Vincent's Word Studies And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? Under color (προφάσει)
Lit., on pretence. Cast (ἐκτείνειν) Lit., to stretch out. The meaning is, to carry out an anchor to a distance from the prow by means of the small boat. Rev., lay out. And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. While the day was coming on (ἄχρι δὲ οὗ ἔμελλεν ἡμέρα γίνεσθαι)
Lit., until it should become day: in the interval between midnight and morning. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Bay (κόλπον)
See on bosom, Luke 6:38. Shore (αἰγιαλὸν) See on Matthew 13:2. Better, as Rev., beach. They were minded (ἐβουλεύσαντο) Better, as Rev., took counsel. See on Matthew 1:19. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. Taken up (περιελόντες)
Wrong. The word means to remove, and refers here to cutting the anchor-cables, or casting off, as Rev. Committed themselves (εἴων) Wrong. The reference is to the anchors. Rev., correctly, left them in the sea. Rudder-bands (ζευκτηρίας τῶν πηδαλίων) Lit., the bands of the rudders. The larger ships had two rudders, like broad oars or paddles, joined together by a pole, and managed by one steersman. They could be pulled up and fastened with bands to the ship; as was done in this ease, probably to avoid fouling the anchors when they were cast out of the stern. The bands were now loosened, in order that the ship might be driven forward. Mainsail (ἀρτέμωνα) Only here in New Testament. Probably the foresail. So Rev. Made toward (κατεῖχον) Lit., held; bore down for. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. They knew
The best texts read we knew: ascertained or recognized: with a reference to ver. 39. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? Barbarous people
From the Roman point of view, regarding all as barbarians who spoke neither Greek nor Latin. Not necessarily uncivilized. It is equivalent to foreigners. Compare Romans 1:14; 1 Corinthians 14:11. The inhabitants of Malta were of Carthaginian descent. "Even in the present day the natives of Malta have a peculiar language, termed the Maltese, which has been proved to be essentially an Arabic dialect, with an admixture of Italian" (Gloag). No little (οὐ τυχοῦσαν) See on special, Acts 19:11. Rev., much better, "no common kindness." Kindness (φιλανθρωπίαν) See on the kindred adverb courteously, Acts 27:3. Present rain (ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα) Lit., which was upon us, or had set in. No mention of rain occurs up to this point in the narrative of the shipwreck. The tempest may thus far have been unattended with rain, but it is hardly probable. And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. Of sticks (φρυγάνων)
Only here in New Testament. From φρύγω, to roast or parch. Hence, dry sticks. Out of (ἐκ) The best texts read ἀπό, by reason of. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. Justice (Δίκη)
Personified. Suffereth not (οὐκ εἴασεν) The aorist tense: did not suffer. His death is regarded as fixed by the divine decree. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. The beast (τὸ θηρίον)
Luke uses the word in the same way as the medical writers, who employed it to denote venomous serpents, and particularly the viper; so much so that an antidote, made chiefly from the flesh of vipers, was termed θηριακή. A curious bit of etymological history attaches to this latter word. From it came the Latin theriaca, of which our treacle (molasses) is a corruption. Treacle, therefore, is originally a preparation of viper's flesh, and was used later of any antidote. Thus Coverdale's translation of Jeremiah 8:22 has, "There is no more treacle in Gilead." Gurnall ("Christian in Complete Armor") says: "The saints' experiences help them to a sovereign treacle made of the scorpion's own flesh (which they through Christ have slain), and that hath a virtue above all other to expel the venom of Satan's temptations from the heart." So Jeremy Taylor' "We kill the viper and make treacle of him." And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; Swollen (πίμπρασθαι)
Only here in New Testament. The usual medical word for inflammation. Looked (προσδοκώντων) Occurring eleven times in Luke, and only five times in the rest of the New Testament. Frequent in medical writers, to denote expectation of the fatal result of illness. No harm (μηδὲν ἄτοπον) Lit., nothing out of place. The word ἄτοπος occurs three times in Luke, and only once elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Thessalonians 3:2). Used by physicians to denote something unusual in the symptoms of disease, and also something fatal or deadly as here. Rev., nothing amiss. Compare Luke 23:41; and Acts 25:5, where the best texts insert the word. Said (ἔλεγον) The imperfect, denoting current talk. A god "Observe," says Bengel, "the fickleness of human reasoning. He is either an assassin, say they, or a god. So, at one time bulls, at another stones" (Acts 14:13, Acts 14:19). And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. The chief man (τῷ πρώτῳ)
Official title, without reference to his rank and possessions. Though not occurring as the official designation of the governor of Malta in any ancient author, it has been found in two inscriptions discovered in the island. And he wrote a letter after this manner: Sick (συνεχόμενον)
Lit., taken or holden. See on taken, Luke 4:38. Fever (πυρετοῖς) Lit., fevers. This peculiarly medical use of the plural is confined to Luke in the New Testament. It denotes successive and varying attacks of fever. Bloody flux (δυσεντερίᾳ) Only here in New Testament. Our word dysentery is nearly a transcript of it. Hippocrates often speaks of the two complaints in combination. Healed (ἰάσατο) See on Luke 6:19. Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. Honors (τιμαῖς)
The word was applied to payments for professional services, and that fact may have influenced Luke in selecting it; but it is evidently not used in that sense here. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: Sign
Answering to the ship's name in modern times. It was the image of a god, a man, a beast, or of some other object, sculptured or painted on the prow. The figure of the guardian deity was affixed to the stern. Castor and Pollux Known as the twin brothers and the Dioscuri, or sons of Jove. They were regarded as tutelary deities of sailors. Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.
On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. The centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard
The best texts omit. And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall. Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]. Text Courtesy of Internet Sacred Texts Archive. Bible Apps.com |
