(13) They went up into an upper room, where abode . . .--Better, into the upper room, where they were abiding. The Greek noun has the article. The room may have been the same as that in which the Paschal Supper had been eaten (Mark 14:15). On the other hand, that room seems to have been different from that in which the disciples had lodged during the Paschal week, and to have been chosen specially for the occasion (Luke 22:8). The word used is also different in form. So far as we are able to distinguish between the two words, the room of the Paschal Supper was on the first floor, the guest-chamber, used for meals; that in which the disciples now met, on the second floor, or loft, which was used for retirement and prayer. It would seem from Luke 24:53, that they spent the greater part of each day in the Temple, and met together in the evening. The better MSS. give "prayer" only, without "supplication." The prayer thus offered may be thought of as specially directed to the "promise of the Father." Whether it was spoken or silent, unpremeditated or in some set form of words, like the Lord's Prayer, we have no data to determine.

Peter, and James.--On the lists of the Twelve Apostles see Notes on Matthew 10:2-4. The points to be noticed are--(1) that Andrew stands last in the group of the first four, divided from his brother, thus agreeing with the list in St. Mark (Mark 3:17); (2) that Philip is in like manner divided from Bartholomew, and Thomas from Matthew; (3) that Zelotes appears here, as in Luke 6:15, instead of the Cananaean.

Verse 13. - The upper chamber for an upper room, A.V.; where they were abiding for where abode, A.V.; son of James for brother of James, A.V. The upper chamber; perhaps the same room where they had eaten the Passover with Christ (Luke 22:12); but this is very uncertain, though affirmed by Epiphanius, and by Nicephorus, who further relates that the very house in which the upper chamber was built into the back part of the temple which the Empress Helena erected on Mount Sion. The word here is ὑπερῷον, there it is ἀνώγεον. The ὑπερῷον (Hebrew עֲליּהָ, 2 Kings 4:10, 11) was the room immediately under the roof; the ἀνώγεον was synonymous. Where they were abiding. A slight change in the order of the words, as adopted in the text of the R.V., makes Peter and the other apostles the nominative case to the verb "went up," instead of, as in the A.V., to "abode." In regard to the list of the apostles which follows, it may be noticed first, that it is identical with that of Luke 6:14-16, except in the omission of Judas Iscariot and the order in which the apostles are named. The order in Luke seems to have followed that of natural birth and association. The brothers, Peter and Andrew, James and John, are classed together; Philip and Bartholomew, or Nathanael, go together, and so on. But in this list John follows Peter, his close companion in missionary work (Acts 3:1, etc.; Acts 4:12; 8:14); James follows instead of preceding John; and others are classed somewhat differently, for reasons probably analogous, but which we know not. Of the other lists that in Mark 3:16-19 agrees most nearly with that before us. In all, Simon Peter stands first. The Jude of Luke 6:16 (comp. Jude 1:1) and Acts 1:13 is called Thaddaeus in Matthew 10:3 (" Lebbaeus whose surname was Thaddaeus," A.V.) and in Mark 3:18; but no doubt the persons are the same. In all the lists Philip stands fifth. In three Bartholomew is sixth, while in the list in Acts his being named after Thomas makes him seventh. In all the lists James the son of Alphaeus is ninth, and Judas Iscariot the last, except in the Acts, where he is not named, being already dead. The underwritten columns give the four lists in one view: - Matthew 10:2-5

1. Simon Peter

2. Andrew

3. James

4. John

5. Phillip

6. Bartholomew

7. Thomas

8. Matthew

9. James son of Alphaeus

10. Thaddaeus

11. Simon the Cananaean

12. Judas Iscariot Mark 3:16-19

1. Simon Peter

2. James

3. John

4. Andrew

5. Philip

6. Bartholomew

7. Matthew

8. Thomas

9. James son of Alphaeus

10. Thaddaeus

11. Simon the Cananaean

12. Judas Iscariot Luke 6:14-16

1. Simon Peter

2. Andrew

3. James

4. John

5. Philip

6. Bartholomew

7. Matthew

8. Thomas

9. James son of Alphaeus

10. Simon the Zealot

11. Judas, the son, or brother, of James

12. Judas Iscariot Acts 1:13

1. Simon Peter

2. John

3. James

4. Andrew

5. Philip

6. Thomas

7. Bartholomew

8. Matthew

9. James son of Alphaeus

10. Simon the Zealot

11. Jude, the son, or brother, of James

1:12-14 God can find hiding-places for his people. They made supplication. All God's people are praying people. It was now a time of trouble and danger with the disciples of Christ; but if any is afflicted, let him pray; that will silence cares and fears. They had now a great work to do, and before they entered upon it, they were earnest in prayer to God for his presence. They were waiting for the descent of the Spirit, and abounded in prayer. Those are in the best frame to receive spiritual blessings, who are in a praying frame. Christ had promised shortly to send the Holy Ghost; that promise was not to do away prayer, but to quicken and encourage it. A little company united in love, exemplary in their conduct, fervent in prayer, and wisely zealous to promote the cause of Christ, are likely to increase rapidly."Into it", as the Arabic version reads; that is, into the city of Jerusalem, and into some house in that city; but what house it was is needless to inquire, since it cannot be known. Some think it was the house of John the Evangelist, whither he had taken Mary the mother of our Lord, John 19:27 which is not improbable: others, that it was the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where the disciples met for prayer when Peter was put into prison, Acts 12:12 others, that it was the house of Simon the leper; but his house was not at Jerusalem, but in Bethany, Matthew 26:6. Some have thought it was the house of Nicodemus, or of Joseph of Arimathea; but after all it seems most likely, that it was not any private house, but the temple into which the disciples immediately went, and where they continued; see Luke 24:52 and Acts 2:46.

they went up into an upper room; which, if in a private house, they might choose for retirement and secrecy; and might be the same in which they had eaten the passover; and so a Syriac scholiast, in manuscript, on the place, says it was the same. It was usual to meet in upper rooms for devotion and religious conversation; see Gill on Mark 2:4 though this upper room might be one of the chambers in the temple; for not only from the scriptural account of the temple, there were chambers round about it, and upper chambers; see 1 Kings 6:5 and one of these is called the chamber of Gemariah, in which Baruch read the prophecies of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 36:10 but also from the Jewish writings, in which frequent mention is made of the chamber Palhedrin, where the high priest was brought seven days before the day of atonement (c); and the chamber of the counsellors (d); and the chamber Gazith, where the sanhedrim sat; and the chamber of the house of Abtines (e); and the chamber of wood; and the chamber of the lepers; and the chamber of the house of oil (f); and the chamber of salt; and the chamber of Parvah; and the chamber of them that wash, besides others (g). And into a chamber, or upper room in the temple they might be let by Joses Barnabas, a Levite, one of their own company, Acts 4:36 who might have the care of it, for they are said to be continually in the temple, Luke 24:53.

Where abode both Peter, and James, and John. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read, "Peter, and John, and James"; and so the Alexandrian copy. These were the three favourite disciples of Christ, and are often mentioned together, as here first,

and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions put Matthew before Bartholomew,

James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas, the brother of James; all the Oriental versions read, "Judas the son of James": of the names of the apostles; see Gill on Matthew 10:2, Matthew 10:3, Matthew 10:4. They are all here mentioned but Judas the betrayer, who was dead, to show, that though one had disbelieved the resurrection of Christ, another had denied him, and all of them had forsook him, and fled; yet they were got together again, and were firm and steadfast in the faith of Christ, waiting for the pouring forth of the Spirit,

(c) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1.((d) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 8. 2.((e) Ib. fol. 19. 1.((f) Misn. Middot, c. 2. sect. 5. (g) Ib. c. 5. sect. 2, 3.