The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 2 — Section 208

• I ,,,a,..., only here and in oh. xrv. 8 in the sisted of thitty-three men-here possibly of New Testament; but common in the Books thirty-five. Spearmen i 3ef,o;>.d,Bo,. Thla of J0&hue. andJudgee in the LXX., aud also word occurs nowhere else in Scripture or in in olusical Greek. any ancient Greek author. It. ls first found Ver. 17.-.And for then, A.V.; m1l.ed unt.o in" Theophyla.otus.Bimocatta, in the seventh liim mae, eto., for aalled one, eto., unto him, century, e.nd then e.ge.in in the tenth cen- A.V.; ,ometJiing for a. certain thing, A.V. tury in Constantine Porphyrogenitus" Ver. 18.-Saith for Mid, A.V.; asked for (Meyer). It eeems most probable that it Wlll prayed, A.V.; to for tmt.o, A..V. the name of some partioular kind of light Ver, 19.-.And for then, A..V. ; going a,8ide infantry. But it is not easy t.o explain the asked him priMl&y for taent V1itJi him a.silk etymology, Perhaps they were a kind of prfoately, a,ui aiked him, A.V. Took him by skirmishers thrown out on e. march to pro. the h~~ ( nr,>..~&µ,vos -riis x••pbs); eee above, toot the flanks of au army; e.e Pluto.rob eh. :nu. 19, not.e. The e.otion denotes a speaks of javelin-men and stingers being kindly feeling t.owe.rds St. Paul, as indeed placed to guard, not only the rear, but also his whole conduct does (comp. oh. ::u:iv. 28; the flanks of the e.rwy on the me.rob (Steph., nni. 8; e.lso Dan. i. 9 and Ps. cvi. 46). 'Thesaur.,' under o/Jpa.-yla). "Holding or Yer. 20.-.Ask thee to bring for desire tha taking the right" might be the force of the that thau trould&Jt bring, A.V ; unto for into, oompound, eomewhat e.fter the analogy of A.V.; thotL wou.l.de.at for they woul.d, A.V. 5,{ulo-•1pos, 5•(10,r,-d.,.11s, eto.; whioh e.grees and T.R.; more e:ro.cay concerning him for with the exple.ne.tions of Phavorinus ,rapa· of him more perfectly, A. V. E&Ve a.greed. <f,6NJKlll, e.nd with that of Beza, "Qui ::,.u,,.,-1811µ, occurs four times in the New alicui dextrwn latus [ mee.ning simply la.tue] Testament, of 'l\·hioh three are in St. Luke's munit." Only, instead of the improbable WTitings (Luke xrii. 5 ; this passage; and notion of these men being e. body-gue.rd of the eh. xxiv. 9), and the fourth in John ix. 22. tribune-which their number makes impos- A& though thou wouldest. The R.T., which sible-it should be understood of the troops rco.ds ,ulv..0011 for µ•Morrr«, must surely be which protect the flank of an army on the wrong. It is in contradiction to ver. 15, march. Other improbable exple.ne.tions are and me.kes no sense. The pretez,t of further that 5•(10Acf.Bos means the eoldier to whom. inquiry was theirs, not Lysias's. the right he.nd of prisoners was fastened, Ver. 21.-Do not thou tJterefore for but do or those who grasp with the right hand 1,ot tlwu, A.. V.; under a. eu.rBe for with a.n their weapon, the lance or je.velin, The oall,, A.V.; neitJter to eat nor to drink for object of Lysias in sending eo large e. force that tJ,ey w,1l neitJ.er eat nor drink, A. V. ; we.a to guard against the possibility of a slain for kiJJ,ed, A.. V. ; the for a. (promise), rescue in the feverish and exoited state of A. V. Do not ... yield (1'71 ..-uo-6Jis); be not the Jewish mind. And no doubt one reason persuaded by them ; do not assent unto them for sending Paul a.way was hie dread of a (see Luke xvi 6; eh. v. 40; xvii. 4, etc.). Jewish riot. The promise, etc. ; 'MJ" mro o-oii i1rcryy<AlaJ1. Ver. 24.-He bade them pro'llide for pro- The word occurs above fifty times in the flide, A.. V, (the infinitive ,rapao-Tno-a.1); New Testament, and is e.lways rendered might for may, A.V.; thereon for on, A. V. "promise" in the A..V., except in 1 John Beaste (1tTtW11); here "riding-horses," 11,11 i. 5, where it is rendered both in the A.. V. Luke x. 34. In Rev. xvili. 13 it is applied and the R.V. "message," which is the to "cattle;" in 1 Oor. xv. 39 it means litere.l meaning of the word. In Polybius "beasts" generally. In the LXX. it is it means " a summons." Either of these used for e.ll kinds of beasts-cattle, sheep, meanings suit.II this passe.ge better than beasts of burden, eto. Beasta is in the plural, "promise." because one or more would be required for Ver. 22.-Let for then let, A.. V.; go for those who guarded Paul. depart, A. V.; charging for and charged, Ver. 25.-Form for manner, A.V. After A.. V. ; tell for ee.e tJwu tell, A.V. ; Bi.gnifad for this form. Luke does not profess t.o givo ,lU>UJed, A..V. (eee ver. 15, note). Charging the letter t1eTbatim, but merely its general (e.s in eh. i 4; iv. 18; v. 28, 40, etc.). tenor, which Lysias might have communi- Ver. 23.-0J IJI$ centurions for centurion,, cated to Paul, or which Paul might have A.. V.; and said for ,aying, A. V.; aa far aa learnt at Ca,sarea.. for to, A.. V. ho hUJl.dred 10ldien; one Ver. 26.-Greeting for ,endefA greeting, hundred for each centurion; trrpa.n<f,,,-as, foot- A. V. Governor; 11"1•~11, e.s ver. 24; pro- soldiers, who a.lone would be under the com- prmtor of an imperial province, as distin• mand of the centurions. The i-.nri,s and guished from the a.116J..-a.Tos, or proconsul, the t,{wA.0./30, would be under the command who governed the provinces which were in. perhaps of a .,-011pµd.px11s, or decurio, captain the patronage of the senate. Sergius Paulua of a tunne., or squadron. Here there would (eh. riii. 7, 8) we.s a proconsul, and so we.a llllelll to b., two turuue, because a turma eon- Ge.llio (eh. xvili. 10); Pontillll Pilate ( ~ - I on. xxm. 1-35,] THE AOTS OF 'l'HE APOSTLES. 215