Acts 2:14

σταθεὶς δὲ Πέτρος : St. Chrysostom rightly remarks on the change which had passed over St. Peter. In the place where a few weeks before he had denied with an oath that he knew “the man,” he now stands forth to proclaim him as the Christ and the Saviour. It is quite characteristic of St. Luke thus to introduce participles indicating the position or gesture of the speaker (cf. Friedrich, Zöckler, Overbeck); cf. St. Luke 18:11; Luke 18:40; Luke 19:8; Acts 5:40; Acts 11:13; Acts 17:2; Acts 25:18; Acts 27:21. σὺν τοῖς ἕνδεκα, and so with Matthias; cf. Acts 5:32, and Acts 1:22. ἐπῆρε τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ : this phrase is only found in St. Luke's Gospel (Acts 11:29) and the Acts (Acts 14:11; Acts 22:22), but it is quite classical, so in Demosthenes, and in LXX it occurs several times. ἀπεφθέγξατο : “spake forth,” R.V., cf. Acts 26:25, expressive of the solemnity of the utterance, see above in Acts 2:4, and showing that St. Peter's words were inspired no less than the speaking with tongues (Weiss). ἄνδρες Ἰουδαῖοι : no word of reproach, but an address of respect; the words may be taken quite generally to indicate not only those previously present, but also those who were attracted by the noise. There is no need to suppose that St. Peter addressed the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the Jews as if they had been the only scoffers as distinct from the pilgrims from other lands. It is no doubt possible that the first part of the speech was addressed to the native home-bred residents, and that in Acts 2:22 St. Peter in the word Ἰσραηλῖται includes all the Jews whether resident in Jerusalem or not. ἐνωτίσασθε : only here in N.T., but frequent in LXX, especially in the Psalms. It usually translates Hebrew הֶאֱזִין from Hebrew אֹזֶן = ear; cf. inaurire; Kennedy, Sources of N. T. Greek, p. 130. “Give ear unto my words,” R.V. Auribus percipite, Vulg.