The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 337

adds that there were in the whole empire also be made II place of special publicity, not fower than thirty-two cohorts bearing f~~m its height and open space (aee Luke the name of Italian. XII. 3). About the sixth hour. Noon, tho Ver. 2.-Who for which, A.V. A devout second of the three hours of prayer among man (,vu,{Jf,s); and in ver. 7. It is an the Jews, called "the midJay prayer." interesting question as to what was the pre- The last was the ninth hour (eh. iii. 1) and cise religious status of Cornelius, whether he the first the third hour nine in the was o. proselyte in any technical sense. But morning (eh. ii. 15). See P;. lv. 17. the whole narrative, in which be is spoken Ver. 10.-Hungry for 1Jery hungry, A.V.; of simply as o. Gentile and uncircumcised, desired to eat for would haoe eaten, A. V. seems to indicate that, though he had learnt Hungry. The word so rendered (1rp6u1mvo,) from the Jews to worship the true God, and occurs nowhere else either in the New from the Jewish Scriptures read or heard Test~ment or i~ any other writer. Possibly in the synagogue to practise those virtue3 ~e, like <;Jornelius (ver. 30), had been fasting which went up for a memorial before God, till the time of prayer. A trance ((",;,,.au,s) yet he was in no sense a proselyte. It is expresses a state of transition from the pleasant to think that there moy have been ordinary state into a new or different state. many such in tho different countries where Applied to a man, it denotes that state in the Jews were dispersed (comp. eh. xiii. 16, which the e'.l:ternal senses and the volition and probably eh. xi. 20). are suspended, and all his impressions are Ver. 3.-0penly for ~ridently, A.V.; as it derived from within (see eh. xi. 5; xxii. toere about for about, A. V. anc..l T.R.; unto 17). It is also used to express great astonish- for to, and to for unto, A.V. Openly; or, ment (Luke v. 26; eh. iii. 10; Mark v. 42). evidently ( q,a11,pws), indicates the distinctness In the LXX. of Gen. ii. 21 it is spoken of nnd certainty of the vision. It was, as Adam's deep sleep, and in Gen. xxvii. 33 of llleyer says, a clear angelic appearance ; Isaac's ezceedinr:, trembling, and elsewhere there was no indistinctness or confusion of strong emotions. about it, aud consequently it left no kind of Ver. 11.-He beholdeth the for saw, A.V.; doubt in the mind of Cornelius. An angel; descending for descending unto him, A.Y. or rather, the angel; the addition of God and T.R.; were for had been, A. V.; let defin~s it (see eh. v. 19, note). down by four crrrners upon the earth for knit Ver. 4.-He, fastening his eyes upon for at the four corner, and let down to the earth, when he looked on, A. V. ( a.TE11!u<&S, as eh. iii. 4, A.V. and T.R. The vessel coming down etc.); and being a.ffrighted for he was afraid from the open heavens implied that the and, A.V.; gone for come, A.V. For a command to eat what was contained in it memorial; i.e. thy prayers and thine alms was given by revelation. The things sent are set iB. the sight of God, and are the were from God, and the command to eat cause of his now remembering thee and was from God. Peter's h1111ger had prepared sending this message to thee. Cornelius's the way for the particnlar form of the good works were the fruit of his faith in vision. God as revealed in the Old Testament. Ver. 12.-Beast, ar.d creepina things of Ver. 5.-Fetch for callfor,A.V.; one (in the earth, for beast~ of the earth, and u:ild. italics) for one (in roman), A.V. and T.R.; beasts, and creeping things, A.V. and T.R.; who ill surnamed for whose mrname is, A.V. heaven for air, A. V. The distinction Peter is nl ways used by St. Luke, rather between olean and uncleon was very sharply than Cephas. dra.wn in the Levitical Law (Lev. :ri.; see Ver. 6.-The last clause in the A.V. and especially vers. 41-44 and xx. 25; Deut. T.R., "he shall tell thee," etc., is omitt.ed in xiv. 3-20). Pater's astonis!Jment must, the R.V. therefore, have been exceeding great nt the Ver. 1.-That for which, A.V.; 1iim for command to sla.y and eat. And so his Cornelius, A.V. and T.R. Two of his hollSe- answer in ver. 14 shows. And yet our Lord hold servants (see eh. ix. 38, note). Corne- h11d taught him the so.me truth (Matt. u. liue's faith and piety were like Abraham's- 10-20, or still more distinctly l\fark viii. he taught his household to keep the way of 14-23). the Lord, and to do justice and judgment Ver. 14.-.,fnd unclean for or unclean, A.V. ( Gen. xviii. 19). and T.R. It is rather a striking testimony Ver. 8.-Hatring rehearsed for when he had to Peter's religious character as a J tl\V declared, A.V.; all thing, for aU theu things, before his call to the apostolate, that, poor A.V. Galilrean fisherman as he was, unlearned Ver. 9.-Now on for on, A.V.; wre for and ignorant, he .bad yet al ways conscien• :irent. A.V. The hollSe-top; the quietest and tiously obeyed the Law of Moses in regard moat retired place in an Eastern ho1188 to things clean and unclean (comp. Dan. (oomp. I Sam. ix. 25, 26). It iB not inoon- i. 8-15). The addresr, Lord (Kop,e), seems 11i.Btent with this that the ho11118•M>p could certainly w recognize *he voice as that of  THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [011. 1, 1-48.