The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 383

the Passover." It lasted seven dr1ys (Bxod. the Church keeping her solemn watch am! xii. 15-18), from the 14th to the 21st or pouring forth her intensest prayers thro11 6 h Nisan, or Abib(Exod. xii. 18-20; Lev. xll:iii· the silence or the night I And the issue, 5 6· Deut. xvi. 1-4), the Passover bemg the triumph of the few and the weak e~te~ on tho night or the 11th. over all the power of the many !.Ind the Ver. 4.-Taken for appre°Mnded, A.V.: strong. guard for 1eeep, A.V.; the. Pass°!'ll'I' for Ver. 7.-An angel for the angel, A.V. Easter, A.V. J!'our quaternions; i.e. fonr (see note on oh. v. 19); •food by him for b1mcls of four soldiers each, which were on came upon him, A.V. (eomp. Luke ii. 9); guard in succession through the four wo.tches cell for prison, A. V. ; a,tJOke him for raised of the nighi-:ine quaternion for ea.eh watch. him up, A.V. (1,'Y"P'" a~ov); rise for nriae, The Passover, 'fhis is a decided improve- A.V. Cell. The word o1K7J/La, a dwelling, ment, ne the use of the word "Easter" im- was used by the Athenians as an euphemiam plies that the Christian fee.at is here meant. for II prison. It only occurs here in the But perhaps'' Feast or the Passover" would New Testament, though it is a common have been better, ns showing that the whole Greek word. His cha.ins fell o~ from hia seven do.ye a.re intended. This is, perhaps, hands, showing that ea.eh hand bad been the meaning of -rb ..-cf.lfxa. in John xviii 28, chained to a soldier. The loosening of the nod certainly is its meaning hero. We have chains would enable him to rise without another cbo.ractcristio tro.it of the religion necessarily awakening the soldiers to whom of Agrippa, and of his sympathy with the be was fastened, and who would feel nu feelings of the Jews about the Law, that he difference in the cbo.in which was attacheu would not o.llow a tl'ial on a capita.I charge, to them. or an execution, to take place during the Ver. 8.-He did so for so he did, A.V. Feast of Unleavened Bread (comp. John Thy garment (l,u,frrov); especially the outer xviii. 8). To bring him forth to the people. garment, which was worn o,er the x,-rwv, or Still the same desire uppermost, to pro- tunic (see Matt. ix. 20, 21; xiv. 36; xxiii. pitiate the people by gifts or shows, or 5, etc.). The girding, therefore, applied t,1 by blood; °'""''Y"''l'•'" means exactly "to the inner garments, and rr,p,ffoAoii to the bring up" (oh. ix. 39; Rom. x. 7, etc.), cloak which went over them. either on to a stage or on some high ground, Ver. 9.-Followed for followed him, A.V whore all the people could see him con- and T.R.; he wist for wist, A.V. demned, which would be o.s good to them Ver. 10.-.And when for when, A.V.; into as an auto da fe to o. Spanish mob, or a for unto, A. V.; its for his, A. V. ; straighlu:ay gladiatorial slaughter to a Roman audience for forthwith, A.V. The first and the s2cond (see ver. 11). ward. The tpuJ\.ax.f,, here rendered "ward," Ver. 5.-The prison for p1·ison, A.V.; may mean either the station where the earnestly for without ceasing, A.V. (i1<n11¾s, guard was posted or the guucl itself. One or o.s in the R.'f. i1t-re11ws, bas the sense of street:; ~ui,1,, as in eh. ix.11, note. Departad; intensity rather thou duration ; see Luke &..-e11T71, in contrast to mElf'TlJ, renu.ered "stood xxii. 14, T.R.: 1 Pet. i. 22; iv. 8). As the by" in ver. 7. last of the days of unleavened bread Ver. 11.-Truth for surety, A. V.; sent o.pprooched, the prayers of the Church would forth for sent, A. V. ; delfrered for hath be more and more intense in their earnest- delivered, A.V. Peter's recognition of the ness. We have but to read the preceding Lord's band in sending bis nngel is exactly chapters to judge how precious to the echoed in the Collect for Michaelmas Day, Church the life of Peter must have been. "Grant that as thy holy o.ngela e.lway do Ver. 6.-Was about to bring for would thee service in heaven, so by thy appoint- have brought, A.Y.; guards for the keepers, ment they may succour and defend U8 on A.V. What a picture we have here I The earth." dungeon; the double oho.in fastening the Ver. 12.-.And were praying for praying, prisoner to two soldiers ; the other two A.V. When he had oonsidered; better, with soldiers of the quaternion keeping watch Meyer and Alford, when M perceived it, viz. at the first and second wo.rcl, or station; the the truth of his deliverance. Mary the iron gate securely fastened; the population mother of John was aunt to Barnabas (Col. of the great city expecting with the morning iv. 10). If Paul and Bo.me.has were not iu light to be gratified with the blood of the her house at the time (which there is no victim of their bigotry; tbo king having evidence that they were), it is likely that made his arrangements for the imposing all the particulars of Peter's escape may speotnole which woe to ingratiate him with have been communicated to Paul by John hie people and obtain thP applouse he so Mark, and by him repeated to Luke. That dearly loved ; and then the servant of they went to the house of l\rary before their Jesus Obrist sleeping calmly under the return seems certain from their ta.king Murk shadow of God's wings; and, a little way off, with them to Antioch (ver. 25), l)Qllllibly to  380 'IRE AOTS 01<' THE APOSTLES. [on. xn. 1-26.