What Does Acts 26:11 Mean in the King James?

And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Acts 26:11 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

Persecution reaches the mouth: it tries to force its target to speak against God.

THE MEANING

This verse names a violence that reaches beyond punishment: anger presses people to speak against God and follows them beyond familiar places. The pattern remains present whenever conviction turns another person’s words and movement into targets.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that religious certainty is harmless by definition: here it becomes punishment, compelled speech, and pursuit.

THE ROOT

ἠνάγκαζον

ēnankazon from anankazō

GROWS FROM

ἀναγκ-

anank-

Necessity or constraint; ⁨ἀναγκάζω⁩ (anankazō) means to compel or force.

“compelled” in this verse is ēnankazon from anankazō. The verse’s ⁨ἠνάγκαζον⁩ means “I was compelling,” from ⁨ἀναγκάζω⁩, “to force,” in the family of ⁨ἀνάγκη⁩, “necessity, constraint.” This is pressure, not persuasion: the violence reaches the mouth and tries to extract speech against God.

ALSO GROWS

anankē: necessity, constraint

ἀνάγκη

The shared family makes the coercion feel like an imposed necessity: the target is pressed to speak.

anankaios: necessary, essential

ἀναγκαῖος

This related adjective carries the same sense of what is made necessary, illuminating the force behind “compelled.”

ἐδίωκον

ediōkon from diōkō

GROWS FROM

διωκ-

diōk-

To pursue or chase; ⁨διώκω⁩ (diōkō) means to pursue, chase, or persecute.

“persecuted” in this verse is ediōkon from diōkō. The verse’s ⁨ἐδίωκον⁩ means “I was pursuing”; its root ⁨διώκω⁩ is also translated “follow after” when the pursuit is directed toward something good. English separates persecution from purposeful pursuit, while Greek keeps the motion visible and lets the object show its direction.

ALSO GROWS

diōkō: pursue, chase; also follow after

διώκω

In 1 Corinthians 14:1 the same verb is rendered “Follow after” charity, showing that pursuit can have a different object and direction.

diōgmos: persecution

διωγμός

This related noun names the condition produced when pursuit is directed against people, as in 2 Timothy 3:12.

THE PATTERN

The root of pursuit stays the same while its object gives it moral direction: people can be pursued in persecution, while peace and love are pursued toward good.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalm 34:14 · KJVThe Greek Septuagint uses ⁨διώκω⁩ for “pursue it,” the same verb used for persecution in Acts 26:11, now directed toward peace.

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:1 · KJV“Follow after” translates the same Greek verb, ⁨διώκω⁩: the pursuit remains, while love becomes its object.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

2 Timothy 3:12 · KJV“Persecution” is the related noun ⁨διωγμός⁩, naming the suffering that follows when pursuit is turned against people.

THE THREAD

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Psalm 34:14 · KJV

In the Greek Septuagint, “pursue it” is ⁨διώκω⁩, the same verb behind “persecuted” here. The pursuit itself remains; what changes is its object, people under pressure here, peace there.

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