Acts 26 · Verse 6

Acts 26:6

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
Acts 26:6, King James Version

Acts 26:6 in other translations

BSBAnd now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
WEBNow I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
ASVAnd now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
YLTand now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,
DARBYAnd now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
BBEAnd now I am here to be judged because of the hope given by God's word to our fathers;
WebsterAnd now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers:

What does Acts 26:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Acts 26:6-7
6-7. I ... am judged for the hope of the promise made ... to our fathers--"for believing that the promise of Messiah, the Hope of the Church (Ac 13:32; 28:20) has been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth risen from the dead."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 6. And now I stand. I stand before the tribunal. I am arraigned.

And am judged. Am tried with reference to being judged. I am undergoing a trial on the point in which all my nation are agreed.

For the hope. On account of the hope; or because, in common with my countrymen, I had entertained this hope, and now believe in its fulfillment.

Of the promise, etc. See the references in the margin. It is not quite certain whether Paul refers here to the promise of the Messiah, or to the hope of the resurrection of the dead. When he stood before the Jewish sanhedrim, Acts 23:6, he said that he was called in question on account of holding the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. But it may be observed, that in Paul's view, the two things were closely united. He hoped that the Messiah would come, and he hoped therefore for the resurrection of the dead. He believed that he had come, and had risen; and therefore he believed that the dead would rise. He argued the one from the other. And as he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he had risen from the dead, and had thus furnished a demonstration that the dead would rise, it was evident that the subject of controversy between him and the Jews involved everything that was vital to their opinions and their hopes. See Acts 24:8.

Made of God. Made by God. See the marginal references. The promises had been made to the fathers of a Messiah to come, and that embraced the promise of a future state, or of the resurrection of the dead. It will help us to understand the stress which Paul and the other apostles laid on the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, to remember that it involved the whole doctrine of the separate existence of the soul, and of a future state. The Sadducees denied all this; and when the Pharisees, the Saviour, and the apostles opposed them, they did it by showing that there would be a future state of rewards and punishments. See the argument of the Saviour with the Sadducees explained: Lk 20:27-38.

Unto our fathers. Our ancestors, the patriarchs, etc.

(e) "I stand" Acts 23:6 (f) "promise made of God" Gen 3:15, 22:18, 49:10, De 18:15, 2Sam 7:12 Isa 4:2, 7:14, 9:6,7, Jer 23:5, 33:14-16, Eze 34:23, Dan 9:24, Mic 7:20 Zech 13:1,7, Mal 3:1, Acts 13:32, Gal 4:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 For the hope of the promise - This does not appear to mean, the hope of the Messiah, as some have imagined, but the hope of the resurrection of the dead, to which the apostle referred in Act 23:6 (note), where he says to the Jewish council, (from which the Roman governor took him), of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question: see the notes there. And here he says, I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise, etc., and to which, he says, Act 26:7, the twelve tribes hope to come. The Messiah had come, and was gone again, as Paul well knew; and what is here meant is something which the Jews hoped to come to, or attain; not what was to come to them; and this singular observation excludes the Messiah from being meant. It was the resurrection of all men from the dead which Paul's words signified; and this the Jews had been taught to hope for, by many passages in the Old Testament. I shall only add, that when, in the next verse, this hope of the promise is mentioned as what the Jews did then hope, καταντηοαι, to come to, it is the very same word which Paul, in Phi 3:11, uses to express the same thing: If by any means, (says he) καταντησω, I might attain to, the resurrection of the dead. Bp. Pearce.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Acts 26:1-11

Christianity teaches us to give a reason of the hope that is in us, and also to give honour to whom honour is due, without flattery or fear of man. Agrippa was well versed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, therefore could the better judge as to the controversy about Jesus being the Messiah. Surely ministers may expect, when they preach the faith of Christ, to be heard patiently. Paul professes that he still…

Read the full comment on Acts 26:1-11 →

Acts 26:6 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
νῦνnunnowG3568
ἐπ᾽ep᾽for [the]G1909
ἐλπίδιelpidihopeG1680
τῆςtēsof theG3588
εἰςeistoG1519
τοὺςtoustheG3588
πατέραςpaterasfathersG3962
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
ἐπαγγελίαςepangeliaspromiseG1860
γενομένηςgenomenēshaving been madeG1096
ὑπὸhupobyG5259
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouGodG2316
ἕστηκαhestēkaI have stoodG2476
κρινόμενος,krinomenosbeing judged,G2919

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Acts 26:6

  • Titus 2:13

    Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

  • Acts 28:20

    For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

  • Daniel 7:13-14

    I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

  • Acts 24:15

    And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

  • Romans 15:8

    Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

  • Job 19:25-27

    For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

  • Micah 5:2

    But thou, Beth–lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

  • Genesis 12:3

    And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

  • Isaiah 9:6-7

    For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

  • Zechariah 13:7

    Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

  • Deuteronomy 18:15

    The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

  • Acts 23:6

    But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
am.
8; 23:6; 24:15,21; 28:20
the promise.
3:24; 13:32,33; Ge 3:15; 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 49:10; De 18:15
2Sa 7:12,13; Job 19:25-27; Ps 2:6-12; 40:6-8; 98:2; 110:1-4
Ps 132:11,17; Isa 4:2; 7:14; 9:6,7; 11:1-5; 40:9-11; 42:1-4; 53:10-12
Isa 61:1-3; Jer 23:5,6; 33:14-17; Eze 17:22-24; 21:27; 34:23-25
Eze 37:24; Da 2:34,35,44,45; 7:13,14; 9:24-26; Ho 3:5; Joe 2:32
Am 9:11,12; Ob 1:21; Mic 5:2; 7:20; Zep 3:14-17; Zec 2:10,11; 6:12; 9:9
Zec 13:1,7; Mal 3:1; 4:2; Lu 1:69,70; Ro 15:8; Ga 3:17,18; 4:4
Tit 2:13; 1Pe 1:11,12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Acts 26:5

    Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

  • Acts 26:6

    And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

  • Acts 26:7

    Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

Read all of Acts 26

Acts 26:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y ahora, por la esperanza de la promesa que hizo Dios á nuestros padres, soy llamado en juicio;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et maintenant je comparais en jugement pour l’espérance de la promesse faite par Dieu à nos pères,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und nun stehe ich vor Gericht wegen der Hoffnung auf die von Gott an unsere Väter geschehene Verheißung,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et nunc, in spe quæ ad patres nostros repromissionis facta est a Deo, sto judicio subjectus: