7. Unto which promise--the fulfilment of it.
our twelve tribes--
(Jas 1:1;
and see on
Lu 2:36).
instantly--"intently"; see on
Ac 12:5.
serving God--in the sense of religious worship; on
"ministered," see on
Ac 13:2.
day and night, hope to come--The apostle rises into language as
catholic as the thought--representing his despised nation, all scattered
thought it now was, as twelve great branches of one ancient stem, in all
places of their dispersion offering to the God of their fathers one
unbroken worship, reposing on one great "promise" made of old unto their
fathers, and sustained by one "hope" of "coming" to its fulfilment; the
single point of difference between him and his countrymen, and the one
cause of all their virulence against him, being, that his hope had found
rest in One already come, while theirs still pointed to the future.
For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews--"I am
accused of Jews, O king" (so the true reading appears to be); of all
quarters the most surprising for such a charge to come from. The charge
of sedition is not so much as alluded to throughout this speech. It
was indeed a mere pretext.
JFB.
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