The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 59

satisfied that it is roally Do vid's. The only to Abraham and the twelve 110ne or manner in which it is quoted by the hvo Jacob (Heb. vii. 4; eh. vii. 8, 9). It is apostles is also very strong evidence tho.t by a title of dignity, signifying the heo.d of the J ewe of tbo.t tlay it wo.e generally nd- a house. It seems to he here applied to mitled t.o ho o. Messianio psalm. The David, because he is spoken of o.s hoe.rl following quotation is verbatim from the of the fo.mily from which Christ sprang. LXX. Abraham was the he:i.d of the whole Hebrew Ver. 26.-My heart was glad for did my race: "Abraham onr father." The twelve heart rejoice, A.V,: rejoiced for wa, glad, patriarchs were the heads of their respective A.V.: my Jlesli also for also my fle11li, A. V.: tribes. The LXX. use the word 1ra:rp1&px11s dwell for rest, A.V. as the rendering of ni:iti:;i z1'1tt\" chief of the Ver. 27.-Hadea for hell, A.V.: gi"e thy fathers' houses" (1 Chron. xxiv. 31 : 2 Chron. Holy One for suffer thine Holy One, A.V., xix. 8; x.xvi.12); which they elsewhere render surely not so good a rendering. Ho.des. by ~PX"'v, or iipx¾ 1ra.Tp1as (Exod. vi. 25, etc.). '!'ho" hell" of the A. V. is the e:i:o.ct English In common parlance, the term is also applied representRtive of /l.671r. The article in the to those chief persons who lived before the Creed, " He descended into hell," is bo.sed time of Moses, o.nd ho.ve their record in his upon this text especially, the other two books. His tomb is with us, etc. Josephus alleged in support of it (Eph. iv. 9; 1 Pet. spe:i.ks of David's tomb (calling it, as St. iii. 18, 19) being less conclusive (see Peter here does, his µ.vijµa.) o.s consistin.~ of Pearson on the Creed, art. v.). It is e. pity severe.I chambers, and relates how one of to lose the word " hell" in its true meaning. these chambers wo.s opened by the high Corruption; Greek li,a.cpB&pa.v, Hebrew nl}21. priest Hyrcanus, who took from it three The Hebrew word o.lwo.ys means a pit (from thousand talenta of gold to give to Antioch us l}lW): but the LXX. !Jere renderit li,a.cp8apd, Pius, who was at that time laying siege to o.e if from n~it (in Pihel, to destroy, we.ate: Jerusalem. He o.dds tho.t another chamber in Hopho.l and Nipbal, to be corrupted, was opened later by King Herod, who o.b- spoilt, to rot). In the A.V. it is rendered stracted a great quantity of golden ornaments corruption, here and in Job xvii. 14, where from it; but that neither of them penetrated it nnswers to " the worms," in the parallel to the vaults where the bodies of David and clause. It is very probable tho.t the LXX. Solomon were deposited, because the en- o.re right. Nothing is more common tho.n trance to them we.a so co.refully concealed. for Hebrew verbs to to.ke the meaning of He further mentions tho.t Herod, having verbs with similar re.dice.le. Holy One. So been terrified by tbe bursting out of fie.mes, the LXX. o.nd the Keri of the He brow text. which stopped his further progress, built e. But the Cethib ho.s Holy Ones in the plural, most coelly°!arble monu,m~_nt at the e~~-ra~~_e It is obvious tho.t the singular, Holy One, ofthetomh( Jud.Ant., vn.xv.3; xm.vm. agrees far better with the singulars which 4: xvi. vii. 1). For the sense, supply "o.nd precede and follow it-my heart, my glory, therefore he could not be speaking of him- my flesh, my soul, thou wilt show me-tho.n self." The explano.tion follows the.t he was the plural, which is entirely out of place. a prophet, etc. The two clauses tnken together show the Ver. 30.-Being therefore for therefore full liberation of Christ from the dominion being, A.V.: that of the fruit of his loins he of deo.th-tho.t of his human son! from hell, would ,et one upoo for that of the fmit of o.nd that of his body from the grave before l1ia loins according to the flesh he would it saw corruption (comp. eh. xiii. 34-37). raise up Christ to Bit 011, A.V. e.nd T.R. Ver. 28.-Madest for hast made, A.V.; Ho.d sworn, etc. The first record of God's unto for to, A.V.: gladneBB for ioy, A.V. promise to David is in 2 Sam. vii. 11-16: Ver. 29.-Brethren for me11 and brethren, "The Lord telleth thee that he will make A.V.; I may say unto !fOO freely for let thee an house. And . . . I will set up thy me freely speak unto you, A.V.; both died seed after thee, which she.II proceed out of and was buried for is both dead and buried, thy bowels, Rnd will establish his kingdom. A.V.; tomb for Bepulcltre, A.V. Brethren; . . . Thy throne shall be established for literally, men who are my brethren. Ob- ever: " o.nd in ver. 28, David speaks of it serve how gentle nnd conoiliutory tile as God's promirn: "Thy words be true, and apostle's lo.nguo.ge is : how exactly in thou hast promised this gootluess unto thy o.coordance with I.lie own precept (1 Pet. servant." But there is no mention there of iii. 8, 9), "Not rendering railing for o.n oo.th. But in Ps. lxu:ix. great stress is railing," etc. In addressing them as le.id upon Goel having swam to David: "I brethren, he silently clnims the good will have me.de n covenant with my chosen, I and fairness due to one who wo.s a brother huve sworn unto David my servant. Thy in blood nnd in ~:Ue faith of the God of seed will I establish for ever, and build up Israel. Tbe patriarch Da'iid, The term thy throne to all generations" (vers. 3, 4): patriarch ia else11·here in Soripturii applied and ago.in, 'l'er. 35, " Once ho.ve I sworn by  64 THE ACTS OF 'l'HE APOSTLES. [ou. 11, 1-47,