Acts 19

Acts 19:3

And he said, How can that be, when the Christian baptism is in the name of the Holy Ghost? To which they replied, that John’s baptism was all that they had received.

Acts 19:4

And Paul knowing that they by John’s baptism had implicitly acknowledged Christ under the title of he that comes after, and had promised to repent and reform their lives, he explicitly taught them the whole doctrine of Christ and of the Holy Ghost also.

Acts 19:5

And they presently received and believed it, and were received in as Christian proselytes in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Acts 19:6

After this, Paul by imposition of hands and beprediction gave them confirmation, by which means the Holy Ghost came on them, and therewith gifts of tongues and some other extraordinary gifts of the

Acts 19:8

And he went and preached the gospel in the synagogues that were at Ephesus, to the Jews, for the space of three months, labouring to convince them.

Acts 19:9

But when, instead of being convinced, he saw them (in an obdurate refractory manner) not only reject the gospel, but speak of it contumeliously in public before the people, he left them, and took those that were converted by themselves, and instructed them daily in a place which was used to entertain scholars privately.

[a] school of one Tyrannus] There were two kinds of schools among the Jews wherein the law was taught, private or public: 1st, private, wherein any doctor entertained scholars; and such was this of Tyrannus here, contained under the title בתי המדרש, houses of learning, mentioned by Maimonides as one kind of their holy places; their schools, and not only their synagogues, being accounted so: then, 2dly, public, where consistories sat to resolve differences of the law.

Acts 19:10

And doing thus for the space of two years, all the inhabitants of the proconsular Asia, both Jews and proselytes, had in that space the gospel preached to them.

Acts 19:11

And many extraordinary miracles were wrought by Paul, through the power of God, among them:

Acts 19:12

For he did not only cure them which came to him, but by his touching of linen clothes, and sending them to such as were sick, or possessed with devils, they were cured immediately.

[b] aprons] Σιμικίνθιον is lightly changed from the Latin semicinctum, that which is called by the Chaldee בשן, or cingulum coriaceum, or succinctorium, which workmen put before them that they may not foul their clothes, an apron, or napkin supplying the apron’s place. The difference which Theophylact and Œcumenius make between σουδύρια and these, is, that sudaria are applied to the head, as a cap or kerchief, the latter to the hands, as an handkerchief. Τὰ σιμικίνθια, saith Œcumenius, ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ κατέχουσι πρὸς τὸ ὑπομάττεσθαι τὰς ὑγρότητας τοῦ προσώπου, οἷον ἱδρῶται, πτυελὸν, δάκρυον, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια, “they carry them in their hands to wipe off moistures from the face, sweat, spittle, tears, and the like.”

Acts 19:13

And some of the Jews, that went about to cure diseases and cast out devils, (see note [g] Matt. xii.,) tried to cast them out by using the name of Jesus Christ, saying—

one of the chief of the families of the priests, (see note [a] ch. iv.,) which did so.

Acts 19:15

But the devil would not obey them, as not coming with any authority from Christ, which had given it to Paul.

Acts 19:16

But made the man that was possessed fall violently upon them, which accordingly he did, and was too hard for them all, and tore off their clothes, and wounded them, and made them run away.

Acts 19:17

And this accident being made known to the Jews and natives of Ephesus wrought very much upon them, and brought many to the faith of Christ.

Acts 19:18

And they that were thus wrought on came many of them to the apostles, and told them the actions or courses of their former lives, to know how agreeable they were to the faith, that so they might forsake or continue in them.

Acts 19:19

And many that had studied and practised magic and sorcery brought out and publicly burnt their books, though they were of a very high value.

[c] curious arts] What is the meaning of the περίεργα, or curious things, here used among the Ephesians, will be best guessed first by Hesychius’s gloss, and then by a passage in Irenæus, both misread in the ordinary copies. In Hesychius we have Περιεργεία (that should be Περίεργα) καθάρσια. The word denotes their “heathen rites of purgations.” Of their lustrations or purgations, the heathen books are full; see Porphyry πε. ἀπ., Iamblichus, Hierocles, Marinus de Vita Procli, Plotinus, &c. All which were nothing but magic and sorcery, γοητεῖαι and θεουργεῖαι, and accordingly the Greek fathers on this place, say they were their γοητικαὶ βίβλοι, “books of sorcery,” that here were burnt. Irenæus, l. i. c. de Simonian. hath these words; Amatoria quoque et agogima—et quæcunque sunt alia parerga (it should certainly be perierga) apud eos studiose exercentur, “Love-charms and philtres, and all other such curious, that is, magical tricks, are in great use among them.” So in Aristænetus, τίς εἶναι τῶν περιέργων ἰδόκει, “he seemed to be a magician,” and ὑποκρινόμενος τῶν περιέργων τὸ σχῆμα, “acting the part of witches.” So in St. Augustine’s Confessions¹, curiosæ visiones are “magical apparitions.” These are the φαρμακεῖαι, medicaments, from which sorcerers are generally called φαρμακενταὶ, medicamentarii, as the Latins use veneficæ, “witches,” from venena, “poisons;” not that they always use medicaments, but many times only charms and words instead of them. And accordingly Menander mentions them proverbially of Ephesus here, Ἐφέσια ἀλεξιφάρμακα, “Ephesian charms or spells,” which such an one τοῖς γαμοῦσι περιπατεῖ λέγων, “walks and speaks to the bridegroom and his bride.” These are the Ἐφέσια γράμματα, “Ephesian words or writings,” so often spoken of by writers as charms or spells. Of them Hesychius gives an account: Ἐφέσια γράμματα ἦν μὲν πάλαι, ὕστερον δὲ προσέθεσάν τινες ἀπατεῶνες καὶ ἄλλα. Φασὶ δὲ τῶν πρώτων τὰ ὀνόματα τάδε, ἄσκι, κατάσκι, αἷξ, τέτραξ, δαμναμενεὺς, αἴσιον. Δηλοὶ δὲ ὁ μὲν ἄσκι, σκότος· τὸ δὲ κατάσκι, φῶς· τὸ δὲ αἷξ, αὐτός· δαμναμενεὺς δὲ, ἥλιος· αἴσιον δὲ, ἀληθές. These words are much deformed.

[d] pieces of silver] The Hebrew כַּסָּה, that is literally rendered ἀργύριον, silver, signifies peculiarly siclum argenteum, “a silver shekel,” among the Hebrews. See note [d] on Matt. xxvi.

Acts 19:20

Of so great authority was the word of God, the gospel of Christ, as it was now preached by Paul among the Ephesians and those of Asia.

Acts 19:21

After this, Paul resolved or determined with himself in his passage through Macedonia—

Acts 19:22

And sending into Macedonia two of his assistants that went with him, and were ready to do whatsoever he appointed them, viz., Timothy and Erastus, (see note [b] John xx.,) he himself— ⁵ charms, or sorcery. ⁶ shokels.

Acts 19:24

[e] silver shrines for Diana] In the idolatry of the heathens it is sufficiently known that they were wont to carry the images of their false gods about in pomp, that is, procession, from one city to another. This they did in a chariot that was solemnly consecrated for that employment, and by the Romans styled thensa, that is, “the chariot of their gods.” But besides this greater, there was a lesser frame wherein it was placed, a box or shrine, called ferculum by them. Accordingly at the bestowing of divine honours on their great men alive or dead, the Romans had their Circæan games, and in them thensam and ferculum, that chariot and that shrine bestowed on them; as it is related of Julius Cæsar. This ferculum among the Romans differs not much from the Grecians’ ναὸς, a little chapel, representing the form of a temple, with an image in it, which being set upon the altar or other solemn place, and the valve, the leaves or doors opened, the image stood or sat in state, and so was represented to the spectators. Accordingly an old anonymous Scholiast on Aristotle’s Rhetorics, l. 1. c. 15, hath these words: Νιωποιοὶ οἱ τοὺς ναοὺς ποιοῦσι, ἤτοι εἰκονοστάσιά τινα μικρὰ ξύλινα ἃ πωλοῦσι, noting the ναοὶ here to be εἰκονοστάσια, “chaplets with images in them,” of wood or any other metal, (as here of silver, ver. 24,) which they make and sell, as here, ver. 25, they are supposed to do, and so get wealth by that trade. Thus we have mention in Athenæusᵐ of καθίσκος, which, saith he, is ἀγγεῖον, ἐν ᾧ τοὺς κτησίους Δίος καθιδρύουσι, “a vessel wherein they place their images of Jupiter.” On which, saith the learned ᵒ Casaubon, erant simulacra hæc armariis inclusa, quæ ad succllorum modum fiebant, “these images were put in cases, which were made like chapels.” So St. Chrysostom, making them to be ὡς κιβώτια μικρὰ, “as little cases or shrines.” Agreeable to this is it that ᵒ Ammianus Marcellinus saith of Asclepiades, that “whithersoever he went, he carried about with him deæ celestis argenteum breve figmentum, “a small silver image of Urania.” And ᵖ Dion of the Roman ensign, (which is known to be an eagle,) that it was νεὼς μικρὸς.

ᵐ Deipnos. l. 11. ᵒ P. 500. ᵒ Lib. 22. ᵖ Ῥωμαικ. l. 40.

Acts 19:28

And hereupon they were enraged, and cried down the doctrine of Paul, by crying up Diana the goddess of the Ephesians, so long worshipped by them.

⁸ and in this hurry they seized upon two of Paul’s companions and brought them out, probably with an intention (howsoever they were hindered) to throw them to combat with wild beasts upon the stage, (see note [e],) as it was ordinary to do with malefactors.

⁷ chapels of Diana, Ἀρτέμιβος. ⁸ work, ἑργασίαν. ⁹ work: ver. 24 ¹⁰ portion, μέρος. ¹¹ the great Diana, Μεγάλη ἡ Ἀρτέμις.

Acts 19:30

And Paul was willing to have come among them, with an intention to give them an account of the faith of Christ contrary to these idol worships of theirs; but the Christians that were there persuaded him to the contrary.

Acts 19:31

And some of the præfects of the games or sports there, which being consecrated to their gods were intrusted to the charge of the priests, were so kind to him, that, knowing the purpose of the people to cast him to the wild beasts, they sent to him to keep close, and not to come out among the people as he meant, ver. 30, lest if they took him they should carry him (as it seems they meant, see note [d] 1 Cor. xv.) and cast him to wild beasts on the theatre.

b a great hubbub and confusion there was; and the more part—

[f] chief of Asia] Among the heathens there were agones and games instituted ad placanda bona numina, “to appease the good deities,” saith Labeo, as sacrifices and victims “to appease the bad or angry.” And therefore in the Anthology, the τέσσαρες ἀγώνες ἀν’ Ἑλλάδα, “the four games in Greece,” Olympian, Nemæan, Isthmian, Pythian, are called τέσσαρες ἱεροί, all “four sacred;” and so in Julian μισοπωγ. there is mention of the ἱπποδρόμια, “the running of horses,” ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς τῶν θεῶν, “in the feasts of the gods;” and in the Rescript of Honorius and Theodosius, sacra munera, sacra festa, sacros agones, “sacred offices, sacred feasts, and sacred games.” The original of them is set down by ¹ Dionysius Halicarnassæus, as from the Grecians they were imitated by Servius Tullus, and put into one body. “They built temples,” saith he, “by common charge, some to Diana of Ephesus, some to Apollo; and assembling there at set times with their wives and children, they employed themselves both in sacrifices and in merchandise. There were public agones, racehorses, wrestlers, musicians, and rewards were proposed to the victors, and presents were by the cities brought to the gods. And when the games and marts, and other festival and public jollities were ended, if any city had a quarrel against another, the judges were ready to compose it. Then they consulted of common affairs of war against the barbarians, and peace among themselves.” Thus far Halicarnassæus. At Rome the pontifices or chief priests were presidents of these. And therefore when the heathen customs had gotten in among the Jews, we find Jason, 2 Mac. iv. 7, buying the pontificate, and with it the power of instituting and moderating their games; and so in the several provinces the several chief priests, who were called by the names of the provinces which they administered; so Κυπριάρχης, the governor of Cyprus, 2 Mac. xii. 2; so Συριάρχαι, saith ² Cujacius, Sacerdotes istius provinciæ, qui ludos in honorem deorum celebrari solitos curorent, moderarentur, præsiderent; “The officers of Syria,

¹ Ῥωμαίω. l. 39. ² Antiq. Rom. l. 4. ³ Observ. l. 2. c. 13.

Acts 19:33

And some of the popular officers brought out Alexander, a Jewish professor of the faith, and the Jews examined and questioned him, believing (probably) that he would excuse himself, and lay the fault upon Paul; and he made a sign with his hand that he would gladly make his own apology, and give them an account of the whole matter.

[g] putting him forward] Προβάλλειν hath a peculiar notion among the grammarians proper to forensical matters; it signifies to examine, to question upon interrogatories, to call any man into the court to testify his knowledge concerning any thing in question. So saith Phavorinus, προβάλειν and προβάλλεσθαι, ἐρωτᾶν, “to question,” and προβάλλεσθαι μάρτυρα, “to call a man as a witness.” So Domninus (cited by Jo. Malela, l. 12,) speaking of the ἀμφιθαλῆς, an officer in the agones, αὐτὸν βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος προεβάλλοντο, “the senate and people called him to testify what was done in the agones.” Accordingly must the gloss of Hesychius be mended, not as the printed copy hath it, Προβάλλει, ἐρωτήσει. Προβάλλειν ἄρνα, τὸ ἀπαγγεῖλαι, but Προβαλεῖ, ἐρωτήσει. Προβάλλειν, μάρτυρα, τὸ ἐπαγγεῖλαι, noting this use of the word for “interrogating a witness, calling a man to testify,” ἐκκαλεῖν, “to appeal to” for the truth of what is controverted. And so the meaning of this whole passage is, that Alexander, a Christian of Ephesus, but a Jew by birth, was in this tumult about St. Paul seized upon by the sergeants, and brought forth, and the Jews, that were malicious to St. Paul, thinking that Alexander might be brought to lay some blame upon him, questioned and examined him, and then he was presently desirous to have made his apology to the people, that is, to avert the danger from himself, by laying it upon others. And although, by reason of the cry that follows, ver. 34, he is not permitted to do it to the people, yet by what St. Paul after saith of him, it appears that he forsook the Christian profession, 1 Tim. i. 20, and renounced or blasphemed, that is, forsook Christ, and did St. Paul very great injury. 2 Tim. iv. 14.

Acts 19:34

But the heathens of Ephesus knowing that he was a Jew, and supposing that he was for Paul’s way, and that derogatory to Diana, (though the truth is, he meant to clear himself, and lay the blame on Paul, for which he is said to have done him much injury, 1 Tim. i. 19, and 2 Tim. iv. 14,) they would not permit him to be heard, but cried for two hours’ space, Diana, the great Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians!

Acts 19:35

And the register of their games composed and quieted the people with this oration: ‘Everybody knows that Ephesus, among the cities of Greece, hath the honour to be called the chief officer in the worship of Diana, to whom it belongs to preserve and adorn her temple, and the temple that encloses that image that fell down out of heaven from Jupiter,’ (so much talked of among the heathens).

[h] townclerk] Γραμματεύς is the name of an office in the sacri agones, the register or actuary, who registered the victors’ names in a book or table called γράμματα τῶν ἱερονίκων, and the office where those records were put was γραμματεῖον, saith Petrus Faber Agonist. l. 3. c. 23 and 27. Of the ordinary γραμματεῖς, saith Phavorinus, οὐδενὸς ἦσαν κύριοι οὗτοι ἀλλ’ ἢ τοῦ γραφεῖν καὶ ἀναγνῶναι, “they had no authority, but only to write and read what they had written.” So saith the Scholiast on Thucydides, γραμματεὺς ὁ εἰωθὼς ἐν τῷ δῆμῳ τὰ τοῦ δήμου γράμματα ἀναγινώσκειν, “that used to read to the people the registers of their business.” But in these sacred games, where every thing was sacred also, (the Alytarcha bearing the person of Jupiter, the Amphithales of Mercury,) the γραμματεύς here, saith Domninus, cited by Johannes Antiochenus, “was honoured and adored as Apollo, wearing a white robe, and a crown of pure gold;” and being, saith he, “chosen by the senate and people,” he was the better qualified to do what is here affirmed of him, “to appease the people.” For that this should be applicable to Alexander the Jew, ver. 33, and that it was he of

[i] a worshipper of Diana] That the Ephesians, when they were besieged by Cræsus, devoted or consecrated their city to Diana, ἐξάψαντες ἐκ τοῦ νηοῦ σχοινίον εἰς τὸ τεῖχος, “tying with a rope the temple and the wall of the city together,” is affirmed by Herodotus, l. 2. From hence it is, that that city had a peculiar relation to Diana ever after. But there being other cities that worshipped that goddess also, this is not alone sufficient to appropriate that title to Ephesus, to be her νεωκόρος or sacrist. That this was the title of a sacred office, appears by Plato de Legib., Καταστατέον ἱερέας καὶ ἱερείας νεωκόρους γίνεσθαι τοῖς θεοῖς, “They must constitute priests of both sexes, to be in this office of sacrist to their gods.” The word signifies τὸν τοῦ ναοῦ ἐπιμελούμενον, saith Phavorinus, “he that takes care of the temple;” ὁ τὸν ναὸν κοσμῶν, “he that adorns it,” saith Hesychius; and ὁ εὐτρεπίζων, “he that makes clean,” saith Suidas; from κορεῖν, “to sweep,” or καλλωπίζειν, “to beautify,” saith the Scholiast on Aristophanes in Νεφ. p. 61. This office at other times belonged to other cities, and accordingly in ancient inscriptions we find Νικομηδέων τρὶς Νεωκόρων, “the Nicomedians being the third time in that office;” and particularly of Diana, Μαγνητῶν Νεωκόρων Ἀρτέμιδος, “the Magnesians having that office,” in Maximinus’s time; and this in respect of the ἱροὶ ἀγῶνες, the holy games, which in honour of the gods, peculiarly of Diana, were in Greece, sometimes in one city, sometimes in another, according to the gods which were celebrated by them. So that now those festivities being celebrated to Diana, and this year and at this time kept at Ephesus, (which is also the reason of the concourse of the people at this time,) Ephesus had now the honour to take care of Diana’s service, and so to be her νεωκόρος, her sacrist, or æditua, or churchwarden, as the Syriac renders the word in this place; and that is the meaning of the νεωκόρος οὖσα, being at this time, this year, Diana’s sacrist.

Acts 19:38

[k] a matter] The Hebrew דבר, which signifies λόγον, word or speech, signifies also accusation, and is accordingly rendered κρίμα, Exod. xviii. 22, and ἀντιλογία, indictment, Exod. xviii. 16, and accordingly here the one is taken for the other, λόγος, speech, for an accusation.

[l] the law is open] Ἡ ἀγόραιος, saith Phavorinus, is ἡ ἡμέρα ἐν ᾗ ἀγορὰ τελεῖται, “a day when a court is kept;” and so in Suidas and the Glossary, ὅτε ἡ ἀγόραιός ἐστι is expounded to be “the time when men go to law; and the same is the meaning of ἀγόραιοι ἄγονται, a time not of vacation or lay days, but of judicatures, term-time as we call it, when the proconsuls, who are the judges, were present to decide any controversy. The word signifies also judicature simply; so in Strabo Geog. l. 13. p. 629, διοικήσεις ἐν αἷς τὰς ἀγοραίους ποιοῦνται, καὶ δικαιοδοσίας, “the provinces in which they exercise their judicatures, and give every man his right.” And so in Hesychius, Ἀγορπίαν (perhaps it should be ἀγόραιον) δικαιολογίαν, “distribution of justice;” and Ἀγοραία, θέμις, καὶ ἐκκλησιαστική, “judgment, and calling of a court.”

² An. ch. 57. n. 180.