35 And when the town-clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.

37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

35. When the town-clerk] Literally, the scribe. It is easier, says Bloomfield, to determine the rank and duties of this office than to represent the term by any corresponding word in our modern languages. From ancient writers, it appears that he was president of the senate, and that he performed most of the duties of a chief justice and secretary of state. He may have been called scribe from being the keeper of the public archives, containing public documents, such as treaties, decrees, &c. He was, undoubtedly, the highest officer of the town. He may not have been present at the first gathering of the crowd, and his presence, and commanding office and voice, served to calm the multitude. He shows great wisdom and decision in the course he pursued. Ye men of Ephesus] He shows them that their continued protestations were needless, for everybody knew they were worshipers of the goddess Diana, and therefore there was no need of rash and hasty counsels; the accused persons had not yet diminished the attachment of the city to her deity. Besides, these men appeared to be harmless; and if they had infringed upon the rights of any one, the civil tribunal was open for Demetrius or any one else to make his charges. Lastly, they were laying themselves liable to serious consequences by such insurrectionary movements. Is a worshiper] The Greek word is applied to cities or states which were devoted to the worship of a particular deity. It was customary for cities to select a divinity as their especial protector, and they paid particular regard and worship to this chosen god. Diana was the divinity of Ephesus. And of the image which fell down from Jupiter?] This was the feigned report of the pagan priests: the time of the formation of the image and its maker being lost, no one could contradict the fable, and greater reverence was thus secured in its behalf.

37. These men] Gaius and Aristarchus. Verse 29. Robbers of churches] That is, of temples. Nor yet blasphemers of your goddess] They had not reviled, or used scurrilous language against Diana. They had preached Jesus and the only true God, but had dealt in no invectives against any particular deity. They had enlightened the

38 Wherefore, if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

39 But if ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.

41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

minds of their followers, and these had of their own accord cast off all their idolatries.

38. The law is open] In the margin it reads, “The court days are kept" for attending to such complaints; then is the proper time for such a charge to be tried, and not in the public theatre, before the multitude. And there are deputies] Proconsuls; the Roman provincial officers, who were the proper judges of such cases. Let them implead one another] That is, institute legal proceedings.

39. Concerning other matters] Not appropriate to a civil court. In a lawful assembly] Literally, in the lawful assembly. Let a public meeting be called by the constituted officers of the town; the authority to summon extraordinary meetings to consider public affairs resting with the officers of the city. The secretary more than hints that the gathering at this time was illegal. Three days every month, also, were appointed to hear such cases.

40. For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar] By the Roman proconsul. The Roman laws being very severe toward rioters, the offense being punished with death. There being no cause] No sufficient cause for such a tumultuary movement, as a fire, an invasion, an inundation, or anything of that nature, which the Roman law considered sufficient justification for a sudden concourse of people. But there was no such cause here.

CHAPTER XX.

1. Paul goes to Macedonia. 3. Sails again for Syria. 6. Comes to Troas ; preaches all night. 9. Eutychus falls from the window, is killed, and brought to life by Paul. 17. Reaches Miletus, sends for the elders of Ephesus, and addresses them. 32. Commends them to God, and leaves them in tears.

AND after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.

2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,

3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.

4 And there accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea;

1. After the uproar was ceased] The tumult excited by Demetrius. This evidently induced Paul, probably at the suggestion of the brethren, to leave Ephesus somewhat sooner than he intended, as the prospect of doing good was obstructed by the inflamed state of the community. Embraced them] Bade them farewell with his usual affectionate embraces.

2. Had gone over those parts] The cities and districts of Macedonia, as he had previously determined. (See Acts xix, 21.) Came intɔ Greece] That is, into Greece proper, or Achaia; lying south of Macedonia.

3. Laid wait for him] Laid in ambush to seize him. He purposed to return through Macedonia] His purpose seems to have been to embark from a port in Greece for Syria on his journey to Jerusalem; but learning of the plot of the Jews to waylay or attack him on ship-board, and probably to kill him, as Dr. Clarke supposes, to obtain the money collected throughout the churches for the poor saints at Jerusalem, he altered his plan, and traveled back to Macedonia, and from thence to Troas, where he embarked for Syria, thus disappointing their malignant intentions.

4. And there accompanied him into Asia] Original, as far as Asia. In the fifth verse it is said that the companions of their journey preceded them to Troas, so that they could not have accompanied them into Asia; but they went with them to Philippi, the last town in Europe visited in their journey, and they immediately proceeded to Troas in Asia, while Paul and Luke tarried awhile behind; so that it might be properly said that they accompanied them to Asia, or as

and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.

5 These going before, tarried for us at Troas.

6 And we sailed away from Philippi, after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, (ready to depart on the morrow,) and continued his speech until midnight.

far as Asia Sopater of Berea] Probably the same as Sosipater, a kinsman of Paul. Rom. xvi, 21. Aristarchus] (See Acts xix, 29.) Gaius of Derbe] Of Asia Minor. In Acts xix, 29, we read of Gaius of Macedonia; they may be the same persons, Gaius being born in one place, and a resident of the other. Tychicus] An intimate and esteemed friend of Paul. Eph. vi, 21, 22; Titus iii, 12. Trophimus] (See Acts xxi, 29; 2 Tim. iv, 20.)

5. Tarried for us] Paul and Luke, the latter of whom may have remained in Philippi until the present time, (since Paul left, after he and Silas were miraculously liberated from the prison, Acts xvi,) practicing his profession as a physician, and building up the church; but upon the return of Paul to Philippi again, he once more becomes his traveling companion and speaks as an eye-witness of the events that follow.

6. After the days of unleavened bread] After the passover, during which unleavened bread was eaten seven days. Acts xii, 3. The feast is mentioned here to mark the period, or the time of the year, when they embarked: just as we say, after Christmas or New-Year. The feast commenced with the new moon, in April.

7. Upon the first day of the week] That is, upon our sabbath; which, it appears from this, had been before this set apart and consecrated to divine worship, and to the administration of the gospel ordinances. To break bread] To partake of the Lord's supper. They probably received, as this intimates, the sacrament of the Lord's supper every sabbath. Preached-ready to depart on the morrow] How eager to improve every moment in doing good! He seeks no rest preparatory to his tedious journey; but is in labors more abundant. Continued his speech until midnight] Probably not a set discourse; but the time, perhaps about six hours, allowing for the interruptions, was passed in answering questions upon the doctrines and practices of the dis ciples, Paul being the chief speaker. The circumstances were pecu

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him, said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

liar, and justified this laborious night. The apostle had but a short period to remain with this infant church, and many things were to be set in order.

8. And there were many lights] For reasons of obvious convenience and propriety.

9. Sat in a window] They had at this time no windows of glass. The place where the young man sat was near a lattice, or opening in the wall, to let in light and air, the door being left open on account of the heat caused by the numbers who were there, and the many lights. These apertures reached usually to the floor, and often were built out from the building, and overhung the street. From the third loft] The third story. Was taken up dead] Not in a swoon, or for dead, as some suppose, but with life entirely extinct, from his great fall upon the pavement below. No other sense can be applied to these words without doing injustice to the account of St. Luke.

10. Paul-fell on him, &c.] As Elisha did on the Shunamite's son. 2 Kings iv, 33, 35. Trouble not yourselves] No doubt great anxiety had been felt and manifested by the company assembled. Paul bids them cease to be anxious. Such a death might have offered too good an opportunity for the enemies of the gospel in Philippi to raise a tumult against the Christians; this may have caused, in part, the trouble of the audience. Life is in him] That is, it has returned to him again.

11. Broken bread, and eaten] Not the Lord's supper. This probably had been attended to before. But Paul himself, fatigued and hungered by his long address, took food preparatory to his journey. Talked a long while] That is, conversed familiarly on religious subjects, not in regular set discourse.

12. And they brought the young man] To his home.