η om. with all better authorities, cf. iv. 22. εις for εν NABEH, and other authorities, as
ea |
δωδεκα (instead of SexaSvo)
reference to Paul: R.V. “I make my defence’’; see Grimm-Thayer, sub v., for the construction of the verb, in classi- cal Greek as here, Thuc., iii., 62, Plat.,
Phedo, 69 D. In LXX, cf. Jer. xii. 1, 2 Macc. xiii. 26. Ver. 11. δυν. σοῦ γνῶναι: “seein
that thou canst take knowledge ” (ἐπιγ.), R.V., the shortness of the time would enable Felix to gain accurate knowledge of the events which had transpired, and the Apostle may also imply that the time was too short for exciting a multitudé-to sedition.—ov πλείους εἰσί por ἡμ. ἢ δεκα- δύο: on οὐ πλείους see νετ. τ and critical note.—The number is evidently not a mere round number, as Overbeck thinks, but indicates that Paul laid stress upon the shortness of the period, and would not have included incomplete days in his reckoning. It is not necessary therefore to include the day of the arrival in Jeru- salem (ἀφ᾽ ἧς points to the day as some- thing past, Bethge), or the day of the present trial; probably the αττῖνα] in Jerusalem was in the evening, as it is not until the next day that Paul seeks out James (Wendt). The first day of the twelve would therefore be the entry in to James, the second the com- mencement of the Nazirite vow. the sixth that of the apprehension of Paul towards the close of the seven days, xxi. 27; the seventh the day before the Sanhedrim, the eighth the information of the plot and (in the evening) Paul’s start for Czsarea, the ninth the arrival in Czsarea; and, reckoning from the ninth five days inclusively, the day of the speech of Tertullus before Felix would be the thirteenth day, {.ε., twelve full days; cf. xx. 6, where in the seven days are reckoned the day of arrival and the day of departure (Wendt, in loco). Meyer on the other hand reckons the day of St. Paul’s arrival in Jerusalém as the first day, and the five days of xxiv. 1 from his departure from Jerusalem for Czsarea. For other modes of reckoning see Wendt’s note, Farrar, St. Paul, ii., 338, Alford, Rendall, and Lumby, in loco. Weiss points out that it is simplest to add the seven days of xxi. 27 and the
482