St. Luke selects out of the number of τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα the one which was the immediate antecedent of the first persecution. “Non dicitur primum hoc miraculum fuisse, sed fuit, quanquam unum e multis, ipso loco maxime conspicuum,” Blass, as against Weiss, Hilgenfeld, Feine. ἀνέβαινον, _cf._ Luke 18:... [ Continue Reading ]
τις, by its position as in Luke 11:27 directs attention to this man, “the man was conspicuous both from the place and from his malady” Chrys., _Hom._, viii. χωλὸς … ὑπάρχων : “a certain man that was lame” R.V., otherwise ὑπάρχων is not noticed, fittingly used here in its classical sense expressing t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἠρώτα λαβεῖν : “asked to receive,” R.V., as other English versions except A.V. The expression is quite classical, αἰτῶν λαβεῖν, Aristoph., _Plut._, 240, _cf._ Mark 1:17, and LXX, Exodus 23:15, for similar instances of a redundant infinitive. The verb is in the imperfect, because the action of asking... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀτενίσας, _cf._ Acts 1:10. βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς : it has sometimes been thought that the command was given to see whether the man was a worthless beggar or not (Nösgen), or whether he was spiritually disposed for the reception of the benefit, and would show his faith (as in our Lord's miracles of healing... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ δὲ ἐπεῖχεν, _sc._, νοῦν (not τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς); _cf._ Luke 14:7; 1 Timothy 4:16, Sirach 31 (34):2, 2Ma 9:25 (Job 30:26, A.S. 2 _al_.) with dative _rei_; so in Polybius.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον : the words do not suggest the idea of a complete communism amongst the believers, although Oecumenius derives from them a proof of the absolute poverty of the Apostles. They may perhaps be explained by remembering that if the Apostles had no silver or gold with them, they were... [ Continue Reading ]
πιάσας, _cf._ Acts 12:4 : so in LXX, Song of Solomon 2:15, Sir 23:21, A. _al_. χειρὸς very similar to, if not exactly, a partitive genitive, found after verbs of touching, etc., inasmuch as the touching affects only a part of the object (Mark 5:30), and so too often after verbs of _taking hold of_,... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐξαλλόμενος : not leaping out of his couch (as has sometimes been supposed), of which there is no mention, but leaping up for joy (_cf._ Isaiah 55:12; Joel 2:5) (on the spelling with one λ see Blass, p. 51); _cf._ also Isaiah 35:6. This seems more natural than to suppose that he leaped because he wa... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε : “took knowledge of him” or perhaps better still “recognised”. The word is so used of recognising any one by sight, hearing, or certain signs, to perceive who a person is (Grimm), _cf., e.g._, Luke 24:16; Luke 24:31; Matthew 14:35; Mark 6:54. ὁ … καθήμενος : imperfect, may refer to t... [ Continue Reading ]
κρατοῦντος : in his joy and gratitude, “holding them” in a physical sense, although it is possible that it signifies that the healed man joined himself to the Apostles more closely as a follower (Acts 4:14), fearing like the demoniac healed by Christ (Luke 8:38) lest he should be separated from his... [ Continue Reading ]
This address of St. Peter divides itself into two parts, 12 16, 17 26, and although it covers much of the same ground as in chap. 2, there is no need to regard it with Overbeck and Holtzmann as unhistorical: see Blass, _in loco_, and Feine; the latter points out that St. Peter would naturally, as in... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ κ. τ. λ.: the words were wisely chosen, not only to gain attention and to show that the speaker identified himself with the nation and hope of Israel, but also because in Jesus St. Peter saw the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham. ἐδόξασε, John 8:54; John 11:4. Again we mark the... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸν ἅγιον καὶ δίκαιον : both epithets are used of John the Baptist, Mark 6:20, ἄνδρα δίκαιον καὶ ἅγιον, but Jesus is emphatically “the Holy and Righteous One” R.V. Not only is the sinlessness of His human character emphasised, but also associated with the language of prophecy. St. Peter had already... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸν δὲ ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς : again the words stand in marked contrast not only to φονέα but also to ἀπεκτείνατε; magnificum antitheton, Bengel. The word is rendered “Author” in the margin of R.V. (Vulgate, _auctorem_) but “Prince” in the text and so in Acts 5:31 (Vulg., _principem_). In the two other p... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐπὶ : so T.R., and so Weiss and Wendt: “on the ground of faith in His name,” R.V. margin; _cf._ Luke 5:5 (not expressing the aim as if it meant with a view to faith in His name). But the name is no mere formula of incantation, see Acts 19:13, nor is it used as, in Jewish tradition, the name of God,... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ νῦν : favourite formula of transition, _cf._ Acts 7:35; Acts 10:5; Acts 20:25; Acts 22:16; 1 John 2:28; 2 John 1:5. See Wendt and Page, _in loco_. Bengel describes it as “formula transeuntis a præterito ad præsens”. Blass, “i.e., quod attinet ad ea quæ nunc facienda sunt, Acts 3:19 ”. ἀδελφοί :... [ Continue Reading ]
δὲ : a further mitigation; whilst they were acting in their ignorance, God was working out His unerring counsel and will. πάντων τῶν προφητῶν : not to be explained by simply calling it hyperbolic. The prophets are spoken of collectively, because the Messianic redemption to which they all looked forw... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐπιστρέψατε : “turn again,” R.V.; _cf._ also Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12, and Acts 28:27 (Luke 22:32), in each of these passages, as in the text, A.V., “should be converted,” following the Vulgate, _convertantur_. But the verb is in the active voice in each of the passages mentioned; _cf._ LXX, 1Ki 8:3... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἀποστείλῃ, _i.e._, at His Parousia. The construction is still ὅπως ἄν with the verb. ἀποστ. is here used as in Luke 4:18; Luke 4:43, expressing that the person sent is the envoy or representative of the sender (πέμπω is also used of the mission of our Lord). τὸν προκεκηρυγμένον, T.R., see on Act... [ Continue Reading ]
μὲν : no answering δέ expressed, but the antithesis is found in the ἄχρι χρόνων ἀποκ., “quasi dicat: ubi illud tempus venerit, ex coelo in terras redibit,” Grotius (so Weiss, Blass). ὅν δεῖ οὐρανὸν δέξασθαι : the words have been rendered in three ways: (1) “whom the heaven must receive,” _i.e._, as... [ Continue Reading ]
μὲν : answered by, or rather connected with, καὶ πάντες δὲ (Acts 3:24), “Moses indeed, yea and all the Prophets from Samuel” not “truly” as in A.V., as if μὲν were an adverb. The quotation is freely made from Deuteronomy 18:15. On the Messianic bearing of the passage see Weber, _Jüdische Theologie_,... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔσται δὲ, _cf._ Acts 2:17. The expression, which is not in the Hebrew. seems to call attention to what follows. ἐξολεθρευθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ : “shall be utterly destroyed” (ἐξ), R.V. In the LXX, Deuteronomy 18:19, following the Hebrew, the words are ἐγὼ ἐκδικήσω ἐξ πὐτοῦ, “I will require it of him”.... [ Continue Reading ]
Σαμουὴλ : On Samuel as the founder of the prophetic schools and the pattern of all later prophets, see Hamburger, _Real-Encyclopädie des Judentums_, i., 6, p. 854; “Prophet,” _cf. Midrash Shemuel_, c. 24, where Samuel is called the Rabban, the chief and teacher of the prophets (Wetstein, _in loco_,... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμεῖς, as in Acts 3:26, emphatic, “obligat auditores” Bengel, _cf._ Acts 2:39; Romans 9:4; Romans 15:8; their preference and destiny ought to make them more sensible of their duty in the reception of the Messiah; υἱοί, “sons” as in Matthew 8:12, R.V. The rendering “disciples” (Matthew 12:2), even if... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμῖν πρῶτον ὑμῖν : again emphatic. In the words of St. Peter we may again note his agreement with St. Paul, Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16 (Acts 10:11), although no doubt St. Peter shared the views of his nation in so far that Gentiles could only participate in the blessings of the Messianic kingdom throug... [ Continue Reading ]