Acts 26:8

Easy-to-Read Version

Why do you people think it is impossible for God to raise people from death?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

King James Version (1611)
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

King James Version
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

English Standard Version
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

New American Standard Bible
"Why is it considered incredible among you people if God raises the dead?

New Century Version
Why do any of you people think it is impossible for God to raise people from the dead?

Amplified Bible
"Why is it thought incredible by [any of] you that God raises the dead?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?

Legacy Standard Bible
Why is it considered unbelievable among all of you if God does raise the dead?

Berean Standard Bible
Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

Contemporary English Version
Why should any of you doubt that God raises the dead to life?

Complete Jewish Bible
Why do you people consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

Darby Translation
Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Why should it be thought a thing incredible vnto you, that God should raise againe the dead?

George Lamsa Translation
How can you judge? Is it improper to believe that God can raise the dead?

Good News Translation
Why do you who are here find it impossible to believe that God raises the dead?

Lexham English Bible
Why is it thought incredible by you people that God raises the dead?

Literal Translation
Why is it judged unbelievable by you if God raises the dead?

American Standard Version
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

Bible in Basic English
Why, in your opinion, is it outside belief for God to make the dead come to life again?

Hebrew Names Version
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

International Standard Version
Why is it thought incredible by all of youby you (pl.)">[fn] that God should raise the dead?

Etheridge Translation
What judge you; ought we not to believe that Aloha will raise the dead ?

Murdock Translation
How judge ye? Are we not to believe, that God will raise the dead?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Why shoulde it be thought a thyng incredible vnto you, that God shoulde rayse agayne the dead?

English Revised Version
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

World English Bible
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
What? Is it judged by you an incredible thing, that God should raise the dead?

Weymouth's New Testament
Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What vnbileueful thing is demed at you, if God reisith deed men?

Update Bible Version
Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?

Webster's Bible Translation
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

New English Translation
Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?

New King James Version
Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

New Living Translation
Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?

New Life Bible
Why do you think it is hard to believe that God raises people from the dead?

New Revised Standard
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What! incredible, is it judged with you, that, God the dead doth raise?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why should it be thought a thing incredible that God should raise the dead?

Revised Standard Version
Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Why shuld it be thought a thinge vncredible vnto you that god shuld rayse agayne the deed?

Young's Literal Translation
why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wherfore is this iudged amonge you not to be beleued, that God rayseth vp the deed?

Mace New Testament (1729)
you may think it something incredible that God should raise the dead:

Simplified Cowboy Version
Why is so hard to believe God can bring someone dead back to life?

Contextual Overview

¹ Agrippa said to Paul, "You may now speak to defend yourself." Paul raised his hand to get their attention and began to speak. ² He said, "King Agrippa, I feel fortunate that I can stand here before you today and answer all the charges these Jews have made against me. ³ 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. ⁴ "All the Jews know about my whole life. They know the way I lived from the beginning in my own country and later in Jerusalem. ⁵ These Jews have known me for a long time. If they want to, they can tell you that I was a good Pharisee. And the Pharisees obey the laws of the Jewish religion more carefully than any other group. ⁶ Now I am on trial because I hope for the promise that God made to our fathers. ⁷ This is the promise that all the twelve tribes of our people hope to receive. For this hope the Jews serve God day and night. My king, the Jews have accused me because I hope for this same promise. ⁸ Why do you people think it is impossible for God to raise people from death? ⁹ "I used to think that I should do everything I could against Jesus from Nazareth. ¹⁰ And that's what I did, beginning in Jerusalem. The leading priests gave me the authority to put many of God's people in jail. And when they were being killed, I agreed that it was a good thing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Acts 4:2, Acts 10:40-42, Acts 13:30, Acts 13:31, Acts 17:31, Acts 17:32, Acts 25:19, Genesis 18:14, Matthew 22:29-32, Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27, John 5:28, John 5:29, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Philippians 3:21

Reciprocal: Job 14:14 - shall he live Ezekiel 37:3 - O Lord God John 5:21 - as Acts 26:6 - am Acts 26:23 - the first Ephesians 1:20 - when Hebrews 6:2 - resurrection

Cross-References

Genesis 26:18
Long before this time, Abraham had dug many wells. After he died, the Philistines filled the wells with sand. So Isaac went back and dug those wells again. He gave them the same names his father had given them.

Genesis 26:19
Isaac's servants also dug a well near the little river and found fresh water.

Judges 5:28
"There is Sisera's mother, looking out the window, looking through the curtains and crying. ‘Why is Sisera's chariot so late? Why can't I hear his wagons?'

Proverbs 7:6
One day I was looking out my window

Ecclesiastes 9:9
Enjoy life with the wife you love. Enjoy every day of your short life. God has given you this short life on earth—and it is all you have. So enjoy the work you have to do in this life.

Song of Solomon 2:9
My lover is like a gazelle or a young deer. Look at him standing behind our wall, staring out the window, looking through the lattice.

Isaiah 62:5
As a young man takes a bride and she belongs to him, so your land will belong to your children. As a man is happy with his new wife, so your God will be happy with you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you,.... You Heathens and Sadducees; for the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead was thought an incredible doctrine by the Heathens in general, and therefore was laughed at by the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers at Athens, when preached by the apostle there; and by a particular sect among the Jews, the Sadducees; and the apostle may be thought either to address himself to Festus, the Roman governor, and to the chief captains, who were present, and, being Heathens, disbelieved this doctrine; or else to King Agrippa, who might be a Sadducee, and to such of the Sadducees as were in court, and expostulate with them, why it should be looked upon as a thing by no means to be credited,

that God should raise the dead; which may be understood both of the particular resurrection of Christ from the dead, which was not believed, neither by the Romans nor by the Jews, and neither by Pharisees nor Sadducees; or of the general resurrection of the dead, which was judged from the nature of things to be impracticable, and impossible by the latter, as well as by the Heathens: but since God is omniscient and omnipotent, and just and true, knows where every particle of a dead body lies, and can gather all together, and inspire with life; which he can as easily do, as to form all things out of nothing, as he did; and his justice and veracity seem to require, that the same bodies which have been partners with their souls in sinning, or in sufferings should share with them in woe or in happiness; it can neither be absurd, unreasonable, nor incredible, to suppose that God will raise them from the dead.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why should it be thought ... - The force of this question will be better seen by an exclamation point after why τί ti. “What! is it to be thought a thing incredible?” etc. It intimates surprise that it should be thought incredible, or implies that no reason could be given why such a doctrine should be unworthy of belief.

A thing incredible - A doctrine which cannot be credited or believed. Why should it be regarded as absurd?

With you - This is in the plural number, and it is evident that Paul here addressed, not Agrippa alone, but those who sat with him. There is no evidence that Agrippa doubled that the dead could be raised, but Festus, and those who were with him, probably did, and Paul, in the ardor of his speech, turned and addressed the entire assembly. It is very evident that we have only an outline of this argument, and there is every reason to suppose that Paul would dwell on each part of the subject at greater length than is here recorded.

That God should raise the dead - Why should it be regarded as absurd that God - who has all power, who is the creator of all, who is the author of the human frame should again restore man to life and continue his future existence? The resurrection is no more incredible than the original creation of the body, and it is attended with no greater difficulties. And as the perfections of God will be illustrated by his raising up the dead; as the future state is necessary to the purposes of justice in vindicating the just and punishing the unjust, and as God is a righteous moral governor, it should not be regarded as an absurdity that he will raise up those who have died, and bring them to judgment.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 26:8. That God should raise the dead? — As Agrippa believed in the true God, and knew that one of his attributes was omnipotence, he could not believe that the resurrection of the dead was an impossible thing; and to this belief of his the apostle appeals; and the more especially, because the Sadducees denied the doctrine of the resurrection, though they professed to believe in the same God. Two attributes of God stood pledged to produce this resurrection: his truth, on which his promise was founded; and his power, by which the thing could be easily affected, as that power is unlimited.

Some of the best critics think this verse should be read thus: What! should it be thought a thing incredible with you, if God should raise the dead?