The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 408

in other writings. Renan uya, 11 La oon- robbel'II (1 Oor. :d. 26), monntainoua, vereion d'un Rome.in de cet ordre, lt. cette rugged, and passing through an untamed ~poque est ohose e.bsnlument inadmissible." and half-savage population. Pisidio was Alford enrl Olsbeusen speak doubtfully. part of the province of Gl\latia.. The direc- Lange and Howson end Meyer look npon tion of lheir route was probnbly determined him n11 e genuine oonvert. The • Speeker'e by the locality of the Jewish populations, Commen te.ry ' speaks of him as " the first• whioh were always their first object, and fruits of heathenism." Being utonished et their door of access to the more pious the teaohing. "For the connection of the heathen. Bat down; perhnpe, as many think, judgment concerning the doctrine with the on the seat of the rabbis-those " chief miracle 11een, comp. Merk i. 27" (Moyer). 11eats in the synagogues," whioh our Lord Ver. IS.-Nou, for fl<lt.0 tohen, A.V.; set rebukes the scribes for loving (Mark xii. wil for loosed, A. V.; and came for they 39), but which "Paul as o former Sa.nhe- Mfrnl, A.V.; departed . .. and retwmed for drist, and Barne.be.a as a Levitc," had a fair departing . . . returned, A.V. A very claim to occupy; hut more probably on the marked ohange may here be observed in seats of ordinary worshippers, where, how- the relations of Barnabas end Paul. ever, the presence of strangers would at once Hitherto Barnabas bas always occupied be noticed. the first rank. It bas been "Barnabas Ver. 15.-Brethren for ye men and brethren, end Saul" ( eh. xi. 30; xii. 25; vers.. 2, 7). A.V. The order of the synagogue service But now the whole mission, including was ftret the prayers, read by the Sheliach, Barnabas, is de.scribod as o/ ,repl -rbv na.v:\ov, or angel of the synagogue, the people stand- Paul end hill oompeny, end ever after it is ing. Then came the reading of the Law in 'IIB1l&lly .. Paul and Barnabas" (vers. 43, 46, Hebrew by the reader, and the interpretation 50; eh. xv. 2, 22, 35); though in eh. xiv. 14 by the interpreter, who, outside of Judma, and u·. 12. 25, the old order is retained. generally used the version of the LXX. Renan dwells mnch on the beauty of Bar- Thie reading, or lesson, was oalled the Para- nabae's oharacter as seen in hie cheerful shah. Next came the reading and inter- acquiescence in this change of rele.tive preting of the prophets,called the Haphwrah, position, and his single-minded devotion either by the regular reader or by any one to the success of the work. Came to Perga, invited by the ruler of the synagogue (Luke the capital of Pamphylie., in that part of the iv. 16, 17). Then came the Midrash, the coast of Asia Minor which looks dne south. exposition or sermon, which Paul under• Perga was about seven and a half miles took at the invitation of the ruler of the inland, on the river Oestrus, which is navi- synagogue. Our Lord at Nazareth seems gable. There was a constant intercourse to have delivered the Midrash sitting(Luke between Paphos the capita.I of Cyprus, and iv. 20); here St. Paul stands (ver. 16). Perga the capital of Pe.mphylie., fOl!tered Ver. 16.-.And for then, A.V.; the for his, probably by the two famous temples of A.V. ; Marken for gi-oe audience, A.V. Venus and Diana. The word for set uil :Beckoning with the hand (see ob. xii 17, (lwax6•rrn) is a ne.utice.l term, meaning note). Ye that fear God; addressed to the 116iling from the shore or harbour into the devout heathen who attended the synagogue open sea (see eh. xvi. 11; Di. 1; nvii. 12; service (see eh. x. 2, note, and 22; ver. 43 of Luke viii 22). At Perga John Mark left this chapter; xv. 21; xvi 14; xvii. 4, 17; them. Perhaps his position as Bamabas's xviii 7). cousin wes less pleasant now that Paul took Ver. 17.-I81"ael for o/ brael, A.V., the first pl.s.ce ; perhaps his courage failed ,ojourned for dwelt a, strangers, A.V. ; a for him now that they were fairly lau.nched out an, A. V.; led he them forth for b,·ought he into the heathen world, where, unlike them out. A.V. The word ri,i,.,u,v, exalted, Cyprus, his Jewish kinsmen. were a small is thought by some to be borrowed from the minority, and the dangers and fatigues WeJe LXX. of Isa. i. 2 (''11:l~',), "I have brought great. Pamphylia was u.ow governed by a up" (A.V. ), bnt this ii very doubtful, as 1,,i,40, propnetor, being an imperial province. Its is frequently used in the New Testament in uame denotes that it was inhabited by a the sense of exalting from a l\ow to a high mixed race-men of all tribes, aborigines, estate (see Matt. xi. 23; x:r.iil, 12; Luke i Cilicians, Greeks, etc. 52 ; x. 15 ; xiv. 11 ; oh. ii. 33; see t.oo Gen. Ver. 14.-Tli,ey, passing through /rum xli. 52 (LXX., Ood. Vat.) and xlviii. 19), Perga, oame for tDhen they deparud from The resemblance of this exordium to that of Perga theg mme, A.V.; of for in, A.V.; Stephen's speech in eh. vii. must strike I.hey u,ent for tDent, A. V. Travelling due every one. The natural conclusion ill tha, north into the interior for over a hundred that speech made a deep impression upon St. miles, they would reaoh Antioch in Pisidia, Paul when he heard 1t at Stephen'• trial. now a Roman colony. It would be a difB- The common purpose in the two speeches ill flllt "'°4 41mJe!O~ ~ ~~ ..,-ith tp copciliate and f:"O.Ul *e aUen~1on vf tJ:io olt. itlil. 1-62.j '1'IiE AC'fS OF '1'HE APOSTLES.