Acts 26:24

Acts 26:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
• New International Version (NIV)At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

Context of Acts 26:24

22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: 23that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.” At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!” 25But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. 26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.

Acts 26:24 word by word

Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ Φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ φησιν· μαίνῃ Παῦλε· τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει.Read the interlinear

• At this stageοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• ·δέde · thenG1161
• ofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• defenseἀπολογέομαιapologeomai · to defend oneselfG626
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• FestusΦῆστοςPhēstos · FestusG5347
• exclaimedφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• in a loudμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• You are insaneμαίνομαιmainomai · to raveG3105
• PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
• greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• learningγράμμαgramma · something writtenG1121
• is drivingπεριτρέπωperitrepō · to drive insaneG4062
• youσύsu · youG4771
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• madnessμανίαmania · insanityG3130

Cross-references for Acts 26:24

• Acts 22:1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
• Acts 17:32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this topic.”
• Acts 24:25As Paul expounded on righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now. When I find the time, I will call for you.”
• Acts 25:19They only had some contentions with him regarding their own religion and a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
• Acts 26:11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
• 2 Kings 9:11When Jehu went out to the servants of his master, they asked, “Is everything all right? Why did this madman come to you?” “You know his kind and their babble,” he replied.
• Jeremiah 29:26‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
• Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived— let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
• Mark 3:21When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
• John 8:48The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”
• John 10:20Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
• 1 Corinthians 1:23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
• 1 Corinthians 2:13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
• 1 Corinthians 4:10We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.
• 2 Corinthians 5:13If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

Commentaries on Acts 26:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Paul, thou art beside thyself - "Thou art mad, Paul!" "Thy great learning hath turned thee into a madman." As we sometimes say, thou art cracked, and thy brain is turned. By the it is likely that Festus meant no more than this, that Paul had got such a vast variety of knowledge, that his brain was overcharged with it: for, in this speech, Paul makes no particular show of what we call learning; for he quotes none of their celebrated authors, as he did on…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24Festus said with a loud voice - Amazed at the zeal of Paul. Paul doubtless evinced deep interest in the subject, and great earnestness in the delivery of his defense. Thou art beside thyself - Thou art deranged; thou art insane. The reasons why Festus thought Paul mad were, probably: (1) His great earnestness and excitement on the subject. (2) his laying such stress on the gospel of the despised Jesus of Nazareth, as if it were a matter of infinite…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-32Verses 24-32 It becomes us, on all occasions, to speak the words of truth and soberness, and then we need not be troubled at the unjust censures of men. Active and laborious followers of the gospel often have been despised as dreamers or madmen, for believing such doctrines and such wonderful facts; and for attesting that the same faith and diligence, and an experience like their own, are necessary to all men, whatever their rank, in order to their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24You are insane, Paul!: Festus, a Roman, thought Paul's talk about the prophets and resurrection was crazy (compare 17:18, 32). He concluded that Paul had studied so much it drove him to madness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. Festus said with a loud voice--surprised and bewildered. Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad--"is turning thy head." The union of flowing Greek, deep acquaintance with the sacred writings of his nation, reference to a resurrection and other doctrines to a Roman utterly unintelligible, and, above all, lofty religious earnestness, so strange to the cultivated, cold-hearted skeptics of that day--may account for this sudden…Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 26:24

• Court
• Insanity
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Paul
• Paul, Saul
• Above
• Agrippa II.
• Beside
• Corner
• Disobedient
• Incredible
• Instantly
• James

Commentaries on Acts 26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings