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x ch. xxvi. 21. people, and
y ch. xxiv.5, 6. Israel, help:

z ch. xx. 4.

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laid hands on him, 28 crying out, Men of This is the man, y that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 29 For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the a ch xxvi. 21. temple. 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple and forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. bch. xxii. 27: 32 b Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33 Then e ver. 1. ch. the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of A render, were seeking.

xxiv. 7.

XX. 23.

28.

that against Stephen, ch. vi. 13.
Greeks into the Temple] The generic
plural: only one is intended; see next verse.
They meant, into the inner court, which
was forbidden to Gentiles. 29. Trophi-
mus] See ch. xx. 4, note. We here learn
that he was an Ephesian. 30.] The Le-
vites shut the doors to prevent profanation
by a riot, and possibly bloodshed, in the tem-
ple: hardly, as Bengel, lest Paul should use
the temple as an asylum:-the right of asy-
lum was only (Exod. xxi. 13, 14) for murder
unawares. But by ver. 14 there, and by
Joab's fleeing to the altar, 1 Kings ii.
28 ff., we see that it was resorted to on
other occasions. 31. seeking to kill
him] By beating him: see ver. 32.
tidings came] literally, went (were carried)
up; up, either because of his high station,
as commanding officer, or because he was
locally stationed in the tower Antonia, over-
looking (from the N.W.) the temple, where
the riot was. the chief captain of the
band] Claudius Lysias (ch. xxiii. 26), the
tribune of the cohort (whose proper com-
plement was 1000 men).
33. with
two chains] See ch. xii. 6. He would

thus be in the custody of two soldiers.

The literally accurate rendering of
the chief captain's demand would be, who
he might be (subjective possibility): and
what he had done (assuming that he must
have done something).
34. the castle?

The camp or barracks attached to the
tower Antonia;-or perhaps into the
tower' itself: but the other is the more
usual meaning of the word. For a full
history and description of the fortress of
Antonia, see Robinson i. pp. 431, 435;
Williams, Holy City, i. 99; ii. 403–411;
Howson ii. 311.
35. upon the

stairs] The steps leading up into the
tower. The description of the tower or
fort Antonia in Josephus, sets the scene
vividly before us :-"It was, upon the
whole, the resemblance of a tower, and
encompassed with four other towers at
equal distances one from another, and one
from every corner: three of them fifty
cubits in height, and the fourth, that
looked to the S. and E., of seventy cubits:
and from thence they had the view of the
whole temple. From the place where the
galleries joined, there were upon the right

r

d Luke xxiii.

15. ch. xxii.

22.

the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, d Away 18. John xix. with him. 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? 39 But Paul said, eu I am a man which ech.ix. 11: am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the fch. xii. 17. people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

xxii. 3.

XXII. 1 [ Men,] a brethren, and fathers, hear ye my ach. vii. 2.

render, crowd.

trender, those four.

8

render, Thou art not then. a render, I indeed.

▾ render, a citizen of no mean city in Cilicia.

Xomit: see on ch. i. 16.

and left two pair of stairs, which served for a passage to the soldiers into the temple: for when the Romans were masters of Jerusalem, there were guards posted still upon that quarter to prevent seditions upon their public festivals and meetings. For as the temple commanded the city, so Antonia the temple." (L'Estrange.)

38. that Egyptian] The inference of the tribune was not, as in Bengel, “He speaks Greek, therefore he is an Egyptian," but the very contrary to this. His being able to speak Greek is a proof to Lysias that he is not that Egyptian.- This Egyptian is mentioned by Josephus, who says that he persuaded the people to follow him to the Mount of Olives, whence he would by a word throw down the walls of Jerusalem. This Felix heard of, and sent soldiers to stop his folly, who slew four hundred of his followers, and took two hundred alive. He himself, however, escaped. In another place, he says of the same person, that he collected about 30,000 deluded persons, and brought them out of the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, and that a battle took place, in which most of his followers were killed or taken prisoners. It is obvious that the numerical accounts in Josephus are inconsistent with our text, and with one another. This latter being the case, we may well leave them out of the question. At different times of his rebellion, his number of followers would

be variously estimated; and the tribune
would naturally take it as he himself or
his informant had known it, at some one
period. That this is so, we may see, by
noticing that our narrative speaks of his
leading out,-whereas Josephus's numbers
are those whom he brought back from the
wilderness against Jerusalem, by which
time his band would have augmented con-
siderably. those four thousand,-the
matter being one of notoriety.
derers] "Sicarii," so called from sica, a
dagger. They are thus described by Jose-
phus: "Another kind of brigands abounded
in Jerusalem, those named Sicarii, who
slew men in open day in the midst of the
city mixing with the crowds principally
in the feasts, and having short swords
hidden under their garments, with which
they stabbed people." 39. indeed]

worth.

mur

implying not the Egyptian, but.'
of no mean city] There was distinction in
his being a citizen of a free city. Many
of the coins of Tarsus bear the epigraphs
metropolis' and 'free."" Dr. Words-
40. in the Hebrew tongue]
The Syro-Chaldaic, the mother-tongue of
the Jews in Judæa at this time: his
motive is implied (ch. xxii. 2) to be, that
they might be the more disposed to listen
to him. CHAP. XXII. 1.] This speech
of Paul repeats the narrative of his con-
version to Christianity, but this time most
skilfully arranged and adapted (within

b ch. xxi. 39.

Phil. iii. 5.

c Deut. xxxiii.

3.2 Kings

iv. 38.

defence which I make now unto you. 2 And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they

e

с

2 Cor. xi. 22. kept the more silence: and he saith, 3 b I am [ verily] a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God, as ye all are this day. 4 h And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding xxv. 9, 101 and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Luke x. 39.

d ch. v. 34.

e ch. xxvi. 5. fch. xxi. 10. Gal. i. 14.

g 2.

Rom.x..

h ch. viii. 3:

Phil. 6.

1 Tim. i. 13.

ch. iv. 5.

k ch. ix. 2: xxvi. 10, 12.

1 ch. ix. 3:

f

5 As

i Luke xxii. 66. also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: k from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be xxvi. 12, 13. punished. 6 And 1it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was a come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid]; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. z render, of.

m Dan. x. 7. ch. ix. 7.

y omit.

b

a render, coming.

m

bomitted by most of our oldest authorities.

legitimate limits) to avoid offence and conciliate his hearers. Proofs of this will appear as we go on. 3.] On Gamaliel see note, ch. v. 34.-The expression "at the feet of Gamaliel" (see ch. iv. 35, note) indicates that the rabbi sat on an elevated seat and the scholars on the ground or on benches, literally at his feet. according to the perfect manner (the art. omitted aft. a prep.), the strict acceptation, of the law of the fathers; so in ch. xxvi. 5, i. e. “the straitest sect of our religion;" -i. e. as a Pharisee. as ye all are this day] Not meaning in the same way as YE all are this day' (but now in another way) but as ye all are this day: 'I had the same zealous character (not excluding

his still retaining it) which you all shew
to-day.' A conciliatory comparison.
5. the high priest] of that day, who is
still living: i. e. Theophilus, see on ch.
ix. 1. Similarly, the whole Sanhedrim
are those who were then members, and now
survive.' unto the (Jewish: or, their)
brethren] The rendering, against the
(Christian) brethren,' is altogether inad-
missible. If ever Paul spoke to the Jews
as a Jew, it was on this occasion.
6.] On Paul's conversion, and the com-
parison of the accounts in chapp. ix., xxii.,
and xxvi., see notes on ch. ix. I have
there treated of the discrepancies, real or
apparent. 11.] See notes, ch. ix. 8,
18.
12.] That Ananias was a Chris-

n ch. ix. 17.

o ch. 22.

12 And "one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, "having a good report of all the P Jews which dwelt there, T. iii. 7. 13 came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers ach. iii. 13: hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and "shouldest hear the voice of his xv. 8. mouth. 15 x For thou shalt be his witness unto all men

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v. 30.

r ch. ix. 15:

xxvi. 16. s1 Cor. ix. 1:

t ch. iii. 14: vii. 52.

u 1 Cor. xi. 23. Gal. i. 12.

x ch. xxiii. 11. y ch. iv. 20: xxvi. 16. z ch. ii. 38. Heb. x. 22.

ch. ix. 14. beh. ix. 26.

Rom. x. 13.

2 Cor. xii. 2.

c ver. 14.

ofy what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, a calling on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came a to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 and saw him saying unto me, d Make haste, and get thee & Matt. x. 14. quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy 19 And I said, Lord, they ever.. testimony concerning me. know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue Matt. x. 17. them that believed on thee; 20 and when the blood of g ch. vii. 58. thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them chvi..

f

C read, with all our oldest authorities, his name.

tian is not here mentioned,-and "having
a good report of all the Jews which dwelt
there" is added: both, as addressed to a
Jewish audience. Before the Roman go-
vernor in ch. xxvi., he does not mention
him at all, but compresses the whole sub-
stance of the command given to Ananias
into the words spoken by the Lord to
himself. A heathen moralist (Horace)
could teach, "Of whom, and what, thou
speakest, and to whom, Take frequent
heed" and a Christian Apostle was not
unmindful of the necessary caution. Such
features in his speeches are highly instruc-
tive and valuable to those who would
gather from Scripture itself its own real
character: and be, not slaves to its letter,
but disciples of its spirit. 14-16 is
not related, but included, in ch. ix. 18, 19.
14. The God of our fathers] So
Peter, ch. iii. 13; v. 30. In ch. ix. 17,
"the Lord" is the word: this title is
given for the Jews.
that Just One]
So Stephen, ch. vii. 52.
How forcibly
must the whole scene have recalled him,
whom presently (ver. 20) he mentions by
name. 16. wash away thy sins] This
was the Jewish as well as the Christian
doctrine of baptism.-See 1 Cor. vi. 11, and
note.

calling on his name] i. e. the name

e

4. ch.

h Luke xi. 48.

Rom. i. 32.

of Jesus, "that Just One." Paul carefully avoids mentioning to the Jews this Name, except where it is unavoidable, as in ver. 8: so again he says, I saw him, ver. 18.

17.] viz. as related ch. ix. 26-31, where nothing of this vision, or its having been the cause of his leaving Jerusalem, is hinted.

20.

19.] The probable account of this answer is, that Paul thought his former great zeal against Christ, contrasted with his present zeal for Him, would make a deep impression on the Jews in Jerusalem: or, perhaps, he wishes by his earnest preaching of Jesus as the Christ among them, to undo the mischief of which he before was the agent, and therefore alleges his former zeal and his consenting to Stephen's death as reasons why he should remain in Jerusalem. thy martyr] So A. V., following Beza: the Vulgate, and Erasmus, thy witness,' which is the primary meaning of the word martyr in Greek. "The Apostle may have here used the word (speaking in Hebrew) in its strict primary sense; for a view of Christ in His glory was vouchsafed to Stephen, and it was by bearing witness of that manifestation that he hastened his death (ch. vii. 55 ff.). The present meaning of the word martyr did,

i ch. ix. 15:

xiii. 2, 46, 47:

that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I 22 And they

xviii. 6: xxvi. will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

17. Rom. i.

5: xi. 13: XV.

16: ii. 7, 8.

1 Tim. ii. 7.

2 Tim. 11

k ch. xxi. 36.

1 ch. xxv. 24.

16. Gal. i. 15. gave him audience unto this a word, and then lifted up Eph. iii. 7,8. their voices, and said, kAway with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, m Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, h Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered,

m ch. xvi. 87.

d render, saying.

frender, shook.

h

read, with all our oldest authorities,

however, become attached to it at a very
early period, and is apparently of apostolic
authority: e. g. Rev. xvii. 6, and Clement
of Rome, 1 Cor. v. (cited in note on ch. i. 25).
. . . The transition from the first to the
secondary sense may be easily accounted
for. Many who had only seen with the
eye of faith, suffered persecution and death
as a proof of their sincerity. For such
constancy the Greek had no adequate term.
It was necessary for the Christians to pro-
vide one. None was more appropriate
than witness' (martyr), seeing what had
been the fate of those whom Christ had
appointed to be His witnesses (ch. i. 8).
They almost all suffered: hence to witness
became a synonym for to suffer: while the
suffering was in itself a kind of testimony."
(Mr. Humphry.) Dr. Wordsworth well
designates this introduction of the name
of Stephen "a noble endeavour to make
public reparation for a public sin, by public
confession in the same place where the sin
was committed." 21.] The object of
Paul in relating this vision appears to have
been to shew that his own inclination and
prayer had been, that he might preach the
Gospel to his own people: but that it was
by the imperative command of the Lord
Himself that he went to the Gentiles.
22. unto this saying] viz. the announce-
ment that he was to be sent to the Gentiles.

render, was.

8 render, the thongs. What art thou about to do?

"The nations of the earth have no living
existence," was the maxim of the children
of Abraham, as set down in their Rab-
binical books. it was not fit] imply-

ing, he ought to have been put to death long
ago (when we endeavoured to do it, but he
escaped). 23.] They were not 'casting
off their garments,' as preparing to stone
him, or even as representing the action of
such preparation: the former would be
futile, as he was in the custody of the
tribune,- the latter absurd, and not borne
out by any known habit of the Jews: but
shaking their garments, as shaking off the
dust, abominating such an expression and
him who uttered it. The casting dust into
the air was part of the same gesture.
Chrysostom explains it in this way.
24.] The tribune, not understanding the
language in which Paul spoke, wished to
extract from him by the scourge the reason
which so exasperated the Jews against him.
In this he was acting illegally: for Augustus
had expressly provided that legal exa-
minations were not to begin with torture.

25.] Literally, while they were binding him down with the thongs. The position of the prisoner was, bent forward, and tied with a sort of gear made of leather to an inclined post. the centurion] This was the ordinary officer-standing by to superintend the punishment. On

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