Acts 26:2
in Acts 26“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
KJV
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:
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This verse in Acts 26
Commentary
12 notes on this verseI think myself happy - As if he had said, This is a peculiarly fortunate circumstance in my favor, that I am called to make my defense before a judge so intelligent, and so well acquainted with the laws and customs of our country. It may be necessary just to observe that this Agrippa was king of Trachonitis, a region which lay on the north of Palestine, on the east side of Jordan, and south of Damascus. For his possessions, see on Act 25:13 (note).
This site's exposition
You have permission to speak
on Acts 26:1-3
Agrippa gives Paul permission to speak for himself, and Paul stretched out his hand in the orator's gesture before he began, a scene Luke could describe because he had watched it. The word fortunate names a real advantage, since Agrippa the Second, great-grandson of Herod the Great, was acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies, a knowledge Festus the Roman lacked entirely. Paul asks only that the king hear him patiently.
This site's exposition
I consider myself fortunate
John Chrysostom reads Paul's gladness as the mark of a clear conscience, since a guilty man fears a judge who knows the facts. Chrysostom adds that the appeal to Caesar already stood, so this court had no power to condemn him. Paul answers every charge all the same.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself. 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. Especially because I know thee to be expert in all questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently." And yet, had he been conscious of guilt, he should have feared at being tried in the presence of one who knew all the facts: but this is a mark of a clear conscience, not to shrink from a judge who has an accurate knowledge of the circumstances, but even to rejoice, and to call himself happy. "I beseech thee," he says, "to hear me patiently." Since he is about to lengthen out his speech, and to say something about himself, on this account, he premises an entreaty.
Again he is ready to render an account, and that, before the man who was the best informed on the subject; and with much boldness, seeing they were not his judges to condemn him: but still, though they were not his judges, since that declaration was in force, "Unto Caesar shall thou go," he renders an account and gives full answers, "touching all the things," and not merely on one and another here and there.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Paul said: "I consider myself fortunate that today I can defend myself before you in everything of which the Jews accuse me." He spoke not with flattery (God forbid!), but wishing to bring benefit to the king. And the one who had just been treated …
Of all the things I am accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate before you, since you are to defend me today. Another Edition translated this verse thusly: I consider myself fortunate, starting today to render a defense before you. Which …
The Reformation1 voice
Luke useth indeed a word of excusing; yet such a one as is nothing inconvenient whensoever there is any account given of doctrine. Furthermore, because Paul knew well that Festus did set light by all that which should be taken out of the law and prophets, he turneth himself unto the king, who he hoped would be more attentive, seeing he was no stranger to the Jewish religion.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
I think myself happy, King Agrippa,....
Surely the least we can expect, when we preach the faith of Christ, is to be heard patiently. He professes that though he was hated and branded as a apostate, yet he still adhered to all that good which he was first educated and trained up in; his religion was always built upon the promise of God made unto the fathers; and this he still built upon.
His account of his origin, and education, his profession as a Pharisee, and his adherence still to that which was then the main article of his creed, in distinction from the Sadducees, the "resurrection of the dead," however in rituals he had since departed from it,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I think myself happy - I esteem it a favor and a privilege to be permitted to make my defense before one acquainted with Jewish customs and opinions. His defense, on former occasions, had been before Roman magistrates, who had little acquaintance with the opinions and customs of the Jews; who were not disposed to listen to the discussion of the points of difference between him and them, and who looked upon all their controversies with contempt. See Act 24:25. They were, therefore, little qualified to decide a question which was closely connected with the Jewish customs and doctrines; and Paul now rejoiced to know that he was before one who, from his acquaintance with the Jewish customs and belief, would be able to appreciate his arguments. Paul was not now on his trial, but he was to defend himself, or state his cause, so that Agrippa might be able to aid Festus in transmitting a true account of the case to the Roman emperor. It was his interest and duty, therefore, to defend himself as well as possible, and to put him in possession of all the facts in the case. His defense is, consequently, made up chiefly of a most eloquent statement of the facts just as they had occurred. I shall answer - I shall be permitted to make a statement, or to defend myself. Touching ... - Respecting. Whereof I am accused of the Jews - By the Jews. The matters of the accusation were his being a mover of sedition, a ringleader of the Christians, and a profaner of the temple, Act 24:5-6.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| περὶ | peri | Concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| πάντων | panton | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ὧν | hon | of which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐγκαλοῦμαι | egkaloumai | I am accused | G1458 → | 7 times |
| ὑπὸ | hupo | by | G5259 → | 219 times |
| Ἰουδαίων, | ioudaion | [the] Jews, | G2453 → | 192 times |
| βασιλεῦ | basileu | King | G935 → | 114 times |
| Ἀγρίππα, | agrippa | Agrippa, | G67 → | 11 times |
| ἥγημαι | hegemai | I have esteemed | G2233 → | 28 times |
| ἐμαυτὸν | emauton | myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| μακάριον | makarion | fortunate | G3107 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | before | G1909 → | 883 times |
| σοῦ | sou | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| μέλλων | mellon | being about | G3195 → | 109 times |
| σήμερον | semeron | today | G4594 → | 41 times |
| ἀπολογεῖσθαι· | apologeisthai | to present a defense; | G626 → | 10 times |
περὶConcerning
periG4012 →332 times
πάντωνall
pantonG3956 →1235 times
ὧνof which
honG3739 →1405 times
ἐγκαλοῦμαιI am accused
egkaloumaiG1458 →7 times
ὑπὸby
hupoG5259 →219 times
Ἰουδαίων,[the] Jews,
ioudaionG2453 →192 times
βασιλεῦKing
basileuG935 →114 times
Ἀγρίππα,Agrippa,
agrippaG67 →11 times
ἥγημαιI have esteemed
hegemaiG2233 →28 times
ἐμαυτὸνmyself
emautonG1473 →839 times
μακάριονfortunate
makarionG3107 →
ἐπὶbefore
epiG1909 →883 times
σοῦyou
souG4771 →2973 times
μέλλωνbeing about
mellonG3195 →109 times
σήμερονtoday
semeronG4594 →41 times
ἀπολογεῖσθαι·to present a defense;
apologeisthaiG626 →10 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 52; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts and William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.