Used by Luke only. See on Luke 9:7. Better, as Rev., perplexed.

Of a different class. The first who commented on the wonder did so curiously, but with no prejudice. Those who now spoke did so in a hostile spirit. See on Acts 2:4.

Mocking (διαχλευάζοντες; so the best texts)

From χλεύη, a joke. Only here in New Testament.

New wine (γλεύκους)

Lit., "sweet wine." Of course intoxicating.

See on Luke 18:11; and Luke 19:8.

Said (ἀπεφθέγξατο)

See on Acts 2:4. Better, Rev., spake forth. "This most solemn, earnest, yet sober speech" (Bengel).

Hearken (ἐνωτίσασθε)

Only here in New Testament. From ἐν, in; and οὖς the ear. Rev., give ear.

Words (ῥήματα)

See on Luke 1:37.

Nine in the morning: the hour of morning prayer. Compare 1 Thessalonians 5:7.

Without distinction of age, sex, or condition.

Visions (ὁράσεις)

Waking visions.

Dream dreams (ἐνύπνια ἐνυπνιασθήσονται)

The best texts read ἐνυπνίοις, with dreams. The verb occurs only here and Jde 1:8. The reference is to visions in sleep.

Lit., I will give.

Wonders (τέρατα)

Or portents. See on Matthew 11:20.

Signs

See on Matthew 11:20.

The Rev. heightens the emphasis by following the Greek order, the day of the Lord, that great and notable day. Notable (ἐπιφανῆ) only here in New Testament. The kindred noun ἐπιφάνεια, appearing (compare our word Epiphany), is often used of the second coming of the Lord. See 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13.

The verb means to point out or shew forth. Shewn to be that which he claimed to be.

Miracles (δυνάμεσι)

Better, Rev., mighty works. Lit., powers. See on Matthew 11:20.

An adjective: given forth, betrayed.

Ye have taken

The best texts omit.

Wicked hands

The best texts read by the hand of lawless

Crucified (προσπήξαντες)

Only here in New Testament. The verb simply means to affix to or on anything. The idea of the cross is left to be supplied.

Have slain (ἀνείλετε)

See on Luke 23:32. Rev., rendering the aorist more closely, did slay.

The meaning is disputed. Some claim that Peter followed the Septuagint mistranslation of Psalm 18:5, where the Hebrew word for snares is rendered by the word used here, pains; and that, therefore, it should be rendered snares of death; the figure being that of escape from the snare of a huntsman. Others suppose that death is represented in travail, the birth-pangs ceasing with the delivery; i.e., the resurrection. This seems to be far-fetched, though it is true that in classical Greek the word is used commonly of birth-throes. It is better, perhaps, on the whole, to take the expression in the sense of the A. V., and to make the pains of death stand for death generally.

Not to see beforehand, but to see before one's self, as in Psalm 16:8.

I should not be moved (μὴ σαλευθῶ)

Or be shaken. Generally so rendered in the New Testament. See Matthew 11:7; Matthew 24:29; Hebrews 12:26, etc.

Rev., was glad. See on 1 Peter 1:6.

Shall rest (κατασκηνώσει)

See on nests, Matthew 8:20. Better, as Rev., dwell. Lit., dwell in a tent or tabernacle. Rendered lodge, Matthew 13:32; Mark 4:32; Luke 13:19. It is a beautiful metaphor. My flesh shall encamp on hope; pitch its tent there to rest through the night of death, until the morning of resurrection.

In hope ( ἐπ' ἐλπίδι)

Lit., on hope: resting on the hope of resurrection; his body being poetically conceived as hoping.

Lit., leave behind.

Suffer (δώσεις)

Lit., give.

Lit., it is permitted me. Rev., I may. It is allowable for him to speak, because the facts are notorious.

Freely (μετὰ παῤῥησίας)

Lit., with freedom. The latter word from πᾶν, all, and ῥῆσις, speech; speaking everything, and therefore without reserve.

The patriarch (πατριάρχου)

From ἄρχω, to begin, and πατριά, a pedigree. Applied to David as the father of the royal family from which the Messiah sprang. It is used in the New Testament of Abraham (Hebrews 7:4), and of the sons of Jacob (Acts 7:8).

He is dead and buried (ἐτελεύτησε καὶ ἐτάφη)

Aorists, denoting what occurred at a definite past time. Rev., rightly, he both died and was buried.

His sepulchre is with us

Or among us (ἐν ἡμῖν). On Mount Zion, where most of the Jewish kings were interred in the same tomb.

The best texts omit. Render as Rev., he would set one upon his throne.

Aorist, did not ascend.

A.V. omits of thy feet.

From ἀ, not, and σφάλλω, to cause to fall. Hence, firmly, steadfastly.

Only here in New Testament. The word does not occur in profane Greek. It is found in the Septuagint, as Genesis 34:7, of the grief of the sons of Jacob at the dishonor of Dinah. See, also, Psalm 109:16(Sept. 108) Psalm 109:16 : "broken in heart." The kindred noun κατάνυξις occurs Romans 11:8, in the sense of slumber (Rev., stupor). Compare Isaiah 29:10. See, also, Psalm 60:3. (Sept. 59) Psalm 60:3 : οἶνον κατανύξεως, the wine of astonishment (Rev., wine of staggering). The radical idea of the word is given in the simple verb νύσσω, to prick with a sharp point. So Homer, of the puncture of a spear; of horses dinting the earth with their hoofs, etc. Here, therefore, of the sharp, painful emotion, the sting produced by Peter's words. Cicero, speaking of the oratory of Pericles, says that his speech left stings in the minds of his hearers ("De Oratore," iii., 34.)

See on Matthew 3:2.

In the name (ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι)

Lit., upon the name. See on Matthew 28:19.

Remission

See on Luke 3:3; and James 5:15.

Lit., unto a long way. Referring probably to the Gentiles, who are described by this phrase both in the Old and New Testaments. See Zechariah 6:15; Ephesians 2:11-13. Peter knew the fact that the Gentiles were to be received into the Church, but not the mode. He expected they would become Christians through the medium of the Jewish religion. It was already revealed in the Old Testament that they should be received, and Christ himself had commanded the apostles to preach to all nations.

Shall call (προσκαλέσηται)

Rev. gives the force of πρός, to: "shall call unto him."

And various.

Did he testify (διεμαρτύρετο)

The preposition διά gives the force of solemnly, earnestly.

Save yourselves (σώθητε)

More strictly, be ye saved.

Untoward (σκολιᾶς)

Lit., crooked. Toward in earlier English meant docile, apt. The opposite is froward (froward). So Shakespeare:

"'Tis a good hearing when children are toward,

But a harsh hearing when women are froward."

Taming of the Shrew, v., 2.

"Spoken like a toward prince."

3 Henry VI., ii., 2.

Untoward, therefore, meant intractable, perverse. So Shakespeare:

continued...

See on Acts 1:14.

Doctrine (διδαχῇ)

Better, teaching.

Fellowship (κοινωνίᾳ)

From κοινός, common. A relation between individuals which involves a common interest and a mutual, active participation in that interest and in each other. The word answers to the Latin communio, from communis, common. Hence, sometimes rendered communion, as 1 Corinthians 10:16; 2 Corinthians 13:14. Fellowship is the most common rendering. Thus Philippians 1:5 : "your fellowship in the gospel," signifying co-operation in the widest sense; participation in sympathy, suffering, and labor. Compare 1 John 1:3, 1 John 1:6, 1 John 1:7. Occasionally it is used to express the particular form which the spirit of fellowship assumes; as in Romans 15:26; Hebrews 13:16, where it signifies the giving of alms, but always with an emphasis upon the principle of Christian fellowship which underlies the gift.

Breaking (κλάσει)

Used by Luke only, and only in the phrase breaking of bread. The kindred verb κλάζω or κλάω, to break, occurs often, but, like the noun, only of breaking bread. Hence used to designate the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Prayers (προσευχαῖς)

Always of prayer to God. Compare on δεήσεις, prayers, Luke 5:33; and besought, Luke 8:38.

Not terror, but reverential awe: as Mark 4:41; Luke 7:16; 1 Peter 1:17, etc.

Compare fellowship, Acts 2:42.

Landed property.

Goods (ὑπάρξεις)

Possessions in general; movables.

See on Matthew 18:19.

From house to house (κατ' οἶκον)

Better, as Rev., at home, contrasted with in the temple. Compare Plm 1:2; Colossians 4:15; 1 Corinthians 16:19.

Did eat their meat (μετελάμβανον τροφῆς)

Rev., take their food. Partake would be better, giving the force of μετά, with. Note the imperfect: "continued to partake."

Singleness (ἀφελότητι)

Only here in New Testament. Derived from ἀ, not, and φελλεύς, stony ground. Hence of something simple or plain.

Imperfect: kept adding.

Such as should be saved (τοὺς σωζομένους)

Lit., as Rev., those that were being saved. The rendering of the A. V. would require the verb to be in the future, whereas it is the present participle. Compare 1 Corinthians 1:18. Salvation is a thing of the present, as well as of the past and future. The verb is used in all these senses in the New Testament. Thus, we were saved (not are, as A. V.), Romans 8:24; shall or shalt be saved, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:13; ye are being saved, 1 Corinthians 15:2. "Godliness, righteousness, is life, is salvation. And it is hardly necessary to say that the divorce of morality and religion must be fostered and encouraged by failing to note this, and so laying the whole stress either on the past or on the future - on the first call, or on the final change. It is, therefore, important that the idea of salvation as a rescue from sin, through the knowledge of God in Christ, and therefore a progressive condition, a present state, should not be obscured, and we can but regret such a translation as Acts 2:47, 'The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved,' where the Greek implies a different idea" (Lightfoot, "On a Fresh Revision of the New Testament").

To the church

See on Matthew 16:18.

The imperfect: were going up. So Rev., ascending the terraces, on the highest of which the temple stood.

Ninth hour

The time of the evening sacrifice; or, as the words of prayer indicate, half an hour later, for the prayer which accompanied the offering of incense.

Lit., being. See on James 2:15.

Was carried (ἐβαστάζετο)

Imperfect: "was being carried as they were going up (Acts 3:1).

They laid (ἐτίθουν)

Imperfect: "they were wont to lay."