Acts 13:15

τὴν ἀνάγ. τοῦ ν. καὶ τῶν π.: the first and second lesson, Edersheim, u. s., p. 278, History of the Jewish Nation, p. 443; Schürer, Jewish People, div. ii., vol. ii., p. 79 ff., E.T., the first from the Pentateuch, and the second a paragraph from the Prophets, including the older historical books. As there is no evidence that the lectionary of the Prophets existed in the time of our Lord, it is precarious to attempt to fix the particular Sabbath for St. Paul's address. It is however significant that he uses two remarkable words from the LXX, Deuteronomy 1:31 : ἐτροφ. (see critical notes), in Acts 13:18, and from Isaiah 1:2 : ὕψωσεν in Acts 13:17, and that in the present table of Jewish lessons that from the Law for the forty-fourth Sabbath in the year is Deuteronomy 1:1 to Deuteronomy 3:22, while the corresponding lesson from the Prophets is Isaiah 1:1-22; see Bengel on Acts 13:18, and Farrar, St. Paul, i., pp. 368, 369; Plumptre, in loco. But we cannot safely go beyond the view of Ramsay, St. Paul, p. 100, who points out that the present list of Jewish lessons is of decidedly later origin, but adds that “probably it was often determined by older custom and traditional ideas of suitable accompaniment”. ἀπέστειλαν : the words seem hardly consistent with Lumby's view that St. Paul was himself the Haphtarist. οἱ ἀρχισυνάγωγοι; generally only one, Luke 13:14, but cf. Mark 5:22 (Weiss, in loco), and the passage before us; the office was specially concerned with the care of public worship, and the name was given to those who conducted the assemblies for that purpose. They had to guard against anything unfitting taking place in the synagogue (Luke 13:14), and to appoint readers and preachers, Schürer, Jewish People, div. ii., vol. ii., p. 65, E.T.; Edersheim, Jewish Social Life, p. 281, and on the present passage, Jesus the Messiah, i. 434, and for the title in inscriptions, Grimm-Thayer, sub v.; see also below on Acts 14:2. ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί : courteous address, Acts 2:37, “Gentlemen, brethren” (Ramsay).