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+ It is said that two hundred and forty thousand of the native population were sacrificed to the fury of the insurgents. When the rebellion was extinguished, the Jews were forbidden thence- forth, on pain of death, to set foot on the island.
Minister (imnpérnv). Better, as Rev., attendant. See on Matt. v. 25.
6. Sorcerer (udyov). That the man was an impostor is told us in the next word, but not in this term. It is the word used of the wise men who came to the Saviour’s cradle. See Matt. li. 1, 7,16. Elymas was a magian ; of what kind is shown by JSalse prophet. See on Matt. ii. 1.
Bar-Jesus. Son of Jesus or Joshua.
7. The deputy (avIurar@). Better, Rev., proconsul. See Introduction to Luke, on Luke’s accuracy in designating public officers.
Sergius Paulus. Di Cesnola relates the discovery at Soli, which, next to Salamis, was the most important city in the island, of a slab with a Greek inscription containing the name of Paulus, proconsul.
Prudent (cuver@). Better, as Rev., a man of understanding. See on Matt. xi. 25.
8. Elymas. An Arabic word, meaning the wise, and equiv- alent to Magus. See on ver. 6.
Withstood. “The position of soothsayer to a Roman pro- consul, even though it could only last a year, was too distin- guished and too lucrative to abandon without a struggle ” (Far- rar, ‘‘ Life and Work of Paul ”).
9. Saul—Paul. The first occurrence of the name of Paul in the Acts, Hereafter he is constantly so called, except when
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there is a reference to the earlier period of his life. Various explanations are given of the change of name. The most sat- isfactory seems to be that it was customary for Hellenistic Jews to have two names, the one Hebrew and the other Greek or Latin. Thus John was also called Marcus ; Symeon, Viger ; Barsabas, Justus. As Paul now comes prominently forward as the apostle to the Gentiles, Luke now retains his Gentile name, as he did his Jewish name during his ministry among the Jews. The connection of the name Paul with that of the deputy seems to me purely accidental. It was most unlike Paul to assume the name of another man, converted by his instrumen- tality, out of respect to him or as a memorial of his conversion. Farrar justly observes that there would have been in this “ an element of vulgarity impossible to St. Paul.”
Set his eyeson him. See on Luke iv. 20.
10. Mischief (SaScoupyias). Only here in New Testament. Originally, ease or facility in doing ; hence readiness in turning the hand to anything, bad or good; and so recklessness, wnscru- pulousness, wickedness. A kindred word (padsovpynua, lewdness, Rev., villany) occurs at ch. xviii. 14.
Right ways. Or straight, possibly with an allusion to Ely- mas’ crooked ways.
11. Mist (d@yAvs). Only here in New Testament. The word is used by medical writers as a name for a disease of the eyes. The mention of the successive stages, first dimmness, then total darkness, are characteristic of the physician. “ The first mira- cle which Paul performed was the infliction of a judgment ; and that judgment the same which befell himself when arrested on his way to Damascus” (Gloag).
12. Astonished (éxAnocopevos). See on Matt. vii. 28.
13. Loosed (avaySévres). See on Luke viii. 22.
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Paul and his company (oi wept tov IIatddov). Lit., those around Paul. In later writers, used to denote the principal person alone, as John xi. 19, came to Mary and Martha; where the Greek literally reads, came to the women around Mary and Martha. Paul, and not Barnabas, now appears as the principal person.
15. Exhortation. See on ch. ix. 31. 16. Beckoning. See on ch. xii. 17. Men of Israel. See on ch. iii. 12.