NOW PETER AND JOHN WENT UP TOGETHER INTO THE TEMPLE,.... These two disciples were intimate companions, and great lovers of each other; they were often together: they are thought, by some, to have been together in the high priest's palace at the trial of Christ; and they ran together to his sepulchre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A CERTAIN MAN, LAME FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB,.... He was born so; his lameness came not through any disease or fall, or any external hurt, but from a defect in nature, in one of his limbs, or more; which made the after miracle the more extraordinary: and he was so lame that he WAS CARRIED; he cou... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SEEING PETER AND JOHN ABOUT TO GO INTO THE TEMPLE,.... Just as they were entering through the gate at which he lay, he looked at them; and though they were strangers to him, he concluded they were Israelites by their going into the temple at that time: ASKED AN ALMS; of them; prayed them to giv... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PETER FASTENING HIS EYES UPON HIM,.... Or looking very wistly and intently at him, being, no doubt, under some uncommon impulse of the Spirit of God to take notice of him, and cure him of his disease: WITH JOHN; who was also under a like impulse at the same time; and who was equally concerned i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE GAVE HEED UNTO THEM,.... Or "he looked at them", as the Syriac version renders it, as they bid him: he was not only attentive to them in his mind, but he directed his eyes towards them, and looked wistly at them. This clause is left out in the Ethiopic version. EXPECTING TO RECEIVE SOMETHING... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PETER SAID, SILVER AND GOLD HAVE I NONE,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "we have none"; and so it reads the next clause in the first person plural; that is, they had no money either of gold or silver coin; they had none about them, nor any of their own perhaps any where; none but what was brou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK HIM BY THE RIGHT HAND,.... In imitation of Christ, whom he had often seen using the same action on such occasions: AND LIFT HIM UP; believing he was cured, and that it might be manifest. The word him is expressed in the Alexandrian copy, and in some others, and in the Oriental versions,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE LEAPING UP,.... From off the bed or couch, or ground on which he lay: STOOD AND WALKED; stood firm and strong upon his feet, and walked about; by which it was abundantly manifest to himself and others, that he had a perfect cure. The Ethiopic version is a very ridiculous one, "and he went wi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE PEOPLE,.... That were in the temple, SAW HIM WALKING; who before lay on a couch, or on the ground, and was so lame, that he was obliged to be carried; AND PRAISING GOD; for this miraculous cure. The Arabic version renders it, "saw him walking to praise God": that is, entering into the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY KNEW IT WAS HE THAT SAT FOR ALMS,.... The Syriac version renders it, "they knew him to be that beggar that sat daily and asked alms". As he was daily brought thither, and had, for many years, it is very likely, sat there to ask alms of the people as they went into the temple; he was well kn... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS THE LAME MAN WHICH WAS HEALED,.... This is left out in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, and in the Alexandrian copy, which only read, and as he HELD PETER AND JOHN; by their clothes or arms, either through fear, lest his lameness should return on their leaving him; or rather... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN PETER SAW IT,.... That the people ran to them, and looked wistly upon them, and wondered at what was done: HE ANSWERED UNTO THE PEOPLE, YE MEN OF ISRAEL, WHY MARVEL YE AT THIS? either at this man, who was cured of his lameness, or at the cure itself: OR WHY LOOK YE SO EARNESTLY ON US; sug... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND OF ISAAC, AND OF JACOB,.... These titles and epithets of God, which are used in the Old Testament, Exodus 3:6 the apostle chooses to retain, partly to distinguish him from the gods of the Gentiles, and partly to show his regard to the God of Israel, the one, only true, and li... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE DENIED THE HOLY ONE, AND THE JUST,.... Who is "holy" both in his divine and human nature, and the fountain of holiness to his people; see Psalms 16:10 and who is "just" or "righteous", both in his person, and in the discharge of his office, and has wrought a righteousness for his people, whic... [ Continue Reading ]
AND KILLED THE PRINCE OF LIFE,.... Or author of life, natural, spiritual, and eternal; who not only is the living God, and has life in himself; and as man, had such a power over his own life, as no man ever had; but he is the author of a spiritual resurrection from the death of sin, to a life of gra... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS NAME, THROUGH FAITH IN HIS NAME,.... That is, the name of Christ, or the power of Christ, through the faith of the apostles in him, while they made use of his name, and said, "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth", c. Acts 3:6 or Christ, through the faith of the lame man in him and when h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOW, BRETHREN,.... He calls them brethren, because they were so according to the flesh; and to testify his cordial love and affection for them. I WOT, or "I know", THAT THROUGH IGNORANCE YE DID IT; delivered up Jesus into the hands of Pilate; denied him to be the Messiah before him; preferred... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THOSE THINGS WHICH GOD BEFORE HAD SHOWED,.... In the Scriptures of the Old Testament, concerning the betraying of the Messiah, and his sufferings and death, with the various causes, concomitants, and circumstances of them: BY THE MOUTHS OF ALL HIS PROPHETS; which were since the world began; som... [ Continue Reading ]
REPENT YE THEREFORE,.... The Ethiopic version adds, "and be baptized", Acts 2:38, AND BE CONVERTED. The apostle's sense is, repent of the sin of crucifying Christ, which is what he had been charging them with, and turn unto him, and acknowledge him as the Messiah; receive his doctrines, and submit... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL SEND JESUS CHRIST,.... Or "that he may send Jesus Christ", as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it: not in person, for this regards neither his first, nor his second coming, both which might be terrible to the awakened Jews; the former, because he had been sent, and was come, and wa... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM THE HEAVEN MUST RECEIVE,.... Hold and retain in his human nature; and which does not at all hinder or confront his mission, and coming to his people, in the mean while, in a spiritual way and manner, to their joy and comfort: or, "who must receive heaven"; the kingdom, and glory, and reign ther... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MOSES TRULY SAID UNTO THE FATHERS,.... The Jewish fathers, the Israelites in the times of Moses. The Ethiopic version reads, "our fathers". This phrase, "unto the fathers", is left out in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, and in the Alexandrian copy: the passages referred to are in Deuteron... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT EVERY SOUL,.... Every person, man or woman: WHICH WILL NOT HEAR THAT PROPHET; neither believe what he says, nor do what he commands; or as it is in Deuteronomy 18:19 "will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name": for he that hears not him, hearkens... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, AND ALL THE PROPHETS FROM SAMUEL,.... Who was, as the Jews call him, רבן של נביאים, "the master of the prophets" l; and they say, that Samuel the prophet is הנביא הראשון, "the first prophet" in the chain of the Kabbala m; and therefore is here particularly mentioned, as at the head of the proph... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE PROPHETS,.... Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are called prophets, Psalms 105:15 being lineally and naturally descended from them; to them belonged the prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah, and the promises of him; they were heirs of them; AND OF THE C... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO YOU FIRST, GOD HAVING RAISED HIS SON JESUS,.... Which may be understood, either of the incarnation of Christ, and his exhibition in the flesh; which is sometimes expressed by raising him up, and is no other than the mission, or manifestation of him in human nature, as in Luke 1:69. Or of the re... [ Continue Reading ]