Acts 28:1-10
Acts 28:1-10. THE SHIPWRECKED COMPANY HOSPITABLY ENTERTAINED IN MALTA. PAUL, BITTEN BY A VIPER, FEELS NO HURT. CURE OF THE FATHER OF THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 28:1-10. THE SHIPWRECKED COMPANY HOSPITABLY ENTERTAINED IN MALTA. PAUL, BITTEN BY A VIPER, FEELS NO HURT. CURE OF THE FATHER OF THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠΈΓΝΩΜΕΝ for ἐπέγνωσαν with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘cognovimus.’ 1. ΔΙΑΣΩΘΈΝΤΕΣ ΤΌΤΕ ἘΠΈΓΝΩΜΕΝ, _when we were escaped, then we knew_, i.e. we found out from the natives who were on the shore. ΜΕΛΊΤΗ, _Melita_. They would at once learn what the land was from the natives whom they found on the shore. Traditi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἽ ΤΕ ΒΆΡΒΑΡΟΙ, _and the barbarians_. The word is used in the original as it was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Those who did not speak their language were to them always ‘barbarians,’ not necessarily in our modern sense, but as strange and foreign folks. The language spoken in Malta was pro... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΣΤΡΈΨΑΝΤΟΣ ΔῈ ΤΟΥ͂ ΠΑΎΛΟΥ, _but when Paul had gathered_. This is only another sign of the active spirit of the Apostle. Whatever was to be done, if he were able to take a part in it, he was never wanting, whether it was in counselling about a difficulty, in comforting under danger, or helping by b... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΘΗΡΊΟΝ, _the beast_. There is nothing in the Greek to represent ‘venomous’ (as given in the A.V.), though it was because the inhabitants knew that such was its character that they were so astonished at what happened. But θηρίον must have been very frequently applied to venomous creatures; for ἡ... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΜῈΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν�, _howbeit having shaken off the beast_. The verb is used (Luke 9:5) of shaking off dust from the feet. The idea conveyed is that St Paul was quite composed in what he did, and that the beast was no cause of alarm to him.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ΔῈ ΠΡΟΣΕΔΌΚΩΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ΜΈΛΛΕΙΝ ΠΊΜΠΡΑΣΘΑΙ, _but they expected that he would have swollen_. Such being the usual effect of the viper’s bite, and making itself apparent in a very short time. The verb πίμπρημι in classical Greek means ‘to burn,’ ‘to burn up,’ and in the passive ‘to be inflamed,’ but... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΔῈ ΤΟΙ͂Σ ΠΕΡῚ ΤῸΝ ΤΌΠΟΝ ἘΚΕΙ͂ΝΟΝ ὙΠΗ͂ΡΧΕΝ ΧΩΡΊΑ, _now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging_, &c. The nearest place to what is believed to have been the scene of the wreck is the town now called _Alta Vecchia_. ΤΩ͂Ι ΠΡΏΤΩΙ ΤΗ͂Σ ΝΉΣΟΥ, _to the chief man of the island_. Πρῶτος is... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓΈΝΕΤΟ ΔΈ, _and it was so, that_, &c. The words do not mean as might be thought from A.V. ‘and it came to pass, that,’ &c., that the father of Publius fell ill after St Paul’s arrival, but that he was ill before. ΠΥΡΕΤΟΙ͂Σ ΚΑῚ ΔΥΣΕΝΤΕΡΊΩΙ, _of fever and dysentery_. The words are technical, such as... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΟἹ ΛΟΙΠΟΊ, _the rest also_. It was not a few who came, but during the three months of their stay all the others who were in sickness and heard of what had been done for the father of the chief magistrate (and it was sure to be widely noised abroad) came to be cured.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡῸΣ ΤᾺΣ ΧΡΕΊΑΣ with אABI. _Vulg_. ‘quae necessaria erant.’ 10. ΠΟΛΛΑΙ͂Σ ΤΙΜΑΙ͂Σ, _with many honours_. No doubt these included gifts of money and such things as would be needed by travellers who had lost everything in the shipwreck: but to restrict the word to the sense of ‘honorarium’ or fee, such... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΕΤᾺ ΔῈ ΤΡΕΙ͂Σ ΜΗ͂ΝΑΣ, _and after three months_. The proper season for sailing having again come round, now that winter was over. ἈΝΉΧΘΗΜΕΝ, _we set sail_. See on Acts 27:3. ἘΝ ΠΛΟΊΩΙ … ἈΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΙΝΩ͂Ι, _in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island_. This was another vessel employed prob... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VOYAGE FROM MALTA, AND THE ARRIVAL IN ROME... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΚΑΤΑΧΘΈΝΤΕΣ ΕἸΣ ΣΥΡΑΚΟΎΣΑΣ, _and touching at Syracuse_. The vessel takes the regular route, sailing north from Valetta to Sicily. Syracuse was one of the chief towns of Sicily lying on the south-eastern extremity, and was famous in classical history as the scene of many of the disasters of the A... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΕΡΙΕΛΘΌΝΤΕΣ, _having made a circuit_. They made this winding course because the favourable wind, for which they had probably been waiting during the three days’ stay at Syracuse, did not come. ΚΑΤΗΝΤΉΣΑΜΕΝ ΕἸΣ ῬΉΓΙΟΝ, _we arrived at Rhegium_. The modern _Reggio_, situated at the southern point of... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟὟ ΕὙΡΌΝΤΕΣ�, _where having found brethren_. There was, we see from this, a Christian Church already established in Puteoli, and it was to such a degree well known, that the Apostle on his arrival at once learnt of its existence. From this we may gather that the Christians in Italy had already sprea... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ�, _the brethren having heard of us_. Between Puteoli and Rome there was constant communication, and the seven days of the Apostle’s sojourn in the port were amply sufficient to make the whole Christian body in Rome aware of his arrival in Italy and of the time when he would set out towards the ci... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ἙΚΑΤΌΝΤΑΡΧΟΣ ΠΑΡΈΔΩΚΕ ΤΟῪΣ ΔΕΣΜΊΟΥΣ ΤΩ͂Ι ΣΤΡΑΤΟΠΕΔΆΡΧΗΙ omitted with אABI. Not represented in _Vulg_. 16. ὍΤΕ ΔῈ ΕἸΣΉΛΘΟΜΕΝ ΕἸΣ ῬΏΜΗΝ, _and when we came to Rome_. There was much that might have been said of this land journey from Puteoli to Rome, and the writer of the Acts was one of the fellow-t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΑΥ̓ΤΌΝ for τὸν Παῦλον with אABI. _Vulg_. has not the proper name. 17. ΜΕΤᾺ ἩΜΈΡΑΣ ΤΡΕΙ͂Σ, _after three days_. At first the Apostle would naturally desire to learn all he could of the Christian congregations at Rome from those who had been the first to welcome him on his approach to that city. But f... [ Continue Reading ]
ST PAUL’S INTERVIEW WITH THE JEWS IN ROME... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΚΡΊΝΑΝΤΈΣ ΜΕ ἘΒΟΎΛΟΝΤΟ�, _having examined me, they desired to set me at liberty_. Alluding most probably to Agrippa’s remark (Acts 26:32) and the statement of Festus (Acts 25:25). It seems probable that Felix would have found means to set Paul free had the requisite bribe been offered to him (Act... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Χ ὩΣ ΤΟΥ͂ ἜΘΝΟΥΣ ΜΟΥ ἜΧΩΝ ΤΙ ΚΑΤΗΓΟΡΕΙ͂Ν, _not that I had ought to accuse my nation of_. St Paul shews himself the patriotic Jew. He knew how many things his fellow-countrymen had suffered at the hands of the Roman power, and he did not wish in any way to bring on them more trouble. He therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙᾺ ΤΑΎΤΗΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ΤῊΝ ΑἸΤΊΑΝ ΠΑΡΕΚΆΛΕΣΑ ὙΜΑ͂Σ ἸΔΕΙ͂Ν ΚΑῚ ΠΡΟΣΛΑΛΗ͂ΣΑΙ, _for this cause therefore have I called for you to see and to speak with you_. It is possible in this sentence either to take ὑμᾶς as the object of ἰδεῖν and προσλαλῆσαι, or to understand με, and render (as in Rev. Vers.) ‘did I e... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓́ΤΕ ΓΡΆΜΜΑΤΑ ΠΕΡῚ ΣΟΥ͂ ἘΔΕΞΆΜΕΘΑ�, _neither letters from Judæa concerning thee_. This may easily be understood. For no ship starting later than that in which St Paul sailed was likely to have arrived in Rome before he reached that city, and the Jews who conducted the accusation would take a littl... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΞΙΟΥ͂ΜΕΝ ΔῈ ΠΑΡᾺ ΣΟΥ͂�, _but we desire to hear of thee_. He was a Jew, one of their own nation, and was likely to be able to put his belief before them in its true light. They professed to be open to reason, but this may have been only because they knew not what else to do. ΠΕΡῚ ΜῈΝ ΓᾺΡ ΤΗ͂Σ ΑἹΡΈΣ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΤῊΝ ΞΕΝΊΑΝ, _into his lodging_. From this word ξενία, implying hospitable entertainment, it would seem that for the first portion of the time that Paul was in Rome, he was allowed to accept the hospitality of the Christian body, and though chained to his guard, yet to be resident in a house whic... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ΔῈ ἨΠΊΣΤΟΥΝ, _and some believed not_. No doubt Pharisees and Sadducees had their representatives in Rome as elsewhere among the Jewish population.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΜΩ͂Ν for ἡμῶν with אAB. _Vulg_. ‘nostros.’ 25. ἈΣΎΜΦΩΝΟΙ ΔῈ ὌΝΤΕΣ ΠΡῸΣ�, _and when they agreed not among themselves_. This may have been the real cause of their inaction in the matter of the Apostle’s trial. He would not have been without a party of supporters among their own body. For ἀσύμφωνος,... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΈΓΩΝ with אBLP. 26. ΛΈΓΩΝ, _saying_. The passage which the Apostle quotes is from Isaiah 6:9, and had already been quoted by our Lord Himself against the Jews (Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; see also John 12:40) when He was explaining why all His teaching was given in parables. He spake in th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἘΠΙΣΤΡΈΨΩΣΙΝ, _and should turn again_. This rendering is to be preferred on account of the restricted meaning which in modern speech has become attached to the word ‘convert’ of the A.V. In the older language it signified ‘to turn round and go back again.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ added before ΤῸ ΣΩΤΉΡΙΟΝ with אAB. _Vulg._ ‘hoc salutare.’ 28. ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ ΤῸ ΣΩΤΉΡΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ͂ ΘΕΟΥ͂, _this salvation of God_. St Paul would be very anxious to press on them that the doctrine which he was preaching and they were rejecting, that _this_, was the very message of God’s way of salvation.... [ Continue Reading ]
Omitted with אABE. _Vulg_. represents it, having ‘et cum hæc dixisset, exierunt ab eo Judæi, multam habentes inter se quæstionem.’ 29. For the authorities which warrant the omission of this verse, see notes on various readings.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΠΑΥ͂ΛΟΣ omitted with אABE. Not represented in _Vulg_. 30. ST PAUL’S PREACHING AND NOTICE OF HIS RELEASE 30. ἘΝΈΜΕΙΝΕΝ ΔΈ, _and he remained_. The non-insertion of the proper name by the oldest MSS. here comes about because they had nothing of Acts 28:29. It is only the addition of that verse whic... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΕΤᾺ ΠΆΣΗΣ ΠΑΡΡΗΣΊΑΣ�, _with all confidence_ (Rev. Vers. ‘boldness’), _no man forbidding him_. παῤῥησία implies that ‘freedom of speech’ which was looked upon by the Athenians as the great mark of their liberty. For ἀκωλύτως cf. Josephus, _Ant._ XII. 1. 12. For Englishmen there must arise the thoug... [ Continue Reading ]