Acts 8:2

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. AND DEVOUT MEN, [ andres (G435) eulabeis (G2126)] - pious Jews, impressed probably with admiration for Stephen, and secretly inclined to Christianity, though not yet prepared, especially while the persecution raged, openly to declare themselves. CARRIED STEPHEN TO HIS BURIAL. The words "to his burial" should not have been put in Italics, as the word which our translators render "carried" [ sunekomisan (G4792)] implies as much....

2._They dressed Stephen. _Luke showeth, that even in the heat of persecution the godly were not discouraged, but being always zealous, they did those duties which did belong to godliness. Burial seemeth to be a matter of small importance; rather than they will foreslow [neglect] the same, they bring themselves in no small hazard of life. And as the circumstance of time doth declare, that they contemned death valiantly, so again, we gather thereby that they were careful to do this thing not without great and urgent cause. For this served greatly to exercise their faith, that the body of the holy martyr should not be left to the wild beasts, in whom Christ had triumphed nobly according to the glory of his gospel. Neither could they live to Christ, unless they were ready to be gathered unto Stephen into the society of death. Therefore the care they had to bury the martyr was unto them a med...

1-4 Though persecution must not drive us from our work, yet it may send us to work elsewhere. Wherever the established believer is driven, he carries the knowledge of the gospel, and makes known the preciousness of Christ in every place. Where a simple desire of doing good influences the heart, it will be found impossible to shut a man out from all opportunities of usefulness....

Verse Acts 8:2. _DEVOUT MEN CARRIED STEPHEN_ TO HIS BURIAL] The Greek word, συνεκομισαν, signifies not only to _carry_, or rather to _gather up_, but also to do every thing necessary for the _interment_ of the dead. Among the Jews, and indeed among most nations of the earth, it was esteemed a work of piety, charity, and mercy, to bury the dead. The Jews did not bury those who were condemned by the Sanhedrin in the burying place of the fathers, as they would not bury the _guilty_ with the _innocent_; and they had a separate place for those who were stoned, and for those that were burnt. According to the _Tract Sanh_. fol. 45, 46, the _stone_ wherewith any one was stoned, the _post_ on which he was hanged, the _sword_ by which he was beheaded, and the _cord_ by which he was strangled, were buried in the same place with the bodies of the exec...

AND DEVOUT MEN - Religious men. The word used here does not imply of necessity that they were Christians. There might have been Jews who did not approve of the popular tumult, and the murder of Stephen, who gave him a decent burial. Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, both Jews, thus gave to the Lord Jesus a decent burial, John 19:38. CARRIED STEPHEN - The word translated “carried” means properly to “collect,” as fruits, etc. Then it is applied to all the preparations necessary for fitting a dead body for burial, as “collecting,” or confining it by bandages, with spices, etc. AND MADE GREAT LAMENTATION - This was usual among the Jews at a funeral. See the notes on Matthew 9:23....

EXPOSITION ACTS 8:1 _There arose on that day _for _at that time there was, _A.V._; in _for _at, _A.V. SAUL WAS CONSENTING TO HIS DEATH. St. Paul's repeated reference to this sad episode in his life is very touching (see Acts 22:2,; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:13). (For the word συνευδοκεῖν_, _to consent, see Acts 22:20; Luke 11:48; Rom 1:32;...

AND DEVOUT MEN CARRIED STEPHEN TO HIS BURIAL,.... These men were not Jewish proselytes, but members of the Christian church; who were eminent for their religion and piety, and who had courage enough, amidst this persecution, to show a respect to the dead body of this holy martyr; which they took from under the stones, washed it, and wound it up in linen clothes, and put it into a coffin, or on a bier: they did everything preparatory to the funeral, which, is chiefly designed by the word here used, rather than the carrying of him out to his grave; though this also they did, and buried him: and to bear a corpse and follow it to the grave, and bury it, were with the Jews x reckoned among acts of kindness, mercy, and piety, and which would not fail of a reward; they have a saying y, that "he that mourns, they shall mourn for him; and he that buries, they shalt bury him and he that lifts up...

Stephen had been stoned to death; but with his latest breath he prayed for his murderers. Then this chapter begins: Acts 8:1. _And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles._ Saul, having tasted blood in the murder of Stephen, became more and more furious in his persecution of the Church of Christ at Jerusalem, and the brethren had to escape for their lives. They all did so, except the apostles, who were specially cared for by divine providence. Acts 8:2. _And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentations over him._ As well they might, for his death was a serious loss

PART II The Witness to Samaria. Saul's Conversion and Peter's Witness in Caesarea. Chapter s 8-12 CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The first great persecution (Acts 8:1)._ 2. The preaching of the scattered believers. Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:4). 3. Events in Samaria (Acts 8:9). 4. The Gospel in many villages of Samaria (Acts 8:25). 5. Philip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:26). The final testimony to the rulers of the people had been given. It was rejected, and the Spirit filled messenger killed. The last offer had therefore been completely rejected

ACTS 8:1_ B_ - ACTS 8:4. PERSECUTION AND DISPERSION. There has been no great persecution of the believers as yet. A night's imprisonment and beating was all they had to suffer. Now we are told that on the day of Stephen's death, a great persecution arose against the Church at Jerusalem, as if the passion that brought about the death of Stephen had sought further satisfaction. Such a persecution would be aimed specially at the Hellenistic side of the Church, not at those who went to the Temple and upheld the customs. The Jewish side of the Church suffered less; the apostles remained at Jerusalem, where we find them seated and recognised as the central authority (Acts 8:14;...