English Standard Version
Acts 26:24
24And 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."
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.”
- 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!”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”
Context of Acts 26:24
22To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." 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." 25But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.
Read all of Acts 26Acts 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- as heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- thusοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- spake for himselfἀπολογέομαιapologeomai · to defend oneselfG626
- FestusΦῆστοςPhēstos · FestusG5347
- saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
- with a loudμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- thou art beside thyselfμαίνομαιmainomai · to raveG3105
- muchπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- learningγράμμαgramma · something writtenG1121
- doth makeπεριτρέπωperitrepō · to drive insaneG4062
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
- madμανίαmania · insanityG3130
Cross-references for Acts 26:24
- Acts 22:1"Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you."
- Acts 17:32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."
- Acts 24:25And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you."
- Acts 25:19Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
- Acts 26:11And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
- 2 Kings 9:11When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know the fellow and his talk."
- Jeremiah 29:26'The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and neck irons.
- Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred.
- Mark 3:21And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."
- John 8:48The Jews answered him, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"
- John 10:20Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?"
- 1 Corinthians 1:23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
- 1 Corinthians 2:13And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
- 1 Corinthians 4:10We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
- 2 Corinthians 5:13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right 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
In the dictionaries
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
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