (as most Commentators, and Meyer, and De W.) it as absolute, and as local, detuli sententiam: when their deaths were being compassed, I gave in my vote (scil, against them, as in ref.). On the fact, cf. , ch. Act 8:1.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Act 26:10. , of the saints) So he terms the Christians, in a manner appropriate to the beginning of his speech, using a term transferred to them from the Jews.-, I) Emphasis.-) The article signifies that Paul could not have done this without the power (the authority); and that the chief priests gave a general power (authority) to all who wished to persecute.- ) A rare phrase. Paul added his vote, since he thought what was done altogether right.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
I also: Act 7:58, Act 8:1, Act 8:3, Act 9:13, Act 9:26, Act 22:4, Act 22:19, Act 22:20, 1Co 15:9, Gal 1:13
the saints: Act 9:32, Act 9:41, Psa 16:3, Rom 15:25, Rom 15:26, Eph 1:1, Rev 17:6
having: Act 9:14, Act 9:21, Act 22:5
Reciprocal: Lev 13:29 – General 1Sa 22:18 – he fell 1Ki 22:27 – Put this fellow Son 5:7 – they smote Isa 66:5 – Your Luk 11:49 – and some Luk 21:16 – and some Joh 16:9 – General Act 21:31 – as Act 26:12 – with Rom 10:2 – that they 2Co 6:5 – imprisonments Phi 3:6 – persecuting
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 26:10. A saint is one who is “set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively his,” according to Thayer. It is one of the names applied to the followers of Christ who are elsewhere called Christians and disciples. Paul’s mention of the authority of the chief priests was to show he acted according to the recognized law of the Jews.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 26:10. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem. Probably referring here especially to his share in the martyrdom of Stephen, when the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young mans feet, whose name was Saul (Act 7:58); when Saul was consenting unto his death (Act 8:1); and also to his conduct shortly after, when, As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison (Act 8:3). All these things took place in the Holy City.
And many of the saints did I shut up in prison. The term saints ( ) used here in such a place seems at first sight remarkable. When recounting these scenes of his early life to the Jews at Jerusalem (Act 22:4-5), he speaks of the men and women he had caused to be bound and delivered into prison some of whom he had persecuted unto the death. But he carefully avoided this loving title. Before the Jews he shrank from using any expression of reverential admiration which might arouse his angry countrymens wrath against the sect of whom they were already so unreasonably jealous; but now, speaking before men of the world like Agrippa and Festus, he gives these noble martyrs, long since in Paradise, a title of honour which aggravated his own guilt as their persecutor. Indeed, as it has been well remarked, the confident, bold tone of the whole of this speech sounds less like the words of a prisoner defending himself, than of a fearless advocate pleading before a tribunal.
And when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. This refers to the great persecution mentioned in chap. Act 8:1-4, in which Saul the Pharisee of Tarsus appears to have been the most prominent actor: As for Saul, he made havoc of the church (Act 26:3); And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord (Act 9:1). The Acts story only mentions one public execution in this bitter persecution; but the words used here, when they were put to death; the expression of chap. Act 22:4 : I persecuted this way onto the death; and the opening sentence of chap. 9: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, lead us decidedly to conclude that many besides Stephen, in that first trial season, witnessed unto death, and through pain and agony .passed to their rest in the Paradise of God.
In several places in the Epistles we find traces of the memory of some bitter and terrible persecutions, of which this very early one, when Paul played the part of chief inquisitor, was perhaps the severest and most fatal, bee Heb 12:4, where those to whom the epistle is addressed are appealed to as having not yet resisted unto blood. See, too, 1Th 2:15; Jas 5:10.
The word voice in the sentence, I gave my voice against them, would be rendered more accurately by vote (). This was a small black or white stone or pebble which was used for voting, as in the ballot. For condemnation, usually a black stone was put into the voting urn; for acquittal, a white one.
This assertion by Paul of his having voted for the death of certain of the saints in the early Church, has been taken as a proof of his having been, in his Pharisee days, a member of the supreme council of the Sanhedrim. This is possible, but is by no means certain; for the words here used by him may have referred to his having been in past days a member of some important tribunal acting under the direction of the supreme council. Though possible, it is certainly very doubtful if the young man Saul ever had a seat in the Sanhedrim, for(a) granting the most extended conception of the expression young man, the age of Saul would hardly have warranted his occupying a seat in that grave assembly of elders; (b) tradition positively declares that one of the necessary qualifications of a member of the great Jewish council was that he should be married and have a family, as it was supposed that one who was a father himself would be more inclined to temper justice with mercy. There is certainly nothing in Pauls known life which would lead us to suppose that the missionary apostle was ever married.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 9
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave {d} my voice against [them].
(d) I consented to and allowed their actions: for he was not a judge.