04000
 \\Wouldest thou kill me?\\ (\\m anelein me su theleis\\). Expecting the
 answer no, but a thrust direct at Moses, Do you wish to kill me
 (note \\me su\\ right together, \\me thou\\). See
 # Ex 2:14
 quoted by Stephen.

04001
 \\Sojourner\\ (\\paroikos\\). Temporary dweller (cf. Abraham in verse
 # 6
 in Midian though for forty years.

04002
 Sentence begins with genitive absolute again. \\In a flame of fire\\
 \\in a bush\\ (\\en phlogi puros batou\\). Horeb in
 # Ex 3:1
 but Sinai and Horeb were "probably peaks of one mountain range"
 (Page), Horeb "the mountain of the dried-up ground," Sinai "the
 mountain of the thorns." Literally, "in the flame of fire of a
 bush" (two genitives, \\puros\\ and \\batou\\ dependent on \\phlogi\\,
 flame). Descriptive genitives as in
 # 9:15; 2Th 1:8
 \\Batos\\ (bush) is the wild acacia (_mimosa nilotica_). In
 # Ex 3:20
 it is Jehovah who speaks. Hence "angel" here with Stephen is
 understood to be the Angel of the Presence, the Eternal Logos of
 the Father, the Angel of Jehovah.

04003
 \\The sight\\ (\\to horama\\). Used of visions in the N.T. as in
 # Mt 17:9
 \\As he drew near\\ (\\proserchomenou autou\\). Genitive absolute with
 present middle participle of \\proserchomai\\. \\A voice of the Lord\\
 (\\phn kuriou\\). Here the angel of Jehovah of verse
 # 30
 is termed Jehovah himself. Jesus makes powerful use of these
 words in his reply to the Sadducees in defence of the doctrine of
 the resurrection and the future life
 # Mr 12:26; Mt 22:32; Lu 20:37
 that God here describes himself as the God of the living.
 \\Trembled\\ (\\entromos genomenos\\). Literally, becoming tremulous or
 terrified. The adjective \\entromos\\ (\\en, tromos\\ from \\trem\\, to
 tremble, to quake) occurs in Plutarch and the LXX. In the N.T.
 only here and
 # Ac 16:29
 \\Durst not\\ (\\ouk etolma\\). Imperfect active, was not daring,
 negative conative imperfect.

04004
04005
 \\Holy ground\\ (\\g hagia\\). The priests were barefooted when they
 ministered in the temple. Moslems enter their mosques barefooted
 today. Cf.
 # Jos 5:15
 \\Sandal\\ (\\hupodma\\, bound under) is here "a distributive singular"
 (Hackett). Even the ground near the bush was "holy," a fine
 example for Stephen's argument.

04006
 \\I have surely seen\\ (\\idn eidon\\). Imitation of the Hebrew
 infinitive absolute,
 # Ex 3:7
 "Seeing I saw" (cf.
 # Heb 6:14
 \\The affliction\\ (\\tn kaksin\\). From \\kako\\, to treat evilly (from
 \\kakos\\, evil). Old word, here only in the N.T. and from
 # Ex 3:7
 \\Groaning\\ (\\stenagmou\\). Old word from \\stenaz\\, to sigh, to groan.
 In the N.T. only here and
 # Ro 8:26
 Root \\sten\\ in our word stentorian. \\I am come down\\ (\\katebn\\).
 Second aorist active indicative of \\katabain\\, I came down. \\To\\
 \\deliver\\ (\\exelesthai\\). Second aorist middle infinitive of \\exaire\\,
 to take out for myself. \\I will send\\ (\\aposteil\\). First aorist
 active subjunctive (hortatory of \\apostell\\, "Let me send").

04007
 \\This Moses\\ (\\Touton ton Musn\\). Rhetorical repetition follows
 this description of Moses (five times, anaphora, besides the use
 here, six cases of \\houtos\\ here about Moses: verse
 # 35
 twice,
 # 36,37,38,40
 Clearly Stephen means to draw a parallel between Moses and Jesus.
 They in Egypt \\denied\\ (\\rnsanto\\) Moses as now you the Jews denied
 (\\rnsasthe\\,
 # 3:13
 Jesus. Those in Egypt scouted Moses as "ruler and judge" (verses
 # 27,35
 \\archonta kai dikastn\\) and God "hath sent" (\\apestalken\\, perfect
 active indicative, state of completion) Moses "both a ruler and a
 deliverer" (\\archonta kai lutrtn\\) as Jesus was to be
 # Lu 1:68; 2:38; Heb 9:12; Tit 2:14
 "Ransomer" or "Redeemer" (\\lutrts\\) is not found elsewhere,
 \\lutron\\ (ransom), \\lutro\\, to ransom, and \\lutrsis\\, ransoming or
 redemption, are found often. In
 # Ac 5:31
 Christ is termed "Prince and Saviour." \\With the hand\\ (\\sun\\
 \\cheiri\\). So the correct text. The Pharisees had accused Stephen
 of blaspheming "against Moses and God"
 # 6:11
 Stephen here answers that slander by showing how Moses led the
 people out of Egypt in co-operation (\\sun\\) with the hand of the
 Angel of Jehovah.

04008
04009
 \\Like unto me\\ (\\hs eme\\). This same passage Peter quoted to the
 crowd in Solomon's Porch
 # Ac 3:22
 Stephen undoubtedly means to argue that Moses was predicting the
 Messiah as a prophet like himself who is no other than Jesus so
 that these Pharisees are in reality opposing Moses. It was a neat
 turn.

04010
 \\In the church in the wilderness\\ (\\en ti ekklsii en ti ermi\\).
 Better rendered "congregation" here as in
 # Heb 2:12
 # Ps 22:22
 the people of Israel gathered at Mt. Sinai, the whole nation.
 Moses is here represented as receiving the law from an angel as
 in
 # Heb 2:2; Ga 3:19
 # De 33:2
 LXX) and so was a mediator (\\mesits\\) or middle man between the
 angel and the people whereas Jesus is the Mediator of a better
 covenant
 # Heb 8:6
 But Exodus does not speak of an angel. \\Living oracles\\ (\\logia\\
 \\znta\\). A \\logion\\ is a little word (diminutive of \\logos\\). Common
 in the old Greek, LXX, Philo, in ecclesiastical writers for
 sayings of Christ, Papias (for instance) saying that Matthew
 wrote in Hebrew (Aramaic) "Logia of Jesus." Oxyrhynchus papyri
 fragments called "Logia of Jesus" are of much interest though
 only fragments. The Greeks used it of the "oracles" or brief
 sayings from Delphi. In the N.T. the word occurs only four times
 # Ac 7:38; Ro 3:2; Heb 5:12; 1Pe 4:11
 Here the participle \\znta\\, living, is the same used by Peter
 # 1Pe 2:4
 ), stone (\\lithos\\) of Christ and Christians. The words from God to
 Moses are still "living" today. In
 # 1Pe 4:11
 the word is applied to one who speaks \\logia theou\\ (oracles of
 God). In
 # Ro 3:2
 Paul refers to the substance of the law and of prophecy. In
 # Heb 5:12
 the writer means the substance of the Christian religious
 teaching.

04011
 \\To whom\\ (\\hi\\). That is Moses, this Moses. \\Would not be\\ (\\ouk\\
 \\thelsan genesthai\\). Aorist active, negative aorist, were
 unwilling to become (\\genesthai\\) obedient. \\Thrust him from them\\
 (\\apsanto\\). Indirect middle of the very verb used of the man
 (verse
 # 27
 who "thrust" Moses away from him. \\Turned back\\ (\\estraphsan\\).
 Second aorist passive indicative of \\streph\\, to turn. They
 yearned after the fleshpots of Egypt and even the gods of Egypt.
 It is easy now to see why Stephen has patiently led his hearers
 through this story. He is getting ready for the home-thrust.

04012
 \\Gods which shall go before us\\ (\\theous hoi proporeusontai hmn\\).
 # Ex 32:1
 As guides and protectors, perhaps with some allusion to the
 pillar of fire and of cloud that had gone before them
 # Ex 13:21
 The future indicative here with \\hoi\\ (relative) expresses purpose.
 \\Ye wot not\\ (\\ouk oidamen\\). We do not know. How quickly they had
 forgotten both God and Moses while Moses was absent in the mount
 with God. \\Become of him\\ (\\egeneto auti\\). Happened to him. "This"
 (\\houtos\\) here is a contemptuous allusion to Moses by the people.

04013
 \\They made a calf\\ (\\emoschopoisan\\). First aorist active indicative
 of \\moschopoie\\, here only in the N.T. and unknown elsewhere. The
 LXX
 # Ex 32:3
 has \\epoise moschon\\ from which phrase the word is evidently made.
 Aaron made the calf, but so did the people
 # Ex 32:35
 \\The idol\\ (\\ti eidli\\). Stephen calls it by the right name. The
 people said it was their way of worshipping Jehovah! So the
 Egyptians worshipped the bull Apis at Memphis as the symbol of
 Osiris (the sun). They had another sacred bull Mnevis at
 Leontopolis. \\Eidlon\\ (from \\eidos\\, form or figure) is the image or
 likeness of anything. The heathen worship the god through the
 image or idol. \\Rejoiced\\ (\\euphrainonto\\). Imperfect, middle, kept
 on rejoicing
 # Ex 32:6,18
 or making merry.

04014
 \\Gave them up\\ (\\paredken\\). First aorist active indicative of
 \\paradidmi\\. This same form occurs three times like clods on a
 coffin in a grave in
 # Ro 1:24,26,28
 where Paul speaks of God giving the heathen up to their lusts. \\To\\
 \\serve the host of heaven\\ (\\latreuein ti stratii tou ouranou\\).
 The verb \\latreu\\ is used of the worship of God
 # Mt 4:10
 as well as of idols as here (from \\latron\\, hire, \\latris\\, hireling,
 then to serve). But the worship of the host of heaven
 # De 17:3; 2Ki 17:16; 21:3; 2Ch 33:3,5; Jer 8:2; 19:13
 is Sabaism or worship of the host (\\stratia\\) of heaven (sun, moon,
 and stars) instead of the Lord of hosts. This star-worship
 greatly injured the Jews. \\In the book of the prophets\\ (\\en bibli\\
 \\tn prophtn\\). That is the twelve minor prophets which the Jews
 counted as one book (cf.
 # Ac 13:40
 This quotation is from
 # Am 5:25-27
 The greater prophets were Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. \\Slain\\
 \\beasts\\ (\\sphagia\\). Here only in the N.T. (from
 # Am 5:25
 \\sphag\\, slaughter, \\sphaz\\, to slay.

04015
 \\The tabernacle of Moloch\\ (\\tn sknn tou Moloch\\). Or tent of
 Moloch which they took up after each halt instead of the
 tabernacle of Jehovah. Moloch was the god of the Amorites to whom
 children were offered as live sacrifices, an ox-headed image with
 arms outstretched in which children were placed and hollow
 underneath so that fire could burn underneath. \\The star of the\\
 \\god Rephan\\ (\\to astron tou theou Rompha\\). Spelled also Romphan and
 Remphan. Supposed to be Coptic for the star Saturn to which the
 Egyptians, Arabs, and Phoenicians gave worship. But some scholars
 take the Hebrew _Kiyyoon_ to mean statues and not a proper name
 at all, "statues of your gods" carried in procession, making
 "figures" (\\tupous\\) with both "tabernacle" and "star" which they
 carried in procession. \\I will carry\\ (\\metoiki\\). Attic future of
 \\metoikis\\ from \\metoikiz\\. \\Beyond Babylon\\ (\\epekeina Babulnos\\).
 The Hebrew and the LXX have "beyond Damascus." An adverbial
 preposition (\\ep' ekeina\\ with \\mer\\ understood) used in the old
 Greek and the LXX with the ablative case and meaning "beyond."
 Here only in the N.T. in quotation from
 # Am 5:27

04016
 \\The tabernacle of the testimony\\ (\\h skn tou marturiou\\).
 Probably suggested by the mention of "the tabernacle of Moloch"
 (verse
 # 43
 See note on "Mt 17:4"
  for discussion of \\skn\\ (from \\skia\\, shadow, root \\ska\\, to
 cover). This first sanctuary was not the temple, but the tent in
 the wilderness. "Stephen passes on from the conduct of the
 Israelites to his other argument that God is not necessarily
 worshipped in a particular spot" (Page). \\According to the figure\\
 (\\kata ton tupon\\). According to the type or pattern. \\Tupos\\ is from
 \\tupt\\, to strike, to smite, and is the print of the blow
 # Joh 20:25
 then the figure formed by a blow or impression like our type, a
 model or example. Quoted from
 # Ex 25:40
 Common word in the old Greek. \\That he had seen\\ (\\hon herakei\\).
 Past perfect active of \\hora\\, to see (double reduplication).

04017
 \\Which\\ (\\hn\\). Agreeing with \\sknn\\, not with \\tupon\\. \\In their\\
 \\turn\\ (\\diadexamenoi\\). First aorist middle participle of
 \\diadechomai\\, to receive through another, to receive in sucession
 or in turn. Late Greek, only here in N.T. Deissmann (_Bible
 Studies_, p. 115) argues from a second century B.C. papyrus that
 \\diadochos\\ means rather deputy or court official than successor.
 \\With Joshua\\ (\\meta Isou\\). With Jesus, the Greek form of Joshua
 (contracted from Jehoshua,
 # Mt 1:21
 as in
 # Heb 4:8
 \\When they entered on the possession of the nations\\ (\\en ti\\
 \\kataschesei tn ethnn\\). Literally "in (or at the time of) the
 possession of the nations."
 See note on "Ac 7:5"
  for the only other N.T. instance of \\kataschesis\\. \\Which\\ (\\hn\\).
 The nations, genitive by attraction to case of \\ethnn\\. \\Thrust\\
 \\out\\ (\\exsen\\). First aorist active indicative of \\exthe\\, to push
 out, common verb, here, only in N.T. save some MSS. in
 # Ac 27:39

04018
 \\Asked\\ (\\itsato\\). Aorist middle (indirect) indicative, asked for
 himself (as a favour to himself). Cf.
 # 2Sa 7:2
 \\A habitation\\ (\\sknma\\). Like
 # Ps 132:5
 but it was a house that David proposed to build
 # 2Sa 7:2
 not a tent (\\skn\\) which already existed. \\Sknma\\ here means a
 more permanent abode (\\oikon\\, house, in verse
 # 47
 though from the same root as \\skn\\.

04019
04020
 \\Howbeit\\ (\\all'\\). By contrast with what Solomon did and David
 planned. Note emphatic position of "not" (\\all' ouch\\), "But not
 does the Most High dwell." The presence of the Most High is not
 confined in any building, even one so splendid as Solomon's
 Temple as Solomon himself foresaw and acknowledged in his prayer
 # 1Ki 8:27; 2Ch 6:18
 \\In houses made with hands\\ (\\en cheiropoitois\\). No word here for
 "houses" or "temples" in correct text (\\naois\\ temples in Textus
 Receptus). Literally, "In things made with hands" (\\cheir\\, hand,
 \\poitos\\, verbal adjective of \\poie\\). It occurs in
 # Mr 14:58
 of the temple and of the sanctuary of Moab
 # Isa 16:12
 It occurs also in
 # Ac 7:24; Heb 9:11,24; Eph 2:11
 Common in the old Greek. \\The prophet\\ (\\ho prophts\\).
 # Isa 66:1
 Isaiah taught plainly that heaven is God's throne.

04021
 \\What manner of house\\ (\\Poion oikon\\). What sort of a house? This
 interrogative is sometimes scornful as in
 # 4:7; Lu 6:32
 (Page). So Stephen shows by Isaiah that Solomon was right that
 the temple was not meant to "confine" God's presence and that
 Jesus had rightly shown that God is a spirit and can be
 worshipped anywhere by any individual of any race or land. It is
 a tremendous argument for the universality and spirituality of
 Christianity free from the shackles of Jewish racial and national
 limitations, but its very strength only angered the Sanhedrin to
 desperation.

04022
04023
 \\Stiffnecked\\ (\\sklrotrachloi\\). From \\sklros\\ (hard) and
 \\trachlos\\, neck, both old words, but this compound only in the
 LXX and here alone in the N.T. Critics assume that Stephen was
 interrupted at this point because of the sharp tone of the
 speech. That may be true, but the natural climax is sufficient
 explanation. \\Uncircumcised in heart\\ (\\aperitmtoi kardiais\\). Late
 adjective common in LXX and here only in the N.T. Verbal of
 \\peritemn\\, to cut around and \\a\\ privative. Both of these epithets
 are applied to the Jews in the O.T.
 # Ex 32:9; 33:3,5; 34:9; Le 26:41; De 9:6; Jer 6:10
 \\Kardiais\\ is locative plural like \\sin\\ (ears), but some MSS. have
 genitive singular \\kardias\\ (objective genitive). No epithet could
 have been more galling to these Pharisees than to be turned
 "uncircumcised in heart"
 # Ro 2:29
 They had only the physical circumcision which was useless. \\Ye\\
 \\always\\ (\\humeis aei\\). Emphatic position of humeis and "always"
 looks backward over the history of their forefathers which
 Stephen had reviewed. \\Resist\\ (\\antipiptete\\). Old word to fall
 against, to rush against. Only here in the N.T., but used in the
 O.T. which is here quoted
 # Nu 27:14
 Their fathers had made "external worship a substitute for
 spiritual obedience" (Furneaux). Stephen has shown how God had
 revealed himself gradually, the revelation sloping upward to
 Christ Jesus. "And as he saw his countrymen repeating the old
 mistake--clinging to the present and the material, while God was
 calling them to higher spiritual levels--and still, as ever,
 resisting the Holy Spirit, treating the Messiah as the patriarchs
 had treated Joseph, and the Hebrews Moses--the pity of it
 overwhelmed him, and his mingled grief and indignation broke out
 in words of fire, such as burned of old on the lips of the
 prophets" (Furneaux). Stephen, the accused, is now the accuser,
 and the situation becomes intolerable to the Sanhedrin.

04024
 \\Which of the prophets\\ (\\tina tn prophtn\\). Jesus
 # Lu 11:47; Mt 23:29-37
 had charged them with this very thing. Cf.
 # 2Ch 36:16
 \\Which shewed before\\ (\\prokataggeilantas\\). The very prophets who
 foretold the coming of the Messiah their fathers killed. \\The\\
 \\coming\\ (\\ts eleuses\\). Not in ancient Greek or LXX and only here
 in the N.T. (in a few late writers). \\Betrayers\\ (\\prodotai\\). Just
 like Judas Iscariot. He hurled this old biting word at them. In
 the N.T. only here and
 # Lu 6:16; 2Ti 3:4
 It cut like a knife. It is blunter than Peter in
 # Ac 3:13
 \\Murderers\\ (\\phoneis\\). The climax with this sharp word used of
 Barabbas
 # 3:14

04025
 \\Ye who\\ (\\hoitines\\). The very ones who, _quippe qui_, often in Acts
 when the persons are enlarged upon
 # 8:15; 9:35; 10:41,47
 \\As it was ordained by angels\\ (\\eis diatagas aggeln\\). About angels
 See note on "Ac 7:38"
 \\Diatag\\ (from \\diatass\\, to arrange, appoint) occurs in late
 Greek, LXX, inscriptions, papyri, Deissmann, _Light from the
 Ancient East_, pp. 89ff., and in N.T. only here and
 # Ro 13:2
 At (or as) the appointment of angels (cf.
 # Mt 10:41; 12:41
 for this use of \\eis\\). \\And kept it not\\ (\\kai ouk ephulaxate\\). Like
 a whipcracker these words cut to the quick. They gloried in
 possessing the law and openly violated it
 # Ro 2:23

04026
 \\When they heard\\ (\\akouontes\\). Present active participle of \\akou\\,
 while hearing. \\They were cut to the heart\\ (\\dieprionto tais\\
 \\kardiais\\). See
 # 5:33
 where the same word and form (imperfect passive of \\diapri\\) is
 used of the effect of Peter's speech on the Sadducees. Here
 Stephen had sent a saw through the hearts of the Pharisees that
 rasped them to the bone. \\They gnashed on him with their teeth\\
 (\\ebruchon tous odontas ep' auton\\). Imperfect (inchoative) active
 of \\bruch\\ (Attic \\bruk\\), to bite with loud noise, to grind or
 gnash the teeth. Literally, They began to gnash their teeth at
 (\\ep'\\) him (just like a pack of hungry, snarling wolves). Stephen
 knew that it meant death for him.

04027
 \\And Jesus standing\\ (\\kai Isoun hestta\\). Full of the Holy Spirit,
 gazing steadfastly into heaven, he saw God's glory and Jesus
 "standing" as if he had risen to cheer the brave Stephen.
 Elsewhere (save verse
 # 56
 also) he is pictured as sitting at the right hand of God (the
 Session of Christ) as in
 # Mt 26:64; Mr 16:19; Ac 2:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3

04028
 \\Opened\\ (\\dinoigmenous\\). Perfect passive predicate participle of
 \\dianoignumi\\ (cf.
 # Mt 3:16; Lu 3:21
 \\The son of man\\ (\\ton huion tou anthrpou\\). Elsewhere in the N.T.
 in Christ's own words. Here Stephen may refer to the words of
 Jesus as preserved in
 # Mt 26:64

04029
 \\Stopped their ears\\ (\\suneschon ta ta autn\\). Second aorist active
 of \\sunech\\, to hold together. They held their ears together with
 their hands and affected to believe Stephen guilty of blasphemy
 (cf.
 # Mt 26:65
 \\Rushed upon him with one accord\\ (\\hrmsan homothumadon ep'\\
 \\auton\\). Ingressive aorist active indicative of \\horma\\, to rush
 impetuously as the hogs did down the cliff when the demons
 entered them
 # Lu 8:33
 No vote was taken by the Sanhedrin. No scruple was raised about
 not having the right to put him to death
 # Joh 8:31
 It may have taken place after Pilate's recall and before his
 successor came or Pilate, if there, just connived at such an
 incident that did not concern Rome. At any rate it was mob
 violence like modern lynching that took the law into the hands of
 the Sanhedrin without further formalities. \\Out of the city\\ (\\ek\\
 \\ts poles\\). To keep from defiling the place with blood. But they
 sought to kill Paul as soon as they got him out of the temple
 area
 # Ac 21:30
 \\Stoned\\ (\\elithoboloun\\). Imperfect active indicative of \\lithobole\\,
 began to stone, from \\lithobolos\\ (\\lithos\\, stone, \\ball\\, to
 throw), late Greek verb, several times in the N.T. as
 # Lu 13:34
 Stoning was the Jewish punishment for blasphemy
 # Le 24:14-16
 \\The witnesses\\ (\\hoi martures\\). The false testifiers against
 Stephen suborned by the Pharisees
 # Ac 6:11,13
 These witnesses had the privilege of casting the first stones
 # De 13:10; 17:7
 against the first witness for Christ with death (_martyr_ in our
 modern sense of the word). \\At the feet of a young man named Saul\\
 (\\para tous podas neaniou kaloumenou Saulou\\). Beside (\\para\\) the
 feet. Our first introduction to the man who became the greatest
 of all followers of Jesus Christ. Evidently he was not one of the
 "witnesses" against Stephen, for he was throwing no stones at
 him. But evidently he was already a leader in the group of
 Pharisees. We know from later hints from Saul (Paul) himself that
 he had been a pupil of Gamaliel
 # Ac 22:3
 Gamaliel, as the Pharisaic leader in the Sanhedrin, was probably
 on hand to hear the accusations against Stephen by the Pharisees.
 But, if so, he does not raise his voice against this mob
 violence. Saul does not seem to be aware that he is going
 contrary to the views of his master, though pupils often go
 further than their teachers.

04030
04031
 \\They stoned\\ (\\elithoboloun\\). Same verb and tense repeated, they
 kept on stoning, they kept it up as he was calling upon the Lord
 Jesus and making direct prayer to him as "Lord Jesus" (\\Kurie\\
 \\Isou\\). \\Receive my spirit\\ (\\dexai to pneuma mou\\). Aorist middle
 imperative, urgency, receive it now. Many have followed Stephen
 into death with these words upon their dying lips. See,
 # 9:14,21; 22:16

04032
 \\Kneeled down\\ (\\theis ta gonata\\). Second aorist active participle
 of \\tithmi\\, placing the knees (on the ground). This idiom is not
 in the old Greek for kneeling, but Luke has it five times
 # Lu 22:41; Ac 7:60; 9:40; 22:36; 21:5
 and Mark once
 # 15:19
 Jesus was standing at the right hand of God and Stephen knelt
 before him in worship and called on him in prayer. \\Lay not this\\
 \\sin to their charge\\ (\\m stsis autois tautn tn hamartian\\).
 First aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive with \\m\\, regular
 Greek idiom, Place not to them or against them (dative \\autois\\)
 this sin. The very spirit of Jesus towards his enemies as he died
 upon the Cross
 # Lu 23:34
 \\He fell asleep\\ (\\ekoimth\\). First aorist passive indicative of
 \\koima\\, to put to sleep. Old verb and the metaphor of sleep for
 death is common in all languages, but it is peculiarly
 appropriate here as Jesus used it of Lazarus. See also
 # Ac 13:36; 1Co 15:18
 etc. Our word cemetery (\\koimtrion\\) is the sleeping place of the
 dead. Knowling calls \\ekoimth\\ here "a picture word of rest and
 calmness which stands in dramatic contrast to the rage and
 violence of the scene."

04033
 \\Was consenting\\ (\\n suneudokn\\). Periphrastic imperfect of
 \\suneudoke\\, a late double compound (\\sun, eu, doke\\) that well
 describes Saul's pleasure in the death (\\anairesis\\, taking off,
 only here in the N.T., though old word) of Stephen. For the verb
 See note on "Lu 23:32"
 Paul himself will later confess that he felt so
 # Ac 22:20
 coolly applauding the murder of Stephen, a heinous sin
 # Ro 1:32
 It is a gruesome picture. Chapter 7 should have ended here. \\On\\
 \\that day\\ (\\en ekeini ti hmeri\\). On that definite day, that
 same day as in
 # 2:41
 \\A great persecution\\ (\\digmos megas\\). It was at first persecution
 from the Sadducees, but this attack on Stephen was from the
 Pharisees so that both parties are now united in a general
 persecution that deserves the adjective "great."
 See note on "Mt 13:21"
  for the old word \\digmos\\ from \\dik\\, to chase, hunt, pursue,
 persecute. \\Were all scattered abroad\\ (\\pantes diesparsan\\). Second
 aorist passive indicative of \\diaspeir\\, to scatter like grain, to
 disperse, old word, in the N.T. only in
 # Ac 8:1,4; 11:19
 \\Except the apostles\\ (\\pln tn apostoln\\). Preposition \\pln\\
 (adverb from \\pleon\\, more) with the ablative often in Luke. It
 remains a bit of a puzzle why the Pharisees spared the apostles.
 Was it due to the advice of Gamaliel in
 # Ac 5:34-40
 ? Or was it the courage of the apostles? Or was it a combination
 of both with the popularity of the apostles in addition?

04034
 \\Devout\\ (\\eulabeis\\). Only four times in the N.T.
 # Lu 2:25; Ac 2:5; 8:2; 22:12
 Possibly some non-Christian Jews helped. The burial took place
 before the Christians were chiefly scattered. \\Buried\\
 (\\sunekomisan\\). Aorist active indicative of \\sunkomiz\\, old verb to
 bring together, to collect, to join with others in carrying, to
 bury (the whole funeral arrangements). Only here in the N.T.
 \\Lamentation\\ (\\kopeton\\). Late word from \\koptomai\\, to beat the
 breast, in LXX, Plutarch, etc., only here in the N.T.

04035
 \\Laid waste\\ (\\elumaineto\\). Imperfect middle of \\lumainomai\\, old verb
 (from \\lum\\, injury), to dishonour, defile, devastate, ruin. Only
 here in the N.T. Like the laying waste of a vineyard by a wild
 boar
 # Ps 79:13
 Picturesque description of the havoc carried on by Saul now the
 leader in the persecution. He is victor over Stephen now who had
 probably worsted him in debate in the Cilician synagogue in
 Jerusalem. \\Into every house\\ (\\kata tous oikous\\). But Luke terms it
 "the church" (\\tn ekklsian\\). Plainly not just an "assembly," but
 an organized body that was still "the church" when scattered in
 their own homes, "an unassembled assembly" according to the
 etymology. Words do not remain by the etymology, but travel on
 with usage. \\Haling\\ (\\surn\\). Literally, dragging forcibly
 (=hauling). Present active participle of \\sur\\, old verb. \\Men and\\
 \\women\\ (\\andras kai gunaikas\\). A new feature of the persecution
 that includes the women. They met it bravely as through all the
 ages since (cf.
 # 9:2; 22:4
 This fact will be a bitter memory for Paul always. \\Committed\\
 (\\paredidou\\). Imperfect active of \\paradidmi\\, old verb, kept on
 handing them over to prison.

04036
 \\They therefore\\ (\\hoi men oun\\). Demonstrative \\hoi\\ as often
 # 1:6
 etc.) though it will make sense as the article with the
 participle \\diasparentes\\. The general statement is made here by
 \\men\\ and a particular instance (\\de\\) follows in verse
 # 5
 The inferential particle (\\oun\\) points back to verse
 # 3
 the persecution by young Saul and the Pharisees. Jesus had
 commanded the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem till they
 received the Promise of the Father
 # 1:4
 but they had remained long after that and were not carrying the
 gospel to the other peoples
 # 1:8
 Now they were pushed out by Saul and began as a result to carry
 out the Great Commission for world conquest, that is those
 "scattered abroad" (\\diasparentes\\, second aorist passive
 participle of \\diaspeir\\). This verb means disperse, to sow in
 separate or scattered places (\\dia\\) and so to drive people hither
 and thither. Old and very common verb, especially in the LXX, but
 in the N.T. only in
 # Ac 8:1,4; 11:19
 \\Went about\\ (\\dilthon\\). Constative second aorist active of
 \\dierchomai\\, to go through (from place to place, \\dia\\). Old and
 common verb, frequent for missionary journeys in the Acts
 # 5:40; 8:40; 9:32; 11:19; 13:6
 \\Preaching the word\\ (\\euaggelizomenoi ton logon\\). Evangelizing or
 gospelizing the word (the truth about Christ). In
 # 11:19
 Luke explains more fully the extent of the labours of these new
 preachers of the gospel. They were emergency preachers, not
 ordained clergymen, but men stirred to activity by the zeal of
 Saul against them. The blood of the martyrs (Stephen) was already
 becoming the seed of the church. "The violent dispersion of these
 earnest disciples resulted in a rapid diffusion of the gospel"
 (Alvah Hovey).

04037
 \\Philip\\ (\\Philippos\\). The deacon
 # 6:5
 and evangelist
 # 21:8
 not the apostle of the same name
 # Mr 3:18
 \\To the city of Samaria\\ (\\eis tn polin ts Samarias\\). Genitive of
 apposition. Samaria is the name of the city here. This is the
 first instance cited of the expansion noted in verse
 # 4
 Jesus had an early and fruitful ministry in Samaria
 # Joh 4
 though the twelve were forbidden to go into a Samaritan city
 during the third tour of Galilee
 # Mt 10:5
 a temporary prohibition withdrawn before Jesus ascended on high
 # Ac 1:8
 \\Proclaimed\\ (\\ekrussen\\). Imperfect active, began to preach and
 kept on at it. Note \\euaggelizomenoi\\ in verse
 # 4
 of missionaries of good news (Page) while \\ekrussen\\ here presents
 the preacher as a herald. He is also a teacher (\\didaskalos\\) like
 Jesus. Luke probably obtained valuable information from Philip
 and his daughters about these early days when in his home in
 Caesarea
 # Ac 21:8

04038
 \\Gave heed\\ (\\proseichon\\). Imperfect active as in verses
 # 10,11
 there with dative of the person (\\auti\\), here with the dative of
 the thing (\\tois legomenois\\). There is an ellipse of \\noun\\ (mind).
 They kept on giving heed or holding the mind on the things said
 by Philip, spell-bound, in a word. \\When they heard\\ (\\en ti\\
 \\akouein autous\\). Favourite Lukan idiom, \\en\\ and the locative case
 of the articlar infinitive with the accusative of general
 reference "in the hearing as to them." \\Which he did\\ (\\ha epoiei\\).
 Imperfect active again, which he kept on doing from time to time.
 Philip wrought real miracles which upset the schemes of Simon
 Magus.

04039
 \\For many\\ (\\polloi gar\\). So the correct text of the best MSS., but
 there is an anacoluthon as this nominative has no verb with it.
 It was "the unclean spirits" that "came out" (\\exrchonto\\,
 imperfect middle). The margin of the Revised Version has it "came
 forth," as if they came out of a house, a rather strained
 translation. The loud outcry is like the demons cast out by Jesus
 # Mr 3:11; Lu 4:41
 \\Palsied\\ (\\paralelumenoi\\, perfect passive participle). Luke's usual
 word, loosened at the side, with no power over the muscles.
 Furneaux notes that "the servant was reaping where the Master had
 sown. Samaria was the mission field white for the harvest
 # Joh 4:35
 " The Samaritans who had been bewitched by Simon are now carried
 away by Philip.

04040
04041
 \\Simon\\ (\\Simn\\). One of the common names (Josephus, _Ant_. XX. 7,
 2) and a number of messianic pretenders had this name. A large
 number of traditions in the second and third centuries gathered
 round this man and Baur actually proposed that the Simon of the
 Clementine Homilies is really the apostle Paul though Paul
 triumphed over the powers of magic repeatedly
 # Ac 13:6-12; 19:11-19
 "a perfect absurdity" (Spitta, _Apostelgeschichte_, p. 149). One
 of the legends is that this Simon Magus of Acts is the father of
 heresy and went to Rome and was worshipped as a god (so Justin
 Martyr). But a stone found in the Tiber A.D. 1574 has an
 inscription to _Semoni Sanco Deo Fidio Sacrum_ which is (Page)
 clearly to Hercules, Sancus being a Sabine name for Hercules.
 This Simon in Samaria is simply one of the many magicians of the
 time before the later gnosticism had gained a foothold. "In his
 person Christianity was for the first time confronted with
 superstition and religious imposture, of which the ancient world
 was at this period full" (Furneaux). \\Which beforetime used\\
 \\sorcery\\ (\\prouprchen mageun\\). An ancient idiom (periphrastic),
 the present active participle \\mageun\\ with the imperfect active
 verb from \\prouparch\\, the idiom only here and
 # Lu 23:12
 in the N.T. Literally "Simon was existing previously practising
 magic." This old verb \\mageu\\ is from \\magos\\ (a \\magus\\, seer,
 prophet, false prophet, sorcerer) and occurs here alone in the
 N.T. \\Amazed\\ (existann). Present active participle of the verb
 \\existan\\, later form of \\existmi\\, to throw out of position,
 displace, upset, astonish, chiefly in the Gospels in the N.T.
 Same construction as \\mageun\\. \\Some great one\\ (\\tina megan\\).
 Predicate accusative of general reference (infinitive in indirect
 discourse). It is amazing how gullible people are in the presence
 of a manifest impostor like Simon. The Magi were the priestly
 order in the Median and Persian empires and were supposed to have
 been founded by Zoroaster. The word \\magoi\\ (magi) has a good sense
 in
 # Mt 2:1
 but here and in
 # Ac 13:6
 it has the bad sense like our "magic."

04042
 \\That power of God which is called Great\\ (\\h Dunamis tou theou h\\
 \\kaloumen Megal\\). Apparently here already the oriental doctrine
 of emanations or aeons so rampant in the second century. This
 "power" was considered a spark of God himself and Jerome (in
 # Mt 24
 quotes Simon (Page) as saying: _Ego sum sermo Dei, ... ego
 omnipotens, ego omnia Dei_. Simon claimed to _impersonate God_.

04043
 \\Because that of long time he had amazed them with his sorceries\\
 (\\dia to hikani chroni tais magiais exestakenai autous\\). Causal
 use of \\dia\\ with the accusative articular infinitive (perfect
 active _Koin_ form and transitive, \\exestakenai\\). Same verb as in
 verse
 # 9
 participle \\existann\\ and in verse
 # 13
 imperfect passive \\existato\\ (cf. also
 # 2:7
 already). \\Chroni\\ is associative instrumental and \\magiais\\
 instrumental case.

04044
 \\They were baptized\\ (\\ebaptizonto\\). Imperfect passive (repetition,
 from time to time), while \\believed\\ (\\episteusan\\) is constative
 aorist antecedent to the baptism. Note dative case of Philip with
 \\episteusan\\. Note the gospel of Philip "concerning the kingdom of
 God, and the name of Jesus Christ."

04045
 \\And Simon also himself believed\\ (\\Ho de Simn kai autos\\
 \\episteusen\\). Note the same verb in the aorist tense \\episteusen\\.
 What did he believe? Evidently that Jesus was this "power of God"
 not himself (Simon). He saw that the miracles wrought by Philip
 in the name of Christ were genuine while he knew that his own
 were frauds. He wanted this power that Philip had to add to his
 own pretensions. "He was probably half victim of self-delusion,
 half conscious impostor" (Furneaux). He was determined to get
 this new "power," but had no sense of personal need of Jesus as
 Saviour for his sins. So he submitted to baptism (\\baptistheis\\,
 first aorist passive participle of \\baptiz\\), clear proof that
 baptism does not convey salvation. \\He continued with Philip\\ (\\n\\
 \\proskartern ti Philippi\\). Periphrastic imperfect of the verb
 \\proskartere\\ (
 See note on "Ac 2:46"
 ). He stuck to Philip (dative case) to find out the secret of his
 power. \\Beholding\\ (\\thern\\). Watching the signs and miracles
 (powers, \\dunameis\\ that threw his "power" in the shade) as they
 were wrought (\\ginomenas\\, present middle participle of \\ginomai\\).
 The more he watched the more the wonder grew (\\existato\\). He had
 "amazed" (verse
 # 9
 the people by his tricks and he was himself more "amazed" than
 they by Philip's deeds.

04046
 \\That Samaria had received\\ (\\hoti dedektai h Samaria\\). The
 district here, not the city as in verse
 # 5
 Perfect middle indicative of \\dechomai\\ retained in indirect
 discourse. It was a major event for the apostles for now the
 gospel was going into Samaria as Jesus had predicted
 # 1:8
 Though the Samaritans were nominally Jews, they were not held so
 by the people. The sending of Peter and John was no reflection on
 Philip, but was an appropriate mission since "many Christian Jews
 would be scandalized by the admission of Samaritans" (Furneaux).
 If Peter and John sanctioned it, the situation would be improved.
 John had once wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan
 village
 # Lu 9:54

04047
 \\That they might receive\\ (\\hops labsin\\). Second aorist active
 subjunctive of \\lamban\\, final clause with \\hops\\. Did they wish
 the Samaritan Pentecost to prove beyond a doubt that the
 Samaritans were really converted when they believed? They had
 been baptized on the assumption that the Holy Spirit had given
 them new hearts. The coming of the Holy Spirit with obvious signs
 (cf.
 # 10:44-48
 as in Jerusalem would make it plain.

04048
 \\He was fallen\\ (\\n epipeptkos\\). Periphrastic past perfect active
 of \\epipipt\\, old verb. The participle is neuter here because of
 the grammatical gender of \\pneuma\\, but the translation should be
 "he" (natural gender), not "it." We should not use "it" for the
 Holy Spirit. \\Only they had been baptized\\ (\\monon de babaptismenoi\\
 \\huprchon\\). Periphrastic past perfect passive of \\baptiz\\ with
 \\huparch\\ (see verse
 # 9
 \\prouprchon\\), instead of \\san\\. \\Into the name\\ (\\eis to onoma\\).
 Better, in the name (
 See note on "Ac 2:38"
 ).

04049
 \\Laid they their hands\\ (\\epetithesan tas cheiras\\). Imperfect
 active, repetition. The laying on of hands did not occur at the
 great Pentecost
 # 2:4,33
 nor in
 # 4:31; 10:44
 nor is it mentioned in
 # 1Co 12; 14
 It is mentioned in
 # Ac 6:7
 about the deacons and in
 # 13:3
 when Barnabas and Saul left Antioch. And in Saul's case it was
 Ananias who laid his hands on him
 # 9:17
 Hence it cannot be concluded that the Holy Spirit was received
 only by the laying on of the hands of the apostles or by the
 hands of anyone. The so-called practice of "confirmation" appeals
 to this passage, but inconclusively. \\They received\\ (\\elambanon\\).
 Imperfect active, repetition as before and \\pari passu\\ with the
 laying on of the hands.
