《Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary Acts》(Henry Alford) Commentator
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29.] ἄφιξις is here used in an unusual sense. An instance is found, Jos. Antt. iv. 8. 47, where Moses says, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἡμετέρους ἄπειμι προγόνους, καὶ θεὸς τήνδε μοι τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνους ἀφίξεως ὥρισε … which is somewhat analogous, but more easily explained. That in Herod. ix. 77 (init.) also seems analogous. In Demosth. de Pace, p. 58 (fin.), we have τὴν τότε ἄφιξιν εἰς τοὺς πολεμίους ἐποιήσατο, which is most like the usage here. Perhaps, absolutely put, it must signify ‘my death;’ see the above passage of Josephus. λύκοι βαρεῖς] not persecutors, but false teachers, from the words εἰσελ. εἰς ὑμᾶς, by which it appears that they were to come in among the flock, i.e. to be baptized Christians. In fact Acts 20:30 is explanatory of the metaphoric meaning of Acts 20:29. φείδομαι is only used by Paul, except 2 Peter 2:4-5. Verse 30
30.] ὑμῶν αὐτ. does not necessarily signify the presbyters: he speaks to them as being the whole flock. Verse 31
31.] μνημ. ὅτι is only (retf.) used by Paul. νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν] This expression is remarkable: we have it (see reff.) in Mark, but Luke always uses the genitive, except in the speeches of Paul: and so Paul himself, except as in reff. νουθετῶν (reff.) is used only by Paul. On the three years spoken of in this verse, see note, ch. Acts 19:10. We may just remark here (1) that this passage being precise and definite, must be the master key to those others (as in ch. 19) which give wide and indefinite notes of time: and (2) that it seems at first sight to preclude the idea of a journey (as some think) to Crete and Corinth having taken place during this period. But this apparent inference may require modifying by other circumstances: cf. Prolegg. to 1 Cor. § Acts 20:4. Verse 32
τῷ δυν.] Clearly spoken of God, not of the word of His grace, which cannot be said δοῦναι κληρον., however it might οἰκοδομῆσαι. The expression κληρον. ἐν τ. ἡγ. πᾶς. is strikingly similar to τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις, Ephesians 1:18, addressed to this same church. See also ch. Acts 26:18. Verse 33
33.] See 1 Samuel 12:3; and for similar avowals by Paul himself, 1 Corinthians 9:11-12; 2 Corinthians 11:8-9; 2 Corinthians 12:13. Verse 34
34.] See 1 Corinthians 4:12, which he wrote when at Ephesus. χρεία with a gen. of the person in want, is an expression of Paul only; see among reff. ὑπηρετεῖν is used only twice more; once by Paul, ch. Acts 13:36, once of Paul, ch. Acts 24:23. The construction is varied in this sentence. ταῖς χρ. μου, καὶ (not τῶν ὄντων, but) τοῖς οὖσιν μετʼ ἐμοῦ. This is not without meaning—his friends were among his χρεῖαι—he supplied by his labour, not his and their wants, but his wants and them. αἱ χ. αὗται] also [strikingly] in Paul’s manner: compare τῶνδεσμῶν τούτων, ch. Acts 26:29,—and ch. Acts 28:20. Verse 35
κοπιῶντας] A word used by Paul fourteen times, by Luke once only (Luke 5:5 (Luke 12:27 v. r.)). τῶν ἀσθενούντων] Not here the weak in faith (Romans 14:1. 1 Corinthians 8:9), as Calvin, Beza, Grot., Bengel, Neander, Meyer, Tholuck,—which the context both before and after will not allow:—but the poor ( τοὺς πένητας ἀσθενοῦντας, Aristoph. Pac(139) 636. ὅ τε γὰρ ἀσθενέστερος ὁ πλούσιός τε τὴν δίκην ἴσην ἔχει, Eurip. ap. Stob. cxv. (Wetst.)), as Chrys., Theoph., Heinrichs, Kuin., Olsh., De Wette. ΄ακ. ἐστιν κ. τ. λ.] This saying of our Lord is one of very few not recorded in the Gospels, which have come down to us. Many such must have been current in the apostolic times, and are possibly preserved, unknown to us, in such epistles as those of James, Peter, and John. Bengel remarks, ‘alia mundi sententia est:’ and cites from an old poet in Athenæus, viii. 5, ἀνόητος ὁ διδούς, εὐτυχὴς δʼ ὁ λαμβάνων But we have some sayings the other way: not to quote authors who wrote after this date, and might have imbibed some of the spirit of Christianity, we find in Aristotle, Eth. Nicom. iv. 1, μᾶλλόν ἐστιν τοῦ ἐλευθερίου τὸ διδόναι οἷς δεὶ ἢ λαμβάνειν ὅθεν δεῖ, καὶ μὴ λαμβάνειν ὅθεν οὐ δεῖ. τῆς ἀρετῆς γὰρ μᾶλλον τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν ἢ τὸ εὖ πάσχειν. 21 Chapter 21 Verse 1 Acts 21:1.] The E. V., ‘After we had gotten from them,’ does not come up to the original: δείκνυσι τὴν βίαν τῷ εἰπεῖν ἀποσπασθέντας ἀπʼ αὐτὦν, Chrys. εὐθυδρομ.] See ref., having run before the wind. Cos, opposite Cnidus and Halicarnassus, celebrated for its wines ( εὔκαρπος πᾶσα, οἴνῳ δὲ καὶ ἀρίστη, καθάπερ χίος κ. λέσβος, Strab. xiv. 2), rich stuffs (‘nec Coæ referunt jam tibi purpuræ,’ Hor. iv. 13. 13), and ointments ( γίνεται δὲ μύρα κάλλιστα κατὰ τόπους.… ἀμαράκινον δὲ κῶον καὶ μήλινον, Athen(140) xv. p. 688). The chief town was of the same name (Hom. Il. β. 677), and had a famous temple of Æsculapius (Strabo, ibid.). It was the birth-place of Hippocrates. The modern name, Stanchio, is a corruption of ἐς τὰν κῶ [as Stamboul for Constantinople is of ἐς τὰν πόλιν]. See Winer, Realw. Rhodes was at this time free, cf. Strabo, xiv. 2; Tac. Ann. xii. 58: ‘Redditur Rbodiis libertas, adempta sæpe aut firmata, prout bellis externis meruerant, aut domi seditione deliquerant.’ See also Suet. Claud. 25, ‘Rhodiis (libertatem) ob pœitentiam veterum delictorum reddidit.’ It was reduced to a Roman province under Vespasian, Suet. Vesp. 8. The situation of its chief town is praised by Strabo, 1. c. The celebrated Colossus was at this time broken and lying in ruins, ib. Patara, in Lycia (‘caput gentis,’ Liv. xxxvii. 15), a large maritime town, a short distance E. of the mouth of the Xanthus. It had a temple and oracle of Apollo, Herod, i. 182. ‘Delius et Patareus Apollo,’ Hor. iii. 4. There are considerable ruins remaining, Fellows, Asia Minor, p. 219 ff. Lycia, p. 115 ff. Winer, Realw. Here they leave their ship hired at Troas, or perhaps at Neapolis (see note on Acts 20:16), and avail themselves of a merchant ship bound for Tyre. Verse 3
εὐώνυμον] sc. αὐτήν, i.e. to the E. This would be the straight course from Patara to Tyre. ἐπλ. εἰς σ.,—we held our course, steered, for Syria. κατήλθ.] we came down to, the result of having borne down upon. τύρον] This city, so well known for its commercial importance and pride, and so often mentioned in the O. T. prophets, was now a free town (Jos. Ant. xv. 41. Strabo, xvi. 2, οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέων δʼ ἐκρίθησαν αὐτόνομοι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ῥωμαίων) of the province of Syria. ἐκεῖσε] If this is an adv. of motion as generally, the reference may be to the carrying and depositing the cargo in the town (De Wette), or to the thitherward direction of the voyage (Meyer): but in the only other place where ἐκεῖσε occurs (ref. [see also ref. Job]) it simply = ἐκεῖ, so that perhaps no motion is included. ἀποφορτ.] The pres. part. indicates the intention, as διαπερῶν before. Verse 4
4. δέ] Implying, ‘the crew indeed were busied with unlading the ship: but we, having sought out (by enquiry) the disciples.’ … ‘Finding disciples’ (E.V.) is quite wrong. It is not improbable that Paul may have preached at Tyre before, when he visited Syria and Cilicia (Galatians 1:21) after his conversion,—and again when he confirmed the churches (ch. Acts 15:41): τοὺς μαθ. seems to imply this. ἡμ. ἑπτ.] The time taken in unlading:—they apparently proceeded in the same ship, see Acts 21:6. The notice here is very important, that these Tyrian disciples said to Paul by the Spirit, that he should not go to Jerusalem,—and yet he went thither, and, as he himself declares, δεδεμένος τῷ πνεύματι, bound in spirit by the leading of God. We thus have an instance of that which Paul asserts 1 Corinthians 14:32, that the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, i.e., that the revelation made by the Holy Spirit to each man’s spirit was under the influence of that man’s will and temperament, moulded by and taking the form of his own capacities and resolves. So here: these Tyrian prophets knew by the Spirit, which testified this in every city (ch. Acts 20:23), that bonds and imprisonment awaited Paul. This appears to have been announced by them, shaped and intensified by their own intense love and anxiety for him who was probably their father in the faith (see [ τοὺς μαθ. above, and] Acts 21:5). But he paid no regard to the prohibition, being himself under a leading of the same Spirit too plain for him to mistake it. see below, Acts 21:10 ff. Verse 5
5. ἐξαρτίσαι] This is ordinarily a naval word, signifying to fit out or refit a ship (with or without πλοῖον, Passow). But this can hardly be the meaning here. Meyer would render ‘when we had spent these days in refitting,’ so that τ. ἡμ. would be the accusative of duration,—‘when we had refitted during the days.’ But not to mention that τὰς ἡμ., without ταύτας, would be harsh in such a connexion,—is not the aorist ἐξαρτίσαι fatal to the rendering? Would it not in this case be present, if implying the continued action during the days,—perfect, if implying that that action was over (in which latter case ἡμ. would be dative)? The aorist, as almost invariably in dependent clauses, must refer to some one act occurring at one time. So that if the meaning given by Theoph., Œc(141) πληρῶσαι (Hesych(142) τελειῶσαι) be found no where else, it is almost necessary so to understand the word here. And it is doing no violence to its import: the same verb which indicates the completion of a ship’s readiness for a voyage, might well be applied to the completion of a period of time. Our own word ‘fulfil’ has undergone a similar change of meaning since its first composition: and πληρῶσαι is used both of manning a ship and of fulfilling a period of time. ἐξελθ.] from the house where they were lodged. ἕως ἔξω τ. π.] “We passed through the city to the western shore of the ancient island, now the peninsula, hoping to find there a fitting spot for the tent, in the open space between the houses and the sea.” Robinson, iii. 392. ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλόν] “Yet had we looked a few rods further, we should have found a very tolerable spot by a threshing-floor, where we might have pitched close upon the bank, and enjoyed, in all its luxury, the cool sea-breeze, and the dashing of the surge upon the rocky shore.” id. ibid. Verse 7
πτολεμαΐδα] Anciently Accho ( ἀκχώ, LXX, Judges 1:31,—in Gr. and Rom. writers ἄκη, Ace), called Ptolemais from (probably) Ptolemy Lathurus (Jos. Antt. xiii. 12. 2 ff., see 1 Maccabees 10:56 ff; 1 Maccabees 11:22; 1 Maccabees 11:24; 1 Maccabees 12:45; 1 Maccabees 12:48; 2 Maccabees 13:24). It was a large town with a harbour (Jos. Antt. xviii. 6. 3). It was never (Judges 1:31) fully possessed by the Jews, but belonged to the Phœnicians, who in after times were mixed with Greeks. But after the captivity a colony of Jews is found there (Jos. B. J. ii. 18. 5). The emperor Claudius gave it the ‘civitas,’ whence it is called by Pliny, Acts 21:17; xxxvi. 65, ‘Colonia Claudii Cæsaris.’ It is now called St. Jean d’Acre, and is the best harbour on the Syrian coast, though small. It lies at the end of the great road from Damascus to the sea. Population now about 10,000. The distance from Ptolemais to Cæsarea is forty-four miles. For Cæsarea, see on ch. Acts 10:1. Verse 8
8. φιλ. τ. εὐαγγ.] It is possible that he may have had this appellation from his having been the first to travel about preaching the gospel: see ch. Acts 8:5 ff. The office of Evangelist, see reff., seems to have answered very much to our missionary: Theodoret, on Ephesians 4:11, says, ἐκεῖνοι περιΐόντες ἐκήρυττον: and Euseb. H. E. iii. 37, ἔργον ἐπετέλουν εὐαγγελιστῶν, τοῖς ἔτι πάμπαν ἀνηκόοις τοῦ τῆς πίστεως λόγου κηρύττειν τὸν χριστὸν φιλοτιμούμενοι, καὶ τὴν τῶν θείων εὐαγγελίων παραδιδόναι γραφήν. The latter could hardly have been part of their employment so early as this; nor had εὐαγγέλιον in these times the peculiar meaning of a narrative of the life of Christ, but rather embraced the whole good tidings of salvation by Him, as preached to the Jews and Heathens. See Neander, Pfl. u. L., pp. 258, 264. Euseb., iii. 31, apparently mistakes this Philip for the Apostle: as did also (see Valesius’s note, Euseb. l. c.) Clement of Alexandria and Papias. ὄντος ἐκ τ. ἑπτά] See ch. Acts 6:5, and note. Meyer and Winer (edn. 6, § 20. l. c.) well remark (see De Wette also), that the participle without the article implies that the reason why they abode with him was that he was one of the seven: ‘ut qui esset,’ &c. and in English being (one) of the seven. The fact of Philip being settled at Cæsarea, and known as ὁ εὐαγγελιστής, seems decisive against regarding the occurrence of ch. Acts 6:3 ff. as the establishment of any permanent order in the church. Verse 9
9.] This notice is inserted apparently without any immediate reference to the history, but to bring so remarkable a circumstance to the knowledge of the readers. The four daughters had the gift of προφητεία: see on ch. Acts 11:27. Eusebius (see, however, his mistake above) gives from Polycrates traditional accounts of them,—that two were buried at Hierapolis, and one at Ephesus. From that passage, and one cited from Clement of Alex. ( δύο θυγατέρες αὐτοῦ γεγηρακυῖαι παρθένοι, Polycr., Euseb. iii. 31.… φίλιππος τὰς θυγατέρας ἀνδράσιν ἐξέδωκε, Clem(143), Eus(144) iii. 30), it would appear that two were afterwards married, according to tradition. To find an argument for the so-called ‘honour of virginity’ in this verse, only shews to what resources those will stoop who have failed to apprehend the whole spirit and rule of the gospel in the matter. They are met however on their own ground by an argument built on another misapprehension (that of Philip being a deacon in the ecclesiastical sense): ὥστε οὖν καὶ τῷ κοινωνήσαντι γάμων διακονεῖν ἔξεστι. Verse 10
Verse 11
11.] Similar symbolical actions accompanying prophecy are found 1 Kings 22:11; Isaiah 20:2; Jeremiah 13:1 ff.; Ezekiel 4:1 fr., 9 ff.; Acts 5:1, &c. De Wette remarks that τάδε λέγει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον is the N. T. prophetic formula, instead of τάδε λέγει ὁ κύριος of the O. T. Verse 12
12. τοῦ μή] A similar gen. after exhortation, is found ch. Acts 15:20. Verse 13
13.] The τότε, which has been changed in the rec. for the ordinary copula, gives solemnity to the answer about to be related: q. d. It was then that Paul said. συνθρύπτοντες] The present part. does not imply the endeavour merely, here or any where else, but as Meyer quotes from Schaefer, Eurip. Phœn. 79, ‘Vere incipit actus, sed ob impedimenta caret eventu.’ γάρ] Either, ‘your proceeding is in vain, for …’—or ‘cease to do so, for.…’ εἰς ἱερ] on my arrival at: the motion to, which was the subject in question, is combined with that which might result on it: see reff. and ch. Acts 2:39. Verse 14
Verse 15
15. ἐπισκευασάμενοι] The remarkable variety of reading in this word shews that much difficulty has been found in it. The rec. ἀποσκευασάμενοι (which may perhaps have arisen from the mixture of ἀποταξάμενοι (D) with ἐπισκευασάμενοι), would mean, not, ‘having deposited our (useless) baggage,’—but, ‘having discharged our baggage,’ ‘unpacked the matters necessary for our journey to Jerusalem, from our coffers.’ But ἐπισκ. is the better supported reading, and suits the passage better: having packed up, made ourselves ready for the journey. ‘Carriages’ in the E. V. is used, as at Judges 18:21 (where it answers to τὸ βάρος, LXX-B), for baggage, things carried. Verse 16
16.] Two renderings are given to the latter clause of this verse: (1) making ΄νάσωνι, &c. depend on ἄγοντες, and agreeing by attr. with ᾧ, as E. V., ‘and brought with them one Mnason, … with whom we should lodge’ (so Beza, Calvin, Wolf, Schött., &c.): and (2) resolving the attraction into ἄγοντες παρὰ ΄νάσωνα, παρʼ ᾧ ξ. ‘bringing us to Mnason,’ &c. (So Grot., Valcknaer, Bengel, De Wette, Meyer, al.) Both are legitimate: and it is difficult to choose between them. The probability of Mnason being a resident at Jerusalem, and of the Cæsarean brethren going to introduce the company to him, seems to favour the latter: as also does the fact that Luke much more frequently uses ἄγω with a person followed by a preposition than absolutely. Of Mnason nothing further is known. ἀρχαίῳ probably implies that he had been a disciple ἐξ ἀρχῆς, and had accompanied our Lord during His ministry. See ch. Acts 11:15, where the term ἐξ ἀρχῆς is applied to the time of the Pentecostal effusion of the Spirit. Verse 17
Verses 17-23 17–23:35.] PAUL AT JERUSALEM: MADE PRISONER, AND SENT TO CÆSAREA. Verse 18
18. ἰάκωβον] James, ‘the brother of the Lord:’ the president of the church at Jerusalem: see ch. Acts 12:17; Acts 15:13, Galatians 2:12, and notes,—and Prolegg. to the Epistle of James, vol. iv. pt. 1, § i. 24–37. Verse 19
19.] On the particular kind of attraction (reff.), in a gen. plur. after a partitive adjective, see Winer, edn. 6, § 24. 2. b. Verse 20
20.] While they praised God for, and fully recognized, the work wrought by him among the Gentiles, they found it requisite to advise him respecting the suspicion under which he laboured among the believing Jews. They,—led, naturally perhaps, but incorrectly (see 1 Corinthians 7:18), by some passages of Paul’s life (and of his already written Epistles?), in which he had depreciated legal observances in comparison with faith in Christ, and spoken strongly against their adoption by Gentile converts,—apprehended that he advised on the part of the Hellenistic believers, an entire apostasy from Moses and the ordinances of the law. θεωρεῖς] This can hardly be a reference (as Olsh.) to the elders present, as representatives of the μυριάδες of believing Jews; for only those of Jerusalem were there:—but refers to Paul’s own experience, and knowledge of the vast numbers of the Jews who believed at Jerusalem, and elsewhere in Judæa. πόσαι μυριάδες is perhaps not to be strictly taken: see reff. Baur suspects, on account of this expression, that the words τῶν πεπιστ. are spurious; but quite without reason. Eusebius quotes from Hegesippus (H. E. ii. 23), πολλῶν καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων πιστευόντων ἦν θόρυβος τῶν ἰουδαίων καὶ γραμματέων καὶ φαρισαίων λεγόντων ὅτι κινδυνεύει πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἰησοῦν τὸν χριστὸν προσδοκᾷν. On the other hand, Origen (tom. i. in Joann. § 2, vol. iv. p. 3) says, that probably the whole number of believing Jews at no time had amounted to 144,000. On εἰσὶν … ὑπάρχουσι, see note, ch. Acts 16:20-21. Verse 21
21. κατηχήθησαν] they were sedulously informed (at some time in the mind of the speaker. The sense of the aor. must be preserved. Below, Acts 21:24, it is the perfect): viz., by the anti-Pauline judaizers. τοῖς ἔθεσιν] The dat. of the rule, or form, after which: see reff. Verse 22
Verse 23
23. εὐχήν] A vow of Nazarites. This vow must not be confounded, historically or analogically, with that of ch. Acts 18:18; see note there, and Numbers 6:2-21. Verse 24
24. παραλαβών] having taken to thyself, as comrades. ἁγν. σὺν αὐτ.] become a Nazarite with them. The same expression occurs in the LXX, Numbers 6:3, in describing the Nazarite’s duties. δαπάν. ἐπʼ αὐτ.] “More apud Judæos receptum erat, et pro insigni pietatis officio habebatur, ut in pauperum Nasiræorum gratiam ditiores sumptus erogarent ad sacrificia (see Numbers 6:14 ff.) quæ dum illi tonderentur, offerre necesse erat.” Kypke. Jos. Antt. xix. 6.1, relating Agrippa’s thank-offerings at Jerusalem, says, διὸ καὶ ναζιραίων ξυρᾶσθαι διέταξε μάλα συχνούς. On the shaving the head, see Numbers 6:18. De Wette remarks: ‘James and the elders made this proposal, assuming that Paul could comply with it salvâ conscientiâ,—perhaps also as a proof, to assure themselves and others of his sentiments: and Paul accepted it salvâ conscientiâ. But this he could only have done on one condition, that he was sure by it not to contribute in these four Nazarites to the error of justification by the works of the law. He might keep, and encourage the keeping of the law,—but not with the purpose of thereby deserving the approbation of God.’ Verse 25
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