ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, the God of our fathers. Ananias spake naturally as one Jew to another. At the commencement of the Christian Church there was no thought of a rupture with Judaism, and nothing is more to be noticed in the Acts than the gradual advance made by the Apostles and their companions in apprehending what the result of their mission would be.

προεχειρίσατό σε, hath appointed thee. The verb is only here and in Acts 26:16 in N.T. In the LXX. it is found Exodus 4:13, προχείρισαι ἄλλον δυνάμενον ὃν�, where Moses would excuse himself from going unto Pharaoh; also Joshua 3:12; 2Ma 3:7; 2Ma 8:9 : always with the notion of selecting some one into whose hands an important duty can be committed.

γνῶναι τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ, to know His will. For this reason it is that St Paul so often in the commencement of his Epistles speaks of himself as an Apostle according to the will of God. 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1-2; Colossians 1:1, &c. The whole passage Ephesians 1:1-11 forms a comment on this clause.

καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν δίκαιον, and to see the righteous One, i.e. Jesus. See note on Acts 7:52 above.

καὶ�, and to hear a voice from His mouth. That in this way St Paul might, even as the other Apostles, be taught of Jesus.

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Old Testament