Acts 21:1. Paul's Voyage from Miletus, and his Stay in Tyre 1. _And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched_ The _Rev. Ver._has reproduced the Greek construction, but the sentence is not a happy one, nor the gain worth the sacrifice. "And when it came to pass that we... [ Continue Reading ]
_And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia Rev. Ver._literally, "_having found_a ship _crossing_, &c." Phœnicia was the country on the coast of the Levant, north of Palestine. It contained the important cities of Tyre and Sidon. _we went aboard, and set forth Rev. Ver._" _set sail_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now when we had discovered Cyprus Rev. Ver._"And when we had come in sight of." "Discover" has now acquired the special sense of "finding for the first time." On _Cyprus_, see notes on Acts 13:4 seqq. _we … Syria_ This was the general name for the whole district lying along the Mediterranean from... [ Continue Reading ]
_And finding disciples_ Better, "_And having found the disciples_" with _Rev. Ver._This means the members of the Christian church of Tyre, not some disciples who by chance happened to be at Tyre. That there was already a Christian congregation there is probable from the account of the spread of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when we had accomplished those days Rev. Ver._very literally "_And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days_." This means, of course, the seven days mentioned above. The verb rendered "accomplished" is very unusual in this sense, though the Vulgate explains it so, and Chrysostom g... [ Continue Reading ]
The best text requires here for the last clause, "_and we went on board the ship, but they returned home again_." There is nothing in the Greek to tell us whether the ship was the same in which they had come, or not.... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul's Journey to Cesarea, and his Stay there _And when … Ptolemais_ For "our course" _Rev. Ver._has "the voyage" and for "came to" reads "arrived at." For the same verb in Acts 16:1, "came to" is left. Ptolemais is the name given during Macedonian and Roman rule to the city anciently called Accho... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the next day Rev. Ver._"And on the morrow." _we that were of Paul's company_ The Greek for the last five of these words is omitted in the best MSS. We can see at once how such a marginal comment, thought useful by the reader of an early MS., would be brought into the text without scruple by th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the same man … prophesy Rev. Ver._" _Now this man had_, &c." The family of the Evangelist were walking in their father's steps. These daughters, instead of resting at home, took upon them the hard duty of publishing the message of the Gospel. The English word "prophesy" has come to have, since... [ Continue Reading ]
_And as we tarried there many days_ The word rendered "many" is not the one commonly so translated. It is equal to "some" as _Rev. Ver._in margin, and implies that the Apostle made a suitable stay, such as was seemly with a host of such a kind. _there … Agabus_ Perhaps the same who (Acts 11:28) at... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when he was come … he took … and bound his own hands and feet_ The oldest MSS. have "feet and hands," and the _Rev. Ver._adopts the Greek construction, "_And coming … and taking … he bound_, &c." His adoption of this figurative action makes it almost certain that the man was a Jew. Similar acti... [ Continue Reading ]
_we, and they of that place_ We (i.e. St Luke and the rest who were his fellow-travellers) and the Christians of Cæsarea. The act of Agabus was in all probability done with some publicity.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Paul answered. What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart_ Better (with _Rev. Ver._), "What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart?" The sentence is little more than an emphatic question, "Why do ye weep?" implying, of course, the exhortation, "Don't weep, &c." The verb for "break" is found on... [ Continue Reading ]
_And … be done_ They gathered from the language of St Paul that he had a higher leading than theirs in what he was doing, and feeling that Christ's guidance was better than any other, they quieted their minds with the thought that the work was "for the name of the Lord Jesus," who would strengthen H... [ Continue Reading ]
The Journey to Jerusalem 15. _And after those days we took up our carriages Rev. Ver._" OUR baggage." In the English of the A.V. "carriages" were things which were carried. The word is found in this sense, 1 Samuel 17:22; Isaiah 10:28, as well as in this passage. So in Shakespeare, and cp. Earle's... [ Continue Reading ]
_There went with us also … of Cesarea_ The Greek text has a conjunction to introduce the sentence, " AND _there went_, &c.… FROM _Cæsarea._" The Evangelist had formed a Church where he had settled, and the congregation were, like their teacher, concerned at St Paul's danger, and so some went with hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Arrival at Jerusalem. Paul's Reception by the Church and by the People 17. _And … gladly_ The brethren, whose joy is here spoken of, would be those Christians who first learnt of the arrival of Paul at Mnason's house. It is not the public reception which is here intended, for however welcome Paul m... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the day following … James_ This was the Church's reception of the returned missionaries. Notice of their arrival would soon be given, and the authorities who were at the time resident in Jerusalem were gathered together. There was not any Apostle there or St Luke would hardly have failed to men... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord_ The oldest MSS. read _God_. They took up the strain of thanksgiving which had run through all the Apostle's story. _and said unto him_ Their anxiety makes itself apparent at once, and we come here face to face with what must have been one of the gre... [ Continue Reading ]
_and they are informed of thee_ More clearly and in accordance with modern English, the _Rev. Ver._" _they_ HAVE BEEN _informed_ CONCERNING _thee_." The verb is a very significant one, from which comes our English "catechize." It implies, therefore, that the process of educating public opinion in Je... [ Continue Reading ]
_What is it therefore_?] i.e. How stands the matter? An expression used as introductory to the consideration of what is best to be done. _the multitude must needs come together_ The oldest texts omit all but the word here rendered "needs," giving only, "_they will certainly hear that thou art come_,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Do therefore … vow on them_ They advise St Paul to take a part in the ceremonies of a Nazarite vow. He could not go through the whole course of the observance, for these men had already for some time had the vow upon them, but it was permitted among the Jews for anyone who wished, to join in the fi... [ Continue Reading ]
_them take, and purify thyself with them_ i.e. make thyself one of their company, and observe all the ordinances, with regard to purification and keeping from what is unclean, which they observe. _and be at charges with_(_better_, for) _them_ Josephus (_Antiq_. xix. 6. 1) tells how Agrippa took upo... [ Continue Reading ]
_As touching the Gentiles which believe_ The clause should commence with But, which is expressed in the Greek. The elders, while urging on Paul the course they have described in consideration of Jewish prejudices, are yet careful to distinguish from this the liberty of the Gentiles, and to confirm t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Paul took the men_ This consent of Paul to the advice of James and the elders has been taken by some for a contradiction of the words and character of the Apostle as represented in his own writings. But he has testified of himself (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) that for the Gospel's sake he was made... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when the seven days were almost ended Rev. Ver._"completed." This seems to have been the period devoted to the more secluded residence in the Temple. _the Jews which were of Asia_ Lit. (with _Rev. Ver._) "the Jews from Asia." So that it would seem that a portion of the visitors to Jerusalem ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_crying … help_ The cry as if an outrage had been committed, and they, the strangers visiting Jerusalem, were the persons who could afford the best testimony to what had been done. For had they not seen and heard Paul in Ephesus and elsewhere? _This … people_ They would intimate that he was bringin... [ Continue Reading ]
_For they had_, &c. Hence we see that Trophimus had come with the Apostle not only "as far as Asia" (see note on Acts 20:4), but all the way to Jerusalem. His name bespeaks the man a Greek, and, from the anger of these Asiatic Jews, he was doubtless a convert to Christianity without having been a pr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And … ran together_ This is a proof that what James and the elders had stated was true, the whole Jewish community had been "catechized" on the doings of St Paul among the Gentiles. The least spark set the whole train on fire. _and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple_ This rendering har... [ Continue Reading ]
_And as they went about_(_Rev. Ver._"were seeking") _to kill him_ The object of the mob was clearly, now that they had the Apostle in their power, to beat him to death in the crowd, and thus avoid a charge of murder against any individual. _tidings came unto_(Better with _Rev. Ver._ UP TO) _the chie... [ Continue Reading ]
_Who immediately took soldiers and centurions_ Clearly he had charge of a considerable troop, which perhaps might just then be augmented in anticipation of any disturbance to which such a concourse, as would come together for the feast, might give rise. _and ran down unto them Rev. Ver._" UPON _the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then … took him_ The last verb implies a formal arrest, therefore the _Rev. Ver._rightly gives "_laid hold on him_." The chief captain did not come with a view to relieve St Paul, but to find out what was the matter, and seeing the Apostle in the hands of the mob, himself arrested him, that he migh... [ Continue Reading ]
_And some cried_[_R. V._shouted] … _another_ The verb is the same which St Luke uses for the din of the multitude which shouted against Jesus (Luke 23:21), "Crucify him;" also for the adulatory shouting in honour of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:22). No other New Testament writer uses the word. The chief c... [ Continue Reading ]
_And … stairs_ This was the flight of steps leading from the Temple area up to the Tower where the soldiers were stationed. The stairs were not covered in, for St Paul is able to address the multitude while standing on them (Acts 21:40). _so it was … for the violence of the people_[_R. V._crowd]. T... [ Continue Reading ]
_For … Away with him_ The same cry which (Luke 23:18) was used by the Jews before Pilate in reference to Jesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul asks Leave to address the Crowd 37. _And as Paul was to be led into the castle_ More clearly (with _Rev. Ver._) "_was about to be brought_, &c." This must have been when Paul with the soldiers had reached some place where he could be allowed to stand. _he said_[Gk. saith] … _May I speak unto... [ Continue Reading ]
_Art not thou that Egyptian_ Better (as _Rev. Ver._), "_Art thou not then the Egyptian?_" Thus we see more clearly the reason of the previous question which the chief captain had asked. The Egyptian to whom allusion is here made was a sufficiently formidable character, if we only reckon his follower... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus_ The A. V. does not often follow the Greek so closely as this. And here it is better to read with the _Rev. Ver._, "_I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia_" (see Acts 6:9, notes). _a citizen of no mean city_ Tarsus was the metropolis of Cilicia, and a c... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when he had given him licence_[leave, _R. V._. And as the same verb occurs in the previous verse, the _Rev. Ver._has there "_give me leave to speak_, &c." It is fitting that in such passages the renderings should be uniform. _Paul … people_ Apparently the chief captain had also been so far imp... [ Continue Reading ]