1007 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple,.... He means the Asiatic Jews, who finding him in the temple, laid hold on him, and dragged him out of it: and, as he says, went about to kill me; for no other reason, but for preaching to the Gentiles, and for preaching the above doctrines to them: what he refers to is in Acts 21:27.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Having therefore obtained help of God,.... Both to preach the Gospel, and escape danger; for he had delivered him many a time both from Jews and Gentiles, according to his promise, Acts 26:17 and particularly from the Asiatic Jews, when they were about to kill him, by the means of Lysias the chief captain, who rescued him out of their hands; and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
That Christ should suffer,.... Great afflictions in soul and body, and death itself; this is recorded by Moses, Genesis 3:15 and is the sense of many of the types, as of the passover, brazen serpent, c. and of all the sacrifices which from God were appointed by him, and is the constant account of all the prophets from the beginning to the end see...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And as he thus spake for himself,.... Asserting the integrity and innocence of his past life and conversation, in proof of which he appealed to the Jews themselves; setting forth the prejudices to the Christian religion he had been under; declaring the heavenly vision that had appeared to him, and the divine orders he had received; alleging, that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus,.... That is, Paul said, as the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read: he replied to Festus, to whom he gives his title of honour, not out of fear, nor flattery, but according to custom; and though he used him in such a reproachful manner, as if he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For the king knoweth of these things,.... Something of them, of the sufferings and resurrection of the Messiah, and of his showing light to Jews and Gentiles, as they are spoken of by Moses and the prophets, whose writings Agrippa was conversant with, and of these things as fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth; at least he had heard the report of them,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?.... What they have said concerning the person, office, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, and that what they have said is fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth? I know that thou believest; that what the prophets said were true, and are accomplished.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Agrippa said unto Paul,.... Either seriously or ironically; rather the former, arising from the convictions of his mind, which he could not stifle nor conceal: almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian; to profess faith in Jesus as the Messiah, to embrace his doctrine, and submit to his ordinances, which is to be a Christian, at least...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Paul said, I would to God,.... This prayer of the apostle's shows his affection for the souls of men, and his great desire for their conversion, and also his sense of the power and grace of God, as necessary to it: that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am; that is, his wish was that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when he had thus spoken,.... These words are omitted in the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions: the king rose up; from the judgment seat; that is, King Agrippa: and the governor; the Roman governor, Festus: and Bernice: the sister of King Agrippa: and they that sat with them; either in council, or to hear; the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when they were gone aside,.... Into some apartment adjoining to the judgment hall: they talked between themselves; that the common people might not hear their debates, and the result of them, and what were their sentiments concerning Paul and his case: saying, this man doth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds; according to the Roman laws; for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then said Agrippa unto Festus,.... As declaring his sense, and by way of advice and counsel; but not as determining anything himself, for that lay in the breast of Festus, the Roman governor and judge: this man might have been set at liberty; from his bonds and imprisonment; for ought that appears against him, or any law to the contrary: if he had...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy,.... The chief city of which was Rome, the metropolis of the empire, where Caesar had his palace, to whom the apostle had appealed; and his voyage thither was determined by Festus, with the advice of Agrippa and his council, pursuant to the apostle's appeal, and which was founded on the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And entering into a ship of Adramyttium,.... Which was in the port of Caesarea; for from thence they set sail to the place where this ship was bound, which very likely was the place here mentioned; there was a city of this name in Africa, and which was built upon the sea shore, and is sometimes called Hadrumentum (g), as this is called Adramantos,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the next day we touched at Sidon,.... This was a famous city in Phoenicia, upon the northern border of the land of Israel; it was a maritime place, and noted for trade and navigation; Mela (q) calls it rich Sidon, and the chief of the maritime cities; Jerom (r) calls it the ancient city Sidon; and Curtius says (s) it was renowned for the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when we had launched from thence,.... From Sidon: we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary; that is, they sailed below the island of Cyprus; of which see Acts 4:36 whereas if the wind had been right for them, they would have sailed above the island; leaving it on the right hand, in a straight course to Myra; but now they were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia,.... For these two seas joined, as Pliny says (f), "mare Pamphylium Cilicio jungitur", the Pamphylian sea is joined to the Cilician; and in another place (g) he observes, that in the Pamphylian sea were islands of no note, and in the Cilician sea of the five chiefest was Cyprus (an...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria,.... Alexandria was the chief city in Egypt, built by Alexander the great, from whom it took its name; it was situated near the sea, and had a famous haven or port, which R. Benjamin (n) calls הנמל של אלכסנדריאה, "the port of Alexandria"; from hence ships were sent into several parts for trade and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when we had sailed slowly many days,.... Because of contrary winds, as in Acts 27:4 or else for want of wind, as some think; the Syriac version renders it, "and because it sailed heavily"; that is, the ship being loaden with goods: and scarce were come over against Cnidus; or "Gnidus", as it is sometimes called; it was a city and promontory in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And hardly passing it,.... That is, Salmone, with great difficulty, because of the winds: came unto a place which is called the Fair Havens; called by other writers Cale Acte, or the fair shore, and is placed by Ptolomy (c) in Eubaea, and by Herodotus (d) in Sicily; but by Stephanus (e) is said to be a city of the Cretians, and which agrees with...