Acts 26:3

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

King James Version (1611)
Especially, because I know thee to be expert in all customes and questions which are among the Iewes: wherefore I beseech thee to heare mee patiently.

King James Version
Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

English Standard Version
especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

New American Standard Bible
especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

New Century Version
You know so much about all the customs and the things they argue about, so please listen to me patiently.

Amplified Bible
especially because you are an expert [fully knowledgeable, experienced and unusually conversant] in all the Jewish customs and controversial issues; therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

Legacy Standard Bible
especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

Berean Standard Bible
especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.

Contemporary English Version
You know a lot about our religious customs and the beliefs that divide us. So I ask you to listen patiently to me.

Complete Jewish Bible
because you are so well informed about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

Darby Translation
especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

Easy-to-Read Version
I am very happy to talk to you, because you know so much about all the Jewish customs and the things the Jews argue about. Please listen to me patiently.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Chiefly, because thou hast knowledge of all customes, and questions which are among the Iewes: wherefore I beseech thee, to heare me patiently.

George Lamsa Translation
Especially because I know you are familiar with all the customs and questions and laws of the Jews: wherefore, I beg you to hear me patiently.

Good News Translation
particularly since you know so well all the Jewish customs and disputes. I ask you, then, to listen to me with patience.

Lexham English Bible
because you are especially acquainted with both all the customs and controversial questions with respect to the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me with patience.

Literal Translation
you being most of all expert, knowing of all the customs and questions also among the Jews. Because of this, I beg you patiently to hear me.

American Standard Version
especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

Bible in Basic English
The more so, because you are expert in all questions to do with the Jews and their ways: so I make my request to you to give me a hearing to the end.

Hebrew Names Version
especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Yehudim. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

International Standard Version
since you are especially familiar with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen patiently to me.

Etheridge Translation
Especially because I know that you are conversant with all questions and laws of the Jihudoyee; therefore, I pray you with patient mind to hear me.

Murdock Translation
especially, as I know thee to be expert in all the controversies and laws of the Jews. I therefore request thee to hear me with indulgence.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Namely, because thou art expert in all customes and questions, whiche are among the Iewes: Wherefore I beseche thee to heare me patiently.

English Revised Version
especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

World English Bible
especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Who art accurately acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews, wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

Weymouth's New Testament
who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
moost for thou knowist alle thingis that ben among Jewis, customes and questiouns. For which thing, Y biseche, here me pacientli.

Update Bible Version
especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: therefore I urge you to hear me patiently.

Webster's Bible Translation
Especially, [because I know] thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

New English Translation
because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversial issues of the Jews. Therefore I ask you to listen to me patiently.

New King James Version
especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

New Living Translation
for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!

New Life Bible
You know all about the Jewish ways and problems. So I ask you to listen to me until I have finished.

New Revised Standard
because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
especially, as thou art, well-versed, in all the Jewish customs and questions. Wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently, to hear me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Especially as thou knowest all, both customs and questions, that are among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

Revised Standard Version
because you are especially familiar with all customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
namely because thou arte experte in all customes and questions which are amonge the Iewes. Wherfore I beseche the to heare me paciently.

Young's Literal Translation
especially knowing thee to be acquainted with all things -- both customs and questions -- among Jews; wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently to hear me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
specially for so moch as thou art experte in all customes and questions, which are amonge the Iewes. Wherfore I beseche the, to heare me paciently.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for I know you are fully acquainted with the Jewish customs and controversies: and therefore I beg the indulgence of your attention.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You, as well as anyone, can understand the Jewish ways and customs, even our controversies. Please sit back and listen as I tell you my tale.

Contextual Overview

¹Agrippa spoke directly to Paul: "Go ahead—tell us about yourself." Paul took the stand and told his story. "I can't think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I'd rather be answering all these Jewish accusations than you, knowing how well you are acquainted with Jewish ways and all our family quarrels. ⁴"From the time of my youth, my life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. Practically every Jew in town who watched me grow up—and if they were willing to stick their necks out they'd tell you in person—knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the most demanding branch of our religion. It's because I believed it and took it seriously, committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors—the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and day all these centuries—it's because I have held on to this tested and tried hope that I'm being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones standing trial here, not me! For the life of me, I can't see why it's a criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead. ⁹"I admit that I didn't always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers—I had no idea they were God's people!—into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

because: Acts 26:26, Acts 6:14, Acts 21:21, Acts 24:10, Acts 25:19, Acts 25:20, Acts 25:26, Acts 28:17, Deuteronomy 17:18, 1 Corinthians 13:2

to hear: Acts 24:4

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 32:11 - according Acts 16:21 - General Acts 18:15 - a question Acts 24:22 - having

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
God appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your children." Abram built an altar at the place God had appeared to him.

Genesis 20:1
Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him, "You're as good as dead—that woman you took, she's a married woman." Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her. He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man? Didn't he tell me, ‘She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, ‘He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this." God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure, that's why I kept you from sinning against me; I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her. So now give the man's wife back to him. He's a prophet and will pray for you—pray for your life. If you don't give her back, know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family." Abimelech was up first thing in the morning. He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story. They were shocked. Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me and my kingdom this huge offense? What you've done to me ought never to have been done." Abimelech went on to Abraham, "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?" Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'" Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female. He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish." And to Sarah he said, "I've given your brother a thousand pieces of silver—that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world. You're vindicated." Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again. For God had shut down every womb in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Genesis 26:1
There was a famine in the land, as bad as the famine during the time of Abraham. And Isaac went down to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

Genesis 26:2
God appeared to him and said, "Don't go down to Egypt; stay where I tell you. Stay here in this land and I'll be with you and bless you. I'm giving you and your children all these lands, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I'll make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky and give them all these lands. All the nations of the Earth will get a blessing for themselves through your descendants. And why? Because Abraham obeyed my summons and kept my charge—my commands, my guidelines, my teachings."

Genesis 26:6
So Isaac stayed put in Gerar.

Genesis 26:12
Isaac planted crops in that land and took in a huge harvest. God blessed him. The man got richer and richer by the day until he was very wealthy. He accumulated flocks and herds and many, many servants, so much so that the Philistines began to envy him. They got back at him by throwing dirt and debris into all the wells that his father's servants had dug back in the days of his father Abraham, clogging up all the wells.

Genesis 26:16
Finally, Abimelech told Isaac: "Leave. You've become far too big for us."

Genesis 39:2
As it turned out, God was with Joseph and things went very well with him. He ended up living in the home of his Egyptian master. His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. From that moment on, God blessed the home of the Egyptian—all because of Joseph. The blessing of God spread over everything he owned, at home and in the fields, and all Potiphar had to concern himself with was eating three meals a day. Joseph was a strikingly handsome man. As time went on, his master's wife became infatuated with Joseph and one day said, "Sleep with me." He wouldn't do it. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn't give a second thought to anything that goes on here—he's put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn't turned over to me is you. You're his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?" She pestered him day after day after day, but he stood his ground. He refused to go to bed with her. On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, she called to her house servants: "Look—this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he's trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside." She kept his coat right there until his master came home. She told him the same story. She said, "The Hebrew slave, the one you brought to us, came after me and tried to use me for his plaything. When I yelled and screamed, he left his coat with me and ran outside." When his master heard his wife's story, telling him, "These are the things your slave did to me," he was furious. Joseph's master took him and threw him into the jail where the king's prisoners were locked up. But there in jail God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer. The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners—he ended up managing the whole operation. The head jailer gave Joseph free rein, never even checked on him, because God was with him; whatever he did God made sure it worked out for the best.

Psalms 32:8
Let me give you some good advice; I'm looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:

Psalms 39:12
"Ah, God , listen to my prayer, my cry—open your ears. Don't be callous; just look at these tears of mine. I'm a stranger here. I don't know my way— a migrant like my whole family. Give me a break, cut me some slack before it's too late and I'm out of here."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Especially, because I know thee to be expert in all customs,.... Rites and ceremonies of the Jews, whether enjoined by the law of Moses, or by the elders, fathers, and wise men:

and questions which are among the Jews; concerning angels, spirits, and the resurrection of the dead; which were moved and agitated between the Sadducees and Pharisees; and a multitude of others, which were disputed between the schools of Hillell and Shammai, of which their Misna and Talmud are full, and with these Agrippa was well acquainted; and to their rites and customs he conformed, of which we have some instances recorded in their writings: when they went with their firstfruits to Jerusalem w,

"a pipe sounded before them till they came to the mountain of the house, and when they came to the mountain of the house (the temple), even King Agrippa carried the basket upon his shoulder, and went in till he came to the court.''

So concerning the reading of the law by a king, they give this following account x:

"a king stands and takes (the book of the law), and reads sitting; King Agrippa stood and took it, and read standing, and the wise men praised him; and when he came to that passage, Deuteronomy 17:15 "Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee", his eyes flowed with tears; they said unto him, fear not, Agrippa, thou art our brother.''

Some of their writers say y, this was a piece of flattery in them: they also elsewhere commend him for his modesty and humility z;

"according to the tradition of the doctors, when persons attending a funeral met a bride (with her retinue), the former gave way, and both to a king of Israel, when they met him; but they say concerning King Agrippa, that he met a bride, and gave way, and they praised him.''

And whereas it was forbidden to eat on the eve of the passover, before the Minchah, though ever so little, that they might eat the unleavened bread with appetite a; it is observed, that even King Agrippa, who was used to eat at the ninth hour, that day did not eat till it was dark b: so that from hence it appears, that King Agrippa was famous for his exact knowledge and observance of the customs and manners of the Jews, and which was well known, and was by the apostle:

wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently; since he was charged with a breach of the laws and customs of the Jews; and his defence would proceed upon things which Agrippa was not altogether ignorant of.

w Misn. Biccurim, c. 3. sect. 4. x Misn. Sota, c. 7. sect. 8. y Maimon. in ib. & Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. neg. 221. z T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 17. 1. a Maimon. Chametz Umetza, c. 6. sect. 12. b T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 107. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To be expert - To be skilled or well acquainted.

In all customs - Rites, institutions, laws, etc. Everything pertaining to the Mosaic ritual, etc.

And questions - Subjects of debate, and of various opinions. The inquiries which had existed between the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, etc. Paul could say this of Agrippa without falsehood or flattery. Agrippa was a Jew; he had passed much of his time in the kingdom over which he presided; and though he had spent the early part of his life chiefly at Rome, yet it was natural that he should make himself acquainted with the religion of his fathers. Paul did not know how to flatter people, but he was not unwilling to state the truth, and to commend people as far as truth would permit.

Wherefore - On this account; because you are acquainted with those customs. The Romans, who regarded those customs as superstitious, and those questions as matters to be treated with contempt, could not listen to their discussion with patience. Agrippa, who knew their real importance, would be disposed to lend to all inquiries respecting them a patient attention.