τῷ Ged} Ἰακώβ: 47. Σολομῶν” δὲ ᾠκοδόμησεν 5 αὐτῷ οἶκον. 48. ᾽Αλλ” οὐχ ὁ ὕψιστος ἐν χειροποιήτοις vacis* κατοικεῖ, καθὼς 6 προφήτης λέγει, 49. ““O οὔρανός por θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν µου: ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ por; λέγει Κύριος: ἢ τίς ὃ τόπος τῆς
1 @ew ΝΑΟΕΡ, Vulg., Syrr. (P. and H.), Sah., Boh., Arm., Aeth., Chrys.; οικῳ SIBDH, so Weiss (Afostelgeschichte, p. 7), so also Hilg. W.H. (Appendix, 92) think that although θεῳ is a very ancient correction of οικῳ the latter can hardly be genuine and that there is apparently a primitive error, and with this judgment Wendt agrees. Hort suggests κυριῳ, and concludes that τωοικω may have come from twke (so too Wendt), and refers to LXX, Ps. cxxxi. 5; but we have still to ask if the expression ‘‘ Lord of Jacob” ever occurred, whilst no doubt ‘‘ God of Jacob,” ‘House of Jacob” are familiar expressions. In LXX, Ps. cxxxi. 3, we have oxnvepa οικου, and a similar expression may have been the orig. reading here ; again, in Ps. xxiv. 6, Heb., we have ‘‘ Jacob” = ‘‘ the God of Jacob”’ (see LXX), and it has been suggested that some such abbreviation or mode of speech lies at the bottom of the
difficulty here. a gloss on σκηνωµα).
Blass holds that οικῳ comes from the next verse “‘ corrupte”’ (orig,
2 Σολομών BDEHP, so Blass in B, Weiss; Σολομῶν W.H., Hilg.; Σαλωμων AC,
so Tisch.; Σαλομων N.
(See Winer-Schmiedel, p. 93; Blass, Gram., p. 29.)
3 φκοδομησεν ΝΑΒέΟΕΗΡ, so Tisch. ; οικοδοµησεν BD, so W.H., Weiss, Blass
in B, Hilg., but see W.H., App., 170. Ρ. 37.)
(Winer-Schmiedel, p. 100; Blass, Gvam.,
ἆγαοις om. NABCDE;; so Tisch., W.H., R.V., Blass, Weiss, Wendt, Hilg. (cf.
xvii. 24).
> tig; D, Flor. read ποιος, so Blass in B, and Hilg.—assim. either to preceding
ποιον or to LXX.
smallness of any building made by hands) was not so confined—the previous words must not be misunderstood by Stephen’s hearers. Solomon’s οἶκος might have given the idea of greater permanency, but still Isaiah had taught, Ixvi. 1, 2, and even the builder of the temple, Solomon himself, had acknowledged that God was not confined to any single place of wor- ship, 1 King viii. 27, 2 Chron. vi. 18 (Hackett), cf. also David’s prayer, 1 Chron. xxix. 10-19.—év χειροποιήτοις ναοῖς KatToiket—omit ναοῖς, probably an exegetical addition, cf. xvii. 24, where the word is found. The omission makes the contrast with οἶκος still more em- phatic. ‘*But Solomon ...a house, howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands” (R.V.). For χειροποίητος and ἀχειρ. see Westcott on Heb. ix. 11, 24. Both words occur in Mark xiv. 58, in the charge of the false witness against our Lord. In the LXX χειροποίητος is used several times of idols made with hands, and occasion- ally found in classical Greek. Weiss compares asa parallel with its use here Isa. xvi. 12 (see R.V.), but the meaning is doubtful. — 6 ὕψιστος, emphatic— Solomon’s building a house must not be
misunderstood — see too ver. 49. 6 ὄψ., xvi. 17, used here absolutely (cf Luke i, 32, 35, 76, vi. 35, without the article), so often in LXX, 2 Sam. xxii. 14, Ps. xvii. 13, and often in Psalms, Isa. xiv. 14, Ecclus. xii. 6, etc. R.V. writes “‘Most High,” instead of A.V. “most High,” thus making the proper name of God more emphatic, cf. Winer- Schmiedel, p. 172---5ο in classical Greek Ζεὺς ὕψιστος; 6 ὕψιστος θεός in Greek inscriptions of Asia Minor; for the Hebrew equivalents, see Grimm-Thayer, sub v. St. Stephen’s words apparently impressed at least one of his nearers, for the same thought is reproduced in the words of St. Paul at Athens, where he asserts the same truth, and makes St. Stephen’s words as it were his text to emphasise the real power and worship of God: “ atque similiter hic Judzi atque illic Greci castigantur”’ (Blass), cf. the teaching of our Lord in John iv. 21 (and see Plump- tre’s note on this passage in Acts). --καθὼς ὁ προφ., Isa. xvi. 1, 2 (LXX). The quotation is almost identical with few slight changes, as ¢.g.,