Elymas is struck blind, and the A. D. cir. 45. An. Olymp. cir. CCVI. 1. a A. D. cir. 45. A. M.cir.4049. pervert the right ways of the 12 Then the deputy, when he saw A. M. cir.4049. Lord? what was done, believed, being as- An. Olymp. 11 And now, behold, the hand of tonished at the doctrine of the Lord. cir. CCVI. 1. the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be 13 ¶ Now when Paul and his company loosed blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphyimmediately there fell on him a mist and a dark- lia: and John departing from them, returned to ness; and he went about seeking some to lead || Jerusalem. him by the hand. a Exod. 9. 3. 1 Sam. 5. 6. tual: it was intended to be the means of awakening and soft- 14 But when they departed from Perga, they b Ch. 15. 38. Verse 13. Paul and his company loosed from Paphos] They sailed away from this island, leaving, it may be presumed, Elymas a sincere and deeply humbled penitent; and Sergius Paul, a thorough and happy believer in the doctrine of Christ. Previously to this time, St. Luke always mentions Barnabas before Paul ; but after this he mentions Paul always first ; probably after seeing how God had distinguished him in the late proceedings at Cyprus; as much of the Holy Spirit now rested upon him. They came to Perga in Pamphylia] As Perga was not a maritime town, it is conjectured that the apostles sailed up the river Cestrus, in order to come to this place, which, according to Strabo, was situated about sixty leagues up this river, and near to which was a famous temple, dedicated to Diana. For Pamphylia, see chap. ii. 10. And John departing from them] Why John Mark left his brethren at this place,' we are not informed; probably he went to visit his pious mother Mary at Jerusalem, and to see Peter, to whom he is supposed to have been much attached. It certainly was not with the approbation of Paul that he left them at this place, as we learn from chap. xv. 38, yet his departure does not seem to have merited the displeasure of Barnabas; for John Mark having met these apostles at Antioch, He went about] Пɛplaywy. Not knowing how to take a right step, he groped about in great uncertainty; and not being able to find his way, he sought for some persons to lead him by the hand. This state of Elymas is inimitably express-when Paul purposed to revisit the various places where they had ed in one of the cartons of Raphael, now at Hampton-court, planted the word of God, Barnabas was willing to take him (and lately engraved in the true spirit of the original, by Mr. | with them; but Paul would not consent, because he had deThomas Holloway,) in which his whole figure expresses the parted from them, from Pamphylia, and went not with them to depth of distress, concern, uncertainty, and confusion; and, to the work, ch. xv. 35—39. and this occasioned a separation beuse a word common in exhibiting this matchless piece of paint-tween Barnabas and Paul. It does not appear that John Mark ing, he is blind from head to foot. In this manner, the text authorized the painter to express the state of this miserable culprit. Verse 12. The deputy-believed] This was a proof that the doctrine was true; and that the power of God, from which nothing could be concealed, and which nothing could resist, was with these preachers. Being astonished] Exπarocquevos; being struck with astonishment, as Elymas was struck with blindness. Thus the word of God is a two-edged sword; it smites the sinner with judgment or compunction; and the sincere enquirer after truth, with conviction of its own worth and excellence. was under any obligation to accompany them any longer or any farther than he pleased. He seems to have been little else than their servant, and certainly was not divinely appointed to this work, as they were; and consequently might leave them innocently, though not kindly, if they could not readily supply his place. In this respect John Mark might be to blame; but Barnabas, whose nephew he was, could look over this fault more easily than Paul, who could not find those motives to pass by what was reprehensible in his conduct, which natural affection might furnish to his brother apostle. Verse 14. They came to Antioch in Pisidia] This place Paul preaches to the Jews A. M. cir. 4049. A. D. cir. 45. CHAP. XIII. came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went at Antioch in Pisidia. A. D. cir. 45. An. Olymp. 16 Then Paul stood up, and beck- A. M.cir. 4049. An. Olymp. into the synagogue on the sabbath-oning with his hand said, Men of day, and sat down. Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. cir. CCVI. 1. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. cir. CCVL. 1. 17 The God of this people of Israel' chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought he them out of it. is mentioned thus to distinguish it from Antioch in Syria, with which it had nothing in common but the name. There were several cities and towns in various districts of these countries called Antioch: some have reckoned up not less than twelve. Pisidia, in which this was situated, was a province of Asia Minor, near to Pamphylia, having Phrygia on the North, and Pamphylia on the South. The position of all these places may be seen on the Map. Into the synagogne on the sabbath-day] Though Paul was now on a special mission to the Gentiles, yet he availed himself of every opportunity, in every place, of making the first offer of salvation to the Jews. Verse 15. After the reading of the law and the prophets] A certain portion of the law, and another of the prophets, was read every sabbath; and the law was so divided as to be read over once every year. In the notes at the conclusion of Deuteronomy, I have considered this subject at large, and given a complete table of the Parashoth, sections of the law; and Haphtaroth, sections of the prophets, which are read every sabbath in the year in the Jewish synagogues. To have an exact view of every part of the Jewish ecclesiastical œconomy, the Reader will do well to consult the above mentioned Table, and those which follow it: they have been drawn up with great care, attention, and indescribable labour. f Deut. 7. 6, 7.- Exod. 1. 1. Ps. 105. 23, 24. ch. 7. 17.- Exod. 6. 6. & 13. 14. 16. Sent unto them] Seeing them to be Jews, they wished them to give some suitable address to the people, i. e. to the Jews who were there engaged in the divine worship; for the whole of the following discourse, which greatly resembles that of St. Stephen, chap. vii. is directed to the Jews alone; and this was probably spoken, either in Hebrew or Greek. Ye men and brethren] Aves adeλpoi, men brethren, a Hebraism for, "Ye men who are our brethren," i. e. Jews, as we ourselves are; but avdes is often an expletive, as we have already seen. See the note on chap. vii. 2. If ye have any word of exhortation] El 51 λoyos Tapaxhyσews If ye have any subject of consolation; any word of comfort to us, who are sojourners in this strange land, speak it. The Consolation of Israel was an epithet of the Messiah among the Jews; and it is probable that it was in reference to him that the rulers of the synagogue spoke. That mapaxλs is to be understood here, as meaning consolation, and this in reference to the Messiah, the whole of the following discourse will prove to the attentive reader; in which Paul shews the care and protection of God towards his people Israel, and the abundant provision he had made for their salvation by Jesus Christ. They wished for consolation, and he declared unto them glad tidings; and many felt the power and comfort of the doctrine of the cross. Verse 16. Men of Israel] Ye that are Jews by birth, and gion. In this discourse Paul proves that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, sent from God, not only for the salvation of the Jews, but of the whole human race. And this he does, not with the rhetorician's arts, but in a plain, simple detail of the history of Christ, and the most remarkable transactions of the people of God, which referred to his manifestation in the flesh. Rosenmuller. It has been a question, in what language were the lawye that fear God; ye that are proselytes to the Jewish reliand prophets read in a synagogue of Pisidia, for in that district Strabo informs us, that four languages were spoken, viz. the Pisidian, the Solyman, the Greek, and the Lydian? Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, with great probability, that the Scriptures were read in the original Hebrew; and that an interpreter rendered the reading to the people in their mother tongue. There is no doubt that the Jews and proselytes understood the Greek tongue well; and they certainly had the Septuagint Version-among them. The rulers of the synagogue] These were the persons, whose business it was to read the appointed sections; and to take care of the synagogue and its concerns; and to see that all was done decently and in order. Verse 17. The God of our fathers] The apostle begins his discourse with the Egyptian bondage, and their deliverance from it, as points the most remarkable and striking in their history; in which the providence and mighty power of God, exerted so frequently in their behalf, were peculiarly conspicuous. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations them judges about the space of four hundred Exalted the people] Even when they were strangers in the land, and greatly oppressed, God exalted them; made them a terror to their enemies, and multiplied them greatly. With a high arm] A literal translation of the Hebrew phrase bezeroâ ramah, with a lifted up arm, to protect them and destroy their enemies. The meaning of the phrase is, a manifest display of the divine power. Verse 18. About the time of forty years] The space of time between their coming out of Egypt, and going into the promised land. Suffered he their manners] Ezporopopyoev aurous; he dealt indulgently with them howsoever they behaved towards him, he mercifully bore with, and kindly treated them. But instead of ρOTOÇOCYTEV, ACE. some others, with the Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, and some of the Fathers, read εpopopopσey, which signifies, he nourished and fed them, or bore them about in his arms, as a tender nurse does her child. This reading confirms the marginal conjecture, and agrees excellently with the scope of the place; and is a reading at least of equal value with that in the commonly received text. Griesbach has admitted it, and excluded the other. Both, when rightly understood, speak nearly the same sense; but the latter is the most expressive, and agrees best with Paul's discourse, and the history to which he alludes. See the same form of expression, Num. xi. 12. Exod. xix. 4. Isai. xlvi. 3, 4. and lxiii. 9. Verse 19. Destroyed seven nations] The Canaanites, Hittites, Girgasites, Amorites, Ilivites, Peresites and Jebusites. The Rabbins frequently call them ızı8 nyaw Shebaah Omoth, the Seven Nations. Verse 20. And after that he gave unto them judges, about the space of four hundred and fifty years] This is a most difficult passage, and has been termed by Scaliger, Crux Chronologorum. The apostle seems here to contradict the account in 1 Kings vi. 1. And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign, he began to build the house of the Lord. Sir Norton Knatchbull, in his Annotations upon difficult texts, has considered the various solutions proposed by learned men of the difficulty before us; and concludes, that the words of the apostle should not be understood as meaning how long God gave them judges, but when he gave them; and therefore proposes that the first words of this verse, K2 LETA TAUTA ώς έτεσι τετρακοσίοις και πεντήκοντα, should be referred to the words going before, ver. 17. that is, to the time WHEN the God of the children of Israel chose their fathers. "Now this time wherein God may properly be said to have chosen their fathers, about 450 years before he gave them judges, is to be computed from the birth of Isaac, in whom God may properly be said to have chosen their fathers; for God, who had chosen Abraham out of all the people of the earth, chose Isaac at this time out of the children of Abraham, in whose family the covenant was to rest. To make this computation evident, let us observe, that from the birth of Isaac to the birth of Jacob are 60 years; from thence to their going into Egypt, 130; from thence to the Exodus, 210; from thence to their entrance into Canaan, 40; from that to the division of the land, (about which time it is probable they began to settle their government by judges,) 7 years which sums make 447, viz. 60+130+210+40+7= 447. And should this be reckoned from the year before the birth of Isaac, when God established his covenant between himself and Abraham, and all his seed after him, Gen. xvi. ver. 19. at which time God properly chose their fathers, then there will be 448 years, which brings it to within two years of the 450, which is sufficiently exact to bring it within the apostle's about, or nearly. Some have made the period 452 years; which, though two years more than the apostle's round number, is still sufficiently reconcileable with his qualifying particle is, about. And it may be added, that the most correct writers often express a sum totally, but not exactly: so, with Demosthenes and Plautus, we find that called a talent, where some drachms were either wanting or abounding." The sacred writers often express themselves in the same way, e. g. He made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it about. Now we know that the circumference of any circle is only in round numbers to its diameter as three to one; but correctly, is considerably more, nearly as 22 to 7. But even the Spirit of God does not see it necessary to enter into such niceties, which would only puzzle, and not instruct the common reader. Calmet has paraphrased these passages nearly to the same sense the text may be thus connected, ver. 19. And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot, about 150 years after. And afterwards he gave them judges, to the time of Samuel the prophet. The paraphrase of Calmet is the following: "The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers in the person of Abraham; he promised him the land of Canaan, and 450 years after this promise, and the birth of Isaac, who was the son and heir of the promise, he put them in possession of that land, which he had promised so long before." As this view of the subject removes all the principal difficulties, I shall not trouble my reader with other modes of interpretation. Verse 21. Saul the son of Cis] In all proper names quoted from the Old Testament, we should undoubtedly follow, as nearly as possible, the same orthography: wp Kish, was the name of this king's father, and so we spell it in the Old Testament; and yet have transformed it into Cis in the New, where the orthography is almost entirely lost. 23 Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised An. Olymp. unto Israela Saviour, Jesus: k cir. CCVI. 1. 24 When John had first preached, before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. 26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Rom. 1. 9. 2 Sam. 7. 12. Ps. 132. 11. Matt. 1. 21. Rom. 11. 26. being a man after God's own heart, will easily appear by comparing 1 Sam. xv. 28. xxviii. 17, 18. 1 Chron. x. 13, 14. Psal. Ixxviii. 70, &c. lxxxix. 20, &c." Verse 23. Of this man's seed hath God-raised—a Saviour] That Jesus Christ came in a direct and indisputable line from David, according to both promise and prophecy, may be seen in the notes on Matt. i. 1, &c. and particularly in the notes at the end of Luke iii. And that the Messiah was promised to come from the family of David, see Isai. xi. 1, 2. and Jerem. xxiii. 5, 6. Verse 24. John-preached-the baptism of repentance] On the nature and effects of John's preaching, see the notes on Matt. iii. 1, &c. and Luke iii. 10-15. Lord was with him. Verse 25. As John fulfilled his course] As John was fulfilling his race, he said, &c. It has been supposed that the word spouse course, or race, is used here to point out the short duration of the Baptist's ministry, and the fervent zeal The space of forty years.] Reckoning from the time of his with which he performed it. It signifies properly his minisanointing by Samuel to the time of his death from A. M. 2909 try, or life. A man's work, employment, function, &c. is to 2949. his race, course, or way of life. John had a ministry from Verse 22. David—a man after mine own heart]. That is,|| God; and he discharged the duties of it with zeal and dili. a man who would rule the kingdom according to God's will.gence; bore the fatigues of it with patience and resignation ; Dr. Benson's observation on this point is very judicious and was gloriously successful in it, because the hand of the "When it is said that David was a man after God's own heart, it should be understood not of his private, but of his Verse 26. Men and brethren] This should have been transpublic character. He was a man after God's own heart, be-lated brethren simply. See the note on chap. vii. 2. cause he ruled the people according to the divine will. He Children of the stock of Abraham] All ye that are did not allow of idolatry; he did not set up for absolute Jews. power. He was guided in the government of the nation by the law of Moses, as the standing rule of government, and by the prophet, or the divine oracle, whereby God gave directions upon particular emergencies. Whatever Saul's private character was, he was not a good king in Israel. He did not follow the law, the oracle, and the prophet; but attempted to be absolute, and thereby to subvert the constitution of the kingdom. That this was the meaning of David's And whosoever among you feareth God] That is, all ye who were Gentiles, and are now proselytes to the Jewish religion. The word of this salvation] The doctrine that contains the promise of deliverance from sin, and the means by which it is brought about; all which is founded on Jesus, of the stock of David, dying and rising again for the salvation of Jews and Gentiles. : Verse 27. Because they knew him not] A gentle excuse for the persecuting high-priests, &c. They did not know that Jesus was the Christ, because they did not know the prophets and why did they not know the prophets, which were read every sabbath-day? Because they did not desire to know || his will; and therefore they knew not the doctrine of God: || nor did they know that in condemning Christ, they fulfilled those very Scriptures which were read every sabbath-day in their synagogues. Verse 28. They found no cause of death in him] No reason why he should be condemned. Though they accused him of several things, yet they could not substantiate the most trifling charge against him; and yet, in opposition to all justice and equity, desired Pilate to put him to death! This paints their perfidy in the strongest light. Verse 29. They took him down from the tree] The apostle passes rapidly over several circumstances of his death, that he might establish the fact of his resurrection. Verse 30. But God raised him from the dead] And thus gave the fullest proof of his innocence. God alone can raise the dead; and he would not work a miracle so very extraordinary, but on some extraordinary occasion. Verse 31. He was seen many days, &c.] The thing was done but a very short time since; and many of the witnesses are still alive, and ready to attest the fact of this resurrection in the most unequivocal manner. Verse 32. We declare unto you glad tidings] We proclaim that gospel to you, which is the fulfilment of the promise made unto the Fathers. Verse 33. Written in the second Psalm] Instead of rw aλuw TW DEUTEpw, the second Psalm; пρшτ ↓aλuy, the first Psalm is the reading of D. and its Itala Version, and several of the primitive Fathers. Griesbach has received it into the text; but not, in my opinion, on sufficient evidence. The reason of these various readings is sufficiently evident to those who are acquainted with Hebrew MSS. In many of these, two Psalms are often written as one; and the first and second Psalms are written as one in seven of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. Those who possessed such MSS. would say, as it is written in the FIRST Psalm: those who referred to MSS. where the two Psalms were separate, would say, in the SECOND Psalm; as they would find the quotation in question in the first verse of the second Psalm. There is, therefore, neither contradiction nor difficulty here; and it is no matter which reading we prefer, as it depends on the simple circumstance, whether we consider these two Psalms as parts of one and the same; or whether we consider them as two distinct Psalms. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.] It has been disputed, whether this text should be understood of the incarnation, or of the resurrection of our Lord. If understood of his incarnation, it can mean no more than this, that the human nature of our blessed Lord was begotten by the energy of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the blessed Virgin; for as to his divine nature, which is allowed to be God, it could neither be created nor begotten. See some reasons offered for this on Luke i. 35. and if those be deemed insufficient, a thousand more may be added. But in the above reasons it is demonstrated, that the doctrine of the eternal Sonship of Christ is absolutely irreconcileable to reason, and contradictory to itself. ETERNITY is that which has had no beginning, nor stands in any reference to time: Son supposes time, generation, and father; and time also antecedent to such generation: therefore the conjunction of these tw terms, Son and eternity, is absolutely impossible, as they imply essentially different and opposite ideas. |