Acts 26:15
in Acts 26‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
KJV
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
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This verse in Acts 26
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd I said, who art thou, Lord? and he said,.... Or "the Lord said", as the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions read, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "Jesus of Nazareth"; See Gill on Act 9:5.
This site's exposition
whom you are persecuting
on Acts 26:15-16
The answer “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” identifies Christ with the church Paul was dragging to prison, as at 9:4 and 22:8. It is the ground of the teaching that Christ suffers in His members.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Then again the witnesses, those who were with him: next he shows what just cause he had to be persuaded, both from the light, and from the prophets, and from the results, and from the things which have now taken place. See accordingly, how both from the prophets, and from these particulars, he confirms the proof to them. For that he may not seem to be broaching some novelty, although he had great things to say, yet he again takes refuge with the prophets, and puts this as a question for discussion.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Paul's spirit at first perhaps began to rise, but he is told it is at his peril, and then he yields. Or, it was spoken by way of caution: "Take heed lest thou resist these convictions, for they are designed to affect thee, not to affront thee." (5.) That, upon his enquiry, Christ made himself known to him.
Those whom Christ, by the light of his gospel, casts down in humiliation for sin, shall find that it is in order to their rising and standing upon their feet, in spiritual grace, strength, and comfort. If Christ has torn, it is that he may heal; if he has cast down, it is that he may raise up.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| εἶπα· | eipa | said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| τίς | tis | Who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| εἶ | ei | are You | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| κύριε; | kurie | Lord? | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| κύριος | kurios | the Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ἐγώ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| εἰμι | eimi | am | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ὃν | hon | whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| σὺ | su | you yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| διώκεις. | diokeis | are persecuting. | G1377 → | 45 times |
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
εἶπα·said;
eipaG2036 →925 times
τίςWho
tisG5101 →563 times
εἶare You
eiG1510 →2333 times
κύριε;Lord?
kurieG2962 →711 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
κύριοςthe Lord
kuriosG2962 →711 times
εἶπεν·said;
eipenG2036 →925 times
ἐγώI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
εἰμιam
eimiG1510 →2333 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
ὃνwhom
honG3739 →1405 times
σὺyou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
διώκεις.are persecuting.
diokeisG1377 →45 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
Matthew 25:40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Matthew 10:42
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
- Mark 9:41
Indeed, if anyone gives you even a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.
- 1 Peter 1:22
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
- Proverbs 14:31
Through
Matthew 25:45Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
it leads to
- Proverbs 21:13
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.
- Proverbs 17:5
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
- Matthew 25:40
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- Proverbs 21:13
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.