18. In the common prison (év rnpjces Snuocia). Incorrect. Typnois is not used in the sense of prison, but is an abstract term meaning ward or keeping, as in ch. iv.3. There is no article, moreover. Note, too, that another word is used for the prison in the next verse (rhs ¢udaxjs). Rev., therefore, cor- rectly, in public ward.
19. By night (Sua ris vueros). More correctly, during the night: Sud, in the course of. Compare ch. xvi. 9.
20. Stand. Compare ch. ii. 14; and see on Luke xviii. 11; xix S
Of this life. The eternal life which Christ revealed. It is a peculiar use of the phrase, which is commonly employed in contrast with the life to come, as 1 Cor. xv. 19. Compare John vi. 63, 68. Not equivalent to these words of life.
21. Early in the morning (t70 tov épIpov). “Tro, beneath, is often used in the sense of just about, or near, “Op9pov is from dpvupt, to cause to arise: thedawn. See on Luke xxiv. 1. Ren- der as Rev., about daybreak.
Taught (é5/acxov). Imperfect: began teaching. The council (cvvédpiov). The Sanhedrim.
The senate (yepouvciav). From yépwr, an old man, like the Latin senatus, from senex, old. Taking on very early an offi- cial sense, the notion of age being merged in that of dignity. Thus in Homer yépovres are the chiefs who form the king’s council. Compare the Latin patres, futhers, the title used
* The construction is plainly the genitive absolute, épxouévouv Mérpov, Peter passing by.
470 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. V.
in addressing the Roman senate. The word in this passage is the name of the Spartan assembly, Gerousia, the assembly of elders, consisting of thirty members, with the two kings. “The well-known term,” as Meyer remarks, “is fittingly transferred from the college of the Greek gerontes to that of the Jewish presbyters.” They summoned, not only those elders of the people who were likewise members of the Sanhedrim, but the whole council (ad the senate) of the representatives of the people.
Prison (Secperypiov). Still another word for prison. Com- pare vv. 18,19. Rev., prison-house. The different words em- phasize different aspects of confinement. Typos is keeping, as the result of guarding. See onver.18. vAaxy emphasizes the being put under guard, and Secuwrjpsov the being put in bonds.
22. Officers (imnpétar). See on Matt. v. 25.
24. They doubted (dun7dpouv). See on Luke ix. 5. Rev., were much perplexed, giving the force of dd, thoroughly at a loss. Compare Luke xxiv. 4.*
28. Did not. The best texts omit ov, not, and the question.
We straitly charged. So Rev. (zapayyedia wapnyyeiiaper). Lit., we charged you with a charge. See on Luke xxii. 15, with desire I have desired.
Intend (BovAecte). Or ye want. See on willing, Matt. i. 19.
This man’s. The phrase is remarkable as furnishing the first instance of that avoidance of the name of Christ which makes the Talmud, in the very same terms, refer to him most frequently as Peloni, “so and so.”
* Where, however, the best texts read the simple verb dmopeioSa, were per- plexed, for diaropeiosar, ‘‘ were greatly perplexed.”
Cu. V.] THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 471
29. We ought (de2). Stronger, we must.
To obey (ewWapyetv). Not often used in the New Testament to express obedience, the most common word being bmaxotw. Sometimes zreé9 is used. But this word, in itself, is the only one of the several in use which expresses the conception of obedience exclusively. ‘Yaaxovew is to obey as the result of ds- tening to another: treiSecIau is to obey as the result of persua- sion. This is the special term for the obedience which one owes to authority (a4py7). It occurs four times in the New Testament: Acts v. 29, 32 ; xxvii. 21; Tit. iii. 1; and in every case, of obedi- ence to established authority, either of God or of magistrates. In Acts xxvii. 21, where it is used of the ship’s officers hearken- ing to Paul’s admonition not to loose from Crete, Paul speaks of his admonition as divinely inspired ; compare xxvii. 10. In ch. iv. 19, Peter and John say hearken (axovew), That isa mere listening to or considering the proposition made to them. This is a deliberate course of action.