Acts 3:1

CHAPTER III.

Peter and John go to the temple at the hour of prayer, and heal

a man who had been lame from his mother's womb, 1-8.

The people are astonished, and the apostles inform them that it

was not by their own power they had healed the man, but through

the power of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, 9-16.

Peter both excuses and reproves them, and exhorts them to

repentance, 17-21.

Shows that in Jesus Christ the prophecy of Moses was fulfilled;

and that all the prophets testified of Jesus and his salvation,

22-24;

and that, in him, the covenant made with Abraham is fulfilled;

and that Christ came to bless them by turning them away from

their iniquities, 25, 26.

NOTES ON CHAP. III.

Verse Acts 3:1. Peter and John went up together] The words επιτοαυτο, which we translate together, and which are the first words in this chapter in the Greek text, we have already seen, Acts 2:47, are added by several MSS. and versions to the last verse of the preceding chapter. But they do not make so good a sense there as they do here; and should be translated, not together, which really makes no sense here, but at that time; intimating that this transaction occurred nearly about the same time that those took place which are mentioned at the close of the former chapter.

At the hour of prayer] This, as is immediately added, was the ninth hour, which answers, in a general way, to our three o'clock in the afternoon. The third hour, which was the other grand time of public prayer among the Jews, answered, in a general way, to our nine in the morning. Acts 2:15.

It appears that there were three hours of the day destined by the Jews to public prayer; perhaps they are referred to by David, Psalms 55:17: EVENING and MORNING, and at NOON, will I pray and cry aloud. There are three distinct times marked in the book of the Acts. The THIRD hour, Acts 2:15, answering, as we have already seen, to nearly our nine o'clock in the morning; the SIXTH hour, Acts 10:9, answering to about twelve with us; and the NINTH hour, mentioned in this verse, and answering to our three in the afternoon.

The rabbins believed that Abraham instituted the time of morning prayer; Isaac, that at noon; and Jacob, that of the evening: for which they quote several scriptures, which have little reference to the subject in behalf of which they are produced. Others of the rabbins, particularly Tanchum, made a more natural division. Men should pray,

1. When the sun rises;

2. when the sun has gained the meridian;

3. when the sun has set, or passed just under the horizon.

At each of these three times they required men to offer prayer to God; and I should be glad to know that every Christian in the universe observed the same rule: it is the most natural division of the day; and he who conscientiously observes these three stated times of prayer will infallibly grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord.