Acts 9:25

οἱ μαθηταὶ if we add αὐτοῦ, see critical notes, the words would apparently refer to Jews converted by Saul, so Chrysostom: “but his disciples” R.V. Alford, who reads αὐτοῦ, supposes that we have here an unusual government of the genitive by λαβόντες, and compares Luke 8:54 and classical instances, see in loco. διὰ τοῦ τείχους : “through the wall,” R.V., cf. 2 Corinthians 11:33, where we read διὰ θυρίδος … διὰ τοῦ τεὶχους, perhaps a window in the external face of the wall opening into the house on the inside, rather than simply a window of a house overhanging the wall; cf. Joshua 2:16, 1 Samuel 19:12. Blass takes it of a window made “in ipso muro scil. ad tormenta mittenda,” but there is no need for this explantion; see Hackett's note on his own observations at Damascus of two or three windows built in the wall as above. χαλάσαντες ἐν σπυρίδι.: “lowering him,” R.V., not expressed in A.V.; on spelling of σπυρ. see critical note. In 2 Corinthians 11:33 Paul uses the word σαργάνη, a basket of wickerwork, σπυρ. a basket larger than the κόφινος, the small hand-basket of the Jew, Juv., iii., 14; vi., 541, probably a provision basket of considerable size, used as by the Paeonians for fishing, Herod., v., 16. σαργάνη too is used of a fish basket by Timokles, Ληθ., i., see further, “Basket,” Hastings' B.D., and Plummer on Luke 9:17. Neither word is met with in the LXX or Apocrypha. For the naturalness of the incident according to the present customs of the country see Hackett, in loco. The traditional spot of its occurrence is still shown, but we can only say of it as of the “house of Judas,” see above on Acts 9:2. Wendt, p. 35 (1899), thinks that here we have a coincidence with the account in 2 Cor., which cannot be accounted for except by the acquaintance of the author of Acts with the Epistle.