Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 26:29

εῖπεν omitted with אAB. Not represented in Vulg.

μεγάλψ for πολλῷ with אAB. Vulg. ‘magno.’

29. καὶ ἐν ὀλίγῳ καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ, whether with little or with much. The Apostle takes up the jeer of the king in a serious tone, and replies: ‘I may have seemed to use little persuasion, and suddenly to have jumped at the conclusion that you accept the teaching of the prophets as I myself receive it; but whether it need little or much persuasion, or little or much time, my prayer to God is, for you and for all who listen to me, that they may become such as I am, save as to my bonds.’

γενέσθαι τοιούτους ὁποῖος κἀγώ εἰμι, might become such as I am. The Apostle does not use the word ‘Christian,’ which for himself he might willingly have accepted (cf. 1 Peter 4:16), but which was used by the king in a mocking sense, and therefore would not have made his wish seem an acceptable one. You may call me ‘Christian’ in mockery, my joy and hope and faith in Christ are such, that I know no better prayer for any than to wish you all the like blessings.

παρεκτὸς τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων, except these bonds. From this it is clear, in spite of the leniency with which Paul had been at first treated by Felix, that either because his case was deemed more serious in consequence of his being left in prison so long, or because he was just now before the court as a prisoner, the Apostle had been put in chains.

For παρεκτός, which is a rarely found preposition, cf. Matthew 5:32. Also ‘Test. XII. Patr.’ Zab. 1, παρεκτὸς ἐννοίας. See also ‘Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,’ 6.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 26:29

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