Acts 24:18

Acts 24:18. Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult. ‘Whereupon;' literally, ‘in which,' in the midst of which occupations certain Jews from Asia found me.' The reading of the greater number of the more trustworthy MSS. here is ἐν αἷς instead of the received text ε ̓ ν οἷς. This feminine form of the relative pronoun agrees with προσφορας, offerings; and thus the meaning of Paul's words was as follows: ‘These busybody strangers from Asia [Ephesus] found me in the temple certainly, but, far from profaning it, positively engaged in performing the rites and ceremonies which belonged to the fulfilment of a Nazarite's vow.'

There is another slight variation here in the reading of the more trustworthy authorities, viz. these older MSS. insert after τινές (certain), δί (and or but). Now, slight as this variation seems, it necessitates a different rendering of the whole clause, which must run thus: ‘In the midst of which occupations they' (that is, the Jews) ‘found me purified' (as a Nazarite) ‘in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult; but certain Jews from Asia.' Here a verb is wanting to make the sense perfect. It was no doubt this want of a verb to complete the sentence which induced many MSS. (though not the majority) to leave out δί. and thus make ‘certain Jews' the subject of εὗρον (found).

The explanation of the omission is found, no doubt, in the speaker's earnestness, Luke having given us the very words (and no more) of this remarkable defence. Some verb is required, suggests Dr. Hackett: ‘But certain Jews from Asia stirred up the tumult,' Acts 24:19. ‘Who ought now to he here.'