New American Standard Bible 1995
Acts 26:24
24While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! 1Your great 2learning is 3driving you mad.”
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
22So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.” 25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape 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
- was sayingἀπολογέομαιapologeomai · to defend oneselfG626
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- FestusΦῆστοςPhēstos · FestusG5347
- saidφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
- in a loudμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
- PaulΠαῦλοςPaulos · PaulG3972
- you are out of your mindμαίνομαιmainomai · to raveG3105
- greatπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- learningγράμμαgramma · something writtenG1121
- drivingπεριτρέπωperitrepō · to drive insaneG4062
- you madμανίαmania · insanityG3130
Cross-references for Acts 26:24
- Acts 22:1“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.”
- Acts 17:32Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”
- Acts 24:25But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.”
- Acts 25:19but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.
- Acts 26:11And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
- 2 Kings 9:11Now Jehu came out to the servants of his master, and one said to him, “Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?” And he said to them, “You know very well the man and his talk.”
- Jeremiah 29:26“The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to be the overseer in the house of the Lord over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and in the iron collar,
- Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come, The days of retribution have come; Let Israel know this! The prophet is a fool, The inspired man is demented, Because of the grossness of your iniquity, And because your hostility is so great.
- Mark 3:21When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.”
- John 8:48The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
- John 10:20Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”
- 1 Corinthians 1:23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
- 1 Corinthians 2:13which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
- 1 Corinthians 4:10We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
- 2 Corinthians 5:13For if we are beside ourselves, 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
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Acts 26:24 Lit The many letters ↩
- 2. Acts 26:24 John 7:15; 2 Tim 3:15 ↩
- 3. Acts 26:24 Lit turning you to madness ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries