Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 26]
\ethnesin\ (Gentiles). Cf. Mt 3:8 for similar language used of
the Baptist. Paul, the greatest of theologians, was an
interesting practical preacher.
26:21 {Assayed to kill me} (\epeir•nto diacheirisasthai\).
Conative imperfect middle of \peira•\, the old form of the later
_Koin•_ \peiraz•\ so common in the _Koin•_, but in N.T. here
only. Some MSS. have it in Ac 9:26; Heb 4:15. The old verb
\diacheiriz•\, to take in hand, middle to lay hands on, to slay,
occurs in N.T. only here and 5:30 which see.
26:22 {Having therefore obtained} (\oun tuch•n\). Second aorist
active participle of old verb \tugchan•\. {The help that is from
God} (\epikourias t•s apo tou theou\). Old word from \epikoure•\,
to aid, and that from \epikouros\, ally, assister. Only here in
N.T. God is Paul's ally. All of the plots of the Jews against
Paul had failed so far. {I stand} (\hest•ka\). Second perfect of
\hist•mi\, to place, intransitive to stand. Picturesque word
(Page) of Paul's stability and fidelity (cf. Php 4:1; Eph
6:13). {Both to small and great} (\mikr•i te kai megal•i\).
Dative singular (rather than instrumental, taking \marturoumenos\
middle, not passive) and use of \te kai\ links the two adjectives
together in an inclusive way. These two adjectives in the
singular (representative singular rather than plural) can apply
to age (young and old) or to rank (Re 11:18) as is specially
suitable here with Festus and Agrippa present. In Ac 8:10 (Heb
8:11) the phrase explains \pantes\ (all). {Saying nothing but
what} (\ouden ektos leg•n h•n\). "Saying nothing outside of those
things which." The ablative relative \h•n\ is attracted into the
case of the unexpressed antecedent \tout•n\ and so ablative after
\ektos\ (adverbial preposition common in LXX, the papyri. In N.T.
here and 1Co 6:18; 15:27; 2Co 12:2f.). Cf. Lu 16:29 about
Moses and the prophets.
26:23 {How that the Christ must suffer} (\ei path•tos ho
Christos\). Literally, "if the Messiah is subject to suffering."
\Ei\ can here mean "whether" as in Heb 7:15. This use of a
verbal in \-tos\ for capability or possibility occurs in the N.T.
alone in \path•tos\ (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 157). This word
occurs in Plutarch in this sense. It is like the Latin
_patibilis_ and is from _pasch•_. Here alone in N.T. Paul is
speaking from the Jewish point of view. Most rabbis had not
rightly understood Isa 53. When the Baptist called Jesus "the
Lamb of God" (Joh 1:29) it was a startling idea. It is not then
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