The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 30

-r 11 -yal, I.e. the prmtors. Philippi, bein::t B of criminals l\nd 011tcaste or @o~icty; tho colony, Wllll gov~rned by Rornnn rnogistrates mi.Jnight hour; and not groans, or cme1Js, coiled dnumvm, corresponding to the two or complaints, but joyous trustful wings or consul~ ot Romo. But we lrnrn from Cicero pra~se ringing through th1i vault I while thot in his time the <luumviri in the colonies theu companions in tho jail liRtened were beginning to ho oe.llerl prrotors, B little with astonishment to the heavenly sound :n previously used only ot Home (' De Leg. that place of shame and sorrow. Agro.r.,' 114), and to be precerlecl by lictors Ver. 26.-Prison-1,mue for pri~m, A.V., (pJ/Joavxa• of ver. 85). 'l'wo inscriptions AR eh. v. 21, 23. All ihe doors were opened. have been found in which the duumviri of This would be the natural effect of t.he earth- Philippi are mentioned (Lewin, p. 216). quake. B!mds (11,o-µa'). St.Luke always fol- Ver. 21.-Set forth for teach, A.v.·; it ia lows the Attic usage of 11,o-µ.,lv, in the neuter for are, A.V.; or for neither, A.V. Romans; (comp. eh. xx. 23; Luke viii. 29). St. in a special seuse, as members of a colony. Paul follows the Hellenistic usage of o,o-1,&,, Ver. 22.-Rent their garments off them for in the masculine (Phil. i 13; see Jcr. ii. rent o{J their clothes, A.V.; beat them 1oith 20; v. 5; Hab. iii. 13). In many instances rods for beat them, A.V. Beat them; p11./Jli[(,i11, (genitive anrl dative) it is, of course, impos- mo.i-king tho.t they were beaten by the lictors, sible to determine whether the word is or pa.Bliavxa, (see ver. 85). The phrase rent masculine or neuter . . . . off (11"~p,ppi/!av-ru) is only found here in Ver. 27.-The jai1or being roused for the the New Testament, but it is frequently keeper of the prison awaking, A. V. ; sleep for used of stripping off garments, in classical his sleep, A.V.; dre:u, for he drew out, A.V.; Greek and in 2 Mace. iv. 88; and by was about to ki7l for would have killed, A.V.; Josephus(' Ant. Jud.,' vi. xiv. 6) of David escaped for been fled, A.V. This readiness rending his garments-a circumstance not to kill himself rather than incur the dis- mentioned in the Bible ne.rre.tive (1 Sam. grace of faihue in his charge is characteristic :ux. 4). of the Roman soldier (comp. eh. xxvii. 43). Ver. 24.-Cast for thrust, A.V. In the Ver. 29.-.And he called for lights for then stocks ; Greek orb !~;>,.011, sometimes called he called for a light, A.V. (cpom• li! the ac- {v;>,.o,,,.,1171. The t~;\.011 was of different forms, cusative plural, though not a very common and used e.e a punishment. Sometimes it form ; <bois is often used in the sense of " a was e. kind of heavy wooden collar put on le.mp," or, as we say, "a light"); trembling/or the neck of e. prisoner, whence the phrase, fear for came trembling and, A.V. E6;>,.cp cp,µ.ovv -rlw a~x•va (Aristoph., 'N ubes,' Ver. 31.-Jesus for Jesus Christ, A. V. and 592)," To make fast his neck in the pillory." T.R. ; thou and thy house for and thy hoose, Sometimes it was what Aristophanes calls A.V. ,,,.,vnu6p,yya11 t6;>..a11, "stocks with five holes," Ver.. 82.-They s-pake the Wa-rd, etc., unto two for the feet, two for the hands, and one him for they spake unto him the W a-rd, etc., for the neck. Here, e.s in Job xiii. 27 A.V.; with for and to, A.V. Observe that (where the LXX. word is b 1tv;>,.6µ.aT1,Hebrew Paul and Silas preached the Word of God's io, a stake, or log), it is simply" the stocks." saving health to the ponitent e.nd contrite 'l'irns Paul and Silas, first stripped and jailor before they thought of having their beaten, then put in the inner prison, and own smarting wounds washed and dressed. further made fast in the stocks, were treated Observe, too, that they spake the Word of with the utmost possible rigour and severity. life to illuminate his soul before iliey See St. Paul's vivid reminiscence of the administered the sacrament of Laotism. outrage (1 These. ii. 2, ~.Bptu0lv-res). Ver. 33.-Immediately for st~aighitoay, Ver. 25.-But about for and at, A.V.; A.V. We.shed their stripes. Mark thejailor's were praying and singing hymns for prayed faith working by love. He and e.ll his. The and sang praises, A.V.; we1·e listening to (im- phrase seems purposely adapted to include perfect) for heard, A.V. Prayed, etc. 'l'heir family, slaves, and all under his roof. If the proseucha was now the dungeon and the c01wcrsion of the jailor and his house was stocks. But, though they were but two, the sudden, the circumste.nces which led to it Lord was iu the midst of them, according to were of unusual power-the earthquake, the hie promise, and manifested his ~racious pre- loosing of the prisoners' bands, the midnight sence in the striking delivornnce which fol• hour, the words of grace and love and life lows. Were listening to them ; ,,,,.attpad.aµ.a,, from the apostle's mouth. found only here in the New Testament. Ver. 34.-He brought them up •.• and Dut the substantive, brattp6au,s, hearkening set for when he had brought them . . . ha (" to hearken," A.V.), occurs in the LXX. of set, A.V.; rejoiced greatly for rejoiced, A. V. 1 So.m. xv. 22. What a scone I The dark (a-yaJ\;>,.u:!o1,a1, e. sti·onger word than xalpelll, inner dungeon; the prisoners fast in the Mntt. v. J2; 1 Pet. i. o); with all his h01JBe, stocks_, their backs still bleeding nud having believed in God for believing in God ■ mnrhngfrom the stripes: the companionship ,oith all his house, A.V. Tho wor,l ,rcu,o,,,' 82 THE ACTS OF 'l'HE APOSTLES, [CH, XVI, 1-40,