Exploring the Meaning of Agrippas in Greek

Ἀγρίππας names Agrippa, a king who appears in the narrative setting of Paul’s hearings and defense in Acts 25–26. In these scenes Agrippa is addressed directly, sits as an examiner alongside Festus, and responds to Paul’s case with brief judgments and questions.

Occurrences

“Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus.” (Acts 25:13)

Here Ἀγρίππας identifies the visiting royal figure whose arrival advances the legal and political setting around Paul. The name is paired with the title “King” and linked with Bernice, and the action—arriving, greeting—frames Agrippa as a person of rank entering Festus’s administrative sphere at Caesarea.

“Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”” (Acts 25:22)

Ἀγρίππας marks the speaker who requests a personal hearing of Paul (“the man”). The name functions as a pivot from Festus’s handling of the case to Agrippa’s involvement; the request implies that Agrippa’s interest is consequential enough that Festus immediately schedules the hearing.

“So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.” (Acts 25:23)

In this formal scene Ἀγρίππας identifies one of the central figures whose presence turns the hearing into a public event “with great pomp.” The name sits among markers of authority—commanding officers, principal men, Festus’s command—so that Agrippa’s attendance helps define the proceeding as both judicial and ceremonial, with Paul brought in before this assembled power.

“Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.” (Acts 25:24)

Ἀγρίππας appears in direct address (“King Agrippa”), placing him at the head of the audience to whom Festus explains the pressure he has faced. The name anchors Festus’s summary: Agrippa is treated as the primary hearer, with “all men” included secondarily, and the gravity of the accusations (“he ought not to live any longer”) heightens the weight of Agrippa’s attention.

“of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write.” (Acts 25:26)

Here Ἀγρίππας is singled out as the key figure whose examination can clarify the case. Festus states his problem—no definite charge to report—and then explains why Paul is presented “especially” before Agrippa; the name thus signals Agrippa’s perceived competence or suitability to help produce a clearer account.

“Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.” (Acts 26:1)

Ἀγρίππας identifies the authority who grants Paul permission to speak. The narrative shows Agrippa’s words initiating Paul’s defense; the name functions as the formal gatekeeper of the hearing, and Paul’s gesture (“stretched out his hand”) underscores that Agrippa’s authorization begins the main speech.

““I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,” (Acts 26:2)

In Paul’s opening address, Ἀγρίππας appears as the named addressee before whom Paul is defending himself. The repeated “King Agrippa” focuses the speech as personal and directed: Paul frames the defense not merely as a public statement but as an explanation offered before this specific royal hearer.

“which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!” (Acts 26:7)

Here Ἀγρίππας is invoked at a rhetorical peak (“King Agrippa!”) where Paul states the core point of dispute—“this hope.” The name functions as an appeal to the king as listener and evaluator; it punctuates Paul’s claim that the accusation is tied to a shared national expectation described in the verse.

““Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,” (Acts 26:19)

In this segment Ἀγrίππας again appears in direct address, tying Paul’s narrative of obedience to the immediate judicial context. The name keeps the account oriented toward Agrippa as the one receiving Paul’s explanation for his actions: Paul is not merely telling a story, but presenting it as justification “therefore” within the hearing.

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”” (Acts 26:27)

Ἀγρίππας is addressed in a pointed question, and the name places the king at the center of the challenge. Paul’s wording turns from recounting events to probing belief; naming Agrippa personalizes the issue, as Paul claims knowledge of Agrippa’s belief and presses him toward a verdict about the message.

“Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”” (Acts 26:28)

Here Ἀγrίππας identifies the respondent who interprets Paul’s appeal as an attempt at persuasion. The name marks the moment where the king’s reaction is recorded directly: Agrippa engages Paul’s intention and frames it in terms of personal consequence (“make me a Christian”), showing that Paul’s defense has reached beyond procedure into confrontation and response.

“Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”” (Acts 26:32)

Finally Ἀγrίππας identifies the speaker who offers an evaluative conclusion about Paul’s legal position. The statement is addressed to Festus and concerns the procedural outcome (“appealed to Caesar”); by naming Agrippa as the one who voices this judgment, the narrative presents his opinion as weighty in the assessment of whether Paul could have been released.

Sense and Usage

Across these occurrences Ἀγρίππας functions as a personal name used in two closely connected ways: as a narrative identifier (“King Agrippa… arrived”), and as a formal mode of address (“King Agrippa”) within speech. The repeated pairing with the title “King” shapes how the name is heard: it is not a bare label but a marker of status that sets the tone for public hearing, examination, and judgment.

The name also helps track shifting speaker–audience dynamics in Acts 25–26. When Agrippa speaks, the plot advances by authorization (“You may speak for yourself”), by curiosity (“I also would like to hear the man myself”), and by verdict-like evaluation (“might have been set free…”). When others speak to Agrippa—Festus explaining the case, Paul making his defense—the name highlights Agrippa as the primary human point of reference for clarity, persuasion, and decision. The concentration of direct address in Acts 26 (multiple “King Agrippa” appeals) shows that Paul’s defense is crafted to land with this specific hearer in mind.

In the courtroom-like setting, Ἀγρίππας stands at a junction between Jewish accusation (“all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me”) and Roman procedure (Festus’s need “to write to my lord,” and Paul’s appeal “to Caesar”). The name therefore carries narrative weight as the label of the king whose presence enables the hearing to be both politically significant (“great pomp,” “commanding officers,” “principal men”) and personally engaged (Agrippa’s direct exchanges with Paul).

Imagery in Acts

The passages attach Ἀγρίππας to vivid public imagery: arrival at Caesarea, entry “with great pomp,” a “place of hearing” filled with officers and prominent citizens, and a prisoner brought in “at the command of Festus” (Acts 25:13, 25:23). Within that setting the repeated sound of “King Agrippa” in Paul’s speech (Acts 26:2, 26:7, 26:19, 26:27) evokes the scene of a named royal judge being addressed face-to-face as Paul stretches out his hand to speak (Acts 26:1). The name thus becomes closely associated with the formal hearing itself—its ceremony, its examination, and its closing assessment.

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).