δυνάμεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου, and God wrought special (or no common) powers by the hands of Paul. The language of the historian is noteworthy. God works, Paul is the instrument. (Cp. the mighty hand of Moses, Deuteronomy 34:12.) The imperfect tense of the verb in the Greek implies that these manifestations of God’s power were continued during the Apostle’s stay. This was no mere spasmodic excitement over some powerful discourse. ‘By the hands’ is probably only the Jewish mode of expressing ‘by.’ See note on Acts 5:12.

On οὐ τὰς τυχούσας = ‘not such as are usual’ cf. below chap. Acts 28:2, and 2Ma 3:7, καὶ οὐ τῷ τυχόντι περιῆψαν ψόγῳ, ‘And they attached to them no ordinary blame.’

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Old Testament