[622] A. B. C. kakia, asebeia. Cat phonos adikos kakias;asebeia tais k. t. l. Mod. text substitutes for these two words, Polle he anoia tou Erodou.
[623] Kathos de oonto A. B. C. Either this is out of its place, or the sentence is incomplete. The mod. text substitutes, "And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison."
[624] ouk estasiasan, ouk ethorubethesan: alluding perhaps to the factious and turbulent proceedings, which in his time often ensued when a Bishop was removed or at the point of death. But possibly estas. is corrupt.--Below, Touto de en huper Petrou, etc. the meaning seems to be, "That Herod was permitted to do this, and that Peter was delivered into his hands, not withdrawing upon the death of James, was all the better for Peter: it gave fresh proof of his worth, it showed how courageous he was in himself, independently of supernatural aid."
[625] A. B. C. Cat. kai to "en tachei," hoste me rhathumesai; kai eplexen auton; (C. kai ekplexis en eis auton) houto batheos ekatheuden. Perhaps C. has preserved the true reading, see on v. 11. If so, it should be transposed with the part marked (a), viz. "--by the Angel: and it was an amazement to him, so deeply did he sleep: but he thought he saw a vision." The letters as usual denote the order of parts in the mss. Before (b), the clause, "And he passed the first and second ward," is inserted. It is not easy to see what can be the reference of the question, Pos; pou eisin hoi hairetikoi; it can hardly be meant for the mention of the sandals and cloak, v. 8, for the persons who objected to the Christians, that, according to Christ's command, they ought to have no shoes, nor two coats, etc. were not heretics, but heathens: see Hom. in illud, Salutate Prisc. et Aq. t. iii. 181. and Hom. ix. in Philip. t. xi. 272 (the latter cited in the Catena here).
[626] A. B. C. Cat. apistethenai, "be disbelieved?" But this is evidently corrupt.
[627] hisos ekeinos ho aei autois sunon. OEcumen. may have read ouk ekeinos, for he has, hina deixe hoti ou tou aei sunontos autois 'Ioannou ten metera phesin: "to show that he does not mean the mother of John (the Apostle) who was always with them, he adds his distinctive name."
[628] en autois tois adikousin. Perhaps it may mean, He brings it home to the conviction of the wrong-doers themselves, etc. 'Ekeinon, i.e. the enemies. But adikoumenois would suit the meaning better than adikousin, and then ekeinon would be right: otherwise it should be auton.
[629] The interpretation of Chrys. regarding the idea of the company assembled in Mary's house expressed by: "It is his angel," is doubtless correct. Others interpret: "It is his messenger"--a messenger sent by Peter to them, but it is said that Rhoda recognized Peter's voice (14). Others understand angel in the sense of spirit--a view which is not sanctioned by linguistic usage. Their idea was that Peter's guardian angel who had taken on his form and appearance was before the door. The belief in guardian angels attending individuals was common in later Jewish theology as well as in the Greek and Roman religions. It was doubtless stimulated in the early church by the saying of Jesus concerning children: "In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. xvii. 10), which seems to sanction the idea (cf. Heb. i. 14).--G.B.S.
[630] kai ti bouletai ho angelos; A. B. C. Cat. The mod. text substitutes, "And whence did it come into their minds at that time to surmise that it was an Angel?"
[631] i.e. It was so ordered (okonometo) that the notion of its being his Angel came into their minds before they saw him, in order that it might not be possible for them to think this after he was gone.
[632] Pistoutai de autous kai to en hemera genomenon. i.e. "When it was day there was no small stir among the soldiers," etc. v. 18. The innovator, not perceiving the meaning, substitutes kai to me en hemera genesthai, "And its not happening by day, confirms their belief."
[633] emnemoneusen. i.e. astonishment would have deprived him of the power of remembering, and afterwards relating the circumstances, v. 17.
[634] Here, and on former occasion, v. 19. Hence the plural dhi eauton.
[635] dia touton (the persons assembled in the house of Mary) ekeinoi (James and the brethren), ouk ekeinoi dia toutou. This is corrupt, but the meaning is, James and the more important of the brethren learn the particulars through these inferior persons, not these through those, but through Peter himself. Mod. text, hina dia touton ekeinoi manthanosin, ouk autoi di ekeinon
[636] Mod. text adds, "thou wilt enjoy all pleasure, being led forthwith to reflect on the Creator."
[637] An diakupses eis ton stenopon. The stenopoi, angiportus or vici are the lanes or alleys in the quarters formed by intersection of the broad streets, plateiai.
[638] Mod. text alla me genoito medena humon hupekkauma tou puros ekeinou genesthai: "God forbid that any of you should become the fuel of that fire."