[661] i.e. for one of the congregation to expound or preach: or perhaps rather, to preach standing, not sitting, as Christian bishops did for their sermons. We have transposed the comment to its proper place.--Mod. text adds, "Wherefore he too in accordance with this discourses to them."
[662] hoper en sumphoras onoma, in regard that a proselyte might be deemed inferior to a Jew of genuine descent, "a Hebrew of the Hebrews."
[663] kai men tounantion gegonen. Here also we have transposed the comment to the clause to which it belongs. In the Edd. it comes after "And with a high arm," etc. whence Ben. mistaking its reference says, "i.e., if I mistake not, God brought them out of Egypt, that he might bring them into the Land of Promise: but, for their wickedness, the contrary befell: for the greatest part of them perished in the wilderness." It plainly refers to hupsosen--i.e. how is it said, that He exalted them in Egypt, where, on the contrary, they were brought low? This is true--but He did exalt them by increasing them into a great multitude, and by the miracles which He wrought on their behalf.
[664] Upon the reading of the T. R. (A.V.) the period of the Judges is here stated to have been 450 years. This agrees with the chronology of the book of Judges and of Josephus, but conflicts with 1 Kings vi. 1 where we are told that "in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, he began to build the house of the Lord." This would give but 331 years for the period of the Judges. It is the view of many critics that Paul has here followed a different chronology from that of 1 Kings which was also in use among the Jews and was followed by Josephus (so Meyer.) But if the reading of Tischendorf, Lechler, and Westcott and Hort (R.V.) is adopted--and it is sustained by A. B. C. '--the difficulty, so far as Acts xiii. 21 is concerned, disappears. This reading places meta tauta after hos etesin sq. and inserts a period after pentekonta. Then the translation would be, "He gave them their land for an inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years. And after these things He gave them judges," etc. On this reading the 450 years is the period of their inheritance, approximately stated, up to the time of the judges. The point from which Paul reckoned is not stated and is uncertain. This is the preferable reading and explanation.--G.B.S.
[665] Kai pothen hoti aneste phesi kai martures eisin. Eita palin apo ton graphon, followed by v. 29-37. We read, kai pothen; hoti tas phonas ton proph., krinantes touton eplerosan. Eita palin apo t. gr. v. 29-31, ending, kai martures autou eisin pros ton laon hoti aneste. The mod. text "And that no man may say, And whence is this manifest that He rose again? He says that (word), And are His witnesses. Then again He presses them from the Scriptures, v. 29-37."
[666] This comment, which in the mss. and Edd. is inserted after v. 37, refers to the following verses 38, 39, i.e. to what is there said of the insufficiency of the Law for justification: we have therefore transposed it.
[667] In the old text the parts lie in the order here shown by the letters a, b, etc. The confusion may be explained by the scribe's copying in the wrong order from the four pages of his tablets: viz. in the first place, in the order 1, 3, 2, 4: then 2, 4, 1, 3: and lastly, 2, 1. In the modern text, a different arrangement is attempted by which all is thrown into worse confusion. Thus it was not perceived that Chrys. having in a cursory way read through v. 24-41, begins his exposition in detail with the remark of the Apostle's passing and repassing from the Old to the New Test. and vice versa, viz. alleging first the Promise, then John, then the Prophets, then the Apostles, then David and Isaiah, v. 24-34; then comments upon the matters contained in these and the following verses, and then as usual goes over the whole again in a second exposition. Now the innovator makes the recapitulation begin immediately after (a), commencing it at v. 26, and collecting the comments in this order: v. 26-32: v. 24-36: v. 17-41.
[668] The transposition of the part (c), makes this read in the mss. and Edd. as if it were parallel with apo ton paronton (i.e. New Testament facts), apo ton Propheton (Old Testament testimonies).
[669] It is probable that Chrys. has pointed out the true connection of thought as established by gar (27). "The word of this salvation is sent unto you (of the dispersion) on the ground that the Jews at Jerusalem have rejected it." (So Meyer, Gloag.) The more common explanation is: The word is sent unto you because the Jews have fulfilled the prophecies which spoke of the rejection of the Messiah and have thus proved that He is the Messiah. (De Wette, Hackett, Lechler.)--G.B.S.
[670] i.e. Though not one of the original witnesses, v. 31, yet, being one who has been moved or raised up, kekinemenon, by the Spirit of Christ Himself, he preaches as they did, insisting much on the Passion, etc.
[671] 'Anti tou, Hoi andres hoi sunanabantes k. t. l. Perhaps the sense may be supplied thus: 'Anti tou, Hou pantes hemeis esmen martures, ii. 32, hou hemeis mart. esmen, iii. 15. Instead of saying as Peter does, "Whereof we are witnesses."
[672] Kai ouk enchronizei toutois, as in the recapitulation on v. 40, 41. kai hora, trachu on pos hupotemnetai. Hence it is clear that toutois refers not to "the sure mercies of David," as in mss. and Edd. (end of e), but to the threats and terrors (end of h). Below, for all' epiteinei ten kolasin the sense of epiteinei (not as Ben. minatur, but intentat, "makes much of, aggravates, dwells upon the greatness of)", and the whole scope of the passage, require us to read oude. Then, kai meterchetai with the negative extending to the whole clause, "and (like Stephen) assail that which is dear to them, (viz. their preëminence as Jews,) by showing the Law on the point of being cast out:" then, alla (so we restore for kai) to sumph. endiatr., but dwells, etc.
[673] Edd. "But let us hear ti kai legontes hoi 'Apost. epeisan, hoti estaurothe, by saying what, by what announcement, the Apostles persuaded (men) that He was crucified." For ti toutou apith. B. has to t. a. "(yea), what is more incredible still." Both clauses must be read interrogatively. The scope of the whole passage (which is obscure in the original) is, the supreme importance of the article of the Resurrection. Leave that out, and see what the preaching of the Apostles would have been; how it would have been received.
[674] The reading: "In the Second Psalm" is the best attested and is followed by the T. R., R.V. and Wescott and Hort. Proto is found in D. and is supported by the Fathers. It is the more difficult reading and for this reason is preferred by Tischendorf, Lachmann, Meyer, Alford and Gloag. If it is correct, we must suppose that what we now call the first psalm was considered introductory and that our second psalm was counted as the first. In some Heb. mss. this order actually occurs. The reading deutero, however, is better supported. The expression: "this day have I begotten thee" refers evidently to the resurrection of Christ. (Cf. Heb. i. 5; Rom. i. 4.) The resurrection is conceived as the solemn inauguration of Christ into his office as theocratic king represented under the figure of begetting.--G.B.S.
[675] We have transposed this clause from before, "Behold," etc. preceding.
[676] Mod. text needlessly adds, Kai kataphronoumen; "And do we make light of these things?"
[677] Touto kai eph' hemon genesthai, heteran epeisachthenai sunetheian. Morel. Ben. aph' hemon, "By our means," idque unum probandum, Ed. Par. but eph' hemon is not as he renders it, in nobis; the meaning is, "where habit works, this is the effect (in the case of habit): wish it were so in the case of us (where we work)."
[678] Mod. text "Having been so sufficiently spoken, that ye are able to correct others, eige aponton opheleia tis humin prosegineto, since in their absence some benefit accrued to you."
[679] hopos eis 'Ekklesian embalete, all' hopos ti kai labontes anachorete. (Above we had the phrase paraballein te sunaxei.) Here the metaphor is taken from an invading army. So below, p. 188, me embales eis agoran.