15---2.
καὶ ἀναγγέλλοντες τὰς πράξεις αὐτῶν.
409
c MELA) Slay Q , IQ. tkavol δὲ τῶν τὰ περίεργα
πραξάντων, συνενέγκαντες τὰς βίβλους κατέκαιον ἐνώπιον πάντων ’
Ν , BY x ES ‘ 4. 3 , {5 και συνεψήφισαν τας τιμας αυτων, και ευρον ἄργυριου μυρια as
/ a 4 ά D ε λό lo / ” \ om” πέντε. 20. οὕτω κατὰ kpdtos! 6 λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου ηὔξανε καὶ ἴσχυεν.
21. ‘QE δὲ ἐπληρώθη ταῦτα, ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύµατι,
διελθὼν τὴν Μακεδονίαν καὶ ᾿Αχαΐαν πορεύεσθαι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ,
εἰπών, Ὅτι μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι µε ἐκεῖ, δεῖ µε καὶ ᾿Ῥώμην ἰδεῖν.
1D has after κρατος, ενισχνσεν και η πιστις του Θεου ηυξανε και επληθυνετο.
Syr. Pesh. has ενισχνεν et crescebat fides Dei (only). πιστις Tov Θεου και (ηνξανεν και) επληθννετο.
Blass reads ενισχνεν η Weiss, Codex D, Ρ. 96, objects that
Blass omits the και necessary before η mor. tov Θ., and adds an impossible και
after Ocov.
Belser defends and points out that ενισχνεν is Lucan, only found in
Luke’s writings ; but on the other hand, whilst no doubt η πιστις is used objectively in Acts, we never have η πιστις Tov Θεου in Luke’s writings.
the magicians; but can the Greek bear this?
Ver. 19. txavot δὲ: to be referred probably to the magicians, as the previous verse refers to their dupes: a Lucan word, see above on viii. 11.—7Ta περίεργα: “curious,” Wyclif and A. and R.V. (‘‘ magical,” R.V., margin), cf. Vulgate, curiosa (Latin, curiosus, inquisitive, pry- ing), of a person who concerns himself with things unnecessary and profitless to the neglect of the duty which lies nearest, cf. 1 Tim, v. 13, 2 Thess. iii. 11, so in classical Greek, Xen., Mem., i., 3, I. The word is also used of things over and above what is necessary, and so of magical arts, arts in which a man con- cerns himself with what has not been given him to know, cf. Aristaenetus, Epist., ti., 18, and the striking passage in Plat., Apol., 19 B, where περιεργά- ἵεσθαι is used of Socrates in an accusa- tory sense (Wendt, Page); the verb is found in Ecclesiast. iii, 23, and περιερ- γασία, Ecclesiast. xli. 22 S?, but the adjective does not occur either in LXX or Apocrypha. But see especially Deiss- mann, Bibelstudien, u. s., who finds here another instance of acquaintance with the terminology of magic, and illustrates from the papyri. The R.V. margin gives best sense, as ‘‘curious”’ in the passive sense as here need not have a bad or depreciatory meaning, cf. for a good parallel for ‘ curious” = “ magical,” Bacon, Essays, 35; and see “ Curious,” Hastings’ B.D.; Skeat, Glossary of Bible Words. — ovvevéyxavtes: only here in N.T. in this sense, elsewhere frequently, as συμφέρει it is expedient, profitable.— τὰς βίβλους: parchments containing the magical formule. For these Ephesus, with its ᾿Ἐφέσια γράμματα worn as amulets and cherished as charnts, was
famous; “‘ Ephesus” (Ramsay), Hastings’ B.D. pitas) Po, πο. Wetstein, 47) locons amongst other references, Plut., Sympos., vii., 5; Clement of Alex., Strom., v., 8, 46, and also in Renan, Saint Paul, p. 344; Blass, in loco; C. and H., small edition, p. 371; and see also Deiss- mann, Bibelstudien, u. δ.--κατέκαιον : imperfect, ‘‘describes them as throwing book after book into the burning fire,” Hackett, see also Blass, ἐπ loco. Plump- tre recalls a parallel scene when the artists and musicians of Florence brought their ornaments, pictures, dresses, and burnt them in the Piazza of St. Mark at the bidding of Βανοπατο]α.--συνεψή- Φφισαν: only here in this sense, not in LXX (cf. i. 26).—apy. pup. πέντε, sc., δραχμῶν ἀργ.: the sum is very large, nearly £2000, but probably such books would be expensive, and we must take into account in estimating it the immense trade and rich commerce of Ephesus, and the fact that we need not suppose that all the Christian converts were to be found only amongst the slaves and poorer classes (Nodsgen). Such books would certainly fetch a fancy price. It may no doubt be maintained that their measuring all things by money value indicates the Orien- tal popular tale (Ramsay), but may we not see in the statement the knowledge of a writer who thus hits off the Oriental stan- dard of worth, especially in a chapter otherwise so rich and exact in its de- scription of Ephesian localities and life’?