12. Καὶ εἶδεν ἐν ὁράματι ἄνδρα ὀνόματι Ανανίαν, i. e. "he saw in a vision or appearance a man whose name (he learnt) was Ananias." Kuinoel takes avopa óvóματι 'Avavíav for te vidit, observing that the Hebrews are accustomed to put proper names in the place of pronouns; and he refers to Job 4, 1. Luke 3, 19. Gen. 4, 23. This is, indeed, a characteristic of the primitive style in general.

ПIgorεúxerαι, he prayeth, i. e. that he may recover his sight (which words must be taken out of the following words, ὅπως ἀναβλέψῃ). Therefore (as Chrysostom adds) fear not."

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13-15. By ȧyío are meant "Christians" in general. (Compare 32 & 41. and Rom. 1, 1. Eph. 1, 1.) So yaμévo in Acts 20, 32. Just as the Jews were ἡγιασμένοι said to be 177, as being separated from the society of Gentiles, brought to the true religion, and consecrated to God. See Koppe on Eph. 1, 1. and our note on Mark 1, 24. and Joh. 10, 36. (Kuin.)

14. καὶ ὧδε ἔχει ἐξουσίαν, &c. How this came to the knowledge of Ananias, we are left to conjecture, and Commentators indulge their fancy. Wolf and Rosenmuller think that Ananias had received letters from Jerusalem, apprising him of the mischief which was brewing up. But counsels such as those of Saul are usually kept secret, and it is not probable that the Christians would be acquainted with it in time to apprize the Damascene Christians of their danger; for we find there was so little connection between the cities, that the news of St. Paul's conversion was a very long time in reaching them. It is far more probable that the design of Paul's journey

nus. On similar principles one may account for the use of the plural in several other names of antient cities, as Athens and Syracuse; the former of which was so called from its being compounded of the old roles (which occupied the Acropolis), the new one South of it, and the Port Piræus. As to Syracuse, it consisted of three or four distinct towns; on which see Thucydides, and Goller's learned Tract De Situ Syracusarum. Thus also Thebes, Clazomenæ, and many others, which we may suppose originally consisted of a high town and a low one, something like our city of Lincoln.

to Damascus was divulged by his companions, and thus reached the ears of the Christians. And Ananias might justly doubt whether so bitter an enemy to Christianity could have so suddenly changed, and become disposed to receive that doctrine. In oi èπıκαλουμένοι τὸ ὄνομα σου we have a peripharsis for θητὴς τοῦ κυρίου.

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15. σκεῦος ἐκλογὴς μοὶ ἐστὶν. Σκεῦος ἐκλογὴς is a Hebraism for σκεῦος ἐκλεκτόν. The sense is, "He is a chosen tool, or instrument, to work my plans." So Chrys. δόκιμος ἔστι, τὸ δόκιμον γὰρ ἐκλεγόμεθα. Now GKEÑOS, like the Hebr. ", though it properly denotes an utensil or piece of furniture of any kind, especially a vessel (see Sap. 15, 7. and Toup. Emend. ad Suid. p. 8), yet, like in Isa. 13, 5., it denotes also an opravov, both literally and figuratively, i. e. a person useful for or adapted to the execution of any purpose. Thus Aristot. Pal. calls a servant opravov. Here Grotius cites Polyb. Exc. p. 1402. Aaμokλns δὲ ἦν ὑπηρετικὸν σκεῦος καὶ πολλὰς ἔχον ἀφορμὰς εἰς πραγμάτων οἰκονομίαν.

In addition to this I must observe that σkeûos occurs in the sense of furniture in Thucyd. 7, 24., and

KEU frequently in Thucyd. and other Attic writers. Kuinoel remarks, that the metaphor is continued. But I should rather think there is an allusion to the other sense of σкeûos, namely, vessel, such as we use for carrying any thing about. By voua is meant doctrine (as often), and Barrage signifies to promulgate, &c. Baries are here not only Kings, but Rulers in general. See Matt. 2, 22. 10, 18.

16. ἐγὼ γὰρ ὑποδείξω, &c. The γὰρ here seems to signify autem, and by rodeiw is meant "will show, teach." Kuinoel paraphrases thus: "I will show him that he must suffer much on account of my religion; and yet he will continue in sincerity, penitence, and faith. Therefore thou mayst lay aside all fear." Markland takes αὐτῷ for ἐν αὐτῷ, and, omitting αυτ Tov, assigns to the words the following sense: "I will show you in or by him, as by an example, what

every man must suffer." But I agree with Kuinoel, that this interpretation is inadmissible. Nor can I assent to Grotius ap. Doddridge, that "this intimates that Saul would presently have a revelation, and perhaps a visionary representation of all his sufferings among Jews and Gentiles by land and by sea, in tumults and imprisonments, of which this book and his Epistles give so large a description." This would not be necessary, and indeed (if we may presume to offer an opinion on the counsels of the Deity) would, in the present weak state of our neophyte, have been unseasonable.

17. 'Inoous. I entirely agree with Kuinoel, that this word ought not to have been thrown out of the text by Mill and Matthiæ, since, though some MSS. have it not, yet they are chiefly modern ones, and of little authority. A far greater number, including all the most antient MSS. and Versions, have it; and as it strengthens the sense, it should seem the more probable that Ananias would use the word. Certain is that Chrysostom read it.

18. καὶ εὐθέως ἀπέπεσον ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ Aerides. Here again Eichhorn and others labour with all their might to destroy every idea of miracle, and to account for this sudden recovery on natural principles. They adduce three causes, either of which, they think, might produce it; and Kuinoel is inclined to think that all conjoined would render this possible; namely, the cold hands of the old man, the effect of sudden joy, and the result of poor living!!! Risum teneatis, amici? Now surely this is utterly inconsistent with that view of the subject which St.Luke evidently means to inculcate, namely, that it was effected by miracle. Nor is there any cause why Kuinoel should depreciate the greatness of the cure, by appealing to woe, in order to prove that they were not real scales, but what Saul fancied to be such, namely, the humours of the eyes dried up, and which seemed to him to fall from his eyes. This, indeed, is doing manifest violence to the words, and trampling

on every principle of legitimate interpretation. For, in the first place, the woel often detracts little or nothing from the sense of the word with which it is united. Secondly, it is well known that sometimes humours in the eyes concrete, and form, as it were, scales, which is all that is here meant. See Job 11, 13. But it would be a waste of words to dwell longer on such a subject. We may, however, observe with Chrysost. that besides causing a stronger evidence of his blindness to others, it seems to have been meant to typify to Paul the darkness and prejudice which had formerly obscured his mental vision.

19. καὶ λαβὼν τροφὴν, ἐνίσχυσεν. The word ἐνισ Xów, properly signifies corroborare, but like the correspondent English term strengthen, has sometimes a neuter or intransitive sense; as here and in Gen. 48, 2. where it answers to pin in 2 Macc. 2, 14. ἐνίσχυσαν καὶ οὐ διέστησαν τῆς ἀσεβείας. See Kypke on this passage. The rapid improvement of his strength, after his blindness had been removed, may very well be accounted for both from physical and moral causes.

19. ἐγένετο δὲ ὁ Σαῦλος. St. Paul to the Galat. 1, 17. relates that he, after his conversion, did not proceed to Jerusalem, but repaired to Arabia, and from thence returned to Damascus. Hence, according to the opinion of Pearson, in his Annal. Paul. p. 2., the words ἐγένετο δὲ ὁ Σαῦλος are to be separated from the preceding passage, and constitute a new story, in which is related what happened at Damascus after Saul's return from Arabia. But the words ikavai nuépa may and ought to be referred to the whole time of Paul's abode at Damascus, before he went into Arabia; and thus with the ikaval juépar be numbered the uépa Tivès mentioned at ver. 19.: for the sense of the words is this: "Saul, when he spent some days with the Damascene Christians, immediately taught in the synagogues. Now Luke entirely passes by Paul's journey into Arabia. (Kuin.) Doddridge imagines that his going into Arabia (to which, as he observes, Damascus now belonged), was

only making excursions from that city into the neighbouring parts of the country, and perhaps taking a large circuit about it, which might be his employment between the time in which he began to preach in Damascus, and his quitting it after having been conquered by the Romans under Pompey." But in this view of the subject I cannot agree with him. The country in the neighbourhood of Damascus is not properly Arubia.

20. καὶ εὐθέως — ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, i. e. the Messiah, of whom the Prophets of the Old Testament prophesied. For Xpirov many ancient MSS. and Versions read 'Inouy, which is approved by Grotius, Mill, Bengel, Michaelis, Morus, Rosenmuller, Valcknaer, and others, and received into the text by Griesbach; and rightly, I think. For that Christ was the Son of God Paul had never denied; nor did the Jews deny that. They only denied that Jesus was the Son of God. Xpiorov doubtless crept in from the margin. (Kuinoel.)

21. οὐχ οὗτός ἐστὶν ὁ πορθήσας. The verb πορθεῖν properly denotes to lay waste, devastate, ravage, and is often so used by the Greek Historians. Hence it came to signify to vex, persecute, &c., as here. Thus Hesychius explains it by dike. And so Gal. 1, 13. where there is joined with it the synonyme διώκειν. See Wesseling on Diodor. Sic. 11, 32. Kypke on this passage, and Munthe on Gal. 1, 23. (Kuin.)

22. μᾶλλον ἐνεδυναμοῦντο. His persuasion of the truth and excellence of Christianity daily increased, and with it his rapinoía. And thus he confuted (συνέχυνε) the Jews. Συγχύνειν signifies to confound, perturb, and put to a stand. Zuußißágw properly signifies "to go up together;" 2dly, "to raise up together;" 3dly, "to bring together;" and is especially used of carpenter's work. Hence it is employed metaphorically in Eph. 4, 16. Col. 2, 2. Now since he who proves and demonstrates truth, thereby shews its connection and traces the chain of demon