The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 129

~nn of the high priest Ano.niae. He also the same Annas as is mentioned In Luke 111011tione the captnln of the temple(' Bell. Iii. 2 and John xviii. 13, o.nd ie <lescribed as J w I.,' vi. v. 8) o.t the time of the destruction "father-in-lBw to Cahphas." He is co.lied of the temple. There c11n be little doubt, by Jo~ephus, .dnanu,. The ancceeaion or therefore, tho.t the 011pto.in of the temple here the high priests we.s so irregular, anrl spol;on of was a priest who bad under him their tenure of the office so uncertain, in the Levitieo.l ,i:uard, ond whose duty it was these later yean of the Jewidh common- to keep order in the temple courts in those wealth, being dependent upon the caprice turbulent times. He appeo.rs from eh. v. 24, of the civil rulers who appointed and rle- 26, Luke xxii. 4, 62, and the passages in poeed them at their pleasure, that it ,foes Josephus, to have been an officer of high rank. not snrprise ns to find Annas e.nd Caiapha~ Ver. 2.-Sore troubled for grieved, A.V.; high priest~ at the commencement of John because for that, A.V.; proclaimed in Jesus the Baptist's ministry, then Caiaphas at the for preached through Jesus, A.V. The time of onr Lord's passion, and now Annas preaching the resurrection of the Lord again. It is possible, however, that Annas Jesus as the "Firetfa'llits of them that may have continued to be president of the slept," would be especially obnoxious to Sanhedrim, nncl be called high priest, even the So.dducees, "which deny that there is when not actually so. He seems to have any resurrection " (Luke xx. 27). 'fhe lived to old age. He i.3 mentioned by So.dducees were at this time in power (see Josephus (' Ant. Jud.,' xx. Ix. 1) as having eh. v. 17; and comp. eh. xxiii. 6-8); and had the singular felicity not only of en- we learn from Josephus(' Ant. Jud.,' xx. ix. joying the high priesthood himself for a 1) the.t the son of this Annas (or Ananus) great length of time, but of having five went over to the sect of the Sadducees, being sons promoted to the dignity of high priest, himself high priest as his father had been. viz. Eleazar, Jonathan, Theophilus, Mat- Ver. 8.-Ward for hold, A.V. (see ver. thias, and Ananw (or Annas). Caiaphaa 18); morrow for next day, A.V. They la.id (John xviii. 13). Of John and Alexander hands on them. The harsh persecution of nothing further is known, bnt Farrar con- the disciples at Jeruse.lem at this time when jectures that John may be" the celebro.ted the So.dducees were in power is in exact ao- Johanan B,·n Zakkai, and Alexanrler per- cordance with Josephus's statement in the ho.ps the wealthy brother of Philo " (' Life passage just referred to, th11t the Sarlduceea of St. Paul,' i. p. 107). Of the kindred of the were more severe and cruel in their ad- high priest; rather, of the high priestly race. ministration of justice than any other Jews. The high priests were only taken from Their· tenet of no life to come made them certo.in families; the members of which look to severe punishments in this life. were called lr.px«piis, or chief priests, A. V. Ver. 4.-But for howbeit, A.V.; that for (Mutt. xvi. 21; xxvi. 47, etc.). Many of which, A.V.; came to be for was, A.V. The these would naturally be the near relations number of the men; strictly, of the males of the high priest. (lr.vBpwv) (eh. v. 14), but probably userl here Ver. 7.-Inquired for asked, A.V.; in for more loosely of men and women. It is not by, A.V. In what name; irofos, who.t, means olear whether the five thousand is exclusive exactly," what kind." The miracle might of or includes the three thouso.nd converts have been wrought, as it seemed to them, by at the Fee.st of Pentecost; but the grammar Beelzebub, or by mo.gic (Lnko xv. 15, etc.; ro.ther favours the former, ns there is nothing eh. :xiii. 6; xix. 19, eto.), as well e.s by in the word lr.vBpciiv itself to signify "dis- Divine power and in the Name of God. ciples," or "believers," o.nd therefore it is They naked which it was. In the Greek more naturally referred to those of whom there is an emphasis upon the "ye," which it hRd just been predicated that, having is placed last, equo.l to "such e.s yon,'' un. l1eard the Word, they believed it. le.nrned and contemptible men. Ver. 5.- Were galhe:red together in Jero- Ver. 8.-Elders for elders of Israel, A.V. aalem for at (ver. 6), A.V.; or, as it should anrl T.R. Filled with tha Tioly Ghost; iu rather be rendered, to-some of them pro- direct fulfilment of the promise (Mark xiii. bnbly Ii ving in the country. This clause is 11 ; Luke xii. 12 ; xxi. H, 15; comp. eh. ,·ii. placed i:a the A.V. at the end of ver. 6 be- 65). St. Peter addresses them with all cause, in the T.R., Anne.a, Caiapho.s, John, respect (see Matt. xxiii. 2). and Alexander are in the accuso.tive co.se, Ver. 9.-Are for be, A.V.; concerning a whereas, in the R.T., they are in the nomi- (good deed) for of the, A.V.; an (impotent) native case; for which reason the R.V. for the, A.V.; this man for he, A.V. We; cm- supplies the words "wne there" in ver. 6. pho.tic, probably in response to the emphatic Wo see here the diiforont classes which "you" at the end of VP,r. 7. An impotent composed the So.nhedrim. me.n, The following oi,.os, this me.n, makes Ver. G.-AnnaB the high priest was tltere it necessary to supply the definite Rrticle, aa for .A11naa tlio high priest, A.V. Thia is the A.V. ho.s done. St. Peter ulludes to the 12( THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [on. 1v. 1-37