1.
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2.
I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
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.
Verse 3
I know thee to be expert, &c. Agrippa being himself a Jew.
4.
My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5.
Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6.
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
Verse 6
And am judged; am upon trial.--The hope of the promise, &c.; meaning the promise that a Messiah was to come. His belief that Jesus was the Messiah--that is, his belief in the realization of that hope--had been the true origin of the difficulty.
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.
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.
8.
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
9.
I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
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.
11.
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
Verse 11
Compelled; urged and pressed them.--To blaspheme; to abjure Christ.
12.
Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13.
At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Verse 14
The pricks; the goads.
15.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16.
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17.
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18.
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19.
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20.
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21.
For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22.
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
Verse 22
To small and great; to high and low.
23.
That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Verse 23
That should rise from the dead, and should show; that is, probably, whose resurrection should show.
24.
And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
Verse 24
With a loud voice; in order that the whole assembly might hear the taunt.
25.
But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26.
For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
Verse 26
The king.--Agrippa.--Knoweth of these things; of the facts respecting the death and resurrection of Christ, and Paul's conversion.
27.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28.
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
Verse 28
It is not probable that Agrippa was in earnest in this remark; for, even if a serious impression had been made upon his mind, he would not probably have expressed the interest which he felt, so abruptly on such an occasion. The supposition that he was not serious is confirmed by Paul's answer, which has the character of a serious reply to a jesting remark.
29.
And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
Verse 29
Except these bonds; except being a prisoner,--bonds denoting, in this case, simply restraint, as it is not probable that he was actually bound. He was confined with chains at first, by Lysias, (Acts 21:33;) but when it appeared that he was a Roman citizen, they were removed. (Acts 22:29,36.)
30.
And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31.
And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32.
Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.