The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 116

does not seem to have b11d any hostility to meant, the snm would amount to £700() the foith, for our Lord speaks of him ns one (' Speaker's Commentary'). It is in favour who "is not ago.inst us." But those eons of drachmm being meo.nt that, with the ex- of Bcevn were among the unbelieving Jews ception of Josh. vii. 21 and J udg. xvii. 2, who wel'0 "h1udened and disobedient;" and the LXX. al ways express the word "shekel" if their exorcisms had been permitted to or" cliclrachm" after the numeral and before succeed, they would ho.ve had power to the word "silver." If St. Luke, therefore, withstand Paul, ns Januee and Jo.mbres had mee.nt shekels, he would have written withstood Moses e.nd the very purpose for 6/Bpaxµ.a Ap-yupiou. But it was the Graek whioh mire.oulou'a power we.s given to St. usage to omit the word Bpaxµ.~ before a.p7uptou Paul would he.ve been frustrated. There- when the reckoning was by drachmm fore they were discomfited, e.nd the subtle (Meyer). design of Sa.tan to destroy, while see~ing to Ver. 20.-The Lr,,rd for God, A.V. H the ma"'nify, the Name of Jeans we.s signally RT. has the true order of the words, they <lef;e.ted. Comp. the somewh_at similar must be construed, To such an extent, accord- incident e.t Philippi (eh. ~v1. 16-1_8). ing to the might of the Lord, did the word Justin Me.rtyr in his 'D1ologue with grow and pre'llail, after the analogy of Eph. Trypho,' quoted by Alford?~ Me.tt. xii_. 27, i.19. KaTa. Kprf:ro•, however, taken by itself, speaks of the Jews e.s exormsrng, sometimes is quite usual, like ica.Ttt µ.11,p&v, 1<aB' ~1r,p- in the name of kings (referring, doubtless, fJo"-~v, etc. (Alford), e.nd is rightly rendered to Solomon), sometimes of just men, or of "mightily." prophets, or of patriarchs. So these men Ver. 21.-Now after for after, A.V. l'ur- took up the name of Jesus. poaed in the spirit (l8eTo Iv T<p -rrv,6µ.a,.,); Ver. 18.-Many al.so of them that had literally, set, fixed, or arranged it in his believed for and many that believed, A.V.: spirit, like the Hebrew phrru!e, ::t~:) □it,, in C()nfessing and declaring for and confessed 1 Se.m. 12, etc. Similarly of pasi things, and showed, A.V. Me.ny e.lso of them that Luke i. 66, l6evro 1rdv-res . . . Ev T'fi ,cczpO[~ he.d believed. This e.nd the following verse avTwv, "laid them up in their hearts" ( comp. spee.k of the.t class. of converts_ who he.d eh. v. 4). When he had passed through previously been addicted to me.gi.c arts. It Macedonia, etc. Observe the constant soli- gives us e. curious view of the extent to citude of Paul to revisit the Churches which which me.gic prevailed among the Je'Ys he had founded, so as to confirm the dis- at this time. Nor was it less prove.lent m ciples in the faith and to consolidate his heathen Ephesus. The magio formulm of work (eh. xiv. 21; xv. 36; xvi. 6; 1 These. Ephesus were famous under the name iii. 1-5, etc.). It marks the unrivalled of 'E</Jfr,a. -ypo.µ.µ.a:ra. (see Rene.n, pp. 341,345, tenderness of his lice.rt toward the disciples, note), e.nd the belief in m9:gic s~ems to have Observe e.lso the insatiable appetite of the been universe.I. Hesycbms g1ves as the e.postle for spiritual conquests, and his noble nnmes of the oldest Ephesian charms, Aski, contempt for idleness. He has but just won Kataski, Lix, Petrax, De.mne.meneus, 1Esion, Ephesus and Asia, and already he under- which he explains e.s meaning severally takes Macedonia e.nd Achaia. Nor does his "Darkness," "Light,'' "the Earth," " the mind stop there, but reaches on to Jerusalem, Year,"" the Truth" (Lewin, p. 334), then stretches onwards to Rome, e.nd medi- Ver. 19.-.And not a few for many .•• tates the invasion of Spain. Truly neither also, A.V.: that practised for which used, Alexander, nor Cmse.r, nor any hero of anti- A.V.; in the sight of all for before all quity was a match for this little Benjt1mite men, A.V. That practised curions e.rts (paulus) in the magnanimity of his designs ( Twv Ttt 1replena. 1rpa.io.vnw). The adjective (Bengel). 1repl•p-yos applied to persons meo.ns "e. busy- Ver. 22.-.And having sent for so he sent, body" (1 Tim. v. 13), one who does. wh'!-t it A.V.: Timothy for Timotheus, A.V.: he for is not his business to do, and pries rnto but he, A.V.; 1cMle for season, A.V. Two mo.tters with which be baa no concern of them, eto. Erastus is here mentioned for (comp. 2 Thess. iii.11): o.pplied to things, it the first time, If he is the so.me person who moo.ns thnt which it is not anybody's busi- is mentioned in Rom. xvi. 23: 1 2 Tim. iv. 20, ness to attend to, tho.t whioh is vain and it is probe.hie that he was one of St. Paul's superfluous: and then, by a further exten• Corinthian converts who had gone with him aion of meaning, the.t which is forbidden, from Corinth to Jerusalem e.nd Antioch, nnd specially rne.gio arts e.nd occult sciences. e.nd had e.ccompanied him through Phrygia. Fifty thouse.nd pieoea of silver. There is o. difference of opinion as to whnt coin or 1 There is no real reason to think " the weight is mea.nt. If Greek coinnge, which is perbo.ps nnture.l in a Greek city, fifty chamberlain of the city" must be a different thousand draohmm of silver would be meant, person from the Erastus of 2 'fim. iv. 20., 04ual to .£1875. If Jewish shekl'lB e.re 11ncl the 0110 iu our tex\. 118 'l'HE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [m. :ux. 1-41.