Acts 24:1-9
Acts 24:1-9. ARRIVAL OF THE ACCUSERS. SPEECH OF TERTULLUS, THEIR ADVOCATE... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 24:1-9. ARRIVAL OF THE ACCUSERS. SPEECH OF TERTULLUS, THEIR ADVOCATE... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΈΡΩΝ ΤΙΝΩ͂Ν for τῶν πρεσβυτέρων with אABE. _Vulg_. ‘cum senioribus quibusdam.’ 1. ΜΕΤᾺ ΔῈ ΠΈΝΤΕ ἩΜΈΡΑΣ, _and after five days_. Most naturally this means after St Paul’s arrival in Cæsarea, and the events narrated at the end of chap. 23. But it may mean five days after the departure of the Ap... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΛΗΘΈΝΤΟΣ ΔῈ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂, _and when he was called_, i.e. summoned by the official of the court, whose duty it was to call on the case. ἬΡΞΑΤΟ ΚΑΤΗΓΟΡΕΙ͂Ν Ὁ ΤΈΡΤΥΛΛΟΣ, _Tertullus began to accuse him_. St Luke has given us but the digest of the advocate’s speech. The seven verses, in which it is included... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΟΛΛΗ͂Σ ΕἸΡΉΝΗΣ ΤΥΓΧΆΝΟΝΤΕΣ ΔΙᾺ ΣΟΥ͂, _seeing that by thee we enjoy much peace_. The orator seizes on almost the only point in the government of Felix on which he could hang any praise. By severity he had put down false Messiahs, and the partisans of an Egyptian magician, as well as riots in Cæsarea... [ Continue Reading ]
ἽΝΑ ΔῈ ΜῊ ἘΠῚ ΠΛΕΙ͂ΌΝ ΣΕ ἘΓΚΌΠΤΩ, _but that I be not further tedious unto thee_. The notion in the verb is that of stopping a person’s way and so hindering him. Tertullus would imply that Felix was so deeply engaged in his public duties that every moment was precious. ἘΠΙΕΙΚΕΊΑΙ, _clemency_. The us... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΤΆΣΕΙΣ with אABE. _Vulg_. ‘seditiones.’ 5. ΕὙΡΌΝΤΕΣ ΓᾺΡ … ΛΟΙΜΌΝ, _for having found this man a pestilent fellow_. The Greek is literally ‘a pestilence.’ But the word is used of persons, 1Ma 10:61, καὶ ἐπισυνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἄνδρες λοιμοὶ ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, where, as here, the A.V. gives ‘pestilent fello... [ Continue Reading ]
ὍΣ ΚΑῚ ΤῸ ἹΕΡῸΝ ἘΠΕΊΡΑΣΕΝ ΒΕΒΗΛΩ͂ΣΑΙ, _who moreover assayed to profane the Temple_. The orator puts as a fact now, what had at first been only an opinion of the Asiatic Jews, that Paul had brought Trophimus into the Temple (Acts 21:29). The mob made it as a charge in their excitement, but Tertullus... [ Continue Reading ]
7, 8. Omitted from καὶ κατὰ to ἐπὶ σέ with אABHLP. See notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΡ' ΟὟ ΔΥΝΉΣΗΙ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΣ�, Κ.Τ.Λ., _from whom thou wilt be able by examining him thyself to take knowledge_, &c. When the _Text. Recept_. stood, the words ‘whom’ and ‘him’ in this passage referred to Claudius Lysias, from whom Felix might naturally be expected to make enquiry; without the supposed int... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΕΠΈΘΕΝΤΟ ΔῈ ΚΑῚ ΟἹ ἸΟΥΔΑΙ͂ΟΙ, _and the Jews also joined in the charge_, i.e. by language of their own reiterated the accusation. For the verb used of an attack made in common, cf. LXX. Psalms 3:6, οἱ κύκλῳ συνεπιτιθέμενοι. ΦΆΣΚΟΝΤΕΣ ΤΑΥ͂ΤΑ ΟὝΤΩΣ ἜΧΕΙΝ, _affirming that these things were so_. Tert... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΕΚΡΊΘΗ ΤΕ Ὁ ΠΑΥ͂ΛΟΣ, _and Paul answered_. When the governor had given him leave to speak the Apostle addressed his defence to the points charged against him. He had not excited the people, nor been the leader of any body of Nazarenes, nor had he polluted the Temple. ἘΚ ΠΟΛΛΩ͂Ν ἘΤΩ͂Ν, _for many ye... [ Continue Reading ]
ST PAUL’S ANSWER TO THE CHARGE... [ Continue Reading ]
ἤ before ΔΏΔΕΚΑ omitted with אABEHLP. _Vulg_. has ‘quam.’ 11. ΔΥΝΑΜΈΝΟΥ ΣΟΥ ἘΠΙΓΝΩ͂ΝΑΙ, _seeing that thou art able to take knowledge_. The Apostle refers to the acquaintance which Felix had gained of Jewish habits and customs and their festivals, and the manner of observance thereof. This knowledge... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΟΥ̓́ΤΕ ἘΝ ΤΩ͂Ι ἹΕΡΩ͂Ι Κ.Τ.Λ., _and they neither found me in the Temple disputing_, &c. The Apostle gives a flat denial to the charge of insurrection, and challenges them to prove any single point of it. He had not even entered into discussion with any man. On St Paul’s reply Chrysostom remarks:... [ Continue Reading ]
με after ΠΑΡΑΣΤΗ͂ΣΑΙ omitted with אABEL. _Vulg_. does not represent it. ΣΟΙ after ΔΎΝΑΝΤΑΙ added with אABE. _Vulg_. ‘tibi.’ 13. ΟΥ̓ΔῈ ΠΑΡΑΣΤΗ͂ΣΑΙ ΔΎΝΑΝΤΑΊ ΣΟΙ, _neither can they prove to thee_. The proof must be such as the Law required, not the mere multiplied assertions of the accusers. The verb... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΙ͂Σ ἘΝ before ΤΟΙ͂Σ ΠΡΟΦΉΤΑΙΣ added with אBE. Not added in _Vulg_. 14. ΚΑΤᾺ ΤῊΝ ὉΔῸΝ ἫΝ ΛΈΓΟΥΣΙΝ ΑἽΡΕΣΙΝ, _after the Way which they call a sect_. So the rendering of αἵρεσις is made to correspond with Acts 24:5 above. For ‘the Way’ meaning the Christian religion, see note on Acts 9:2. ΟὝΤΩ ΛΑΤΡΕ... [ Continue Reading ]
νεκρῶν omitted with אABC. Not represented in _Vulg_. 15. ἘΛΠΊΔΑ ἜΧΕΝ, _having hope_. The way in which this hope is described, ἀνάστασιν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι, explains the expression in Acts 23:6 περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ�. The hope was _even_ of the resurrection of the dead. ἫΝ ΚΑῚ ΑΥ̓ΤΟῚ ΟὟΤΟΙ ΠΡΟΣΔΈΧΟΝΤΑΙ, _w... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΤΟΎΤΩΙ ΚΑῚ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΣ�, _herein also I exercise myself_. Herein, i.e. in the worship, faith and hope spoken of in the last two verses; while holding this belief, and because I hold it, I try to keep my conscience clear. ‘I exercise myself’ that I may, by constant training and striving, at length get... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙ' ἘΝΩ͂Ν ΔῈ ΠΛΕΙΌΝΩΝ, _now after many years_. St Paul had come to Jerusalem on the return from his second missionary journey in A.D. 53. It was now A.D. 58, so that his absence had lasted four or five years (see note on Acts 24:10). ἘΛΕΗΜΟΣΎΝΑΣ ΠΟΙΉΣΩΝ ΕἸΣ ΤῸ ἜΘΝΟΣ ΜΟΥ, _to bring alms to my nation_... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΑἾΣ, _amidst which_, i.e. engaged in offering these oblations. ΕὟΡΌΝ ΜΕ ἩΓΝΙΣΜΈΝΟΝ, _they found me purified_, i.e. abstaining from all things forbidden by the Law of the Nazirites (see Numbers 6:3-8). A man who religiously purified himself could by no means be suspected as likely to defile the T... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΚΑΤΗΓΟΡΕΙ͂Ν, _and to make accusation_. They had set the cry against him, yet did not come to say what he had done wrong. They were probably on their way home, now that the feast was over.... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰ before ΤΊ omitted with אABCEHLP. _Vulg_. ‘si.’ ἐν ἐμοί omitted with אAB. _Vulg_. ‘in me.’ 20. Ἢ ΑΥ̓ΤΟῚ ΟὟΤΟΙ ΕἸΠΆΤΩΣΑΝ, _or let these men themselves say_, i.e. Ananias and his party. The assailants of St Paul were of two classes, first the Asiatic Jews, who were furious against him because of h... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἢ ΠΕΡῚ ΜΙΑ͂Σ ΤΑΎΤΗΣ ΦΩΝΗ͂Σ, _except it be for this one voice_, i.e. this exclamation or cry. From Acts 23:6 we can see that St Paul raised his voice when he mentioned the resurrection. ἤ = other than. τί … ἤ = τί ἄλλο ἤ.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΕΒΆΛΕΤΟ ΔῈ ΑΥ̓ΤΟῪΣ Ὁ ΦΗ͂ΛΙΞ with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘distulit autem illos Felix.’ 22. ἈΚΡΙΒΈΣΤΕΡΟΝ ΕἸΔῺΣ ΤᾺ ΠΕΡῚ ΤΗ͂Σ ὉΔΟΥ͂, _having more perfect knowledge of the Way_. On ἡ ὁδὸς = the Christian religion, see on Acts 9:2. Felix was more likely to understand something of the relations between Judaism... [ Continue Reading ]
ADJOURNMENT OF THE CAUSE. FELIX’S TREATMENT OF ST PAUL... [ Continue Reading ]
ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ for τὸν Παῦλον with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘eum.’ ἤ προσέρχεσθαι omitted with אABCE. Not represented in _Vulg_. 23. ΔΙΑΤΑΞΆΜΕΝΟΣ ΤΩ͂Ι ἙΚΑΤΟΝΤΆΡΧΗΙ, _having commanded the centurion_. It might perhaps be one of the two whom Lysias had put in charge of the conveyance of Paul (Acts 23:23). One might be... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΗ͂Ι ἸΔΊΑΙ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΊ with BC. _Vulg_. ‘uxore sua.’ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Ν after ΧΡΙΣΤΌΝ added with אBEL. _Vulg_. ‘Christum Jesum.’ 24. ΜΕΤᾺ ΔῈ ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ΤΙΝᾺΣ Κ.Τ.Λ., _but after certain days Felix came_, &c. Felix aid not always reside in Cæsarea. After the first hearing of St Paul’s cause he had gone away for a time... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔσεσθαι after ΜΈΛΛΟΝΤΟΣ omitted with אABCE. Not represented in _Vulg_. 25. ΔΙΑΛΕΓΟΜΈΝΟΥ ΔῈ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and as he reasoned of righteousness and temperance and the judgment to come_. It was no barren faith which St Paul commended, but was to have its fruits in the life. Felix perhaps expected so... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅπως λύσῃ αὐτόν omitted with אABCE. Not represented in _Vulg_. 26. ἍΜΑ ΚΑῚ ἘΛΠΊΖΩΝ Κ.Τ.Λ., at _the same time also hoping that money would be given him by Paul_. He had heard the Apostle speak of the contributions which he had gathered for the Jews in Jerusalem. His thought would naturally be that i... [ Continue Reading ]
ΧΆΡΙΤΑ for χάριτας with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘gratiam.’ 27. ΔΙΕΤΊΑΣ ΔῈ ΠΛΗΡΩΘΕΊΣΗΣ, _but when two years were fulfilled_, i.e. fully completed. It may be that St Luke intends to indicate by his expression, that it was not a reckoning of time such as was usual among the Jews, where portions of a year were s... [ Continue Reading ]