Actes 26:1

Darby's French Translation

Et Agrippa dit à Paul: Il t'est permis de parler pour toi. Alors Paul, ayant étendu la main, prononça son apologie:

Parallel Translations

La Bible David Martin (1744)
Et Agrippa dit à Paul : il t'est permis de parler pour toi. Alors Paul ayant étendu la main, parla ainsi pour sa défense.

La Bible Ostervald (1996)
Alors Agrippa dit à Paul: Il t'est permis de parler pour toi-même. Paul ayant étendu la main, parla ainsi pour sa défense:

Louis Segond (1910)
Agrippa dit à Paul: Il t'est permis de parler pour ta défense. Et Paul, ayant étendu la main, se justifia en ces termes:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou: Acts 25:16, Proverbs 18:13, Proverbs 18:17, John 7:51

stretched: Proverbs 1:24, Ezekiel 16:27, Romans 10:21

answered: Acts 26:2, Acts 22:1

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 14:12 - Say on Psalms 119:46 - speak Luke 12:12 - General Acts 9:15 - and kings Acts 17:19 - May Acts 18:14 - when Acts 19:33 - his Acts 24:10 - had Acts 25:13 - king Romans 1:1 - Paul Philippians 1:17 - that

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Agrippa said unto Paul,.... After Festus had made the above speech to him, and to all present, and had introduced the affair of Paul, who now stood before them:

thou art permitted to speak for thyself; which a prisoner might not do, until he had leave; and this leave was granted by Festus the Roman governor, who was properly the judge, and not Agrippa, though the permission might be by both; and so the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, "we have ordered", or "permitted thee", c.

Then Paul stretched forth the hand as orators used to do, when they were about to speak; or else to require silence; or it may be to show the freedom of his mind, and how ready he was to embrace the opportunity of pleading his own cause; being conscious to himself of his innocence, and relying on the ingenuity and integrity of his judge; and especially of the king, before whom he stood:

and answered for himself; or made an apology, or spoke in vindication of himself, in order to remove the charges brought against him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then Paul stretched forth the hand - See the notes on Acts 21:40. This was the usual posture of orators or public speakers. The ancient statues are commonly made in this way, with the right hand extended. The dress of the ancients favored this. The long and loose robe, or outer garment, was fastened usually with a hook or clasp on the right shoulder, and thus left the arm at full liberty.

And answered for himself - It cannot be supposed that Paul expected that his defense would be attended with a release from confinement, for he had himself appealed to the Roman emperor, Acts 25:11. His design in speaking before Agrippa was, doubtless:

1. To vindicate his character, and obtain Agrippa’s attestation to his innocence, that thus he might allay the anger of the Jews;
2. To obtain a correct representation of the case to the emperor, as Festus had desired this in order that Agrippa might enable him to make a fair statement of the case Acts 25:26-27; and,
3. To defend his own conversion, and the truth of Christianity, and to preach the gospel in the hearing of Agrippa and his attendants, with a hope that their minds might be impressed by the truth, and that they might be converted to God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXVI.

Paul answers for himself before Agrippa, to whom he pays a true

compliment, in order to secure a favourable hearing, 1-3;

gives an account of his education from his youth up, 4, 5;

shows that the Jews persecuted him for his maintaining the

hope of the resurrection, 6-8;

states his persecution of the Christians, 9-11;

gives an account of his miraculous conversion, 12-16;

and of his call to the ministry, 16-18.

His obedience to that call, and his success in preaching the

doctrine of Christ crucified, 19-23.

While he is thus speaking, Festus interrupts him, and declares

him to be mad through his abundant learning, 24;

which charge he modestly refutes with inimitable address, and

appeals to King Agrippa for the truth and correctness of his

speech, 25-27.

On which, Agrippa confesses himself almost converted to

Christianity, 28.

Paul's affectionate and elegant address to him on this

declaration, 29.

The council breaks up, and they all pronounce him innocent,

30-32.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI.

Verse Acts 26:1. Then Paul stretched forth the hand — This act, as we have already seen on Acts 21:40, was merely to gain attention; it was no rhetorical flourish, nor designed for one. From knowing, partly by descriptions, and partly by ancient statues, how orators and others who address a concourse of people stood, we can easily conceive the attitude of St. Paul. When the right hand was stretched out, the left remained under the cloak, which being thrown off the right shoulder, to give the arm the fuller liberty, it then rested on the left: under these circumstances, the hand could be stretched out gracefully, but was confined to no one attitude, though the third and fourth fingers were generally clenched.