The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 224

T1eard, A.V. ; and I am for ctnd am, A.V., I-17; Deut. v. 1-22. Cbryeostom and the ch11nge is In acoordance with the A.V. most commentators seem to understand it of of Exod. iii. 7, B. the angel who g"'ve I.he L1iw; but Whitby, Ver. 35.-Him 11ath God sent for the ,ame not without reason, thinks the reference iH did God send, A.V. ; bo!h a ruler for a to the burning bush. Livillg oracles. In ruler, A.V. and T.R.; with the 11and for like manner, St. Paul call8 the Holy by the hand, A.V. and T.R. (a-~v for iv), Scriptures "the oracles of God" (Rom. iii. 2), but giving no clear sense in English. The and in Heh. v. 12 we read ao-ain of " the first meaning seems to be that Moses was to rule principles of the oracles of God," e.nd St. and save with the strength given him by Peter says, " Let him speak as the oracles of the angel. But it is much simpler to take God" (1 Pet. iv. 11). For the force of the iv X"PI as equivalent to the common Hebrew livinrJ or li'oely oracles, see 1 Pet. i. 23, 25. phl'aee ,:~, meaning instrumentality, "by Stephen magnifies Moses by reminding- his means of," "through," and to join it with hearers how he had received the Law from "did send." The angel who epa.ke to Moses God to give to the people. in the bush in the Name of God was God's Ver. 39.-Obedient for obey, A.V.; turned instrument in sending Moses. When an back i11 their hearts unto Er1ypt for in thei1' angel gives a message from God, the words hearts turned back again. into Egypt, A.V. are always given as spoken by God him- Our fathers would not be obedient, though self (see e.g. Josh. ii. 1-3). In this verse God had bestowed such signal mo.rke of Stephen, having with great oraterical skill favour upon them. Turned back in their entranced their attention by hie recite.I of he&rte. A striking instance of their rejec- God's marvellous revelation of himself to tion of God's chiefest mercies. Moses, now takes them off their guard, and Ver. 40.-Which Bhall go for to go, A.V.; shows how their fathers treated Moses just led us forth for brour1ht us, A.V. as they had treated Jesus Christ; and how Ver. 41.-Brought a sacrifice for offered God in the case of Moses had chosen and sacrifice, A.V. (see Exod. xxxii. 6, with magnified the very man whom they had which the A.V. agrees best;; hands for own scol'nfully rejected; just as now he had hands, A.V. exalted Jesus Christ to be a Prince and a Yer. 42.-But for then, A.V.; to serve Saviour, whom they had crucified. for to UJOrship, A.V.; did ye offer unto me Ver. 86.-Thia man for he, A. V.; led ,lain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the them forth for brought them out, A. V. ; having tJJilderneBB, 0 house of .lln.el f for O ye holtse wrought for after that he had showed, A.V.; of Israel, have ye offered, etc., by the space of Egypt for the land of Egypt, A.V. and T.R. forty years in the wilderness f A. V. The Ver. 87.-Godforthe Lord your God,_A.V. passage which follows is nearly verbatim et and T.R.; from among for of, A.V. The R.T. literatim the LXX. of Amos v. ~5, 27, except omits the words him shall ye hear, which the well-known substitution of "Babylon" follow in Deut. xviii. 15, and seem to be for "Damascus" in Amos. This, according referred to in Matt. xvii. 5 (airroii a.,co6a-ea-8,· to Lightfoot, with whom most commentators ab-roii a.,co6e-re). The addition of the words agree, was in accordance with a very adds muoh to the point of Stephen's applica- common practice of readers in the schools tion (see above, eh. iii. 22). 11nd pulpits of the Jews, to adapt and ac- Ver. 38.-Sinai for Sina, A.V. (Hebrew commodate o. text to their own immediate for Greek form); living oracles for the lively purpose, keeping, however, to historical oracles, A.V. In the churoh. St. Stephen truth. Here Stephen points to the Baby- probably used the word E1C1Cll.7Ja-la without lonish Captivity as the punishment of the any reference to its special meaning, "the sins of their fathers, thus warning them of Church." It is used in a secular sense in eh. more teri iulo judgmente to follow their xix. 32, 89, and of the congregation of Israel rejection of Christ. iu the LXX. of 1 Chron. xiii. 2; I Maoc. Ver. 43.-.And for yea, A.V.; the god ii. 56; Ecclus. xli v. 15; and elsewhere. In Replian for yoor god Remphan, A.V. anil Stephen's time it could hardly have beoome T.R.; the figures for figures, A.V. The god widely known as the designo.tion of the flock Rephan, Rephan, or Ilaipban, or Relllph,m, of Christ. On the whole, the me.rgino.l as it is variously written, is the L:S.X. trans- rendering, "the congregation," seems best, lation of the Hebrew Chi,m in Amos v. i6. but with the idea attaohed that it was thu The best explanation of this is thttt Reph,m Lol'd's congregaUon. The angel whioh spake. is the Coptio name of the planet Saturn, well- It mo.y be doubted whether the phrase, '' the known ofcourse to the LXX., and that Chiuu o.ugol whioh epake to him in the mount is the Hebrew and Arabic na111tl of tho same Sinai," refers to the angel spoken of in ver. star, which they thereforo trnnslated Ly 80, or to the angel by whose mouth God Rephan. With regard to tho ditliculty spake the words of the ttin com1uo.ndments which !His been felt Ly many that there i,i ou Mount Sinai, as reoorded iu Exod. XL no mention of any such. worship of Moloob  2ZO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [011. vn.1-0O.