AND HE CAME ALSO TO DERBE AND LYSTRA (κατηντησεν δε κα εις Δερβην κα εις Λυστραν). First aorist active of κατανταω, late verb to come down to, to arrive at. He struck Derbe first of the places in the first tour which was the last city reached then.TIMOTHY (Τιμοθεος). Apparently a native of Lystr... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS WELL REPORTED OF (εμαρτυρειτο). Imperfect passive. It was a continuous witness that was borne the young disciple both in his home town of Lystra and in Derbe. Already he had so borne himself that his gifts and graces for the ministry were recognized. It is a wise precaution that the approval... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM WOULD PAUL HAVE TO GO FORTH WITH HIM (τουτον ηθελησεν ο Παυλος συν αυτω εξελθειν). This one (note emphatic position) Paul wanted (first aorist active indicative of θελω with temporal augment as if from εθελω the old form). Here was a gifted young man who was both Jew and Greek.HE TOOK AND CIR... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY DELIVERED THEM (παρεδιδοσαν αυτοις). Imperfect active, kept on delivering to them in city after city. This is a proof of Paul's loyalty to the Jerusalem compact (Knowling). The circumcision of Timothy would indicate also that the points involved were under discussion and that Paul felt no in... [ Continue Reading ]
WERE STRENGTHENED (εστερεουντο). Imperfect passive of στερεοω, old verb to make firm and solid like the muscles (Acts 3:7; Acts 3:16), these three the only examples in the N.T.INCREASED (επερισσευον). Imperfect active of the old and common verb περισσευω from περισσος (overplus). The blessing o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE REGION OF PHRYGIA AND GALATIA (την Φρυγιαν κα Γαλατικην χωραν). This is probably the correct text with one article and apparently describes one "Region" or District in The Province of Galatia which was also Phrygian (the old-ethnographic name with which compare the use of Lycaonia in Acts 14:6... [ Continue Reading ]
OVER AGAINST MYSIA (κατα την Μυσιαν). This was an ill-defined region rather north and west of Phrygia. The Romans finally absorbed most of it in the Province of Asia.THEY ASSAYED TO GO INTO BITHYNIA (επειραζον εις την Βιθυνιαν πορευθηνα). Conative imperfect of πειραζω and ingressive aorist passi... [ Continue Reading ]
PASSING BY MYSIA (παρελθοντες την Μυσιαν). Literally, passing alongside or skirting Mysia, neglecting it without preaching there. Strictly they passed through part of it to reach Troas.TO TROAS (εις Τροιαδα). This city, named Alexandria Troas after Alexander the Great, was the seaport of Mysia,... [ Continue Reading ]
A VISION (οραμα). Old word, eleven times in Acts, once in Matthew 17:9. Twice Paul had been hindered by the Holy Spirit from going where he wanted to go. Most men would have gone back home with such rebuffs, but not so Paul. Now the call is positive and not negative, to go "far hence to the Genti... [ Continue Reading ]
WE SOUGHT (εζητησαμεν). This sudden use of the plural, dropped in Acts 17:1 when Paul leaves Philippi, and resumed in Acts 20:5 when Paul rejoins Luke in Philippi, argues conclusively that Luke, the author, is in the party ("we" portions of Acts) and shows in a writer of such literary skill as Lu... [ Continue Reading ]
SETTING SAIL (αναχθεντες). Same word in Acts 13:13 which see.WE MADE A STRAIGHT COURSE (ευθυδρομησαμεν). First aorist active indicative of compound verb ευθυδρομεω (in Philo) from adjective ευθυδρομος (in Strabo), running a straight course (ευθυσ, δρομος). In the N.T. only here and Acts 21:1. I... [ Continue Reading ]
TO PHILIPPI (εις Φιλιππους). The plural like Αθηνα (Athens) is probably due to separate sections of the city united (Winer-Moulton, _Grammar_, p. 220). The city (ancient name Krenides or Wells) was renamed after himself by Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. It was situated about a mile eas... [ Continue Reading ]
BY A RIVER SIDE (παρα ποταμον). The little river Gangites (or Gargites) was one mile west of the town. Philippi as a military outpost had few Jews. There was evidently no synagogue inside the city, but "without the gates" (εξω της πυλης) they had noticed an enclosure "where we supposed" (ου ενομιζ... [ Continue Reading ]
LYDIA (Λυδια). Her birthplace was Thyatira in Lydia. She may have been named after the land, though Lydia is a common female name (see Horace). Lydia was itself a Macedonian colony (Strabo, XIII. 4). Thyatira (note plural form like Philippi and one of the seven churches of Asia here Revelation 2:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SHE WAS BAPTIZED (ως δε εβαπτισθη). First aorist passive indicative of βαπτιζω. The river Gangites was handy for the ordinance and she had now been converted and was ready to make this public declaration of her faith in Jesus Christ.AND HER HOUSEHOLD (κα ο οικος αυτης). Who constituted... [ Continue Reading ]
A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION (πνευμα πυθωνα). So the correct text with accusative (apparition, a spirit, a python), not the genitive (πυθωνος). Hesychius defines it as δαιμονιον μανικον (a spirit of divination). The etymology of the word is unknown. Bengel suggests πυθεσθα from πυνθανομα, to inquire. Py... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOST HIGH GOD (του θεου του υψιστου). Pagan inscriptions use this language for the Supreme Being. It looks like supernatural testimony like that borne by the demoniacs to Jesus as "son of the Most High God" (Luke 8:28. Cf; also Mark 1:24; Mark 3:11; Matthew 8:29; Luke 4:41, etc.). She may hav... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE DID (εποιε). Imperfect active, kept it up for many days. The strange conduct gave Paul and the rest an unpleasant prominence in the community.BEING SORE TROUBLED (διαπονηθεις). First aorist passive of διαπονεω, old verb, to work laboriously, then in passive to be "worked up," displeased, wo... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS GONE (εξηλθεν). Was gone out of the slave girl, second aorist active indicative of εξερχομα. "The two most important social revolutions worked by Christianity have been the elevation of woman and the abolition of slavery" (Furneaux). Both are illustrated here (Lydia and this slave girl). "The... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THE MAGISTRATES (τοις στρατηγοις). Greek term (στρατοσ, αγω) for leader of an army or general. But in civic life a governor. The technical name for the magistrates in a Roman colony was _duumviri_ or duumvirs, answering to consuls in Rome. Στρατηγο here is the Greek rendering of the Latin _p... [ Continue Reading ]
CUSTOMS WHICH IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR US TO RECEIVE, OR TO OBSERVE, BEING ROMANS (εθη α ουκ εστιν ημιν παραδεχεσθα ουδε ποιειν Ρωμαιοις ουσιν). Note the sharp contrast between "being Jews" in verse Acts 16:20 and "being Romans" here. This pose of patriotism is all sound and fury. It is love of money... [ Continue Reading ]
ROSE UP TOGETHER (συνεπεστη). Second aorist (ingressive) active of the double compound συνεφιστημ, intransitive, old verb, but only here in the N.T. (cf. κατεπεστησαν in Acts 18:12). There was no actual attack of the mob as Paul and Silas were in the hands of the officers, but a sudden and violen... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY HAD LAID (επιθεντες). Second aorist (constative) active participle of επιτιθημ, to place upon.MANY STRIPES (πολλας πληγας). The Jewish law was forty stripes save one (2 Corinthians 11:24). The Roman custom depended on the caprice of the judge and was a terrible ordeal. It was the cust... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE INNER PRISON (εις την εσωτεραν φυλακην). The comparative form from the adverb εσω (within), Ionic and old Attic for εισω. In the LXX, but in the N.T. only here and Hebrews 6:19. The Roman public prisons had a vestibule and outer prison and behind this the inner prison, a veritable dungeo... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT MIDNIGHT (κατα δε μεσονυκτιον). Middle of the night, old adjective seen already in Mark 13:35; Luke 11:5 which see.WERE PRAYING AND SINGING (προσευχομενο υμνουν). Present middle participle and imperfect active indicative: Praying they were singing (simultaneously, blending together petitio... [ Continue Reading ]
EARTHQUAKE (σεισμος). Old word from σειω, to shake. Luke regarded it as an answer to prayer as in Acts 4:31. He and Timothy were not in prison.SO THAT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PRISON HOUSE WERE SHAKEN (ωστε σαλευθηνα τα θεμελια του δεσμωτηριου). Regular construction of the first aorist passive inf... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING ROUSED OUT OF SLEEP (εξυπνος γενομενος). Becoming εξυπνος (rare word, only here in N.T., in LXX and Josephus). An earthquake like that would wake up any one.OPEN (ανεωιγμενος). Perfect passive participle with double reduplication in predicate position, standing open.DREW HIS SWORD (σπασ... [ Continue Reading ]
DO THYSELF NO HARM (μηδεν πραξηις σεαυτω κακον). The usual construction (μη and the aorist subjunctive) for a prohibition not toBEGIN to do a thing. The older Greek would probably have used ποιησηις here. The later Greek does not always preserve the old distinction between ποιεω, to do a thing,... [ Continue Reading ]
TREMBLING FOR FEAR (εντρομος γενομενος). "Becoming terrified." The adjective εντρομος (in terror) occurs in N.T. only here and Acts 7:32; Hebrews 12:21.FELL DOWN (προσεπεσεν). Second aorist active indicative of προσπιπτω, old verb. An act of worship as Cornelius before Peter (Acts 10:25), when... [ Continue Reading ]
BROUGHT THEM OUT (προγαγων αυτους εξω). Second aorist active participle of προαγω, to lead forward. He left the other prisoners inside, feeling that he had to deal with these men whom he had evidently heard preach or had heard of their message as servants of the Most High God as the slave girl ca... [ Continue Reading ]
TO BE SAVED (ινα σωθω). Final clause with ινα and first aorist passive subjunctive. What did he mean by "saved"? Certainly more than escape from peril about the prisoners or because of the earthquake, though these had their influences on him. Cf. way of salvation in verse Acts 16:17.BELIEVE ON TH... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SPAKE THE WORD OF GOD (ελαλησαν τον λογον του θεου). So Paul and Silas gave fuller exposition of the way of life to the jailor "with all that were in his house." It was a remarkable service with keenest attention and interest, the jailor with his warden, slaves, and family.... [ Continue Reading ]
WASHED THEIR STRIPES (ελουσεν απο των πληγων). Deissmann (_Bible Studies_, p. 227) cites an inscription of Pergamum with this very construction of απο and the ablative, to wash off, though it is an old verb. This first aorist active indicative of λουω, to bathe, succinctly shows what the jailor d... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BROUGHT THEM UP (αναγαγων). Second aorist active participle of αναγω. It looks as if his house was above the prison. The baptism apparently took place in the pool or tank in which he bathed Paul and Silas (De Wette) or the rectangular basin (_impluvium_) in the court for receiving the rain or... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SERJEANTS (τους ραβδουχους). Fasces-bearers, regular Greek word (ραβδοσ, εχω) for Latin _lictores_ though Cicero says that they should carry _baculi_, not _fasces_. Was this message because of the earthquake, the influence of Lydia, or a belated sense of justice on the part of the magistrates... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE (νυν ουν). Note both particles (time and inference). It was a simple matter to the jailor and he was full of glee over this happy outcome.... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THEM (προς αυτους). The lictors by the jailor. The reply of Paul is a marvel of brevity and energy, almost every word has a separate indictment showing the utter illegality of the whole proceeding.THEY HAVE BEATEN US (δειραντες ημας). First aorist active participle of δερω, old verb to fla... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY FEARED (εφοβηθησαν). This is the explanation. They became frightened for their own lives when they saw what they had done to Roman citizens.THEY ASKED (ηρωτων). Imperfect active of ερωταω. They kept on begging them to leave for fear of further trouble. The colonists in Philippi would turn... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE HOUSE OF LYDIA (προς την Λυδιαν). No word in the Greek for "house," but it means the house of Lydia. Note "the brethren" here, not merely Luke and Timothy, but other brethren now converted besides those in the house of the jailor. The four missionaries were guests of Lydia (verse Acts 16... [ Continue Reading ]