CHAP. VIII.

There now commences a new period of Christian history, in the first epoch of which (narrated from Chap. 1-8.) the Christian society consisted of Jews only, who had hitherto remained in the city of Jerusalem. For although many of those who, on the day of Pentecost, had come thither from various regions, seem, after their return home, to have communicated to their countrymen some idea, however imperfect, of Christian doctrine; yet the Apostles had hitherto continued within the walls of Jerusalem, nor had they taught in any other country. The congregation, therefore, at Jerusalem was tolerably numerous; but it had not yet entirely separated itself from the Jewish communion; since we read that, during the whole of this first period, the Apostles and all other Christians yielded obedience to the Jewish Sanhedrim, frequented the Temple at the stated hours of prayer, and taught in it. In one respect, only, was there seen any vestige of a private society, namely, that the Christians had their funds for the relief of the poor, the administration of which they committed to the care of seven persons, whom they called Deacons. Now follows St. Luke's narration of the further propagation and the fortunes of the Christian Religion. (Rosenm.)

After the martyrdom of Stephen, there burst upon the Christians, yet resident at Jerusalem, a most cruel persecution, by which, with the active co-operation of Saul, they were scattered and dispersed throughout Judea and Samaria (ver. 3 & 4). But that very circumstance tended to the increase of the new society, since, by this means, Christianity pervaded the whole of Palestine, being zealously promulgated by Philip the Deacon (see ver. 5. seqq. and ver. 40.), who thus scattered the seeds of the new Religion beyond the boundaries of Palestine.

Together with this narration is interwoven (ver. 925.) a history of Simon magus. (Heinrichs.)

1. Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν — αὐτοῦ. It is quite plain that these words have a close connection with the concluding verse of the preceding Chapter. Συνευδοκείν signifies comprobare; as we familiarly say, "to be agreeable to any thing." The word occurs not unfrequently in the later Greek writers. Examples are produced by Munthe and others. I have only to add, that it is often found in Demades. When it takes a case, that case is a dative depending on the

v in composition. So also Polyæn. 5. fin. p. 538. συνεψηφίσαντο του φόνου. Grotius remarks that this, and what follows concerning Saul, is related for the purpose of showing οἷος ἐξ οἵου, “ quantum mutatus ab illo."

1. πάντες τε διεσπάρησαν. The πάντες must here be taken in the limited sense of very many. Iany TŴY ȧπоσTóλwy, except the Apostles. We may suppose that they remained at Jerusalem, in order to confirm the faith and support the courage of those Christians who had not fled, and by devoting themselves to their sacred office, they trusted that God would show them the fit time to depart; which, in fact, he afterwards did. See 14, 9. & 32. (Kuin.) cumenius, too, assigns a similar cause why they remained at Jerusalem, ἔνθα γὰρ πλείων ὁ πόλεμος, ἔκει παρατάττεσθαι τοὺς πρωταγωνιστὰς ἔδει, καὶ προκεῖσθαι τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνδρείας καὶ θάρσους ὑπόδειγμα.

dè

2. συνεκόμισαν δὲ τὸν Στέφανον. Συγκομίζω signifies properly to bring together, as fruits: but it is also a funeral term, and, like the Latin componere, denotes not only the closing the eyes and laying out the body, but every other preparation for the funeral, and likewise the funeral rites themselves. Hence the Syriac Translator here renders: "they coffined and buried him." But this is too free and paraphrastic. This sense of the word is sometimes found in the Classical writers; as Soph. Aj. 1068. μà συγκομίζειν, where the Scholiast, μὴ θέλε θάπτειν συγ

κομίζειν ἀπὸ τῶν συναγομένων καρπῶν· εἰς τὰς ἀποθήκας, ἐπ' ἐκείνων γὰρ λέγεται κυρίως τὸ συγκομίζειν καὶ ἡ συγ Kopion. So also the Schol. on Æschyl. Theb. 930. But it is not very frequent. The passages of Thucyd. 6, 71. (not 72. as Schl. writes), and of Plut. 606., cited by Wetstein and Schleusner, are quite inapposite, since in them the sense is merely collect together, as spoken of corpses. Duker quotes another example from Xenophon. I am surprised that Heinsius, Valckn. and Kuin. should have embraced the anile fancy of the Scholiast on Sophocles, that this use of συγκομίζειν " has a figurative reference to what is mortal in man being committed to the earth, as to a barn." Zvykoμíge (I repeat) merely signifies componere, to lay out.

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Exaßes, religious persons. Whether these were Christians, or not, is a point on which the Commentators differ. Some, as Doddridge and Pricæus, think they were, and that the burial of Stephen was the cause of the immediately subsequent persecution. But I assent to Kuinoel, that it is not probable the Christians would have ventured on so dangerous a step; and, what is a stronger argument, the word εὐλαβὴς has no such sense in any other passage of the New Testament, but always (except in Luke 2, 45. ἀνὴρ δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβὴς) denotes a proselyte. These (as almost all Commentators are agreed) were religious Jews, or Hellenist proselytes, and (as Kuinoel conjectures) secret friends to Christianity. Certainly, the more religious Jews regarded it as a sacred duty to bury the dead, especially if innocent persons. See 2 Sam. 2, 5. Tob. 1, 20. 2, 3. seqq: 4, 17. 12, 12.

This

2. καὶ ἐποίησαντο κοπετόν μέγαν ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ. signifies, by synecdoche, that they paid him very great funeral honours, of which beating the breast is mentioned as forming the principal part, accompanied by the wailing of the hired mourners, &c. So Hesych. κοπετός θρήνος μετὰ ψόφου χειρῶν. The expression seems borrowed from Gen. 50, 10. èko

ψάντο αὐτὸν κοπετόν μέγαν, and Mich. 1, 8. ποιήσεται KOTETÓV. Compare Zach. 12, 10. Esth. 4, 3. Isa. 22, 12. Numb.20,29. Deut. 34, 8. See the note on Matt. 11, 17. The funeral rites of the Greeks and Romans were nearly the same. (See Geier de Luctu Heb. and Nicolai de Luctu Græc.) So Dionys. Hal. A. 2. p. 90. (cited by Schl. in his Lex.) KOTETOÙS EXOUGH kai Opývous yuvaikŵy. Plut. 1, 184 D. (cited by Wets.) κοπετούς τε γυναικείους ἀφαιρῶν. Stat. Sylv. 3, 5, 63. ingentes iterasti pectore planctus.

3. Σαῦλος δὲ ἐλυμαίνετο τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. This expression is equivalent to that in Gal. 1, 13. diwкoV TYY ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπόρθουν αὐτήν. The middle or deponent verb λυμαίνεσθαι (from λυμὴ, damage, waste) signifies to ravage, worry, waste, &c., and is used properly of beasts; though it is not unfrequently employed of persons; it denotes, as applied to things, to waste, spoil, ravage; and sometimes to injure, afflict, persecute. Of all these uses numerous examples are produced by Wetstein and others. On the syntax of this verb, which has both the accusative and the dative, see Matth. Gr. Gr. § 384 & 409. Consult also Dresigius de Verbis mediis N. T. III. 41. p. 566.

3. κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους εἰσπορευόμενος. It was the duty of the Sanhedrim to take care that no false doctrines should be promulgated, and to make inquisition after those who were introducing innovations into the Church. (See the note on Joh. 1, 19.) Saul, therefore, armed with public authority (see Acts 26, 10.), broke into houses to apprehend those whom he suspected of being Christians, or could perceive to have any connection with them. (Kuin.) Karà has here a distributive force, and implies that he made domiciliary visits by house-row. Zúpav, hauling, dragging away. The word is used of forcible removal, and is especially applied to those who are led away to trial, prison, or execution. Examples in abundance are produced by Grotius, Pricæus, Wet

stein, Loesner, and other Philologists. See also Steph. Thes.

Kuinoel observes that mention is made both of men and women, to shew the bitterness of that persecution which did not even spare the weaker sex.

3. παρεδίδου εἰς φυλακήν, delivered them into custody, i. e. of the jailors, and (as Grotius thinks) of the prison which appertained to the Temple, like that which belongs to the Inquisition in some Roman Catholic countries.

4. oi μer our diασTаpévтes, those, therefore, who had been thus dispersed. At διῆλθον subaud τὰς χώρας; as in 11, 19. ; and at τὸν λόγον supply τοῦ Θεοῦ. It appears that they confined their teaching to the Jews. See 11, 19. (Kuin.) Thus (observes Lightfoot) out of the darkness of persecution the Lord bringeth forth the light and propagation of the Gospel, providing at once for the safety of some by flight, and for the calling of many others by their dispersion.

5. Φίλιππος δὲ κατελθών. There is here a frivolous question agitated between Drs. Whitby and Doddridge; the former of whom thinks it was not the whole Church of Jerusalem, but the hundred and eight who were full of the Holy Ghost; "for (says he) what authority could the laity have to preach the word?" To this Doddridge answers: "There is no room to inquire where these poor refugees had their orders. They were endowed with miraculous gifts; and if they had not been so, the extraordinary call they had to spread the knowledge of Christ, wherever they came among those who were ignorant of him, would abundantly justify them in what they did."

He evidently treats the communication of the Holy Spirit to the hundred and eight as hypothetical and precarious; as indeed it seems to be. He might, too, have added, that there is scarcely reason to think that any distinction between the Clergy and