Acts 26:21
in Acts 26For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
KJV
For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
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This verse in Acts 26
Commentary
9 notes on this verseFor 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 Act 21:27.
This site's exposition
not disobedient to the heavenly vision
on Acts 26:19-21
Paul says he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. He preached in Damascus and Jerusalem, then in Judea, and then to the Gentiles, the order of 1:8. He called hearers to repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
This site's exposition
seized me in the temple courts
Clarke gives four reasons for the attack, among them the rising of the Jesus they had crucified and salvation offered to Gentiles. Gill names the Jews from Asia of 21:27 as the men who seized him. Henry notes they attacked him in the act of worship.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Testifying," he says, "both to great and small," that is, both to distinguished and undistinguished. This is also for the soldiers. Observe: having left the post of defendant, he took up that of teacher-and therefore also it is that Festus says to him, "Thou art beside thyself"-but then, that he may not seem to be himself the teacher, he brings in the prophets, and Moses.
"For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 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." See how free from flattery his speech is, and how he ascribes the whole to God. Then his boldness-but neither do I now desist: and the sure grounds-for it is from the prophets that I urge the question.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He suffered ill, not only for doing well himself, but for doing good to others. They attempted to kill him; it was his precious life that they hunted for, and hated, because it was a useful life; they caught him in the temple worshipping God, and there they set upon him, as if the better place the better deed.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision--This musical and elevated strain, which carries the reader along with it, and doubtless did the hearers, bespeaks the lofty region of thought and feeling to which the apostle had risen while rehearsing his Master's communications to him from heaven.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Caught me in the temple - Act 21:30. And went about ... - Endeavored to put me to death.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἕνεκα | heneka | On account of | G1752 → | 26 times |
| τούτων | touton | these things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| με | me | me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| Ἰουδαῖοι | ioudaioi | Jews | G2453 → | 192 times |
| συλλαβόμενοι | sullabomenoi | having seized | G4815 → | 16 times |
| ὄντα | onta | being | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱερῷ | hi'ero | temple | G2411 → | 70 times |
| ἐπειρῶντο | epeironto | they were attempting | G3987 → | |
| διαχειρίσασθαι. | diacheirisasthai | to kill. | G1315 → |
ἕνεκαOn account of
henekaG1752 →26 times
τούτωνthese things
toutonG3778 →1381 times
μεme
meG3165 →1936 times
ἸουδαῖοιJews
ioudaioiG2453 →192 times
συλλαβόμενοιhaving seized
sullabomenoiG4815 →16 times
ὄνταbeing
ontaG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἱερῷtemple
hi'eroG2411 →70 times
ἐπειρῶντοthey were attempting
epeirontoG3987 →
διαχειρίσασθαι.to kill.
diacheirisasthaiG1315 →
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 22:22The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
it leads to
- Acts 25:24
Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both here and in Jerusalem, crying out that he…
- Acts 21:36
For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”
- John 19:15
At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.
- Acts 7:54–57
On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
- Luke 23:18
But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
- Acts 25:24
Through
Acts 21:27When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
it leads to
- Acts 24:18
At the time they found me in the temple, I was ceremonially clean and was not inciting a crowd or an uproar. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia
- Acts 13:50
The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
- Acts 24:18
Through
Acts 25:3to grant them a concession against Paul by summoning him to Jerusalem, because they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
it leads to
- Acts 23:12–15
When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Acts 23:12–15
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); J. A. Alexander, The Acts of the Apostles Explained; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 52; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.