Acts 2:1

πάντες ὁμοῦ with אABC. The Vulg. has ‘pariter.’

1. ἐν τῷ συμπληροῦσθαι. This compound verb is not found in the LXX. (nor in classical Greek in this sense), but the derived noun occurs 2 Chronicles 36:21 of the ‘complete fulfilling’ of a period of time. The simple verb is used both of a period of time to be gone through and of a point of time which has to be reached. See Numbers 6:5, and Jeremiah 25:12 compared with Acts 2:34 of the same chapter. The Vulg. gives ‘cum complerentur dies Pentecostes,’ as if the day of the feast was regarded as the completion of the whole seven weeks.

τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς. Pentecost was the second of the three great Jewish feasts, the Passover being the first, and the third the Feast of Tabernacles. The name is derived from πεντηκοστός, fiftieth; because it was kept on the fiftieth day after the Passover Sabbath. In the Law it is called ‘the feast of harvest, the first-fruits of thy labours’ (Exodus 23:16) and also, from being seven weeks after the Passover, it is named ‘the feast of weeks’ (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:9-10). The offering in this festival was the two first loaves made from the first portion of the wheat-harvest of the year, as a thank-offering.

The words of Chrysostom on the typical character of the Pentecostal feast are worthy of notice. τίς ἐστιν αὓτη ἡ Πεντηκοστή; ὅτε τὸ δρέπανον ἐπιβάλλειν ἔδει τῷ�, ὃτε τοὺς καρποὺς συνάγειν ἐχρῆν. εἶδες τὸν τύπον· βλέπε πάλιν τὴν�.

This day was probably chosen for the outpouring of the Spirit upon the Apostles, that there might be a greater multitude present in Jerusalem, and so the tidings of this gift might at once be spread abroad. It is perhaps for this reason that the very word employed is one which indicates that the day was fully come, and so all that were intending to be present at the feast were there. We find in Acts 9:2 that there were Christians at Damascus before we read of any one of the Apostolic band visiting that city. It may well be that among those who saw the gifts now bestowed, and whose hearts were pierced by Peter’s sermon, there were some who went forth to this and other cities, bearing the fame and teaching of the new society along with them. In like manner, we cannot doubt that it was in order that more might hear His words, that our Lord so frequently went to Jerusalem at the feasts (John 4:45; John 5:1; John 7:10; John 10:22, &c).

ὁμοῦ, together. This word and that which takes its place in the Text. recept. i.e. ὁμοθυμαδόν occur frequently in this part of the Acts and mark very strongly the unity which existed in the new society, but which was so soon destined to be broken. For ὁμοθυμαδόν cf. Acts 1:14; Acts 2:46; Acts 4:24; Acts 5:12, &c. Beside this book the word is only found in N.T. in Romans 15:6.

ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Doubtless this was in the upper room in which the disciples were wont to meet.