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Paul leaves Cæsarea,

A. M. cir. 4064.

A. D. cir. 60.

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12 And when we heard these things, || one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disci- A. M.cir. 4064. An. Olymp. both we, and they of that place, be- ple, with whom we should lodge.

cir. CCIX. 4.

salem.

sought him not to go up to Jeru

a

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A. D. cir. 60. An. Olymp. cir. CCIX. 4.

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to 18 And the day following, Paul went in with weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready, us unto James; and all the elders were prenot to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusa-sent. lem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

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19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

* Ch.20. 24.- Matt. 6. 10. & 26. 42. Luke 11. 2. & 22. 42. ch. 15. 4.4 ch. 15. 13. Gal. 1. 19. & 2. 9.

Ch. 15. 4, 12. Rom. 15. 18, 19. ch. 22. 3. Rom. 10. 2.

ch. 1. 17. ch. 20. 24. Gal. 1. 14.

This is

us to one Mnason, with whom we were to lodge. most likely, as the text will bear this translation. But it is

This was no doubt a prophet, in the commonly received sense of the term; and his mode of acting was like that of the ancient prophets, who often accompanied their predic-possible that Mnason, formerly of Cyprus, now an inhabitions with significant emblems. Jeremiah was commanded to bury his girdle by the river Euphrates, to mark out the captivity of the Jews. Jerem. xiii. 4. For more examples of this figurative or symbolical prophesying, see Jerem. xxvii. 2, 3. xxviii. 4. Isai. xx. Ezek. iv. xii. &c.

Into the hands of the Gentiles.] That is, the Romans, for the Jews had not, properly speaking, the power of life and death. And as Agabus said, he should be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles, he shewed thereby that they would attempt to destroy his life. This prediction of Agabus was literally fulfilled, see ver. 33.

Verse 12. Besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.] For they all understood the prophecy to be conditional and contingent; and that it was in Paul's power to turn the scale. Verse 13. I am ready not to be bound only] He was resolute and determined; but was under no constraining necessity. See the note on ver. 4.

Verse 14. The will of the Lord be done.] May that which is most for his glory take place! They plainly saw from the prophecy what would take place, if Paul went to Jerusalem; and every one saw that he had power to go, or not to go. Verse 15. Took up our carriages] ArorжEvarausvos; we made ourselves ready; packed up our things; got our baggage in order. This is what the text means.

Verse 16. And brought with them one Mnason, &c.] It is not very likely that they would bring a man with them, with whom they were to lodge in Jerusalem; therefore, the text should perhaps be read as Bp. Patrick proposes: There went with us certain of the disciples of Cæsarea, bringing

tant of Jerusalem, might have been down at Cæsarea, met the disciples, and invited them to lodge with him while they were at Jerusalem; and having transacted his business at Cæsarea, might now accompany them to Jerusalem. His being an old disciple, may either refer to his having been a very early convert, probably one of those on the day of Pentecost; or to his being now an old man.

Verse 18. Went in with us unto James] This was James the less, son of Mary, and cousin to our Lord. He appears to have been bishop of the church in Jerusalem: and perhaps the only apostle who continued in that city. We have al ready seen what a very important character he sustained in the council. See chap. xv. 13.

All the elders were present.] It appears that they had been convened about matters of serious and important moment and some think it was relative to Paul himself; of whose arrival they had heard, and well knew how many of those that believed were disaffected towards him.

Verse 19. Declared particularly, &c.] He no doubt had heard that they were prejudiced against him; and by declaring what God had done by him among the Gentiles, shewed how groundless this prejudice was: for were he a bad man, or doing any thing that he should not do, God would not have made him such a singular instrument of so much good.

Verse 20. How many thousands] Пocal μupiades; how many myriads, how many times 10,000. This intimates that there had been a most extraordinary and rapid work even among the Jews: but what is here spoken is not to be con

On the advice of the brethren,

A. M. cir. 4064. A. D. cir. 60.

cir. CCIX. 4.

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A. M.cir. 4061. A. D. cir. 60.

21 And they are informed of thee, have four men which have a vow on

An. Olymp. that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come.

them;

b

An. Olymp. cir. CCIX. 4.

24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the

23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We law.

a Gal. 2. 3. & 5. 1.

Num. 6. 2, 13, 18. ch. 18. 18.

fined to the Jews of Jerusalem; but to all that had come from different parts of the land, to be present at this Pen

tecost.

They are all zealous of the law.] The Jewish economy was not yet destroyed; nor had God as yet signified that the whole of its observances were done away. He continued to tolerate that dispensation, which was to be in a certain measure in force till the destruction of Jerusalem; and from that period it was impossible for them to observe their own ritual. Thus God abolished the Mosaic dispensation, by rendering, in the course of his providence, the observation of it impossible.

Verse 21. Thou teachest--to forsake Moses, &c.] From any thing that appears in the course of this book to the contrary, this information was incorrect: we do not find Paul preaching thus to the Jews. It is true, that, in his Epistles, some of which had been written before this time, he shewed that circumcision and uncircumcision were equally unavailable for the salvation of the soul; and that by the deeds of the law no man could be justified; but he had not yet said to any Jew, forsake Moses, and do not circumcise your children. He told them that Jesus Christ had delivered them from the yoke of the law; but they had, as yet, liberty to wear that yoke, if they pleased. He had shewed them that their ceremonies were useless, but not destructive; that they were only dangerous, when they depended on them for salvation. This is the sum of what Paul had taught on this subject.

Verse 22. The multitude must needs come together] Whether this refers to a regular convocation of the church; or to a tumult that would infallibly take place when it was heard that the apostle was come, we cannot pretend to say: but it is evident that James and the Elders wished some prudent steps to be taken, in order to prevent an evil that they had too much reason to fear.

Verse 23. We have four men which have a vow] From the shaving of the head, mentioned immediately after, it is evident that the four men in question, were under the vow of

Nazariteship; and that the days of their vow were nearly at an end, as they were about to shave their heads; for, during the time of the Nazariteship, the hair was permitted to grow, and only shaven off at the termination of the vow. Among the Jews, it was common to make vows to God on extraordinary occasions; and that of the Nazarite appears to have been one of the most common; and it was permitted by their law, for any person to perform this vow by proxy. See the law produced in my note on Numb. vi. 21. "It was also customary for the richer sort to bestow their charity on the poorer sort for this purpose; for Josephus, Ant. lib. xix. cap. 6. sect. 1. observes, that Agrippa, on his being advanced from a prison to a throne, by the emperor Claudius, came to Jerusalem; and there, among other instances of his religious thankfulness shewn in the temple, Nakapaiwv Eupara dieTage μaña ouxvous, he ordered very many Nazarites to be shaven; he furnishing them with money for the expences of that, and of the sacrifices necessarily attending it." See Bp. Pearce.

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Verse 24. Be at charges with them] Or, rather, be at charges for them: help them to bear the expence of that vow. Eight lambs, four rams, besides oil, flour, &c. were the expences on this occasion. See the notes on Numb. vi.

Thou walkest orderly, and keepest the law.] Perhaps this advice meant no more than, Shew them by such means as are now in thy power, that thou art not an enemy to Moses; that thou dost still consider the law to be holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. Paul did so, and bore the expences of those, who, from a scruple of conscience, had made a vow, and perhaps were not well able to bear the expence attending it. Had they done this in order to acquire justification through the law; Paul could not have assisted them in any measure with a clear conscience: but as he did assist them, it is a proof that they had not taken this vow on them for this purpose. Indeed, vows rather referred to a sense of obligation, and the gratitude due to God for mercies already received, than to the procuring of future favours of any kind. Besides, God had not yet fully shewn,

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that the law was abolished, as has already been remarked; he tolerated it till the time that the iniquity of the Jews was filled up; and then, by the destruction of Jerusalem, he swept every rite and ceremony of the Jewish law away, with the besom of destruction.

Verse 25. As touching the Gentiles] See the notes on chap. xv. and the additional observations at the end of that chapter.

Verse 26. To signify the accomplishment, &c.] AlayуeλAWY declaring the accomplishment, &c. As this declaration was made to the priest, the sense of the passage is the following, if we suppose Paul to have made an offering for himself, as well as the four men. "The next day, Paul taking the four men, began to purify, set himself apart, or consecrate himself with them; entering into the temple, he publicly declared to the priests, that he would observe the separation of a Nazarite, and continue it for seven days, at the end of which he would bring an offering for himself and the other four men, according to what the law prescribed in that case." But it is likely that Paul made no offering for himself, but was merely at the expence of theirs. However we may consider this subject, it is exceedingly difficult to account for the conduct of James and the Elders, and of Paul, on this occasion. There seems to have been something in this transaction, which we do not fully understand.

Verse 27. The Jews which were of Asia] These pursued him with the most deliberate and persevering malice in every place; and it appears that it was through them, that the false reports were sent to, and circulated through Jerusalem.

Verse 28. This is the man that teacheth, &c.] As much as if they had said, This is the man concerning whom we wrote to you; who in every place endeavours to prejudice the

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and seize upon Paul.

A. D. cir. 60.

people, and laid hands on him, A.M.cir.4064. 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: An. Olymp. This is the man, that teacheth all cir.CCIX.4. men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

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30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple and forthwith the doors were shut.

31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings

e Ch. 26. 21.

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Gentiles against the Jews, against the Mosaic law, and against the temple and its services.

Brought Greeks also into the temple] This was a most deliberate and malicious untruth: Paul could accomplish no purpose by bringing any Greek or Gentile into the temple; and their having seen Trophimus, an Ephesian, with him, in the city only, was no ground on which to raise a slander, that must so materially affect both their lives. Josephus informs us, War, lib. v. cap. 5. sect. 2. that on the wall which separated the court of the Gentiles from that of the Israelites, was an inscription in Greek and Latin letters, which stated that no stranger was permitted to come within the holy place, on pain of death. With such a prohibition as this before his eyes, was it likely that St. Paul would enter into the temple, in company with an uncircumcised Greek? The calumny refutes itself.

Verse 30. They took Paul] They tumultuously seized on him; and drew him out of the temple, out of the court of the Israelites, where he was worshipping: and the doors were shut; the doors of the court of the Gentiles, probably to prevent Paul from getting any succour from his friends in the city; for their whole proceedings shew that they purposed to murder him: they brought him out of the court of the Israelites, that court being peculiarly holy, that it might not be defiled by his blood; and they shut the court of the Gentiles, that they might have the opportunity unmolested of killing him in that place; for the court of the Gentiles was reckoned to be less holy than that of the Israelites.

Verse 31. The chief captain of the band] The Roman tribune, who had a troop of soldiers under him, which lodged in general in the castle of Antonia, which was built at the angle where the northern and western por ticos of the outer-court of the temple were joined toge

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ther. This castle was built by John Hyrcanus, high-priest of the Jews it was at first called Baris, and was the royal residence of the Asmoneans, as long as they reigned in Jerusalem. It was beautified by Herod the Great; and called Antonia, in honour of his friend Mark Anthony. By this castle the temple was commanded, as it stood on higher ground. Josephus describes this castle, War, B. v. chap. 5. sect. 8. "As having four towers, from one of which the whole temple was overlooked; and that one of the towers was joined to the porticos of the temple, and had a double pair of stairs from it, by which soldiers in the garrison were used to come down with their arms to the porticos, on the festival days, to keep the people quiet for, as the temple was a guard to the city, so this castle was a guard to the temple." "It seems, therefore," says Bp. Pearce," to me very plain, that the place where the Jews were about to kill Paul, was the court of the Gentiles, the porticos being there; and that the chief captain came down there to his rescue." The name of this chief captain or tribune, was Claudius Lysias, as we learn from chap.

xxiii. 26.

Verse 36. Away with him.] That is, kill him; dispatch him! for so much this phrase always means in the mouths of a Jewish mob. See on Luke xxiii. 18. & John xix. 15.

Verse 37. Canst thou speak Greek 2] Claudius Lysias was not a Roman; he had, as himself informs us, purchased his citizenship of Rome, with a great sum of money; (see chap. xxii. 28.) and it is very likely that he was but imperfectly acquainted with the Latin tongue; and the tumult that was now made, and the discordant noise, prevented him from clearly apprehending what was said; and as he wished to know the merit of the cause, he accosted Paul with 'Eaλru151 yivwoxes; dost thou understand Greek? And when he found that he did understand it, he proceeded to question him as below.

Verse 32. Ran down unto them] Ran down the stairs to city. the porticos, mentioned above.

Verse 33. And took him] With great violence, according to chap. xxiv. 7. probably meaning an armed force.

To be bound with two chains] To be bound between two soldiers; his right hand chained to the left hand of the one, and his left hand to the right of the other. See the note on chap. xii. 6.

- Verse 35. And when he came upon the stairs] Those mentioned in the note on ver. 31.

Verse 38. Art not thou that Egyptian, &c.] The history to which Claudius Lysias refers, is taken from Josephus, Ant. lib. xx. cap. 7. sect. 6. and War, lib. ii. cap. 13. sect. 5. and is in substance as follows: An Egyptian, whose name is not known, pretended to be a prophet, and told his followers that the walls of Jerusalem would fall down before them, if they would assist him in making an attack on the He had address enough to raise a rabble of 30,000 men, and with these advanced as far as the Mount of Olives; but Felix the Roman governor, came suddenly upon him, with a large body of Roman troops, both infantry and cavalry: the mob was speedily dispersed, four hundred killed, two hundred taken prisoners, and the Egyptian himself, with some of his most faithful friends escaped; of whom no account was ever afterwards heard. As Lysias found such an outcry made against Paul, he supposed that he must be some egregious malefactor; and probably that

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city among them, (the Cilicians.) And AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS, xiv. 8. says, Ciliciam Tarsus nobilitat, urbs perspicabilis: "Tarsus, a very respectable city, adorns Cilicia." Verse 40. Paul stood on the stairs] Where he was out of the reach of the mob; and was surrounded by the Roman soldiers.

Beckoned with the hand] Waving the hand, which was the sign that he was about to address the people. So VIRGIL says of Turnus, when he wished, by single combat between himself and Eneas, to put an end to the war:

Egyptian who had escaped, as related above. Learned men agree that St. Luke refers to the same fact, of which Josephus speaks; but there is a considerable difference between the numbers in Josephus, and those in Luke: the former having 30,000, the latter only 4,000. The small number of killed and prisoners, only 600 in all, according to Josephus, leads us to suspect that his number is greatly exaggerated; as 600 in killed and prisoners of a mob of 30,000, routed by regular infantry and cavalry, is no kind of proportion; but it is a sufficient proportion to a mob of 4,000. Dean Aldridge has supposed that the number in Josephus was originally 4,000, but, that ancient copyists, mistaking the Greek A delta, four, for A lambda, thirty, wrote 30,000, instead of 4000. See Haverkamp's edition, vol. ii. p. 177. There is another way of reconciling the two historians, which is this: When this Egyptian impostor at first began to make great boasts and large promises, a multitude of people, to the amount at least of 30,000, weary of the Roman He spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue] What was called yoke, from which he promised them deliverance, readily ar- then the Hebrew, viz. the Chaldæo-Syriac; very well exranged themselves under his banners. As he performed no-pressed by the Codex Bezæ, ridia diaλenry, in their own thing that he promised, 26,000 of these had melted away before he reached Mount Olivet: this remnant the Romans attacked and dispersed. Josephus speaks of the number he had in the beginning; St. Luke, of those that he had when he arrived at Mount Olivet.

That were murderers?] Eixapiwv: sicarii, assassins: they derived their name from sicu, a sort of crooked knife, which they concealed under their garments, and privately stabbed the objects of their malice. Josephus.

Significatque manu, et magno sic incipit ore:
Parcite jam, Rutuli; et vos tela inhibete, Latini.
He beckoned with his hand, and cried out with a loud
voice,

Desist, ye Rutulians; and, ye Latins, cease from throw-
ing your javelins.

dialect.

Never was there a more unnatural division than that in this chapter: it ends with a single comma! The best division would have been at the end of the 25th verse.

Paul's embarkation at Tyre is very remarkable. The simple manner in which he was escorted to the ship by the disciples of Tyre, men, women, and children, and their affectionate and pious parting, kneeling down on the shore and

Verse 39. I am a man which am a Jew] A periphrasis for commending each other to God, are both impressive and ediI am a Jew. See the note on chap. vii. 2.

fying. Nothing but Christianity could have produced such Of Tarsus--no mean city] In the notes on chap. ix. 11. a spirit in persons, who now, perhaps for the first time, saw I have shewn that Tarsus was a city of considerable impor- each other in the flesh. Every true Christian is a child of tance, and in some measure a rival to Rome and Athens; God; and consequently, all children of God have a close and that because of the services rendered to the Romans by spiritual affinity. They are all partakers of the same Spirit, the inhabitants, Julius Cæsar endowed them with all the are united to the same Head; are actuated with the same rights and privileges of Roman citizens. When St. Paul hope, and are going to the same heaven. These, love one calls it no mean city, he speaks a language that was common another with pure hearts fervently and these alone are cato those who have had occasion to speak of Tarsus. XENE- pable of disinterested and lasting friendship. Though this PHON, Cyri Anabas. i. calls it woλ μεyay xaι Evdalyova, kind of friendship cannot fail, yet it may err; and with ofa great and flourishing city. JOSEPHUS, Ant. lib. i. cap. 6. ficious affection endeavour to prevent us from bearing a nesect. 6. says, that it was nap' aurOIS TWY BOλEWY ŋ atioλoyw-|| cessary and most honourable cross. See verses 12, 13. It TATY μETFOROλIS ovoa, the metropolis and most renowned should therefore be kept within scriptural bounds.

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