SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:33
Y sacaron de entre la multitud a Alejandro, empujndole los judíos. Entonces Alejandro, pedido silencio con la mano, quería dar razn al pueblo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 19:33
Verse 33. They drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward] From this and the following verses it is pretty evident that this Alexander was brought forward on this occasion by the Jews, that he might make an oration to the multitude, in order to exculpate the Jews, who were often by the heathens confounded with the Christians; and cast the whole blame of the uproar upon Paul and his party. And he was probably chosen because he was an able speaker; and when he beckoned with his hand; to gain an audience, the Greeks, knowing that he was a Jew, and consequently as much opposed to the worship of Diana as Paul was, would not hear him; and therefore, to drown his apology, tw dhmw, for the people, viz. the Jews, they vociferated for the space of two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! There does not seem any just ground from the text to suppose that this Alexander was a Christian; or that he was about to make an apology for the Christians: it is generally believed that he is the same with Alexander the coppersmith, of whom St. Paul speaks, 2 Tim. iv. 14, and whom, with Philetus, he was obliged to excommunicate, 1 Tim. i. 20. By the Jews putting him forward, we are to understand their earnestness to get him to undertake their defense, and criminate, as much as possible, St. Paul and his companions, and the Christian cause in general; which he would no doubt have done, without vindicating the worship of Diana, which, as a Jew, he would not dare to attempt.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 33. And they drew Alexander out of the multitude , etc.] Or some of the multitude brought forth Alexander; into the theatre, in order to kill him, by casting him to the wild beasts. Some think this is the same with Alexander the coppersmith, who apostatized upon this danger he was exposed to, and became a blasphemer, and a great enemy of the apostle, and did him much evil, ( 1 Timothy 1:20, 2 Timothy 4:14). This man, though his name was a Greek name, yet was a Jew, as is expressed in ( Acts 19:34) and from the times of Alexander the great, who was at Jerusalem, this name became common among the Jews; (see Gill on Acts 4:6). The Jews putting him forward ; being equally enemies to him, as being under a profession of Christianity, as the Heathens were; or as the Syriac version reads, the people of the Jews, that were there, out of themselves, pitched upon him as a proper person to still the uproar; and they brought him out of the multitude, to a convenient place, where he might be heard; and they the rather were forward to this, that he might lay all the blame of this confusion and uproar upon Paul and his companions, whom the Jews had an aversion to, as well as the Gentiles: and Alexander beckoned with the hand ; for silence, that he might be heard: and would have made his defence unto the people ; which looks as if he was a Christian, or at least was charged with being one, and was in danger of his life on that account; and therefore was desirous of being heard, that he might make an apology for the Christians, or remove such an imputation from himself, if he was not.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 32-41 - The Jews came forward in this tumult. Those who are thus careful to distinguish themselves from the servants of Christ now, and are afrai of being taken for them, shall have their doom accordingly in the grea day. One, having authority, at length stilled the noise. It is a very good rule at all times, both in private and public affairs, not to be hasty and rash in our motions, but to take time to consider; and alway to keep our passions under check. We ought to be quiet, and to d nothing rashly; to do nothing in haste, of which we may repent a leisure. The regular methods of the law ought always to stop popula tumults, and in well-governed nations will do so. Most people stand i awe of men's judgments more than of the judgement of God. How well it were if we would thus quiet our disorderly appetites and passions, by considering the account we must shortly give to the Judge of heaven an earth! And see how the overruling providence of God keeps the publi peace, by an unaccountable power over the spirits of men. Thus the world is kept in some order, and men are held back from devouring eac other. We can scarcely look around but we see men act like Demetriu and the workmen. It is as safe to contend with wild beasts as with me enraged by party zeal and disappointed covetousness, who think that all arguments are answered, when they have shown that they grow rich by the practices which are opposed. Whatever side in religious disputes, or whatever name this spirit assumes, it is worldly, and should be discountenanced by all who regard truth and piety. And let us not be dismayed; the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters he can still the rage of the people __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
εκ 1537 PREP δε 1161 CONJ του 3588 T-GSM οχλου 3793 N-GSM προεβιβασαν 4264 5656 V-AAI-3P αλεξανδρον 223 N-ASM {VAR1: προβαλοντων 4261 5660 V-AAP-GPM } {VAR2: προβαλλοντων 4261 5723 V-PAP-GPM } αυτον 846 P-ASM των 3588 T-GPM ιουδαιων 2453 A-GPM ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ αλεξανδρος 223 N-NSM κατασεισας 2678 5660 V-AAP-NSM την 3588 T-ASF χειρα 5495 N-ASF ηθελεν 2309 5707 V-IAI-3S απολογεισθαι 626 5738 V-PNN τω 3588 T-DSM δημω 1218 N-DSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
33. They drew (proebibasan). More correctly, urged forward. See on before instructed, Matt. xiv. 8.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
19:33 {And they brought Alexander out of the crowd} (ek de tou oclou sunebibasan alexandron). The correct text (Aleph A B) has this verb sunebibasan (from sunbibazw, to put together) instead of proebibasan (from probibazw, to put forward). It is a graphic word, causal of bainw, to go, and occurs in #Ac 16:10; Col 2:19; Eph 4:16. Evidently some of the Jews grew afraid that the mob would turn on the Jews as well as on the Christians. Paul was a Jew and so was Aristarchus, one of the prisoners. The Jews were as strongly opposed to idolatry as were the Christians. {The Jews putting him forward} (probalontwn auton twn ioudaiwn). Genitive absolute of the second aorist active participle of proballw, old verb to push forward as leaves in the spring (#Lu 21:30). In the N.T. only in these two passages. Alexandria had already disgraceful scenes of Jew-baiting and there was real peril now in Ephesus with this wild mob. So Alexander was pushed forward as the champion to defend the Jews to the excited mob. He may be the same Alexander the coppersmith who did Paul much evil (#2Ti 4:14), against whom Paul will warn Timothy qen in Ephesus. "The Jews were likely to deal in the copper and silver required for the shrines, so he may have had some trade connection with the craftsmen which would give him influence" (Furneaux). {Beckoned with the hand} (kataseisas ten ceira). Old verb kataseiw, to shake down, here the hand, rapidly waving the hand up and down to get a hearing. In the N.T. elsewhere only in #Ac 12:17; 13:16; 21:40 where "with the hand" (tei ceiri, instrumental case) is used instead of ten ceira (the accusative). {Would have made a defence unto the people} (eqelen apologeisqai twi demwi). Imperfect active, wanted to make a defence, tried to, started to, but apparently never got out a word. apologeisqai (present middle infinitive, direct middle, to defend oneself), regular word for formal apology, but in N.T. only by Luke and Paul (twice in Gospel, six times in Acts, and in #Ro 2:15; 2Co 12:19).
