Acts 9:1-9
Acts 9:1-9. SAUL’S MISSION TO DAMASCUS AND HIS CONVERSION... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 9:1-9. SAUL’S MISSION TO DAMASCUS AND HIS CONVERSION... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔῈ ΣΑΥ͂ΛΟΣ, _but Saul_. The δέ takes up the previous δέ in Acts 8:1, where Saul was last alluded to. On this resumptive use of δέ cf. _Winer-Moulton_, p. 553. ἘΜΠΝΈΩΝ�, _breathing threatening_. This was the atmosphere in which he was constantly living during his search for the Christians. The ren... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΙΣΤΟΛΆΣ, _letters_. These are the papers which constituted his ‘authority and commission’ (Acts 26:12). From that passage we learn that the issuing of these papers was the act of the whole body, for Paul there says they were ‘from the chief priests.’ ΔΑΜΑΣΚΌΝ, _Damascus_. Of the history of this mo... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΚ for ἀπὸ with אABCL. _Vulg_. ‘de.’ 3. ἘΝ ΔῈ ΤΩ͂Ι ΠΟΡΕΎΕΣΘΑΙ, _and as he journeyed_. There were two roads by which Saul could make his journey, one the caravan road which led from Egypt to Damascus, and kept near the coast line of the Holy Land till it struck eastward to cross the Jordan at the no... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΠΕΣῺΝ ἘΠῚ ΤῊΝ ἬΚΟΥΣΕΝ, _and he fell to the earth and heard_. The fall was in consequence of the dazzling intensity of the brightness. From Acts 26:14 we find that not only Saul but his companions were struck down by the light, though there was more in the vision which he beheld than was made evi... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔΈ instead of ὁ δὲ κύριος εἶπεν with ABC. _Vulg_. ‘et ille’ only. 5. ΕἾΠΕΝ ΔΈ, ΤΊΣ ΕἾ, ΚΎΡΙΕ _and he said, Who art thou, Lord?_ Saul is sensible of the divine nature of the vision, and shews this by his address. The appearance of Christ, though in a glorified body, must have been like that which... [ Continue Reading ]
5, 6. σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν. τρέμων τε καὶ θαμβῶν εἶπεν, Κύριε, τί με θέλεις ποιῆσαι; καὶ ὁ κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν omitted with אABCEHLP. The _Vulg_. represents it. 5, 6. The words here omitted by the best MSS. have found their way into the text in this place from the desire of some early st... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΛΛᾺ�, _but arise_. Saul had continued prostrate during the vision, just where he had been struck down at first. ΕἸΣ ΤῊΝ ΠΌΛΙΝ, _into the city_. Here is another proof that the party of travellers had arrived very nearly at Damascus. Tradition here, as in many other instances, has fixed on a spot as... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ΔῈ ἌΝΔΡΕΣ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and the men which journeyed with him stood speechless_. Cf. Daniel 10:7, ‘I Daniel alone saw the vision, for the men that were with me saw not the vision, but a great quaking fell upon them.’ Saul was not only furnished with authority, but also with men who were to carry out h... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ΔῈΝ for οὐδένα with אAB. _Vulg_. ‘nihil.’ 8. ἈΝΕΩΙΓΜΈΝΩΝ ΔῈ … ΟΥ̓ΔῈΝ ἜΒΛΕΠΕΝ, _but when his eyes were opened he saw nothing_. The vision had struck him blind. He opened his eyes, but their power had been taken away. Thus his physical condition becomes a fit representation of the mental blindness... [ Continue Reading ]
ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ΤΡΕΙ͂Σ, _three days_. During this time we cannot but think the illumination of his mind was being enlarged by the Spirit. He had been convinced by the vision that Jesus was risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. But more than this was needed for the preparation of this mighty missionar... [ Continue Reading ]
ἮΝ ΔΈ ΤΙΣ ΜΑΘΗΤῊΣ … ἈΝΑΝΊΑΣ. _Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias_. Of this disciple we have no further mention in Holy Writ except in chap. Acts 22:12, where St Paul describes him as ‘a devout man according to the Law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt’ at Dam... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL’S SIGHT RESTORED. HE PREACHES IN DAMASCUS... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠῚ ΤῊΝ ῬΎΜΗΝ ΤῊΝ ΚΑΛΟΥΜΈΝΗΝ ΕΥ̓ΘΕΙ͂ΑΝ, _into the street which is called Straight_, ἐπὶ with the accusative signifies ‘upon,’ and here the sense given by it is that of motion first _to_ the street, and then _along_ it. ῥύμη is only a word of late classical authors. In N.T. it is used in contradicti... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ὁράματι omitted with אA. The _Vulg_. also does not represent it. 12. ἈΝΑΒΛΈΨΗ, _he may receive his sight_. Here we have ὅπως with the conjunctive after a past tense. But as the event alluded to is yet in the future, it is easy to explain the construction.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἬΚΟΥΣΑ�, _I have heard from many_. These words seem to indicate a longer residence of Ananias in Damascus than he could have made if he had only left Jerusalem after the death of Stephen; and so do the words (Acts 22:12) which speak of his good report among all the Jews that dwelt at Damascus. And w... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟῪΣ ἘΠΙΚΑΛΟΥΜΈΝΟΥΣ ΤῸ ὌΝΟΜΆ ΣΟΥ, _those that call on thy name_. ‘To call on Christ’s name’ is equivalent to being a believer in Him. The expression is found in 1 Corinthians 1:2 in apposition to ἅγιοι, and thus we see what in Pauline language is meant by ‘saints’ when used of the whole body of the... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΚΕΥ͂ΟΣ ἘΚΛΟΓΗ͂Σ, _a chosen vessel_. Literally, ‘a vessel of election.’ This is a Hebrew form of expression. Cf. LXX. Jeremiah 22:28, where it is said of king Coniah that he is ὡς σκεῦος οὖ οὐκ ἔστι χρεία. So in Hosea 8:8 Israel is called σκεῦος ἄχρηστον. This qualitative genitive (where one noun s... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠῈΡ ΤΟΥ͂ ὈΝΌΜΑΤΌΣ ΜΟΥ ΠΑΘΕΙ͂Ν, _to suffer for My name_. It was no light burden which the new convert was to bear. Cf. his own words (Acts 20:23), ‘the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.’ The truth of this is borne out by that long list of the Apostle’s... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΑΟΎΛ. See above on Acts 9:4. Ὁ ΚΎΡΙΟΣ … ἸΗΣΟΎΣ. Ananias is guided to combine the name ‘Lord,’ which Saul had used when he beheld the vision of glory, with ‘Jesus’ which Christ had Himself uttered in answer to Saul’s question, ‘Who art thou?’ Thus his mission would bring at once its warrant to the... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ for ὡσεὶ with אAB. παραχρῆμα omitted with אABCHP. Not represented in _Vulg_. 18. ὩΣ ΛΕΠΊΔΕΣ, _as it had been scales_. The word λεπίς is used by Hippocrates as a technical term for a disease of the eye, and λεπίζω is found (Tob 3:17; Tob 11:13) used to describe the peeling-process by which such a... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ Σαῦλος omitted with אABCE. Not in _Vulg_. 19. ΚΑῚ ΛΑΒῺΝ ΤΡΟΦΉΝ, _and when he had taken meat_. Needed after his three days’ fast, but (says Calvin) ‘he refreshed not his body with meat until his soul had received strength.’ ἘΛΈΝΕΤΟ ΔῈ … ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ΤΙΝΆΣ, _and he was certain days with the disciples whi... [ Continue Reading ]
For Χριστόν read ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Ν with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘Jesum.’ 20. ἘΚΉΡΥΣΣΕΝ ΤῸΝ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Ν Κ.Τ.Λ., _he proclaimed Jesus that He is the Son of God_. This is undoubtedly the correct reading. The preaching which was to be to the Jews a stumbling-block was that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, their long-expecte... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΞΊΣΤΑΝΤΟ ΔῈ ΠΆΝΤΕΣ, _but all were amazed_. Saul’s fame as a persecutor of Christians was apparently well known to the Jews of Damascus, and the authorities of the synagogues may have been instructed beforehand to welcome him as a zealous agent. If so their amazement is easy to understand. It is cle... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΑΥ͂ΛΟΣ ΔῈ ΜΑ͂ΛΛΟΝ ἘΝΕΔΥΝΑΜΟΥ͂ΤΟ, _but Saul increased the more in strength_, i.e. became more and more energetic in his labours, and the Holy Ghost gave him more power. His fitness for the labour on which he was entering was very great. He possessed all the Jewish learning of a zealous pupil of Gama... [ Continue Reading ]
ἩΜΈΡΑΙ ἹΚΑΝΑΊ, _many days_. As the visit to Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 9:26 seems to follow closely upon the events narrated in Acts 9:25, and as that visit was not made till after the retirement into Arabia of which St Paul speaks (Galatians 1:17-18) thus: ‘Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them t... [ Continue Reading ]
A PLOT AGAINST SAUL’S LIFE. HIS FLIGHT FROM DAMASCUS... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓΝΏΣΘΗ ΔῈ ΤΩ͂Ι ΣΑΎΛΩΙ Ἡ ἘΠΙΒΟΥΛῊ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν, _but their plot was known to Saul_. Perhaps the information was given by some of the Christian disciples, who would be well disposed to him from what they had heard from Ananias. These certainly manifested their zeal towards him in aiding him to make his es... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΑΒΌΝΤΕΣ ΔῈ ΟἹ ΜΑΘΗΤΑῚ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΥ͂ Κ.Τ.Λ., _but his disciples took him by night and_, &c. This well-supported reading favours the explanation of ἡμέραι ἱκαναί given in Acts 9:23. On his second visit to Damascus, more than ever filled with the Spirit, he stayed long enough to gather about him a band of f... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ Σαῦλος omitted with אABC. Not in _Vulg_. 26. ΠΑΡΑΓΕΝΌΜΕΝΟΣ ΔῈ ΕἸΣ ἹΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΉΜ, _and when he was come to Jerusalem_. Saul had never visited Jerusalem since the day when he set out on his inquisitorial journey to Damascus, and as he had been a long time in Arabia since then, his name may very well h... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL VISITS JERUSALEM. HE IS SENT AWAY TO TARSUS. THE CHURCHES HAVE REST... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΑΡΝΆΒΑΣ ΔῈ Κ.Τ.Λ., _but Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles_, i.e. to such of the Apostles as happened to be then in Jerusalem. During a short space of fifteen days it is easy to understand that all but Peter and James might be absent from Jerusalem. St Paul tells us he only saw these... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἮΝ ΜΕΤ' ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν, _and he was with them_, i.e. for the fifteen days during which his visit lasted he was received into the fellowship of the Church. On ΕἸΣΠΟΡΕΥΌΜΕΝΟΣ ΚΑῚ ἘΚΠΟΡΕΥΌΜΕΝΟΣ see note on Acts 1:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἰησοῦ omitted with אABE. Not in _Vulg_. 29. Tischendorf marks the beginning of this verse at ἐλάλει, and not, as other editors, at παρρησιαζόμενος. ἘΛΆΛΕΙ ΤΕ ΚΑῚ ΣΥΝΕΖΉΤΕΙ ΠΡῸΣ ΤΟῪΣ ἙΛΛΗΝΙΣΤΆΣ _and he spake and disputed against the Grecians_. These Ἑλληνισταί were the Greek Jews at whose instigati... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΙΓΝΌΝΤΕΣ ΔῈ ΟἹ�, _and when the brethren were aware of it_. The disciples in Jerusalem, just as those in Damascus, got information about the plot which was being laid against Saul. ΚΑΤΉΓΑΓΟΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΕἸΣ ΚΑΙΣΆΡΕΙΑΝ, _they brought him down to Cæsarea_, i.e. to the seaport so called, not to Cæsarea Ph... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἡ ΜῈΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ἘΚΚΛΗΣΊΑ with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘ecclesia quidem.’ 31. Ἡ ΜῈΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ἘΚΚΛΗΣΊΑ … ΕἸΡΉΝΗΝ, _so the Church throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria had peace_. The sense is that the whole Christian body enjoyed a time of quiet, not as A.V. (with _Text. recept._), the various congregations. T... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ, _through all quarters_. The history now turns from Saul to Peter, to shew us that when the former had been prepared for his special work, the latter was taught by revelation that the time had arrived for the next and complete extension of the Church among all nations. Peter had been labo... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER HEALS A PARALYTIC AT LYDDA... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΞ ἘΤΩ͂Ν ὈΚΤῺ ΚΑΤΑΚΕΊΜΕΝΟΝ Κ.Τ.Λ., _which had kept his bed eight years_. There could therefore be no doubt cast upon the miraculous nature of his cure.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΑ͂ΤΑΊ ΣΕ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Σ ΧΡΙΣΤΌΣ, _Jesus Christ maketh thee whole_. As in the cure of the cripple at the Temple gate (Acts 3:6), the Apostle makes known that he is but the messenger, and that the healer is Christ. We are not told that Æneas was a disciple, but it may be inferred that he was among ‘the sain... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΕἾΔΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΠΆΝΤΕΣ, _and they all saw him_. No doubt his case of eight-years-long paralysis was well known to the dwellers in the village and neighbourhood, and to see such a one about in their midst again would be a cause for general remark and enquiry into the manner of his restoration. ‘When... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ἸΌΠΠΗΙ, _in Joppa_. The seaport town on the coast of Palestine almost directly west from Jerusalem. For its history, see _Dict. of the Bible_. ΜΑΘΉΤΡΙΑ, _a_ (female) _disciple_. The word is only found here in N.T. and is rare in other Greek authors. It is probably used to shew that under the Gos... [ Continue Reading ]
DORCAS RAISED TO LIFE. PETER’S STAY AT JOPPA... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΣΘΕΝΉΣΑΣΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῊΝ�, _that she fell sick and died_. The proceedings which followed on her death are evidence of its reality. The probable reason for deferring the burial was the knowledge that Peter was close at hand, and the hope of the disciples that the power of Jesus might be exercised through h... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜῊ ὈΚΝΉΣΗΙΣ with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘Ne pigriteris.’ ἩΜΩ͂Ν for αὐτῶν with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘nos.’ 38. ΠΑΡΑΚΑΛΟΥ͂ΝΤΕΣ, ΜῊ ὈΚΝΉΣΗΙΣ ΔΙΕΛΘΕΙ͂Ν ἝΩΣ ἩΜΩ͂Ν, _entreating him, Delay not to come on to us_. Thus διελθεῖν has its full force, which is lost in A.V. It is as though their supplication were, ‘We have h... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΣΤᾺΣ ΔῈ ΠΈΤΡΟΣ, _and Peter arose_. We may he sure that the Apostle knew, by the Spirit, that it would please God to do something for the help of the distress at Joppa when he set out with the messengers. ΚΑῚ ΠΑΡΈΣΤΗΣΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ΠΑ͂ΣΑΙ ΑἹ ΧΗ͂ΡΑΙ ΚΛΑΊΟΥΣΑΙ, _and all the widows stood by him weeping_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΚΒΑΛῺΝ ΔῈ … Ὁ ΠΈΤΡΟΣ, _but Peter put them all forth_. Cf. Christ’s action (Matthew 9:25) at the raising of Jaïrus’ daughter, on which occasion Peter had been present. ΚΑῚ ΘΕῚΣ ΤᾺ ΓΌΝΑΤΑ ΠΡΟΣΗΎΞΑΤΟ, _and kneeled down and prayed_. For the first part of the phrase, cf. Acts 7:60. St Peter’s request n... [ Continue Reading ]
ΦΩΝΉΣΑΣ ΔῈ ΤΟῪΣ ἉΓΊΟΥΣ ΚΑῚ ΤᾺΣ ΧΉΡΑΣ, _and when he had called the saints and widows_. These words make it evident that the petition sent to Peter had been the supplication of the whole Christian Church of Joppa, ‘Come on unto us and help us.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΊΣΤΕΥΣΑΝ ΠΟΛΛΟῚ with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘crediderunt multi.’ 42. ΚΑΘ' ὍΛΗΣ ΤΗ͂Σ ἸΌΠΠΗΣ. See above, Acts 9:31, note. ΚΑῚ ἘΠΊΣΤΕΥΣΑΝ ΠΟΛΛΟῚ ἘΠῚ ΤῸΝ ΚΎΡΙΟΝ, _and many believed on the Lord_. There seems to be intended by these words a fuller acceptance of the faith of Jesus than when it is said ‘they tu... [ Continue Reading ]
ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ἹΚΑΝΆΣ. On the indefinite nature of the length of time indicated here, see Acts 9:23, note. ΠΑΡΆ ΤΙΝΙ ΣΊΜΩΝΙ ΒΥΡΣΕΙ͂, _with one Simon a tanner_. The trade of a tanner was held as abominable by the Jews. A wife, it is said, could claim a divorce from a husband who became a tanner. See Mishna... [ Continue Reading ]