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Selected Verse: Acts 26:7 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ac 26:7 |
King James |
Unto 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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Unto which promise--the fulfilment of it.
our twelve tribes-- (Jam 1:1; and see on Luk 2:36).
instantly--"intently"; see on Act 12:5.
serving God--in the sense of religious worship; on "ministered," see on Act 13:2.
day and night, hope to come--The apostle rises into language as catholic as the thought--representing his despised nation, all scattered thought it now was, as twelve great branches of one ancient stem, in all places of their dispersion offering to the God of their fathers one unbroken worship, reposing on one great "promise" made of old unto their fathers, and sustained by one "hope" of "coming" to its fulfilment; the single point of difference between him and his countrymen, and the one cause of all their virulence against him, being, that his hope had found rest in One already come, while theirs still pointed to the future.
For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews--"I am accused of Jews, O king" (so the true reading appears to be); of all quarters the most surprising for such a charge to come from. The charge of sedition is not so much as alluded to throughout this speech. It was indeed a mere pretext. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Unto which promise - To the fulfillment of which promise they hope to come; that is, they hope and believe that the promise will be fulfilled, and that they will partake of its benefits.
Our twelve tribes - This was the name by which the Jews were designated. The ancient Jewish nation had hoped to come to that promise; it had been the hope and expectation of the nation. Long before the coming of the Messiah, ten of the twelve tribes had been carried captive to Assyria, and had not returned, leaving but the two tribes of Benjamin and Judah. But the name, "the twelve tribes," as used to designate the Jewish people, would be still retained. Compare Jam 1:1. Paul here says that the hope referred to had been that of the Jewish nation. Except the comparatively small portion of the nation, the Sadducees, the great mass of the nation had held to the doctrine of a future state. This Agrippa would know well.
Instantly - Constantly; with intensity ἐν en ἐκτένεια ekteneia; with zeal. This was true, for, amidst all the sins of the nation, they observed with punctuality and zeal the outward forms of the worship of God.
Serving God - In the ordinances and observances of the temple. As a nation they did not serve him in their hearts, but they kept up the outward forms of religious worship.
Day and night - With unwearied zeal; with constancy and ardor, Luk 2:37. The ordinary Jewish services and sacrifices were in the morning and evening, and might be said to be performed day and night. Some of their services, as the Paschal supper, were prolonged usually until late at night. The main idea is, that they kept up the worship of God with constant and untiring zeal and devotion.
For which hope's sake - On account of my cherishing this hope in common with the great mass of my countrymen. See Act 23:6. If Paul could convince Agrippa that the main point of his offence was what had been the common belief of his countrymen, it would show to his satisfaction that he was innocent. And on this ground he put his defense - that he held only what the mass of the nation had believed, and that he maintained this in the only consistent and defensible manner that God had, in fact, raised up the Messiah, and had thus given assurance that the dead would rise. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Twelve tribes (δωδεκάφυλον)
Only here in New Testament. A collective term, embracing the tribes as a whole. Meyer renders our twelve-tribe-stock.
Instantly (ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ)
Only here in New Testament. Lit., in intensity. See on fervently, Pe1 1:22. Compare more earnestly, Luk 22:44; without ceasing, Act 12:5; fervent, Pe1 4:8. See, also, on instantly and instant, Luk 7:4; Luk 23:23.
Serving
Compare Act 24:14; and see on Luk 1:74.
Come (καταντῆσαι)
Lit., to arrive at, as if at a goal. Compare Act 16:1; Act 18:19; Act 25:13, etc. Rev. attain. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Our twelve tribes - For a great part of the ten tribes also had at various times returned from the east to their own country, Jam 1:1; Pe1 1:1. Worshipping continually night and day - That is, this is what they aim at in all their public and private worship. |
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
13 And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.