The Meaning of Acts 26:17 Explained

Acts 26:17

KJV: Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

YLT: delivering thee from the people, and the nations, to whom now I send thee,

Darby: taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom I send thee,

ASV: delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Delivering  thee  from  the people,  and  [from] the Gentiles,  unto  whom  now  I send  thee, 

What does Acts 26:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 26:12-21 - Obedient To His Heavenly Vision
Nowhere else is there such deliverance from the glare and cross-lights of earth as is afforded by a vision of the face of Jesus, brighter than the sun at noon. To everyone there comes the opportunity of catching a vision of that face, sometimes reflected in a human one, as Paul first saw it in the countenance of Stephen. It confronts us when we go on forbidden paths, and summons us to arise and follow the life which is life indeed.
Acts 26:16 : What we have seen is only a part of the great unveiling. He will show us other and greater things than these. Acts 26:17 : We shall be delivered, even as we are sent. The Master holds Himself responsible for our safety while we are engaged in His work. Acts 26:18 : We have here an anticipation of Colossians 1:19.
We must not disobey the heavenly visions that visit us. When Paul in his dream beheld the beckoning Macedonian, he made a straight course for Europe. Sometimes, in obeying, the first appearances are discouraging, as when the missionaries, on landing at Philippi, met only a few women beside the little river; but the final results will justify the first stepping-out of faith. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 26

1  Paul, in the presence of Agrippa, declares his life from his childhood;
12  and how miraculously he was converted, and called to his apostleship
24  Festus charges him with being insane, whereunto he answers modestly
28  Agrippa is almost persuaded to be a Christian
31  The whole company pronounces him innocent

Greek Commentary for Acts 26:17

Delivering thee [εχαιρουμενος σε]
Present middle participle of εχαιρεω — exaireō old verb and usually so rendered, but the old Greek also uses it for “choose” as also in lxx (Isaiah 48:10). The papyri give examples of both meanings and either makes good sense here. God was continually rescuing Paul “out of the hands of Jews and Gentiles and Paul was a chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15). Modern scholars are also divided. [source]
The people []
The Jews. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 26:17

Acts 13:9 Filled with the Holy Spirit [πιμπλημι]
First aorist (ingressive) passive participle of ατενισας — pimplēmi with the genitive case. A special influx of power to meet this emergency. Here was a cultured heathen, typical of the best in Roman life, who called forth all the powers of Paul plus the special help of the Holy Spirit to expose the wickedness of Elymas Barjesus. If one wonders why the Holy Spirit filled Paul for this emergency rather than Barnabas, when Barnabas was named first in Acts 13:2, he can recall the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in his choice of agents (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) and also the special call of Paul by Christ (Acts 9:15; Acts 26:17.). Fastened his eyes (atenisas). As already in Luke 4:20; Luke 22:56; Acts 3:4, Acts 3:12; Acts 6:15; Acts 10:4. [source]
Acts 26:23 How that he first by the resurrection of the dead [ει]
Same construction with πρωτος — ei (whether). This point Paul had often discussed with the Jews: “whether he (the Messiah) by a resurrection of dead people.” Others had been raised from the dead, but Christ is the first Paul is still speaking from the Jewish standpoint: “is about to (going to) proclaim light.” See Acts 26:18 for “light” and Luke 2:32. Both to the people and to the Gentiles (ετνη — tōi te laōi kai tois ethnesin). See Acts 26:17. It was at the word Gentiles (αναστασις — ethnē) that the mob lost control of themselves in the speech from the stairs (Acts 22:21.). So it is here, only not because of that word, but because of the word “resurrection” (anastasis). [source]
Acts 26:23 Both to the people and to the Gentiles [ετνη]
See Acts 26:17. It was at the word Gentiles So it is here, only not because of that word, but because of the word “resurrection” (anastasis). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 26:17 mean?

delivering you out from the people and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending
ἐξαιρούμενός σε ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς οὓς ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω

ἐξαιρούμενός  delivering 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐξαιρέω  
Sense: to pluck out, draw out, i.
ἐκ  out  from 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
λαοῦ  people 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: λαός  
Sense: a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.
ἐθνῶν  Gentiles 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ἔθνος  
Sense: a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together.
οὓς  whom 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
ἀποστέλλω  am  sending 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἀποστέλλω 
Sense: to order (one) to go to a place appointed.