Acts 26:24

“And as he thus spake for himself, etc.] Asserting the integrity and innocence of his past life and conversation, in proof of which he appealed to the Jews themselves; setting forth the prejudices to the Christian religion he had been under; declaring the heavenly vision that had appeared to him, and the divine orders he had received; alleging, that in his ministry there was an entire harmony between him, and the writings of Moses, and the prophets, for which the Jews professed a veneration; as he was thus vindicating himself, ere he had well finished his apology, Festus said with a loud voice; that all might hear, and being moved with resentment at what he had heard; and it may be, he was…”

“Festus said with a loud voice--surprised and bewildered. Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad--"is turning thy head." The union of flowing Greek, deep acquaintance with the sacred writings of his nation, reference to a resurrection and other doctrines to a Roman utterly unintelligible, and, above all, lofty religious earnestness, so strange to the cultivated, cold-hearted skeptics of that day--may account for this sudden exclamation.”

“Festus said with a loud voice - Amazed at the zeal of Paul. Paul doubtless evinced deep interest in the subject, and great earnestness in the delivery of his defense. Thou art beside thyself - Thou art deranged; thou art insane. The reasons why Festus thought Paul mad were, probably: (1) His great earnestness and excitement on the subject. (2) His laying such stress on the gospel of the despised Jesus of Nazareth, as if it were a matter of infinite moment. Festus despised it; and he regarded it as proof of derangement that so much importance was attached to it. (3) Festus regarded, probably, the whole story of the vision that Paul said had appeared to him as the effect of an inflamed and…”

“Festus said, Paul, thou art beside thyself - To talk of men's rising from the dead! And of a Jew's enlightening not only his own nation, but tho polite and learned Greeks and Romans! Nay, Festus, it is thou that art beside thyself. That strikest quite wide of the mark. And no wonder: he saw that nature did not act in Paul; but the grace that acted in him he did not see. And therefore he took all this ardour which animated the apostle for a mere start of learned phrensy. Acts 26:25”

“26:24 Paul, you are insane: Festus, a Roman, thought all this talk about the prophets and resurrection was crazy (cp. 17:18, 32), and he concluded that Paul must have driven himself mad with too much study.”

“spake: Act 22:1 Festus: Act 17:32, Act 24:25, Act 25:19, Act 25:20 Paul: Act 26:11; Kg2 9:11; Jer 29:26; Hos 9:7; Mar 3:21; Joh 8:48, Joh 8:52, Joh 10:20, Joh 10:21; Co1 1:23, Co1 2:13, Co1 2:14, Co1 4:10; Co2 5:13 Acts 26:25”