Acts 26:11
in Acts 26I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Acts 26
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And I punished them oft ... - See Act 22:19. And compelled them to blaspheme - To blaspheme the name of Jesus by denying that he was the Messiah, and by admitting that he was an impostor. This was the object which they had in view in the persecution. It was not to make them blaspheme or reproach God, but to deny that Jesus was the Messiah, and to reproach him as a deceiver and an impostor.
This site's exposition
oppose the name of Jesus
on Acts 26:9-11
Paul confesses he once set out to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This third telling adds what chapters 9 and 22 omit, that he cast his vote against believers when they were condemned to death. He tried to make them blaspheme and, raging, went even to foreign cities.
This site's exposition
I tried to make them blaspheme
John Wesley holds that only some of them yielded. Albert Barnes explains the blasphemy as denying that Jesus was the Messiah and calling Him a deceiver. Adam Clarke takes the foreign cities as places beyond Jewish jurisdiction, Damascus among them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Then he tells, how he persecuted: this also helps the proof: and he brings forward the chief priests as witnesses, and the "strange cities," and that he heard Him saying to him, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," and shows the mercifulness of God, that, though being persecuted He appeared to men, and did that benefit not to me only, but also sent me as teacher to others: and shows also the prophecy, now come to pass, which he then heard, "Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee."
"I indeed thought with myself," that is, I determined, "to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." I was not one of Christ's disciples: among those who fought against Him, was I. Whence also he is a witness who has a right to be believed, because he, a man who was doing numberless things, makes war on the believers, persuading them to blaspheme, stirring up all against them, cities, rulers, and by himself doing all this of his own accord, was thus suddenly changed.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Many times I punished them." Incited by the devil and demons, he says, many, like madmen, committed many absurdities; but I, perhaps, was more frenzied than they, since I was doing evil of my own will.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I compelled them - That is, some of them; to blaspheme - This is the most dreadful of all! Repent, ye enemies of the Gospel. If Spira, who was compelled, suffered so terribly, what will become of those who compel, like Saul, but do not repent like him.
And I punished them oft in every synagogue,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Now Paul here, by a plain and faithful narrative of matters of fact, makes it out to this august assembly that he had an immediate call from heaven to preach the gospel of Christ to the Gentile world, which was the thing that exasperated the Jews against him. That he was made a Christian by a divine power, notwithstanding all his prejudices against that way.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Being exceedingly mad against them - Only a madman will persecute another because of his differing from him in religious opinion; and the fiercest persecutor is he who should be deemed the most furious madman. Unto strange cities - Places out of the jurisdiction of the Jews, such as Damascus, which he immediately mentions.
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κατὰ | kata | in | G2596 → | 468 times |
| πάσας | pasas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναγωγὰς | sunagogas | synagogues | G4864 → | 56 times |
| πολλάκις | pollakis | often | G4178 → | |
| τιμωρῶν | timoron | punishing | G5097 → | |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἠνάγκαζον | enagkazon | I was compelling [them] | G315 → | |
| βλασφημεῖν, | blasphemein | to blaspheme, | G987 → | 34 times |
| περισσῶς | perissos | Excessively | G4057 → | |
| τε | te | then | G5037 → | 213 times |
| ἐμμαινόμενος | emmainomenos | being furious | G1693 → | |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | against them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐδίωκον | ediokon | I was persecuting [them] | G1377 → | 45 times |
| ἕως | he'os | as far as | G2193 → | 146 times |
| καὶ | kai | even | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὰς | tas | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔξω | exo | foreign | G1854 → | 63 times |
| πόλεις. | poleis | cities. | G4172 → | 163 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κατὰin
kataG2596 →468 times
πάσαςall
pasasG3956 →1235 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
συναγωγὰςsynagogues
sunagogasG4864 →56 times
πολλάκιςoften
pollakisG4178 →
τιμωρῶνpunishing
timoronG5097 →
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
ἠνάγκαζονI was compelling [them]
enagkazonG315 →
βλασφημεῖν,to blaspheme,
blasphemeinG987 →34 times
περισσῶςExcessively
perissosG4057 →
τεthen
teG5037 →213 times
ἐμμαινόμενοςbeing furious
emmainomenosG1693 →
αὐτοῖςagainst them
autoisG846 →5565 times
ἐδίωκονI was persecuting [them]
ediokonG1377 →45 times
ἕωςas far as
he'osG2193 →146 times
καὶeven
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὰς<the>
tasG3588 →19766 times
ἔξωforeign
exoG1854 →63 times
πόλεις.cities.
poleisG4172 →163 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 9:1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest
it leads to
- Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Timothy 1:13
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
- Galatians 1:13
For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
- Acts 9:11–21
“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
- 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- Acts 8:3
Through
Matthew 10:17But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.
it leads to
- Mark 13:9
So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.
- Matthew 23:34
Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after…
- Mark 13:9
Through
Acts 13:45But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
it leads to
- Jude 1:10
These men, however, slander what they do not understand, and like irrational animals, they will be destroyed by the things they do instinctively.
- Jude 1:10
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 52; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.