Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 26]
26:8 {Incredible with you} (\apiston par' humin\). This old word
\apiston\ (\a\ privative and \pistos\) means either unfaithful
(Lu 12:46), unbelieving (Joh 20:27), or unbelievable as
here). Paul turns suddenly from Agrippa to the audience (\par'
humin\, plural), most of whom were probably Gentiles and scouted
the doctrine of the resurrection as at Athens (17:32). {If God
doth raise the dead} (\ei ho theos nekrous egeirei\). Condition
of the first class assuming that God does raise dead people. Only
God can do it. This rhetorical question needs no answer, though
the narrative resumed in verse 9 does it in a way.
26:9 {I verily thought with myself} (\eg• men oun edoxa
emaut•i\). Personal construction instead of the impersonal, a
touch of the literary style. Paul's "egoism" is deceived as so
often happens. {I ought} (\dein\). Infinitive the usual
construction with \doke•\. Necessity and a sense of duty drove
Paul on even in this great sin (see on ¯23:1), a common failing
with persecutors. {Contrary} (\enantia\). Old word (adjective),
over against, opposite (Ac 27:4), then hostile to as here.
26:10 {I both shut up many} (\pollous te katekleisa\). Effective
aorist active of \kataklei•\, old word to shut down like a trap
door, in N.T. only here and Lu 3:20. Double use of \te\
(both--and). {Having received authority from the chief priests}
(\t•n para t•n archiere•n exousian lab•n\). "The authority," he
says. Paul was the official persecutor of the saints under the
direction of the Sanhedrin. He mentions "chief priests"
(Sadducees), though a Pharisee himself. Both parties were
co-operating against the saints. {And when they were put to
death} (\anairoumen•n te aut•n\). Genitive absolute with present
passive participle of \anaire•\. {I gave my vote against them}
(\kat•negka ps•phon\). "I cast down my pebble" (a black one). The
ancient Greeks used white pebbles for acquittal (Re 2:17),
black ones for condemnation as here (the only two uses of the
word in the N.T.). Paul's phrase (not found elsewhere) is more
vivid than the usual \kataps•phiz•\ for voting. They literally
cast the pebbles into the urn. Cf. \sumps•phiz•\ in Ac 19:19,
\sugkatapsephizo\ in Ac 1:26. If Paul's language is taken
literally here, he was a member of the Sanhedrin and so married
when he led the persecution. That is quite possible, though he
was not married when he wrote 1Co 7:7f., but a widower. It is
possible to take the language figuratively for approval, but not
so natural.
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