[445] ti de ekolusen panta auton akribos mathein kai en to ochemati onta; kai gar eremos en kai ouk en to pragma epideixis. We conjecture the first clause to be meant as the answer to an objection: How should Philip know all these particulars? It may indeed relate to the eunuch's accurate knowledge (akribeia) above mentioned, note 1. The latter part, however, seems to belong to v. 28 to which the Catena refers the mention of the chalepotaton kauma.--Edd. (from E. alone), "Pray what hindered, say you, that he should learn all, even when in the chariot, and especially in the desert? Because the matter was not one of display. But let us look over again what has been read. And behold," etc.
[446] harpazei: but this, derived from v. 39 is not the right word here.--This, with the clause immediately preceding in the mss., is thus altered by the innovator (E. Edd.): "So little did P. know (houtos ouk edei Ph.) for whose sake he was come into the desert: because also (hoti kai, F. D. hothen) not now an Angel, but the Spirit bears him away. But the eunuch sees none of these things, being as yet not fully initiated (ateles, imperfectus Ben.); or because also these things are not for the more bodily, but for the more spiritual: nor indeed does he learn the things which Philip is fully taught (ekdidasketai)."
[447] Idete(ide B.) to (ton N.) atuphon; ouden lampron epephereto schema. Read to schema.--E. D. F. Edd., Eide and oude gar. Vidit illum esse a fastu alienum: neque enim splendidum gestabat vestitum. Ben. and similarly Erasm. as if the meaning were, "the eunuch saw there was no pride in Philip, for he had no splendid clothing." But it is the eunuch in whom this (to atuphon) is praised, (see below, §4 init.) that he did not disdain Philip for the meanness of his appearance: comp. Hom. in Gen. xxxv. §2. "For when the Apostle (supra, p. 115, note 1) had said, "Knowest thou," and came up to him in mean attire (meta eutelous schematos), the eunuch did not take it amiss, was not indignant, did not think himself insulted....but he, the man in great authority, the barbarian, the man riding in a chariot, besought him, the person of mean appearance, who might for his dress have easily been despised, to come up and sit with him," etc.
[448] edeiknu boulomenon eipein. This seems meant to explain why the eunuch at once besought Philip to come up into the chariot: his running showed that he wished to say something.--E. Edd. "was a sign of his wishing to speak, and the reading (a sign) of his studiousness. For he was reading at a time when the sun makes the heat more violent." 1 The rendering of he de perioche tes graphes given in the text (A.V.) is also that of the R.V. Another interpretation is preferred by many scholars: "the content of the Scripture" (graphe being used in the limited sense of the particular passage in question). This view harmonizes with the derivation of perioche (peri-echein) meaning an enclosure, or that which is enclosed. Graphe is also used in the limited sense in v. 35 (So, Meyer, Hackett, and Thayer's Lex.)
[449] The rendering of he de perioche tes graphes given in the text (A.V.) is also that of the R.V. Another interpretation is preferred by many scholars: "the content of the Scripture" (graphe being used in the limited sense of the particular passage in question). This view harmonizes with the derivation of perioche (peri-echein) meaning an enclosure, or that which is enclosed. Graphe is also used in the limited sense in v. 35 (So, Meyer, Hackett, and Thayer's Lex.)
[450] E (N. om. Cat. to) holos eidenai hoti allos kai (om. C.) peri allon legousin hoi prophetai, e hoti k. t. l. A. B. C. Cat. We read, to holos eidenai e....But the modern text: "It seems to me that he knew not that the prophets speak of other persons: or if not this, he was ignorant that they discourse concerning themselves in another person;" omitting the last clause, sphodra epeskemmenou (Cat. perieskemmene) he erotesis.--In the next sentence B. has retained the true reading, ektomian, for which the rest have tamian. N. tamieian.
[451] The eunuch must have heard much said about Jesus at Jerusalem for he had been crucified but five or six years before. In this time of persecution and excitement, discussions would be rife concerning the Christian interpretation of prophecy. The eunuch seems to have heard two theories concerning the prophecies (e.g. Is. liii.) relating to the "Servant of Jehovah," one that the prophet was speaking of the Messiah (whom the Christians asserted Jesus to be) and the other that the prophet spoke concerning himself in these prophecies, an opinion not wholly abandoned in modern times. The eunuch's sudden conversion presupposes prolonged consideration of the claims of Jesus to be the Messiah and a keen interest in religious truth.--G.B.S.
[452] Edd. "on what danger casting himself, still even so he is afraid lest he should suffer some harm. This is the reason why he takes others with him, probably to rid himself of his fear: or also, because they were many against whom he was going, he takes many, in order that the more boldly, whomsoever he should find, both men and women," etc. Just the opposite to C.'s meaning: viz. "It is not to be supposed, because he took many with him, that he had any fears for himself: he was above all such regards. The fact is, he wished to show them all (both the Jews at Jerusalem, and the companions of his journey), how they ought to act:" dia tes hodou pasin autois deixai ebouleto. C. however has pasin autou, N. pasin autous, meaning: "by means of his journey, he wished to show them (the Christians bound) to all." Perhaps the true reading is autou ten prothumian, or the like. E. D. F. Edd. "Especially as by means of the journey he wished to show them all (pasin autois), that all depended on him (autou to pan on)."
[453] ho dia touto apion: i.e. who would have a right to be believed, because it was known that he left Jerusalem for the purpose of persecuting. Had it taken place in Jerusalem or in Damascus, some would have given one account of the matter, some another--as, in the case of our Lord, when the voice came to Him from heaven at Jerusalem, "some said it thundered, some that an Angel spake to Him," (so Chrys. explains below, p. 125)--but, happening in the way it did, the person most interested in it, and who by this very thing was caused to take so momentous a step, was the authentic narrator; i.e. the story was to come from him, as the only competent authority: all' autos axiopistos en diegoumenos (so Cat.; C., en diegesasthai: the other mss. ediegoumenos) ho dia touto apion; Infra, p. 125, houtos de axiopistos en apangellon mallon ta heautou.--In the next sentence, Touto goun legei, kai pros 'Agrippan apologoumenos, something seems wanting before kai, as supplied in the translation: but also both before and after these words: e.g. For the men which were with him, heard not the voice, and were amazed and overpowered. In fact, he says this in his oration on the stairs, "They heard not the voice of Him that spake to me," and when pleading before Agrippa, he says, "And when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice." etc.
[454] 'Alla touton monon eperose: may be rendered, They all saw the light, but it blinded only Paul:--or, Him however it only blinded, did not cast him into insensibility, but left him otherwise in possession of his faculties.
[455] The remainder of the verse and the first part of v. 6 to pros auton, were absent from Chrysostom's copy (and Cat. OEc. Theoph.) as from Codd. A. B. C. (of New Test.) and Laud's Gr. and Lat. of Acts: but the last have the clause, skleron soi p. k. l. after diokeis, v. 4. St. Hil. omits the clause durum est, etc. but has, tremens et pavens, etc.--"The voice of Paul:" Didymus in Cat. gives this as Chrysostom's solution of the seeming contradiction between this statement and that of St. Paul in xxii. 9. "In the first narrative, they heard Paul's voice, saying, Who art thou, Lord? But saw no man save Paul: in the second, they saw the light, but did not hear the voice of the Lord."
[456] houto kai tous mathetas ekalesen ek deuterou (Cat. and Sav. marg. join ek d. to the next sentence). The meaning is: As here, there is an interval between the conversion of Saul, and Christ's announcement of the purpose for which he was called (which in Acts xxvi. 15, 16 are put together as if all was said at the same time), so in the case of the disciples, Andrew, John, and Simon, there was a first call, related in John i.; then after a while, Christ called them a second time, (see Hom. in Matt. xiv. §2) namely, to be fishers of men, Matt. iv. In both cases there was an interval, during which he and they were prepared for the further revelation of His will concerning them. The mod. t. (E. Edd.) omits this clause, and substitutes, kai di hon parakeleuetai auton poiein parachrema k. t. l. "And by what He bids him do, straightway gives him." etc.
[457] Esto ekeinoi auto echarizonto. Hom. in illud, Saulus adhuc spirans, etc. §5, t. iii. p. 105. "But shameless objectors may say (of Peter), that because he was Christ's disciple, because he had been partaker at His table, had been with Him three years, had been under His teaching, had been deluded and cajoled by Him (ekolakeuthe hup' autou apatetheis), therefore it is that he preaches His resurrection: but when thou seest Paul, a man who knew Him not, had never heard Him, had never been under His teaching: a man, who even after His crucifixion makes war upon Him, puts to death them that believe in Him, throws all into confusion and disorder, when thou seest him suddenly converted, and in his toils for the Gospel outstripping the friends of Christ: what plea canst thou then have for thine effrontery, in disbelieving the word of the Resurrection?"
[458] 'Epeide de eplerothe (eplerophorethe, A. om., Cat. eperothe, E. D. F. Edd.) tes despoteias autou ta tekmeria kai tes philanthropias tote apokrinetai (for t. a. E. D. F. Edd. gnorizei, Cat. eiden); hina (gar add B.) me tis heipe hoti hupekrineto, ho kai haimaton epithumon k. t. l. (e kai hina me tis...hupekr. Pos gar ho kai haim. ep. k. t. l. E. D. F. Edd.) We read 'Epeide de eperothe,...tes ph. eide. Tote ap. Kurie, k. t. l. hina le k. t. l.
[459] Dia ti kai eis geennan euxato apelthein huper tou Christou; The modern text substitutes, "that he wished even to be accursed (Rom. ix. 2.) for Christ," See Hom. xvi, ad Rom. in 1. But Chrys. elsewhere uses as strong expressions as he does here. Hom. ii. in 2 Thess. §4 oude ten peiran tes geennes hegeito ti einai dia ton tou Christou pothon. And, dia ton tou Ch. pothon, katadechetai kai eis geennan empesein kai tes basileias ekpesein, (cited in the Ecloga de Laud. Paul. t. xii. p. 659, E.)
[460] to atuphon, above, p. 122, 2. Comp. x. §5. of the Eleven Homilies, t. xii. p. 393. "Admire how this man, barbarian as he was, and alien, and liable to be puffed up with his great authority, demeaned himself towards a man, poor, beggarly, unknown, whom until then he had never set eyes on....If our rulers now, believers though they be, and taught to be humble-minded, and with nothing of the barbarian about them, meeting in the public place, I do not say an unknown stranger, but one whom they know, would be in no great hurry to give him a seat beside him (in their carriage), how came this man to condescend so much to a perfect stranger--for I will not cease to insist upon this--a stranger, I say, one whom he had never seen, a mean-looking person, apt to be despised for his appearance, as to bid him mount and sit beside him? Yet this he did, and to his tongue committed his salvation, and endured to put himself in the position of a learner: yea, beseeches, intreats, supplicates, saying, I pray thee, of whom saith the Prophet this?' and receives with profound attention what he says. And not only so, but having received, he was not remiss, did not put off, did not say, Let me get back to my own country, let me see my friends, my family, my kinsfolk'--which is what many Christians say now-a-days when called to baptism: let me get to my country, let me see my wife, let me see my children with my other kinsfolk: with them present, and making holiday with me, so will I enjoy the benefit of baptism, so partake of the Grace.' But not these words spake he, the barbarian: Jew as he was, and trained to make strict account of places, especially with (the Law) ever sounding in his ears the duty of observing the Place, insomuch that he had gone a long journey to Jerusalem, on purpose that he might worship in the place which God commanded: and behold, all at once casting away all that he had been used to in this regard, and relinquishing this strict observance of place, no sooner is the discourse finished, and he sees a fountain by the roadside, than he says, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to be baptized?'"