Paul”).
22. They gave him audience (fxovov). The imperfect. Up to this word they were listening.
Lifted up their voice, etc. “Then began one of the most odious and despicable spectacles which .the world can witness, the spectacle of an oriental mob, hideous with impotent rage, howling, yelling, cursing, gnashing their teeth, flinging about their arms, waving and tossing their blue and red robes, casting dust into the air by handfuls, with all the furious gesticulations of an uncontrolled fanaticism” (Farrar). Hackett cites Sir John Chardin (“Travels into Persia and the East Indies”) as saying that it is common for the peasants in Persia, when they have a complaint to lay before their governors, to repair to them by hundreds or a thousand at once. They place them- selves near the gate of the palace, where they suppose they are most likely to be seen and heard, and there set up a horrid out- ery, rend their garments, and throw dust into the air, at the same time demanding justice. Compare 2 Sam. xvi. 13.
24. Examined (dverdfec$ar). Only here and ver. 29. Not found in classical Greek. Apocrypha, Susanna, ver. 14.
By scourging (udorvEw). Lit., with scourges.
574 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. XXIIT.
95. Bound him with thongs (apoérewav abrov Tots (pact). Against the rendering of the A. V. is the word mpoétewar, they stretched forward, in allusion to the position of the victim for scourging, and the article with ¢hongs ; “ the thongs,” with ref- erence to some well-known instrument. If the words referred simply to binding him, wth thongs would be superfluous. It is better, therefore, to take thongs as referring to the scourge, consisting of one or more lashes or cords, a sense in which it oceurs in classical Greek, and to render stretched him out for (or before) the thongs. The word is used elsewhere in the New Testament of a shoe-latchet (Mark i. 7; Lukeiii. 16; Johni. 27).
Roman. See on ch. xvi. 37.
28. Sum (xeparaiov). Lit., capital. The purchase of Ro- man citizenship was an investment. Under the first Roman emperors it was obtained only at large cost and with great dif_i- culty ; later, it was sold for a trifle.
| was free-born (éya Kat yeyévynuar). Lit., J am even so born, leaving the mind to supply free or a Loman. Better, as Reyv., Zam a Roman born.
30. Brought Paul down. ‘To the meeting-place of the Sanhedrim: probably not their usual place of assembly, which lay within the wall of partition, which Lysias and his soldiers would not have been allowed to pass.