Acts 24:17

πλειόνων : “many,” R.V., but margin, “some,” so Rendall: if Acts 18:22 refers to a visit to Jerusalem (see note) at the close of the Apostle's second missionary journey, the number expressed by πλειόνων would not exceed four or five. ἐλεημοσύνας ποιήσων, see above on collection for the Saints at Jerusalem. ἐλεη.: not elsewhere used by Paul, who speaks of κοινωνία, διακονία είς τοὺς ἁγίους, see on Acts 10:2. παρεγενόμην, Lucan, but cf. also 1 Corinthians 16:3, for the word again used by St. Paul. εἰς τὸ ἔθνος μου : quite natural for St. Paul to speak thus of the Jewish nation, for the Jewish-Christian Church naturally consisted of Jews, cf. Romans 9:3. For this allusion in Acts to the great work of the collection, and its evidential value, as corroborating the notices in the Epistles, see above on p. 422, and Paley, H.P., chap. ii., 1. On this use of εἰς cf. 1 Corinthians 16:1; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 2 Corinthians 9:1; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Romans 15:26, and see Deissmann, Bibelstudien, p. 113. καὶ προσφοράς : no mention is made of offerings as part of the purpose of St. Paul's visit to Jerusalem, but we know that he came up to Jerusalem to worship, Acts 24:11, and to be present at the Feast of Pentecost, Acts 20:16, and even if he did not present some offering in connection with that Feast (a thank-offering as Bethge supposes), Dr. Hort's view may well commend itself that the Apostle wished to make some offering on his own account, or it may be a solemn peace-offering in connection with the Gentile contribution for the Jewish Christians, and its acceptance, see on Acts 21:26, and also Weiss, in loco. The position of προσφ. seems against the supposition that we can take it simply with ἐλεη., and in combination with it, as if both words referred to the collection for the Saints. Jüngst would omit the words καὶ προσφ … ἱερῷ altogether, whilst even Hilgenfeld regards Acts 24:17-21 as an addition of his “Author to Theophilus”.