KJV: But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
YLT: and he saith, 'I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness the sayings I speak forth;
Darby: But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;
ASV: But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
Ὁ | - |
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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Παῦλος | Paul |
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Παῦλος Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles. |
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μαίνομαι | I am insane |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular Root: μαίνομαι Sense: to be mad, to rave. |
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φησίν | says |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: φημί Sense: to make known one’s thoughts, to declare. |
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Κράτιστε | most excellent |
Parse: Adjective, Vocative Masculine Singular, Superlative Root: κράτιστος Sense: mightiest, strongest, noblest, most illustrious, best, most excellent. |
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Φῆστε | Festus |
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular Root: Φῆστος Sense: the successor of Felix as procurator of Judea. |
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ἀληθείας | of truth |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: ἀλήθεια Sense: objectively. |
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σωφροσύνης | sobriety |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: σωφροσύνη Sense: soundness of mind. |
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ῥήματα | words |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: ῥῆμα Sense: that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word. |
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ἀποφθέγγομαι | I utter |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular Root: ἀποφθέγγομαι Sense: to speak out, speak forth, pronounce. |
Greek Commentary for Acts 26:25
Verb for dignified and elevated discourse, a word from the literary Koiné, not the vernacular. In N.T. only here and Acts 2:4, Acts 2:14 which see. It occurs three times in Vettius Valens in a “mantic” sense. Paul was not ruffled by the rude and excited interruption of Festus, but speaks with perfect courtesy in his reply “words of truth and soberness.” The old word σωπροσυνη sōphrosunē (soundness of mind) from σωπρων sōphrōn (and that from σως sōs and πρην phrēn) is directly opposed to “madness” (μανια mania) and in N.T. occurs only here and 1 Timothy 2:15. [source]
See on Acts 2:4. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 26:25
He seems to refer to the matters in Chapters 1:5-2:52, the Gospel of the Infancy.In order (κατεχης kathexēs). Chronological order in the main following Mark‘s general outline. But in 9:51-18:10 the order is often topical. He has made careful investigation and his work deserves serious consideration.Most excellent Theophilus The name means god-lover or god-beloved. He may have been a believer already. He was probably a Gentile. Ramsay holds that “most excellent” was a title like “Your Excellency” and shows that he held office, perhaps a Knight. So of Felix (Acts 23:26) and Festus (Acts 26:25). The adjective does not occur in the dedication in Acts 1:1. [source]
The name means god-lover or god-beloved. He may have been a believer already. He was probably a Gentile. Ramsay holds that “most excellent” was a title like “Your Excellency” and shows that he held office, perhaps a Knight. So of Felix (Acts 23:26) and Festus (Acts 26:25). The adjective does not occur in the dedication in Acts 1:1. [source]
The perfect active participle of a common verb of the ancient Greek. Literally it means to follow along a thing in mind, to trace carefully. Both meanings occur abundantly in the ancient Greek. Cadbury (Appendix C to Beginnings of Christianity, Vol. II, pp. 489ff.) objects to the translation “having traced” here as implying research which the word does not here mean. Milligan (Vocabulary) is somewhat impressed by this argument. See my discussion of the point in Chapter XVI of Studies in the Text of the N.T. (The Implications in Luke‘s Preface) where the point is made that Luke here claims fulness of knowledge before he began to write his book. He had the traditions of the eyewitnesses and ministers of the word and the narratives previously drawn up. Whether he was a personal contemporary with any or all of these events we do not know and it is not particularly pertinent. He had mentally followed along by the side of these events. Galen used this verb for the investigation of symptoms. Luke got himself ready to write before he began by full and accurate knowledge of the subject. Ακριβως Akribōs (accurately) means going into minute details, from ακρον akron the topmost point. And he did it from the first He seems to refer to the matters in Chapters 1:5-2:52, the Gospel of the Infancy.In order (κατεχης kathexēs). Chronological order in the main following Mark‘s general outline. But in 9:51-18:10 the order is often topical. He has made careful investigation and his work deserves serious consideration.Most excellent Theophilus The name means god-lover or god-beloved. He may have been a believer already. He was probably a Gentile. Ramsay holds that “most excellent” was a title like “Your Excellency” and shows that he held office, perhaps a Knight. So of Felix (Acts 23:26) and Festus (Acts 26:25). The adjective does not occur in the dedication in Acts 1:1. [source]
followed along by the side of these events. Galen used this verb for the investigation of symptoms. Luke got himself ready to write before he began by full and accurate knowledge of the subject. Ακριβως Akribōs (accurately) means going into minute details, from ακρον akron the topmost point. And he did it from the first He seems to refer to the matters in Chapters 1:5-2:52, the Gospel of the Infancy.In order (κατεχης kathexēs). Chronological order in the main following Mark‘s general outline. But in 9:51-18:10 the order is often topical. He has made careful investigation and his work deserves serious consideration.Most excellent Theophilus The name means god-lover or god-beloved. He may have been a believer already. He was probably a Gentile. Ramsay holds that “most excellent” was a title like “Your Excellency” and shows that he held office, perhaps a Knight. So of Felix (Acts 23:26) and Festus (Acts 26:25). The adjective does not occur in the dedication in Acts 1:1. [source]
This is precisely what Paul claims in 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, but all the same without an interpreter the gift was not to be exercised (1 Corinthians 14:6-19). Paul had the gift of tongues, but refused to exercise it except as it would be understood. Note the imperfect tense here Perhaps they did not all speak at once, but one after another. Αποπτεγγεσται Apophtheggesthai is a late verb (lxx of prophesying, papyri). Lucian uses it of the ring of a vessel when it strikes a reef. It is used of eager, elevated, impassioned utterance. In the N.T. only here, Acts 2:14; Acts 26:25. Αποπτεγμ Apophthegm is from this verb. [source]
See note on Luke 1:3 to Theophilus though not in Acts 1:1. It is usual in addressing men of rank as here, like our “Your Excellency” in Acts 24:3 and Paul uses it to Festus in Acts 26:25. [source]
Ἁιδώς N.T. ( αἰδοῦς in Hebrews 12:28is an incorrect reading). In earlier Greek, as in Homer, it sometimes blends with the sense of αἰσχύνη shamethough used also of the feeling of respectful timidity in the presence of superiors, or of penitent respect toward one who has been wronged (see Homer, Il. i. 23). Hence it is connected in Homer with military discipline (Il. v. 531). It is the feeling of a suppliant or an unfortunate in the presence of those from whom he seeks aid; of a younger man toward an older and wiser one. It is a feeling based upon the sense of deficiency, inferiority, or unworthiness. On the other hand, it is the feeling of a superior in position or fortune which goes out to an unfortunate. See Homer, Il. xxiv. 208; Od. xiv. 388; Soph. Oed. Col. 247. In the Attic period, a distinction was recognised between αἰσχύνη and αἰδώς : αἰδώς representing a respectful and reverent attitude toward another, while αἰσχύνη was the sense of shame on account of wrong doing. Thus, “one αἰδεῖται isrespectful to his father, but αἰσχύνεται isashamed because he has been drunk.” Trench (N.T. Synon. § xix.) remarks that “ αἰδώς is the nobler word and implies the nobler motive. In it is involved an innate moral repugnance to the doing of the dishonorable act, which moral repugnance scarcely or not at all exists in the αἰσχύνη . Let the man who is restrained by αἰσχύνη alone be insured against the outward disgrace which he fears his act will entail, and he will refrain from it no longer.” The A.V. shamefacedness is a corruption of the old English shamefastness. So Chaucer:“Schamefast chastite.”Knight's T. 2057.Shakespeare:“'Tis a blushing shamefast spirit that mutinies in a man's bosom.”Richard III. i. 4.It is one of a large class of words, as steadfast, soothfast, rootfast, masterfast, handfast, bedfast, etc. Shamefaced changes and destroys the original force of the word, which was bound or made fast by an honorable shame. Σωφροσύνη sobrietysoP. Once in Acts, Acts 26:25. The kindred verb σωφρονεῖν tobe of sound mind, Romans 12:3-5; 2 Corinthians 5:13; Titus 2:6. Several representatives of this family of words appear in the Pastorals, and with the exception of σωφροσύνη and σωφρονεῖν , nowhere else in N.T. Such are σωφρονίζειν tobe soberminded (Titus 2:4); σωφρονισμός discipline(2 Timothy 1:7); σωφρόνως soberly(Titus 2:12); σώφρων soberminded(1 Timothy 3:2). The word is compounded of σάος or σῶς safesound, and φρήν mindIt signifies entire command of the passions and desires; a self-control which holds the rein over these. So Aristotle (Rhet. i. 9): The virtue by which we hold ourselves toward the pleasures of the body as. the law enjoins.” Comp. 4Macc. 1:31. Euripides calls it “the fairest gift of the gods” (Med. 632). That it appears so rarely in N.T. is, as Trench remarks, “not because more value was attached to it in heathen ethics than in Christian morality, but because it is taken up and transformed into a condition yet higher still, in which a man does not command himself, which is well, but, which is better still, is commanded by God.” The words with shamefastness and sobriety may either be taken directly with adorn themselves, or better perhaps, as indicating moral qualities accompanying ( μετὰ with) the modest apparel. Let them adorn themselves in modest apparel, having along with this shamefastness and sobermindedness. [source]