Acts 26

Acts · Chapter 26

Acts 26:13

1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:2I 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:3Especially 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.4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:7Unto 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.8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.10Which 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.11And 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.12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,13At 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.14And 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.15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.16But 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;17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,18To 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.19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:20But 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.21For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.22Having 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:23That 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.24And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.25But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.26For 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.27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.28Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.29And 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.30And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:31And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.32Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
13At 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.About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
At dayἡμέραςhēmerasG2250
day

ἡμέρα (hēmera) ἡμέρα, -ας, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly (very freq.) for יוֹם ;] day; 1. as distinct from night: genitive ἡμέρας, by day (WM, §30, 11), Rev.21:25; ἡ. κ. νυκτός (ν. κ. ̔ἡ.), Act.9:24, 1Th.2:9, 2Th.3:8, Rev.4:8 (BL, §36, 13); ἡμέρας μέσης, at mid-day, Act.26:13; accusative durat., τ. ἡμέρας, Luk.21:37; ὅλην τὴν ἡ., Rom.8:36; ἐν ἡμέρα, Jhn.11:9, Rom.13:13; ἡμέρας ὁδός, a day's journey, Luk.2:44; ἡ. γίνεται, Lk 4:42 22:66; κλίνει, Luk.9:12, al.; metaphorically, Jhn.9:4, Rom.13:12, 1Th.5:4, 5 8, 2Pe.1:19. …

midμέσηςmesēsG3319
midst

μέσος (mesos) μέσος, -η, -ον [in LXX chiefly for תָּוֶךְ ;] middle, in the middle or midst; 1. prop., as an adj.: Luk.23:45, Jhn.19:18, Act.1:18; with genitive pl., Luk.22:55, Jhn.1:26; genitive temp. (Bl., § 36, 13), μέσης νυκτός, Mat.25:6; μ. ἡμέρας, Act.26:13. …

onκατὰkataG2596
according to

κατά (kata) κατά (bef. a vowel κατ᾽, καθ᾽; on the frequently neglect of elision, see Tdf., Pr., 95; WH, App., 146a), prep. with genitive, accusative, down, downwards. I. C. genitive (WM, §47, k; Bl., §42, 2). 1. C. genitive of thing(s), in local sense; (a) down, down from: Mat.8:32, Mrk.5:13, Luk.8:33, 1Co.11:4; (b) throughout (late usage; Bl, l.with): κ. ὅλης κ.τ.λ., Luk.4:14 23:5, Act.9:31 10:37; (with) in a peculiar adjectival phrase: ἡ κ. βάθους, deep or extreme poverty, 2Co.8:2. 2. C. genitive of person(s), usually in hostile sense; …

roadὁδὸνhodonG3598
road

ὁδός (hodos) ὁδός, -οῦ, ἡ, [in LXX chiefly (very freq.) for דֶּרֶךְ ;] 1. a way, path, road: Mat.2:12, Mrk.10:46, Luk.3:5 al.; κατὰ τὴν ὁ., Luk.10:4, al.; παρὰ τὴν ὁ., Mat.13:4, al.; with genitive of person(s), (subj.), τὴν ὁ. ἑτοιμάζειν (fig.), Mat.3:3, Mrk.1:3, al.; with genitive term. (obj.), ἐθνῶν, Mat.10:5; τ. ἁγίων (figuratively), Heb.9:8; accusative, ὁδόν, with force of prep. (like Heb. דֶּרֶךְ; Bl., §34, 8; 35, 5), ὁ. θαλάσσης, Mat.4:15 (LXX). …

I saw,εἶδον,eidonG1492H
to perceive: understand

εἴδω (eidō) οἶδα, (from same root as εἶδον, which see), [in LXX chiefly for ידע ;] pf. with present meaning (plpf. as impf.; on irregular tense-forms, see App.), to have seen or perceived, hence, to know, have knowledge of: with accusative of thing(s), Mat.25:13, Mrk.10:19, Jhn.10:4, Rom.7:7, al.; with accusative of person(s), Mat.26:72, Jhn.1:31, Act.3:16, al.; τ. θεόν, 1Th.4:5, Tit.1:16, al.; with accusative and inf., Luk.4:41, al.; before ὅτι, Mat.9:6, Luk.20:21, Jhn.3:2, Rom.2:2 11:2, al.; before quaest. indir., Mat.26:70, Jhn.9:21, Eph.1:18, al.; with inf., to know how (cl.), Mat.7:11, Luk.11:13, P …

O king,βασιλεῦ,basileuG0935
king

βασιλεύς (basileus) βασιλεύς, -έως, ὁ, [in LXX chiefly for מֶלֶךְ ;] a king: Mat.1:6 2:1; used by courtesy of Herod the Tetrarch, Mat.14:9; of the Roman Emperor, as frequently in κοινή (Deiss., LAE, p. 367), 1Pe.2:13, 17; of the Christ, in the phrase ὁ β. τ. Ἰουδαίων, Mat.2:2, al.; τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, Mrk.15:32, Jhn.1:50 12:13; of God, Mat.5:35, 1Ti.1:17, Rev.15:3; β. βασιλέων, Rev.17:14 19:16; β. τ. βασιλευόντων, 1Ti.6:15 (on the associations of the word to Jewish Hellenists, see Cl. Rev., i, 7).† (AS)

from heavenοὐρανόθενouranothenG3771
from heaven

οὐρανόθεν (ouranothen) οὐρανόθεν (οὐρανός), adv., [in LXX: 4Ma.4:10 * ;] from heaven: Act.14:17 26:13.† (AS)

aboveὑπὲρhuperG5228
above/for

ὑπέρ (huper) ὑπέρ (when following subst.—poët.—ὕπερ; so as adv., 2Co.11:23), prep. with genitive, accusative I. C. genitive, primarily of place (rest or motion), over, above, across, beyond, hence, metaphorically, 1. for, on behalf of: of prayer, Mat.5:44, Act.8:24, Rom.10:1, Jas.5:16, al.; of laying down life, Jhn.10:11, Rom.9:3, al.; esp. of Christ giving his life for man's redemption, Mrk.14:24, Jhn.10:15, Act.21:13, Rom.5:6-8, al.; opposite to κατά, Mrk.9:40, Luk.9:50, Rom.8:31. …

brightnessλαμπρότηταlamprotētaG2987
brightness

λαμπρότης (lamprotēs) λαμπρότης, -ητος, ἡ [in LXX: Psa.110:3 (הָדָר), al. ;] brightness, brilliancy: τ. ἡλίου, Act.26:13.† (AS)

sunἡλίουhēliouG2246
sun

ἥλιος (hēlios) ἥλιος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX chiefly for שֶׁמֶשׁ ;] the sun: with art. (El., § 46, 5), Mat.5:45 13:43 17:2 24:29, Mrk.1:32 4:6 13:24 16:2, Luk.4:40, Act.2:20" (LXX) Act.26:13, Eph.4:26, Jas.1:11, Rev.1:16 6:12 8:12 9:2 10:1 12:1 16:8 19:17 21:23; βλέπειν τὸν ἥ., Act.13:11; οὐδὲ μὴ πέσῃ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ὁ ἥ., Rev.7:16; without art., Mat.13:6, Luk.21:25 23:45, Act.27:20, 1Co.15:41, Rev.7:2 16:12 22:5.† (AS)

having shone aroundπεριλάμψανperilampsanG4034
to shine around

περιλάμπω (perilampō) περι-λάμπω to shine around: with accusative, Luk.2:9, Act.26:13.† (AS)

meμεmeG3165
me

μέ (me) 1. apostrophe for με. 2. rarely for μοι, (Homer) (ML)

a lightφῶςphōsG5457
light

φῶς (phōs) φῶς (Att.. contr. from φάος; φάω), genitive, φωτός, τό, [in LXX chiefly for אוֹר ;] light (opposite to τὸ σκότος, ἡ σκοτία): Mat.17:2, 5, Jhn.11:9-10, 2Co.4:6; ἡλίου, Rev.22:5; of a lamp, Luk.8:16 11:33, Jhn.5:35, Rev.18:23; of a supernatural heavenly light, Act.9:3 12:7 22:6, 9 22:11 26:13; hence, ἄγγελος φωτός, 2Co.11:14; ὁ κλήρος τ. ἁγίων ἐν τ. φ., Col.1:12; of the divine glory, Rev.21:24; by meton., of that which gives light: of fire, Mrk.14:54, Luk.22:56 (cl.; 1Ma.12:29; cf. DCG, i, 595; pl., of a lamp or torch, Act.16:29; of heavenly bodies, Jas.1:17. Metaphorical, …

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

withσὺνsunG4862
with

σύν (sun) σύν (old Att. ξύν), prep. with dative, expressing association, fellowship and inclusion. It gradually gave way to μετά, with genitive (cf. LS, see word; Bl., §41, 3), and is therefore comparatively infrequent in NT, being rare in Mat.4, Mrk.6, Jhn.3, and elsewhere (exx. Jas.1:11, 2Pe.1:18) only in Lk (Gosp. and Ac) and Paul. With, together with: of companionship and association, Luk.2:13, Jhn.21:3, Act.10:23, al.; εἶναι σύν τινι, Luk.7:12, Act.4:13, Php.1:23, al.; of partisanship, Act.4:13; οἱ σύν τινι, of attendants, companions or colleagues, Mrk.2:26, Luk.5:9, Act.5:17, al.; of assistance, …

me myselfἐμοὶemoiG1473
I/we

ἐγώ (egō) ἐγώ, genitive, etc., ἐμοῦ, ἐμοί, ἐμέ (enclitic μου, μοι, με), pl. ἡμεῖς, -ῶν, -ῖν, -ᾶς, of person(s) pron. I. (a) The nom. is usually emphatic, when expressed as subjc, as in Mat.3:11, Mrk.1:8, Luk.3:16, al. But often there is no apparent emphasis, as Mat.10:16, Jhn.10:17; ἰδοὺ ἐ. (= Heb. הִנֵּנִי, cf. 1Ki.3:8), Act.9:10; ἐ. (like Heb. אֲנִי), I am, Jhn.1:23 (LXX), Act.7:32 (LXX). …

journeying.πορευομένους.poreuomenousG4198
to travel

πορεύω (poreuō) πορεύω, (πόρος, a ford, a passage), [in LXX chiefly for הלךְ ;] in cl. (the act. becomes obsolete in late Gk.; see M, Pr., 162), to cause to go over, carry, convey. Mid. (always in LXX and NT), ־ομαι, to go, proceed, go on one's way: with accusative, ὁδόν, Act.8:39; before ἐκεῖθεν, Mat.19:15; ἐντεῦθεν, Luk.13:31; ἀπό, Mat.25:41, Luk.4:42; εἰς, Mat.2:20, Mrk.16:12, Luk.1:39, Jhn.7:35, al; εἰς εἰρήνην (cf. 1Ki.1:17). Luk.7:50; ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Act.16:36; ἐπί, with accusative, Mat.22:9, Act.25:12, al; ἕως, Act.23:23; οὗ, Luk.24:28, 1Co.16:6; πρός, with accusative of person(s), Mat.25:9, Luk.11:5, al. …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.