Acts 26

Acts 26:2

2.—of Adramyttium,] This was a seaport town in Myria, in the lesser Asia, over against the island of Lesbos. Dr. Wells.

—one Aristarchus,] Aristarchus was a convert of Macedonia, who accompanied St. Paul in his travels from Macedonia to Jerusalem, chap. xix. 29; xx. 4; was a coadjutor with him in the work of the Gospel, Philm. ver. 24; went with him to Rome, and was there in bonds with him, Coloss. iv. 10; and on this account he is here taken notice of, as a companion of St. Paul in the voyage. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 26:3

3.—to go unto his friends] There were Christians in Phenicia, where Sidon was, as appears from chap. xi. 19. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 26:4

4.—we sailed under Cyprus,] They were obliged, it appears, to sail between Cyprus and the coast of Asia, by Cilicia and Pamphylia, leaving that island on the left hand, because the south-west wind would not permit them to pass to the south of it. Dr. Doddridge.

Acts 26:5

5.—Myra, a city of Lycia.] Myra was the capital of that province. Dr. Wells.

Acts 26:7

7.—against Cnidus,] Cnidus stood on a promontory of the same name, in that part of the province of Caria, which was more peculiarly called Doris. Dr. Wells.

—the wind not suffering us, we &c.] It appears that the master of the vessel designed to take the shortest cut to Italy from Cnidus, steering directly westward, and so keeping to the north of Crete; but, the wind not permitting, they were obliged to change their intended course, and to let the ship sail under the east and south-east of Crete. Dr. Wells.

—Salmone:] Was a promontory or cape on the eastern side of Crete. Dr. Wells.

Acts 26:8

8.—fair havens:] This, it is reasonably supposed,

is the same with, or at least a part of, that coast of Crete, which is called by Stephanus the Fair Shore or Coast. Dr. Wells.

Acts 26:9

9. — of Jesus of Nazareth.] This was a title of contempt applied by the Jews to our Lord. St. Paul probably uses it in imitation of his Lord’s humble manner of expressing Himself, recorded at chap. xxii. 8. Abp. Newcome.

9.—the fast was now already past,] Meaning the great fast of expiation, instituted Levit. xvi. 29, which took place on the 10th of the month Tisri, answering to about the 25th of our September. Thus, on account of the lateness of the season, sailing was dangerous. It appears that, at this season, the equinoctial gales prevail in the Mediterranean; and sailing, on account of them, used to be laid aside for the winter. Dr. Whitby.

—Paul admonished them,] St. Paul, it will be remembered, had now had considerable experience in voyages by sea, in the course of his several journeys. He had been oftener in danger too by sea than St. Luke has recorded. See 2 Cor. xi. 25. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 26:10

10. — many of the saints] Many of the Christians. See chap. ix. 13, 32, 41. Bp. Mann.

— I gave my voice against them.] I was a principal actor (chap. vii. 58.) and approver of the sentence, chap. viii. 1. Dr. Hammond.

Acts 26:11

11. — to blaspheme;] To speak evil of Jesus and His religion. Abp. Newcome.

— even unto strange cities.] Forcing them to fly to foreign cities. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 26:14

14.—a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.] It is pretty generally agreed among the learned that the wind here meant is a northeast wind; and the word Euroclydon is, in fact, thought to be a corruption from two words which signify the east and the north. Dr. Hammond, Grotius.

The word translated “tempestuous” denotes properly a violent storm, with a whirlwind attending it. The ancient name is still preserved in the term Tuffoone, which is now used by seamen in the Levant. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 26:15

15.—was caught,] Was borne sway by the wind. Abp. Newcome.

Acts 26:16

16. — of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;] Instances of Jesus’s appearing to St. Paul are

found at chap. xviii. 9; xxii. 18; xxiii. 11; also at 2 Cor. xii. 1, 2. Bp. Pearce.

16.—a certain island—called Clanda,] The name of this island is given differently by different geographers. Ptolemy calls it Claudos; Strabo, Gaudos; Pliny and others, Gaudon. Grotius.

—to come by the boat:] To be masters of the The ship is tossed to and fro with tempest. Anno DOMINI 62.

Acts 26:17

17. Delivering thee from the people,] From the Jews. Bp. Pearce.

18. — undergirding the ship;] Undergirding a ship is still practised by seamen in violent storms. It is done by passing ropes under the ship, and fastening the ends together, to hold the sides of the ship tight together, and keep the timbers from starting. Bp. Pearce.

— into the quicksands,] Meaning, perhaps, the large bank of sand, called Syrtis Major, which is on the coast of Africa, near the country of Cyrene; to this a strong northeast wind would carry the vessel directly from Claudia. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 26:18

18. — among them which are sanctified] These words are not to be joined with those that follow. The sense is, “That they may receive, by faith in Me, forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified.” Bp. Pearce.

19. — they lightened the ship;] It appears from ver. 38, that they did not, in the first instance, throw overboard all the freightage of the ship. Beamsobre.

Acts 26:20

20. — when neither sun nor stars—appeared,] At that time, the mariner’s compass not being known, they had no means of directing their course, but by the observations they could take from the sun by day, and the stars by night. Bp. Mann.

Acts 26:21

21. — after long abstinence] See note at ver. 33.

Acts 26:22

22. — the prophets and Moses] Moses is mentioned separately from the other Prophets, as being the great lawgiver of the Jews.

Acts 26:23

23. That Christ should suffer,] Rather, That Christ should be a suffering One, a suffering Saviour. Bp. Pearce, Pyle. See Issi. liii. 3, &c.

— should shew light] That is, the light of true religion, cleared from the shades of ignorance and error; the tidings of a happy immortality. Beausole.

Acts 26:24

24. — Paul, thou art beside thyself;] We perceive, by the judgment which Festus here forms respecting St. Paul, taking him for a madman, that the most serious things seem folly to the worldly-minded. The wise and

Acts 26:25

25. — I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.] In this speech of St. Paul, delivered under very peculiar circumstances, we are taught how far the providence of God interferes in the accomplishment of human purposes. We are not told that the storm was raised on account of St. Paul, or on account of any person in the ship. And yet many particular events were to be brought about by means of it: a barbarous country was to be introduced to the first light of the Gospel; the lives of all those who sailed with the

Apostle were to be preserved for his sake; and, for any thing that appears to the contrary, not only the lives but the souls of many might be saved. Thus are the general laws of nature subservient to the influences of a particular Providence. The winds may blow, and the waves roll. This is the original destination of the Creator. But the moral as well as natural ends, to which they may be adapted, are instances of that superintending care, which every day, every hour, every moment, is extended over our heads. A firm belief of this keeps alive the spirit of piety in our hearts. It tells us that we are never beyond the reach of Omnipotence; we are never out of the protection of One, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, and who graciously permits us to call Him Father; a word which no one can repeat without bringing to his recollection every thing that is kind, forgiving, compassionate, and good. Brewster.

Acts 26:27

27.—believest thou the prophets?] The miracles, sufferings, and death of Christ, compared with the prophecies of the Old Testament, were abundantly sufficient evidences of the truth of the Gospel. Upon this ground St. Paul asks the question, “Believest thou the Prophets?” Agrippa was by nation and by profession a Jew. St. Paul therefore, knowing it was impossible to doubt this, answers for him, “I know that thou believest.” Thus the conclusion, which he leaves him to draw, is this; Since thou believest the Prophets, and since thou knowest that the predictions concerning the Messiah are accomplished in Jesus of Nazareth, thou canst not but own that the Gospel is true, and that I have done well to obey the heavenly vision, in preaching Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ. S. Clarke.

27. — when the fourteenth night was come,] That is, after their sailing from “fair havens,” ver. 8, 13. Bp. Pearce.

— in Adria,] Or the Adriatick sea, comprehending not only the part of the Mediterranean which bears that name in modern geography, but also, as the learned have shewn from the writings of the ancient geographers, all the sea lying between Sicily and Crete. Dr. Wells, Bp. Pearce.

Acts 26:28

28.—Almost thou persuadest me &c.] An impression was made on Agrippa by the discourse of St. Paul, but that impression was not to salvation, since Agrippa took no further care to be instructed therein. It is in vain to be but faintly affected with the word of God, or to be a half, an almost Christian. We must be so altogether, and with all the affections of our soul. Ostervald.

We see how great was the evidence and force of what the Apostle delivered when the king owns himself almost persuaded to become a Christian. And why not altogether? Was it for want of sufficient proofs? Certainly not. The arguments which the Apostle used were so convincing, that, had he only thoroughly and seriously given his attention to them, he would have been not only almost, but altogether persuaded. It was not therefore for want of evidence that he was only almost convinced, but for want of due consideration and attention. He would not give himself leisure thoroughly to weigh these things, agreeably to their importance. He was in haste, and had other things to mind. Besides this, his pride made him unwilling to yield to the persuasions of his prisoner, and the purity of the Christian doctrines would ill have agreed with that indulgence of sinful passions in which he habitually lived. These then were invincible obstacles to his becoming a thorough Christian: so that, though he was by the force of truth almost persuaded, yet he persisted in his infidelity to the last, and, as history assures us, perished in it. This history affords to all Christians

a very instructive and important lesson. In how lively a manner does this king represent the case of multitudes in our day, who are often almost persuaded to become Christians; that is, true, sincere, and faithful disciples of Christ, yet through the power of their lusts, and their love of the world, are never thoroughly persuaded, and come to a full resolution! In one sense, indeed, they are Christians; that is, they profess the Christian name, to which they have been bred, and they perhaps see the evidence of the truth of the Gospel, so that they cannot but believe it. To them the same appeal may be made which St. Paul made to Agrippa; but still they are not persuaded to become the subjects of Christ indeed, and to be governed by His holy laws. S. Clarke.

—a Christian.] It hence appears, that this had become a common name of a disciple of Christ, since the Christians were first so called at Antioch, chap. xi. 26. Beausobre.

28. — and found it fifteen fathoms,] The sea being more shallow than when they sounded the first time, they concluded that land was near. Bp. Mann.

Acts 26:29

29.—I would to God, &c.] Every body must be charmed with the spirit and good manners of the Apostle, and the decency and delicacy of his answer. Bp. Newton.

—except these bonds.] The chain which he carried, and by which his hand was usually bound to the soldier who guarded him, chap. xxviii. 20. Abp. Newcome.

29. — cast four anchors out of the stern,] However unusual it may be in modern times for an anchor to be dropped from the stern of a ship, it may be collected from passages in different authors that this custom frequently prevailed in ancient times. Bp. Pearce. The

Acts 26:32

32.—This man might have been set at liberty, &c.] This publick attestation of St. Paul’s innocence from so noble and learned a judge as Agrippa, was highly advantageous. It contributed to soften the prejudices of the Jews in general against St. Paul, as an apostate and subverter of the law of Moses; and to counteract as false and malicious, the accusations of the chief priests, which might follow him to Rome; while it tended to gain him greater indulgence from Festus, and a more favourable representation of his case to the emperor, when sanctioned by so high and so respectable a Jewish authority. Dr. Hales. It was probably owing to Agrippa’s favourable representations that St. Paul was treated so indulgently while in the ship and at Rome, as is related in the following chapters. Bp. Pearce.

Chap. XXVII. ver. 1.—that we should sail] By the expression “we,” it appears that St. Luke, the writer of this book, was on board the ship in which St. Paul sailed; and this enabled him to give so particular an account of the voyage and shipwreck. Bp. Pearce.

Paul shipping toward Rome, CHAP. XXVII. foretelleth the danger of the voyage. Anno DOMINI 62.