[910] Here A. B. C. insert the sentence hora tous pistous k. t. l. which mod. text rightly removes to the comment on v. 8, and after it, hora pos ho nomos kataluetai loipon: which unless it means, "See here the beginning of the judgment on the Jews, the dissolution of their Law, and overthrow of their nation," of which Chrys. speaks in this sentence, is out of place here, and belongs to the comment on v. 18, i.e. to the beginning of Hom. 40, which in fact opens with these words. So mod. text understands them. "Mark how the Law begins to be dissolved from henceforth. For this man, being a Jew, having after these things shorn his head in Cenchrea, goes with Paul into Syria. Being a man of Pontus, not in Jerusalem nor near it did he haste to come, but at a greater distance." The innovator's meaning seems to have been, that he shore his head in fulfilment of his vow, not in Jerusalem, nor near Jerusalem, but at a greater distance, viz. in Cenchrea." But St. Chrys. is here commenting on Claudius' edict (see above, p. 240, on v. 2): "See here the beginning of the judgment on the Jews: it was hasting to come, but it began not in Jerusalem, nor in Palestine, but at a greater distance--at Rome, in this edict of the Emperor: ouk en Ierosolumois, oude plesion espeuden elthein alla makrotero."
[911] The sentence may be completed with: "had spent the greater part of his life at Rome," etc.; see above, p. 236, but the copyist make houtos nom. to ouk espeuden elthein.
[912] To this clause, mod. text rightly refers the comment, hora tous pistous tote meta tes oikias touto poiountas holoklerou, which the original text has after kai heteroi tines of xvii. 34.
[913] There is no sufficient ground for the supposition of Chrys. that the Sosthenes here mentioned was a Christian and the same who is saluted in 1 Cor. i. 1. On the contrary, he was the leader of the Jewish party who persecuted the ruler of the synagogue, perhaps the successor of Crispus who had become a Christian. The reading hoi 'Ioudaioi of some inferior mss. in v. 17 which is followed by Chrys. would easily give rise to this misconception. The true text is most probably pantes, meaning the officers of the governor. The representatives of the Roman government, then, attacked Sosthenes, the leader of the party which was persecuting Paul. Thus their effort ended in failure. And so indifferent was Gallio that he in no way interfered. Paul's accusers were thus themselves beaten and the whole effort at prosecution miserably failed.--G.B.S.
[914] he de oikeiosis touCh. pleon. Sed familiaritas Christi magis. Ben. Chrys. said above, that the most powerful consideration was this which is put last, "For I have much people in this city." The meaning here is, That there was "much people" to be converted, was a cheering consideration: that Christ should say, laos moi polus estin, speaking of them as "His own," was the strongest inducement.
[915] B. C. hoti elenchthe phoboumenos e ouk elenchthe hoste me (C. mede) pathein. A., hote elechthe hoste de me pathein, (which is meant for emendation: "This was enough to rouse him when it was spoken: but, that he should not suffer," etc.) Mod. text, hoti el. phoboumenos, e ouk el. men, all' hoste mede touto pathein. We read Ouk hoti elenchthe hos phoboumenos. & 244;ste de me pathein, 'Ego eimi meta sou. The accidental omission of ouk may have been corrected in the margin by the gloss e ouk el. But the sense seems to be otherwise confused by transpositions. "It is true, even the number, and still more Christ's oikeiosis of them, prevailed with him. This was enough to rouse him. But Christ begins by saying, "Fear not," etc. And in fact the danger was increased, etc. Not that Paul was reproved as being afraid, etc.
[916] From this point to the end of the Exposition all is confused. To make something like connection, it has been necessary to rearrange the parts, but the restoration is still unsatisfactory.
[917] Kai edidaxen hoti ta toiauta dikastikes psephou [ou, this we supply,] deitai; alla ataktos panta poiousin. Mod. text edidaxe gar (he te touton epieikeia kai ekeinon thrasutes, from f) hoti ta toi. dik. pseph. deitai.
[918] Here, between the parts g and h, the mss. have two sentences retained by Edd. but clearly out of place, unless they form part of a second recapitulation: "Therefore he departed from Athens." "Because there was much people here."
[919] Ps. x. 4. "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not," etc. E.V.
[920] mss. pollo mallon houtoi 'Ioudaioi akousontai, hotan ta 'Ioudaion poiosin hosper kakeinoi diabolou tekna, epeide k. t. l. We omit 'Ioudaioi.
[921] ou gar houto to hubrisai pleonektesomen auton, hos to didachthenai hoti hubrisamen heautous. B. and mod. text to hubr., to did. The hoti om. by A. B. C. Sav. is supplied by mod. text. A has deichthenai, Sav. dialechthenai. The construction is pleonektein ti tinos. "We may think we have got something, viz. the pleasure of having disgraced them; whereas all that we get, in advance of them, is the being taught that we have disgraced ourselves."
[922] kai triton (om. C.), hoti hubristen einai ou chre. This cannot be, "for a third reason," or "in the third place," but seems rather to mean "the third party" spoken of in the preceding sentence. Perhaps it may mean, As the judge does not himself arraign nor even interrogate the criminal, but by a third person, because the judge must not seem to be an hubristes, so there is need of a third person, kai triton dei eis meson elthein hoti....But the whole scope of the argument is very obscure.
[923] Old text: hubristes, kleptes kataratos kai drapetes; kai hos an eipoi tis spoude eision, kathaper ekeinos pantachou periblepetai huphelesthai ti spoudazon, houto kai houtos panta periskopei ekballein ti thelon. We read hubristes. Kai hos an ei tis kleptes katar. kai drap. spoude eision, pant. peribl. huph. ti thelon, houto kai houtos kathaper ekeinos pantaperisk. ekballein ti spoudazon. But it can hardly be supposed that Chrys. thus expressed himself. The purport seems to be this: To be abusive is to behave like a slave, like a foul-mouthed hag. (see p. 200.) And the abusive man, when he is eager to catch at something in your life or manners, the exposure of which may disgrace you, is like a thief who should slink into a house, and pry about for something that he can lay hold of--nay, like one who should purposely look about for the filthiest things he can bring out, and who in so doing disgraces himself more than the owner.
[924] Here again hosper an eipoi tis, B. for hosper an ei tis, C.--The sentence ouchi ta huphairethenta eschune tosouton is incomplete; viz. "the owner, by the exposure of the noisomeness, as the stealer himself who produces it."