Acts 2:5

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. AND THERE WERE DWELLING AT JERUSALEM, [ Eesan (G2258) de (G1161) katoikountes (G2730)] - not, perhaps, permanently settled there (as some good critics understand the words), but come to stay there during the festival, JEWS, DEVOUT MEN, OUT OF EVERY NATION UNDER HEAVEN - language scarcely hyperbolical; because Josephus (Jewish Wars 2: 16, 4) testifies to the almost universal dispersion of the Jews long before this. At the same time, only the more religious portion of them would think it incumbent on them to come from great distances to the metropolis to keep the annual festivals....

5._And there were at Jerusalem. _When he calleth them godly or religious men, he seemeth to give us to understand that they came to Jerusalem that they might worship God; like as God, in all ages, after the scattering abroad, did gather together into that city some seed which remained, having, as it were, set up his banner, because as yet the temple did serve to some use. Yet, nevertheless, he showeth, by the way, who those be which profit by those miracles, whereby God doth declare his power. For wicked and profane men do either laugh at them, or else pass [care] not for them, as we shall see by and by. Furthermore, he meant to cite those as witnesses, which may the better be believed for their religion and godliness. When he said, _out of every nation, _he meaneth out of divers countries, whereof one is far from another. For he doth also afterwards reckon up those lands whereof one was...

5-13 The difference in languages which arose at Babel, has much hindered the spread of knowledge and religion. The instruments whom the Lord first employed in spreading the Christian religion, could have made no progress without this gift, which proved that their authority was from God....

Verse Acts 2:5. _DEVOUT MEN, OUT OF EVERY NATION_] Either by these we are simply to understand _Jews_ who were born in different countries, and had now come up to Jerusalem to be present at the passover, and for purposes of traffic, or _proselytes_ to Judaism, who had come up for the same purpose: for I cannot suppose that the term ανδρες ευλαβεις, _devout men_, can be applied to any other. At this time there was scarcely a commercial _nation under heaven_ where the Jews had not been scattered for the purpose of trade, merchandize, c., and from all these nations, it is said, there were persons now present at Jerusalem....

THERE WERE DWELLING AT JERUSALEM - The word rendered “dwelling” - κατοικοῦντες katoikountes - properly means to have a fixed and permanent habitation, in distinction from another word - παροικοῦντες paroikeountes - which means to have a temporary and transient residence in a place. But it is not always confined to this signification; and it is not improbable that many wealthy foreign Jews had a permanent residence in Jerusalem for the convenience of being near the temple. This was the more probable, as about that time the Messiah was expected to appear, Matthew 2. JEWS - Jews by birth; of Jewish descent and religion. DEVOUT MEN - ἀνδ

EXPOSITION ACTS 2:1 _Was now come _for _was fully come, _A.V.; _all together _for _with one accord, _A.V. and T.R. WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS NOW COME; literally, _when the day of Pentecost_—_i.e._, of the fiftieth day—was in _the course of being completed. _The fiftieth day (reckoned from the end of the 16th of Nisan, on which Jesus was crucified) was actually come, but was not ended (comp. Luke 9:11). ALL TOGETHER; ὁμοῦ for ὁμοθυμαδόν_: _but ὁμοθυμαδόν—a favorite word in the Acts (Acts 4:24, note)—seems preferable to ὁμοῦ, which occurs only in St. John. IN ONE PLACE (see...

AND THERE WERE DWELLING AT JERUSALEM, JEWS,.... The Ethiopic version adds, "proselytes"; but they were not all such, as appears from the following account of them; many, and it seems the most of them were of Jewish extract and descent, and others were proselytes to the Jewish religion: these were not natives of Jerusalem, but such as were born in other countries, Acts 2:8 but were come to Jerusalem, either to learn the Hebrew language, which was necessary to their reading and understanding the books of Moses, and the prophets written in it; or for an increase of spiritual knowledge and piety; or, as is generally thought, to keep the feast of Pentecost; or rather, as Dr. Lightfoot thinks, they were come hither in great numbers from all parts, in expectation of the Messiah and his kingdom; the time being up, according to Daniel's weeks, and other prophecies, that he should appear: and thes...

Acts 2:1. _And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. «And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?_ These men, so far from being able to speak man...

ACTS 2:5 katoikou/ntej VIoudai/oi( a;ndrej euvlabei/j {B} Behind the familiar words, “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven,” lie several interesting and provocative textual problems. Why should Luke think it necessary to mention that Jews were dwelling in Jerusalem? Likewise, why should it be said that they were devout men; would not this be taken for granted from the fact that they were Jews? Most amazing of all is the statement that these Jews were persons from every nation under heaven. Out of all _lands_ under heaven could be understood — but since Jews were already an e;qnoj, to say that these were from another e;qnoj is tantamount to a contradiction of terms. Now it is certainly significant that the word...

CHAPTER 2 _ 1. The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1)._ 2. The Immediate Effect of His Presence (Acts 2:5). 3. Peter's Address (Acts 2:14). 4. The Result of the Witness (Acts 2:37). 5. The Gathered Company in Fellowship (Acts 2:42). This is an important chapter. The Promise of the Father was fulfilled, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity came down to earth, to be the other Comforter. He came on that blessed day. Two things are at once apparent. He came upon the assembled believers individually, and also did a work i