Jews had each their own synagogue at There were many Jews in Cilioim, e.nd this Jerusalem, ns Chryeostom supposes, where doubtless inff.uenced St. Paul in pree.ohlng men of the some nation e.ttended when they there, ae well as tho fe.ot of its being his ce.me to J cruealem ; for the construction of own native province (see oh. xv. 23, 41; Gill. tbesontenceieto supply before Kt11''11""'"'" e.nd i. 21). Josephus mo.kes frequent mention ngsin before 'A>..e~a1•61>,f.,., the se.me words of the Jews in the wars between th11 as precede /11/jel'Tlvwv, viz. Ka) ,,.;;,., ;,, ,,-;js Ptolemies l\nd Antiochus tho Grel\t, with cruva-ya,·yijs T;)s >...-yoµ<"'IIS, so as to moan whom tho Jews sided, and in consequence " e.nd certe.in of them that were of the were much favoured by him. And it is synagogue ce.lled of the Oyrenie.ns," e.nd so thought that many who had been driven on. The very numerous Jews of Cyrene out from their homes by the wars, and others e.nd of Alexe.ndria would doubtless require who were brought by him from Babylonia, each e. synagogue for themselves. The settled in his time in Cilicie., 88 well e.s other Libertines were, as Chrysoetom exple.ine it, parts of his Asiatic dominions. Seleuous " freedmen of the Rome.us." They are also encouraged the Jews to settle in the thought to consist chiefly of the desoendo.nts towns of Asia in his kingdom, by giving ()f the Jews who were taken prisoners by them the freedom of the cities and putting Pompey, and deported to Rome, who were them on an equal footing (iuoTlµovs) with afterwards emancipated and returned to Macedonio.us and Greeks (' Ant Jud.,' xii Judma, though some (Meyer, i. I) settled iii. I, 8). Asia; meaning the same district in Rome. Tacitus, under the year .&..D. 19, 88 in eh. ii. 9 (where see note). Evidence speaks of four thousnnd Libertini, infected of the abundance of Jews in Asia crops up with Jewish or Egyptie.n superstitions, as throughout the Aots (xiii. 16, 24, 42, 45 ; banished to Sardinia (' Anne.I.,' ii. lxxxv.). xiv. 19; xvi. 13; xvili. 26, .28; xix. 17; x.x. Many of these must have been Jews. 21). That the Jews of Asia were very Josephus, who tells the se.me story e.s bigoted we leam from eh. w. 27 (see also Tacitus, though somewhe.t duferently, says I Pet. i 1). they were all Jews ('Ant. Jud.,' xviii iii. 5). Ver. 10.-Withstand for reaiat, A.V. This The Cyrenis.ns. Cyrene we.s the chief city was a pad of the " power" mentioned in in North Africa, and a gree.t Jewish colony. ver. 8. Numbers of Jews were settled there in the Ver. 11.-Then they aubomed, etc. The time of Ptolemy Lagus ('Cont.Apion.,' ii. 4), resource of those who are worsted in argu- and are said by Josephus (quoting Strabo) ment is violence or treachery. Blo.sphemou to have been a fourth part of theinhe.bitants words age.inst Moses. It mUBt be remem- of the city ('Ant. Jud.,' xiv. vii. 2). Josephus bered that at this time the whole Jewish r,lso quotes edicts of Augustus and of M. people were in a state of ill-suppressed fren:r.y Agrippa, confirming to the Jews of Cyrene and most sensitive jealousy for the honour the right to live according to their own of the Mosaio institutions-feelings which laws, e.nd specially to send money for the broke out in constant revolts age.inst the temple at Jerusalem (xvi. vi. 5). Jews from Roman power. The e.ccuse.tion age.inst the " tlte parts of Libya about Cyrene" are apostles of speaking blasphemies age.inst mentioned in eh. ii. 10; Simon, who bore Moses was therefore the most likely one our Saviour's cross, we.s "a man ofCyrene;" they could have pitched upon to stir up there were "men of Cyrene" at JerUBalem ill will against them. at the time of the persecution that arose Ver. 12.-Beized for caught, A..V.; inf.o about Stephen (eh. xi 19); e.nd "LuciUBof for t.o, A.V. And they stirred up; i.e. by Cyrene" is mentioned in eh. xiii. 1. It was means of the reports spread by the men 11atu~al, therefore, that the Cyrenie.ns should whom they suborned, e.nd by working upon have a synagogue of their own at Jerusalem. the feelings of the people and the elders Of the Alexandnans. Alexandria had a e.nd scribes, these men of the synagogues so Jewish population of 100,000 e.t this time, excited them that they obtained permission equal to two-filths of the whole city. 'l'he to arrest Stephen e.nd bring him before the famous Philo, who we.s in middle age at this Se.nhedrim. time, was e.n Alexandrian, e.nd the Alex- Ver. 13.- Words for b1.aephemou, to0rda, andrian Jews were the most learned of their A.V.andT.B. Setupfalsewitnesses. The race. The Jews settled in Alexe.11dria in similarity of Stephen's trial to that of our the time of Alexander the Great and Ptolemy Lord is striking. The same set purpose to Lague. The LXX. Version of the Scriptures ailence e. true-speaking tongue by dee.th; we.s made at Alexandria primarily for their the same base employment offe.lse witnesses; llBe. We may be sure, therefore, that they the same wresting of good words into had a synagogue e.t J eruse.lem. And of them criminal acts ; and the same meekness e.nd of Cilicia. The transition from the African patience unto death in the righteous mo.rtyrs. Jews to those of Asia is marked by changing Blessed servant to tread so closely in thy the form of pluase into Ka;l ,,.;;,,, ci.,rb 1'4Aucla•. Lord's steps I (comp. Matt. v. 11, 12; 1 Pet. OK, VJ, 1-16,] 'fHE ACTS 01!' THE APOSTLES. 196
tv. H-16). Thll holy plaoe; the Ban- wimeeees, whose purpose it w1111 to swear heclrim eo.L in one of the oho.mbers of the away his life. This JeE1111 of Nazareth. The temple, co.lle<l Gnzith. This ho.d been pro. phrase is most contemptuous. This (ou-ro,), hibitc<l by the Romo.as, but the prohibHion so often rendered in the A.V. "this fellow" woe in oheyonce in tho present time of (Matt. xxvi. 61, 71: John ix. 29, etc.), ie :,1: onnrohy (Lewin). 1t.~elf e.n opprobrious expression (comp. eh. Ver. B.-Unto ue for us, A.V. We have yn: 40), e.n<l the cl Nci("'P"-'"'• the Ne.ze.rene, heard him say, etc. These false witnesses, 1s mtended to be still more so. like those who <listorted our Lord's words Ver. 15.-Faatening their eyes for 'looking (Mo.tt. xxvi. 61: John ii. 19), doubtless sledfaslly, A.V. (sea above, eh. iii. 4). bo.sed their accuso.tion upon some semblo.noe '.f'he counci~ would _naturally all look at him, of truth. If Stephen had said anything like m expectation of his answer to the evidence whnt Jesus said to the woman of Sa.mo.ria. just delivered e.gainst him. In his face (John iv. 21) or to his disciples (Mark xiii. illuminated with e. Di vine radiance, they he.d 2), or wh11t the writer of the Epistle to the e.n answer which they would have done Hebrews wrote (viii. 13), or what St. Paul well to listen to (for the brightness of an wrote to the Oolossio.ns (ii.16, 17), his words e.ngel's face, comp. Matt. :uviii 3; Do.n. x. might eaail7 be misrepresented b7 false 6; Rev. it. 1, etc.).