Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 26:21
For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill [me.]
21. For these causes ] Lit. “on account of these things” which the R. V. better represents by “for this cause.”
the Jews caught me [ R. V. seized me] The word implies an arrest with violence.
and went about [ R. V. assayed] to kill me ] St Paul combines the riot in the Temple with the subsequent plot before he was sent to Csarea. Or he may be alluding only to the violence by which he was nearly torn in pieces before the chief captain came to his rescue. The verb rendered “kill” indicates the laying violent hands on any one, and so favours the latter view.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Caught me in the temple – Act 21:30.
And went about … – Endeavored to put me to death.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. For these causes the Jews – went about to kill me.] These causes may be reduced to four heads:-
1. He had maintained the resurrection of the dead.
2. The resurrection of Christ, whom they had crucified and slain.
3. That this Jesus was the promised Messiah.
4. He had offered salvation to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. He does not mention the accusation of having defiled the temple, nor of disloyalty to the Roman government; probably, because his adversaries had abandoned these charges at his preceding trial before Festus: see Ac 25:8; and see Calmet.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By violent hands and indirect means, as we see, Act 21:31, and as they had done unto our Saviour, Act 5:30, where the same word is used.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19-21. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, Iwas not disobedient unto the heavenly visionThis musical andelevated strain, which carries the reader along with it, anddoubtless did the hearers, bespeaks the lofty region of thought andfeeling to which the apostle had risen while rehearsing his Master’scommunications to him from heaven.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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: what he refers to is in
Ac 21:27.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Assayed to kill me ( ). Conative imperfect middle of , the old form of the later Koine so common in the Koine, but in N.T. here only. Some MSS. have it in Acts 9:26; Heb 4:15. The old verb , to take in hand, middle to lay hands on, to slay, occurs in N.T. only here and 5:30 which see.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “For these causes,” (heneka touton) “On account of these things,” or as a result of these things. Because I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, impartially, to Jews and Gentiles alike, and not for profaning or desecrating the temple, Act 21:28; Rom 1:13-16; Rom 10:8-13. For these causes and no others, certainly not those they have repeatedly alleged, Act 24:15-16.
2) “The Jews caught me in the temple,” (me loudaioi sullabomenoi en to hiero) “Having seized (pounced upon) me in the temple,” in a violent manner, with malice.
3) “And went about to kill me.” (Epeironto diacheirisasthai) “And they tried to kill me,” to slay me, inciting a lynching or stoning mob, crying that I shouldn’t be permitted to live, Act 21:27-28; Act 21:31-32; Act 22:22-23.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
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21. They went about to kill me. He complaineth in this place of the iniquity of his adversaries, that it may thereby appear that their cause and conscience were both evil. − (623) For if Paul had offended they might have gone to law with him; and even there should they have stand [stood] in better state, seeing they did far pass him both in favor and authority. Therefore, their madness doth testify that they are destitute of reason. Whereas Paul saith that he was saved by the help of God, it maketh for the confirmation of his doctrine. For how is it that he reacheth out his hand to help him, save only because he acknowledged his minister, and because he will defend the cause which he alloweth [approveth?]. Moreover, this ought to have encouraged him to go forward so much the more boldly in his office, in that he was thus holpen by God. For it had been a point of an unthankful man to withdraw himself from him which had holpen him. By which example we be taught, that so often as we be delivered from danger, the Lord doth not therefore prolong our days that we may afterward live idly, but that we may do our duty cheerfully, and be ready to die every hour to his glory, who hath reserved us to himself. And yet Paul did not forget how much he was indebted to the chief captain; but in this place he commendeth the help of God, that he may show that it became him to spend all the rest of his course in his service by whom he was delivered, though that came to pass, and were done through the industry and by the hand of man. −
Testifying both to small and great. We have said elsewhere that it is more to testify than to teach, as if there were some solemn contestation made between God and men, that the gospel may have his [its] majesty. And he saith that he is a witness both to great and small, that king Agrippa may perceive that this doth appertain even to him; and that when the gospel is offered even to every simple man, that doth no whit hinder but that it may ascend even unto the throne of princes. For Christ doth gather all men into his bosom with one and the same embracing, that those who lay before in the dunghill, and are now extolled unto so great honor, may rejoice in his free goodness; and that those who are placed in high degree of honor may willingly humble themselves, and not grudge to have some of the base and contemptible multitude for their brethren, that they may be made the children of God. So in the first chapter to the Romans, he saith that he is indebted both to the fools and to the wise, lest the Romans should be kept back with the confidence which they might repose in their wisdom from submitting themselves to his doctrine. By this let us learn that it is not in the teacher’s will to make choice of his hearers, and that they do no less injury to God than defraud men of their right, whosoever they be which restrain their labor unto great men, whom God doth join with those which are small. It were too cold to restrain this unto ages. − (624) Wherefore, I do not doubt but that Paul taketh away the exception which used to be between the noble and ignoble, because he was neither afraid of the dignity of the one, neither did he loathe the baseness of the other, but did show himself a faithful teacher to both alike. −
Saying no other thing. First, this is worth the noting, that Paul, to the end he may bring in fit and substantial witnesses of his doctrine, doth not take the same from among men, but he citeth Moses and the prophets, to whom the Lord had granted undoubted authority. And surely this is one principle to be observed, when we will teach soundly, to utter nothing but that which did proceed out of the mouth of God. Secondly, this is worth the noting, that these were the principal points of the disputation which Luke doth now touch; that this was the proper office of Christ, by his death to make satisfaction for the sins of the world, by his resurrection to purchase righteousness and life for men; and that the fruit of his death and resurrection is common both to Jews and Gentiles. But forasmuch as there is no manifest and (as they say) literal testimony extant in the law concerning the death and resurrection of Christ, undoubtedly they had some doctrine delivered by hand from the fathers, out of which they did learn to refer all figures unto Christ. And as the prophets, which did prophesy more plainly of Christ, had their doctrine from that fountain, so they made the men of their time believe that they delivered unto them no new thing, or which did dissent from Moses. And now Paul did either not finish his apology, or else he gathered more evident testimonies of all those things wherein he professed Moses and the prophets to be his authors. −
The first of those which. There were some other whose resurrection went before Christ’s in time; namely, if we admit that the saints of whom the Evangelists speak ( Mat 27:52) did come out of their graves before Christ, which may likewise be said of the taking up of Enoch and Elias ( Gen 5:24; 2Kg 2:11). But he calleth him in this place the first; as in another place the first fruits of those which rise again ( 1Co 15:23). Therefore, this word doth rather note out the cause than the order of time, because, when Christ did rise again, he became the conqueror of death and Lord of life, that he might reign forever, and make those who are his partakers of [his own] blessed immortality. Under this word light, he comprehendeth whatsoever doth pertain unto perfect felicity, as by darkness is meant death and all manner of misery. And I do not doubt but that Paul alluded unto the sayings of the prophets, −
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The people which walked in darkness saw great light,” ( Isa 9:2).
And again, −
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Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall be seen upon thee,” ( Isa 60:2).
Again, −
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Behold, those which are in darkness shall see light,” ( Isa 42:16).
Again, −
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I have made thee a light of the Gentiles,” ( Isa 49:6). −
And it appeareth by many oracles that the light of life should come out of Judea, and should be spread abroad among the Gentiles.
(623) −
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Malam causam ipsos agere mala conscientia,” that they pleaded a bad cause with a bad conscience.
(624) −
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Ad aetates hoc restringere,” to confine this to periods of time.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) For these causes . . .Better, perhaps, on account of these things. With this brief touch, avoiding any elaborate vindication of his own character, St. Paul indicates the real cause of the hostility of the Jews. The one unpardonable sin, in their eyes, was that he taught the Gentiles that they might claim every gift and grace which had once been looked on as the privilege and prerogative of Israel. The historical precedence of the Jew remained (see Notes on Act. 13:46; Rom. 3:1-2), but in all essential points they were placed on a footing of equality.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Went about Undertook.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Act 26:21. The Jewswent about to kill me. The proper import of the word is, to kill with their own hands; which was with peculiar propriety used here, as there was reason to apprehend that St. Paul would have been actuallypulled to pieces in another assembly, which was, as it seems, less numerous and less violent than that which seized him in the temple. See ch. Act 23:10.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 26:21-22 . ] because I have preached this and among Jews and Gentiles.
.] Beza correctly explains: “manibus suis interficere” (see on Act 5:30 ). Comp. Act 21:30-31 .
] This infers from the preceding . . that the . is effected through help of God (without which no deliverance from such extreme danger to life could come). Observe withal the triumphant , I stand, keep my ground!
] as one witnessed to by small and great, i.e . who has a good testimony from young and old (Act 8:10 ). Accordingly, is to be taken quite regularly as passive , and that in its very current sense, as in Act 6:3 , Act 10:22 al .; while and are the datives usual with the passive construction (see on Mat 5:21 ), instead of which is used in Act 10:22 , Act 16:2 , Act 22:12 . The usual rendering, following the Vulgate: witnessing to small and great , [163] i.e. “instituens omnis generis homines” (Kuinoel), arbitrarily assumes a deviation from linguistic usage, as is always used passively (on which account, in 1Th 2:12 , the reading is necessarily to be defended; see Lnemann in loc .). See Rinck, Lucubr . crit . p. 91, who, however (as also de Wette, Baumgarten, Ewald), declares for the reading .; this, although strongly attested (see the critical remarks), is an old, hasty emendation, which was regarded as necessary to suit the dative. But in what a significant contrast to that deadly hatred of his enemies appears the statement (Act 26:21 ): “By help of God I stand till this day, well attested by small and great ” ! The following words then give the reason of this : because I set forth nothing else than what ( = ) the prophets , etc.
] On the attraction, see Lobeck, ad Aj . 1006; Buttmann, neut . Gr . p. 261 [E. T. 305]; and on the expression , Jacobs, ad Philostr . p. 630.
[163] Erasmus, Castalio, Calvin, Bengel, and others take . . . . in the sense of rank: to persons of low and of high degree . This is historically unsuitable to the correct view of ., as Paul was despised and persecuted by the great of this world. The wisdom, which he preached, was not at all theirs, 1Co 2:6 ff.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me .
Ver. 21. Went about to kill me ] Gr. , to tear me in pieces, or pull me limb from limb with their own hands, as the Senators did Romulus, and afterward Caesar. The Italians that served the French king, having taken the town of Barre, did out of hatred of religion rip up a living child, and taking out his liver, being as yet red hot, they did eat it as meat. Many children there at the same time had their hearts pulled out, which in rage those cannibal Papists gnawed with their teeth. (Acts and Mon.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 26:21 . : because I preached to Jews and Gentiles alike, proclaiming one Gospel to both, and placing both on an equality before God (not for profaning the Temple), cf. Act 21:28 . On see Blass, Gram. , p. 21. This Attic form of the word is read here by all authorities, and Blass notes it as characteristic of the literary style of this address before Agrippa, see above on Act 26:4 . , Act 1:16 , Act 12:3 . So also in each of the Gospels in the active voice, of a violent arrest; in passive see above, Act 23:27 , and frequent in same sense in LXX, and 1 and 2 Macc. : here only in N.T. in middle, but see critical note on Act 9:26 . Cf. 1Ma 12:10 , 2Ma 10:12 , 3Ma 1:25 ; 3Ma 2:32 , 4Ma 12:3 . Imperfect because the attempt was not actually made. ., see on Act 5:30 . The whole description ranks as a summary without giving all the details of the events which led up to the Apostle’s imprisonment.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
caught. Greek. sullambano. See Act 1:16.
temple. Greek. hieron. See Mat 23:16.
went about = were attempting. Greek. peiraomai. Only here.
kill. Greek. diacheirizomai. See Act 5:30.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 26:21. , for these causes) Now Paul brings together all that went before, for the purpose of his defence.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
the Jews: Act 21:30, Act 21:31, Act 22:22, Act 23:12-15, Act 25:3
Reciprocal: Mat 2:14 – General Act 21:27 – and laid Act 21:28 – This is Act 24:18 – General 2Co 1:10 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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Act 26:21. Paul had done nothing that called for any punishment whatsoever, much less that of being slain. He therefore wished this court to know the truth of the motive for being persecuted by the Jews.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 26:21. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. That is first because he, Saul, once the determined relentless enemy of the crucified Nazarene, now obeyed His voice, and went about everywhere delivering the message of the Crucified with power; and secondly, because he delivered the message indifferently to the hated Gentiles as to the favoured Jews, thereby proclaiming that in Messiahs kingdom there would be no difference between the children of Israel and the children born in the darkness of the isles of the Gentiles.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Act 26:21-23. For these causes And for no other; the Jews Who have the same inveteracy against the gospel of Jesus that I once had; caught (seized) me in the temple, and went about (attempted) to kill me , to kill me with their own hands. So the word properly signifies; but, having obtained help of God By the protection and care of his watchful providence; I continue unto this day Am still preserved and upheld, and employ my spared life to the purposes for which it is prolonged; witnessing both to small and great What is really a matter of infinite concern, both to the meanest and most exalted of mankind, the gospel of Christ, and the way of salvation for lost sinners through him; saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say Advancing no new doctrine whatever; that Christ should suffer Not only be a man, and therefore should be capable of suffering, but that, as Messiah, he should be appointed to suffer; and that his sufferings and ignominious death should not only be consistent with, but pursuant of, his undertaking. The cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews, and Pauls preaching it was one great thing that exasperated them; but Paul adheres to that doctrine, and insists that, in preaching it, he preached the fulfilling of the Old Testament predictions; and that therefore they ought not only not to be offended at what he preached, but to believe, and embrace it with all their hearts. And that he should be the first that should rise from the dead Namely, to an immortal life; the first that should rise to die no more, opening, as it were, the womb of the grave to all the pious dead who should rise after him, and none of whom could have risen, if he had not risen first. Accordingly, to show that the resurrection of all believers is in virtue of his resurrection, just when he rose, many dead bodies of the saints arose, and went into the holy city, Mat 27:53. And should show light unto the people The Jews in the first place, for he was to be the glory of his people Israel: to them he showed light by himself, and then to the Gentiles by the ministry of his apostles; for he was to be a light to lighten them who sat in darkness. In this Paul refers to his commission, Act 26:18. He rose from the dead on purpose that he might show light to Jews and Gentiles; that he might give a convincing proof of the truth of his doctrine, and might send it with so much the greater power among both descriptions of persons. All this was foretold by the Old Testament prophets; and what was there in it that the Jews could justly be displeased at?
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
See notes on verse 19
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
"For this reason" refers to Paul’s preaching to Gentiles (Act 26:20). Paul did not explain here exactly what he preached to the Gentiles, namely, that they could obtain salvation simply by faith in Christ. This message is what infuriated the Jews and led to Paul’s arrest. Nevertheless Paul did give his hearers enough information about Jesus Christ so they could believe in Him.