Acts 26:3

Act 26:3. Γνώστην ὄντα σε) Two accusatives, an Attic idiom: i.e. especially as thou art expert or acquainted with. See Heupel. de Dialectis, Can. 98, Raphel. from Xen. and Arrian. Γνώστης, is one who seeks and has acquaintance with. Festus was not one of this character: ch. Act 25:20.—ἐθῶν, customs) in matters of practice.—ζητημάτων, questions) in matters of theory. Festus had used this term in the absence of Paul: ch. Act 25:19. Accordingly Paul, by the Divine guidance, repeats and explains it.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 26:3 . μάλιστα : (1) “especially because thou art expert,” R.V. (so Blass, Felten, Weiss), or (2) “because thou art specially expert,” margin, R.V. (so Wendt, Rendall, Bethge, Zöckler). See critical notes, and for construction Winer-Moulton, lxiii., 2, a , and xxxii. 7, Wendt (1899), p. 389. γνώστην ὄντα : an anacoluthon, as if an accusative had been previously used, πρός σε … ἀπολ ., cf. Act 22:1 . Zöckler takes it as an accusative absolute, following A. Buttmann (see Winer-Moulton., u.s. ), but no clear example ( cf. Eph 1:18 , and Hackett’s note, in loco ). γνώστην , cf. Susannah, ver 42 (Theod., not LXX), with genitive as here. ἐθῶν τε καὶ ζητ .: “ consuetudinum in practicis, quæstionum in theoreticis,” Bengel, on Act 26:32 see above, Act 25:19 . μακροθύμως , only here in N.T., but μακροθυμία frequent in St. Paul’s Epistles ( cf. Sir 5:11 ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I know thee to be expert, &c.--His father was zealous for the law, and he himself had the office of president of the temple and its treasures, and the appointment of the high priest [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 20.1.3].

hear me patiently--The idea of "indulgently" is also conveyed.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(3) Expert in all customs and questions.—The former word is used in its half-technical sense, as including all the precepts of the Law of Moses. (See Notes on Act_6:14; Act_21:21.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. especially because I know thee to be expert] Rev. Ver. quite correctly “especially because thou art expert.” The margin which R. V. gives “because thou art especially expert” might be accepted, but we have no reason to think that Agrippa was more than other persons of his station expert in Jewish customs.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 and agitated between the Sadducees and Pharisees; and a multitude of others, which were disputed between the schools of Hillell and Shammai, of which their Misna and Talmud are full, and with these Agrippa was well acquainted; and to their rites and customs he conformed, of which we have some instances recorded in their writings: when they went with their firstfruits to Jerusalem (w),

"a pipe sounded before them till they came to the mountain of the house, and when they came to the mountain of the house (the temple), even King Agrippa carried the basket upon his shoulder, and went in till he came to the court.''

So concerning the reading of the law by a king, they give this following account (x):

"a king stands and takes (the book of the law), and reads sitting; King Agrippa stood and took it, and read standing, and the wise men praised him; and when he came to that passage, Deu 17:15 "Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee", his eyes flowed with tears; they said unto him, fear not, Agrippa, thou art our brother.''

Some of their writers say (y), this was a piece of flattery in them: they also elsewhere commend him for his modesty and humility (z);

"according to the tradition of the doctors, when persons attending a funeral met a bride (with her retinue), the former gave way, and both to a king of Israel, when they met him; but they say concerning King Agrippa, that he met a bride, and gave way, and they praised him.''

And whereas it was forbidden to eat on the eve of the passover, before the Minchah, though ever so little, that they might eat the unleavened bread with appetite (a); it is observed, that even King Agrippa, who was used to eat at the ninth hour, that day did not eat till it was dark (b): so that from hence it appears, that King Agrippa was famous for his exact knowledge and observance of the customs and manners of the Jews, and which was well known, and was by the apostle:

wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently; since he was charged with a breach of the laws and customs of the Jews; and his defence would proceed upon things which Agrippa was not altogether ignorant of.

(w) Misn. Biccurim, c. 3. sect. 4. (x) Misn. Sota, c. 7. sect. 8. (y) Maimon. in ib. & Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. neg. 221. (z) T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 17. 1. (a) Maimon. Chametz Umetza, c. 6. sect. 12. (b) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 107. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

Ver. 3. To be expert in all customs and questions] As being a Jew, and conversant among the Jews (for he was Herod’s son), and therefore a more competent judge.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To be expert - To be skilled or well acquainted.

In all customs - Rites, institutions, laws, etc. Everything pertaining to the Mosaic ritual, etc.

And questions - Subjects of debate, and of various opinions. The inquiries which had existed between the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, etc. Paul could say this of Agrippa without falsehood or flattery. Agrippa was a Jew; he had passed much of his time in the kingdom over which he presided; and though he had spent the early part of his life chiefly at Rome, yet it was natural that he should make himself acquainted with the religion of his fathers. Paul did not know how to flatter people, but he was not unwilling to state the truth, and to commend people as far as truth would permit.

Wherefore - On this account; because you are acquainted with those customs. The Romans, who regarded those customs as superstitious, and those questions as matters to be treated with contempt, could not listen to their discussion with patience. Agrippa, who knew their real importance, would be disposed to lend to all inquiries respecting them a patient attention.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This is not flattery, but a plain confession of what was true; for Agrippa, by reason of his birth and breeding, could not be wholly ignorant of those things in question;

1. About the Messiah;

2. About the resurrection;

3. About the giving of the Holy Ghost.

I beseech thee to hear me patiently; it being a matter that concerned religion, and the life and liberty of a man, nothing but ignorance or impiety could take him off from attending unto it.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Thou art expert for I know thee to be expert, A.V. and T.R. Expert; gnwsthn, here only in the New Testament, but found in the LXX (Daniel, i.e. Hist. of Susanna 42) applied to God, oJ twn kruptwn gnwsthv: and 1Sa_28:3 and 2Ki_21:6, as the rendering of yniDoyi, a wizard. It is seldom found in classical Greek. According to the R.T., which is that generally adopted (Meyer, Kuinoel, Wordsworth, Alford, etc.), the accusative gnwsthn onta se is put, by a not uncommon construction, for the genitive absolute, as in Eph_1:18. The m arginal rendering, because thou art especially expert, seems preferable to that in the text. Customs and questions. For the use of e) and zhthmata applied to Jewish customs and controversies, see Act_6:14 Act_16:21 Act_21:21, etc.; and Act_25:19, note.

HOMILIES BY P.C. BARKER Ver. 3. The conditions of hearing to profit.

I beseech thee to hear me patiently." The occasion of these words of the apostle may be justly viewed all round as a model occasion of public speaking for the preacher, and of listening for the hearer. A certain amount of result, and of very powerful result, was gained, though confessedly not all that could have been wished. It is not the less to be noticed that just that, however, was gained which may be supposed obtainable by the faithful use of the best human means. And for the rest, the work was stayed where, in the very truest sense, we are warranted to say, Permitte cetera Deo," or the results belong to God. The occasion, perhaps unintentionally enough, reveals the great standing conditions of effective preaching and profiting hearing. There must be

I ONE COMPETENT TO SPEAK.

1. He must know his subject.

2. He must feel deeply his subject.

3. He must handle a subject which concerns his hearers, and is neither above them nor beside their needs.

4. He must know the graces of speech, but specially that of respectfulness and courtesy towards those whose ear he wishes to gain. Who might command may sometimes better "beseech", (Phm_1:8, 9) and so much the more if one thing that he asks for is the thing so rare, so difficult, patience.

II THOSE PREPARED TO HEAR. Different considerations will determine the question in what such preparedness may most truly consist. We have hero to do with only a certain human range of preparedness.

1. The hearer must be open, ready, willing to hear and capable of understanding. Paul does not speak hollow words. He knows he can make much greater progress With Agrippa than with Festus, because Agrippa was really not unversed in matters of revealed truth.

2. The hearer must be prepared to give his mind patiently to the great subjects that may be exhibited to him. They are what may well require patience.

3. He must be honest to make decision and to take action on what he has heard. So far Agrippa went a long way towards being "a good hearer" of the Word.

4. If the case be such, he must-be ready to give full public profession of his decision. In this Agrippa failed. He and Festus only "talked between themselves. B.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Who art accurately acquainted - Which Festus was not; with the customs - In practical matters; and questions - In speculative. This word Festus had used in the absence of Paul, chap. xxv, 19, who, by the Divine leading, repeats and explains it. Agrippa had had peculiar advantages for an accurate knowledge of the Jewish customs and questions, from his education under his father Herod, and his long abode at Jerusalem. Nothing can be imagined more suitable or more graceful, than this whole discourse of Paul before Agrippa; in which the seriousness of the Christian, the boldness of the apostle, and the politeness of the gentleman and the scholar, appear in a most beautiful contrast, or rather a most happy union.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 1

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. σου after δέομαι omitted with אABE. Not represented in Vulg.

3. μάλιστα γνώστην ὄντα σε, especially because thou art expert. Some have joined μάλιστα with γνέστην, ‘because thou art especially expert.’ But there is nothing to shew that this was so. He knew, as other Jews knew, the character and meaning of Jewish customs, but nothing more.

γνώστης is used most frequently in the LXX. of those diviners and dealers with familiar spirits spoken of in the historical books. Cf. 1Sa 28:3; 1Sa 28:9; 2Ki 21:6; 2Ki 23:24. Also in Susanna, v. 42, we have ὁ θεὸς αἰώνιος ὁ τῶν κρυπτῶν γνώστης.

Here Chrysostom says: καίτοιγε εἰ συνῄδει ἑαυτῷ φοβηθῆναι ἐχρῆν παρὰ τῷ πάντα εἰδότι δικαζόμενον. ἀλλὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος τοῦτό ἐστι, τὸ μὴ παραιτεῖσθαι δικαστὴν τὸν ἀκριβῶς εἰδότα τὰ γεγεννημὲνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρειν.

τῶν κατὰ Ἰουδαίους ἐθῶν, of customs which are among the Jews. For this adjectival use of κατὰ followed by a noun or pronoun, cf. οἱ καθ’ ὑμᾶς ποιηταί (Act 17:28).

μακροθύμως, patiently. Only here in N.T., and not found in LXX. though μακρόθυμος is very common there.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. γν. ὄντα σε] For the construction see reff.; and cf. Viger (ed. Hermann), p. 337, where many examples are given—e.g. Herod. vi. 109: ἐν σοὶ νῦν ἔστιν ἢ καταδουλῶσαι Ἀθήνας, ἢ ἐλευθέρας ποιήσαντα μνημόσυνον λιπέσθαι κ.τ.λ.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Expert [γνωστην] . Lit., a knower.

Questions [ζητηματων] . See on ch. Act 14:2.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.