21. Have bound themselves. “If weshould wonder how, so early in the morning, after the long discussion in the Sanhe- drim, which must have occupied a considerable part of the day, more than forty men should have been found banded together, under an anathema, neither to eat nor to drink till they had killed Paul; and, still more, how such a conspiracy, or, rather, conjuration, which, in the nature of it, would be kept a profound secret, should have become known to Paul’s sister’s son—the circumstances of the case furnish a sufficient explanation. The Pharisees were avowedly a fraternity or guild; and they, or some of their kindred fraternities, would furnish the ready material for such a band, to whom this additional vow would be nothing new or strange, and, murderous though it sounded, only seem a further carrying out of the principles of their order. Again, since the wife and all the children of a member were
37
578 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. XXIII.
ipso facto members of the guild, and Paul’s father had been a Pharisee (ver. 6), Paul’s sister also would, by virtue of her birth, belong to the fraternity, even irrespective of the probability that, in accordance with the principles of the party, she would have married into a Pharisaical family ” (Edersheim, “ Jewish Social Life ”).
23. Soldiers (ctpatiéras). Heavy-armed footmen : legion- aries.
Spearmen (Sef:oAdBous). Only here in New Testament, and not in classical Greek. From S¢eftés, right, and AapBdva, to take. The exact meaning is uncertain. Some explain it as those who take the right side of the prisoners whom they have in charge ; others, those who grasp (their weapon) with the right hand ; others, again, those who hold (a second horse) by the right hand. They are here distinguished from the heavy-armed legionaries and the cavalry. They were probably light-armed troops, javelin-throwers or slingers. One of the principal man- uscripts reads de£toBorous, “those who throw with the right hand.”
24. Beasts («rjvn). See on Luke x. 34.
25. After this manner (arepiéyoucay tov Tu7rov TovTOV). Lit., containing this form or type. See on itis contained, 1 Pet. ii. 6.
26. To the most excellent (7d xpatictm). ‘ His excel- leney :” an official title. Compare ch. xxiv. 38; xxvi. 25.
Greeting (yaipew). See on ch. xv. 23.
27. Rescued. Lengel says, “a lie.” Lysias wishes to make the impression that Paul’s citizenship was the cause of his res- cuing him; whereas he did not know of this until afterward.
He says nothing about the proposed scourging.
29. Questions. See on ch. xv. 2.
Cu. XXIV.J THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 579
Nothing—worthy of death or of bonds. Every Roman magistrate before whom the apostle is brought declares him in- nocent.
30. When it was told (uyvud_eions). Lit., pointed out, or shown, as Rey. See on Luke xx. 387.
Farewell. The best texts omit. See on ch. xv. 29.
31. Took (avaraBevtes). Lit., “having taken wp.” Com- pare set Paul on, ver. 24.
To Antipatris. A hard night’s ride: forty miles. 32. Onthe morrow. After arriving at Antipatris. 33. Caesarea. Twenty-six miles from Antipatris.
34. Of what province (é« molas érapyias). Rather, “from what kind of a province ;” whether senatorial or imperial. See Introduction to Luke. Cilicia was an imperial province.
35. | will hear thee (dsaxovcouar). Letter, as Rey., will hear thy cause ; the word meaning “to hear fully (61a) in a judicial sense.” The present questioning was merely prelimi- nary.
Herod’s palace. Built by Herod the Great. Judaea being now a Roman province, the palace of its former kings had be- come the governor’s official residence. It thus appears that Paul was leniently dealt with, and not cast into the common prison.