CHAPTER III

1. Went up (anebainon). The imperfect: were going up. So Rev., ascending the terraces, on the highest of which the temple stood.

Ninth hour. The time of the evening sacrifice; or, as the words of prayer indicate, half an hour later, for the prayer which accompanied the offering of incense.

2. That was (uparcwn). Lit., being. See on Jas. ii. 15.

Was carried (ebastazeto). Imperfect: "was being carried as they were going up (ver. 1) They laid (etiqoun). Imperfect: "they were wont to lay."

4. Fastening his eyes (atenisav). See on Luke iv. 20; and compare Acts i. 10.

Look (bleyon). Attentively. See on Matt. vii. 3.

6. Silver and gold (argurion kai crusion). Properly, silver and gold money. See on 1 Pet. i. 18.

7. He took (piasav). The verb means originally to press or squeeze; and hence implies taking hold with a firm grasp.

Feet (baseiv). A peculiar, technical word, used by Luke only, and described by Galen as the part of the foot lying beneath the leg, upon which the leg directly rests, as distinguished from the tarsov, the flat of the foot between the toes and heel, and pedion, the part next the toes. Ankle-bones (sfura). Only here in New Testament. Also technical. Some of the best texts read sfudra, but the meaning is the same. Received strength (esterewqhsan). Used by Luke only. Compare "the churches were established (ch. xvi. 5), and the kindred noun sterewma, steadfastness (Col. ii. 5). In medical language applied to the bones in particular.

8. Leaping up (exallomenov). Strictly, leaping forth. Only here in New Testament. Used in medical language of the sudden starting of a bone from the socket, of starting from sleep, or of the sudden bound of the pulse. Walked (periepatei). The imperfect. Correctly, as Rev., began to walk; or, perhaps, continued walking about, testing his newly acquired power. The medical notes of the case are, that the disease was congenital, had lasted over forty years (ch. iv. 22), and the progressive steps of the recovery - leaped up, stood, walked.

10. They knew (epeginwskon). Or recognized. Rev., took knowledge. Wonder (qambouv). Used by Luke only. See on Luke iv. 36.

Amazement (ekstasewv). See on Mark v. 42; and compare Luke v. 26.

11. The lame man which was healed. The best texts omit. Render as he held.

Held (kratountov). Held them firmly, took fast hold. The verb from kratov, strength.

Greatly wondering (ekqamboi). Wondering out of measure (ek). Compare wonder. (ver. 10).

12. He answered. The question expressed in the people's explanations of surprise.

Men of Israel. Lit., men, Israelites. An honorable and conciliatory form of address. The term Israelite gradually gave place to that of Jew; but Israel was the sacred name for the Jews, as the nation of the theocracy, the people under God's covenant, and hence was for the Jew his especial badge and title of honor. "To be descendants of Abraham, this honor they must share with the Ishmaelites; of Abraham and Isaac, with the Edomites; but none except themselves were the seed of Jacob, such as in this name of Israelite they were declared to be. Nor was this all, but more gloriously still, their descent was herein traced up to him, not as he was Jacob, but as he was Israel, who, as a prince, had power with God and with men, and had prevailed" (Trench, "Synonyms"). So Paul, in enumerating to the Philippians his claims to have confidence in the flesh, says he was "of the stock of Israel." It is said that the modern Jews in the East still delight in this title.

Our own (idia). See on ch. i. 7.

13. His son (paida). Rightly, servant, as Rev. See on Luke i. 54. The A.V. renders, in Matt. xii. 18, servant, quoting from Isa. xlii. 1; but elsewhere, where applied to Jesus, son or child, which Rev. in every case has changed to servant. The word is continually used, like the Latin puer, in the sense of servant, and in the Septuagint as the servant of God. See 2 Samuel vii. 5, 8, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26. Compare Luke i. 69. The term servant of Jehovah, or servant of the Lord, is applied in the Old Testament (1) to a worshipper of God, Neh. i. 10; Dan. vi. 21; so to Abraham, Ps. cv. 6, 42; to Joshua, Josh. xxiv. 29; to Job, Job i. 8.

(2) To a minister or ambassador of God called to any service, Isaiah xlix. 6; of Nebuchadnezzar, Jer. xxvii. 6; of the prophets, Amos iii. 7; of Moses, Deut. xxxiv. 5.

(3) Peculiarly of the Messiah, Isa. xlii. 1; lii. 13; as God's chosen servant for accomplishing the work of redemption. "Unless we render servant in the passages where the phrase paiv Qeouoccurs in the New Testament, there will be no allusion throughout it all to that group of prophecies which designate the Messiah as the servant of Jehovah, who learned obedience by the things which he suffered" (Trench, "On the Authorized Version of the New Testament").

When he. He is ejkeivou the pronoun of more definite and emphatic reference, the latter, Pilate, "in order to make the contrast felt between what Pilate judged and what they did." This is further emphasized in the next verse.

14. Desired (hthsasqe). Or demanded. See on Luke xi. 9.

A murderer (andra fonea). Lit., a man who was a murderer.

To be granted (carisqhnai) By way of favor (cariv).

15. The Prince of life (archgon thv zwhv). The Greek brings out by the position of these words what Bengel calls "the magnificent antithesis " between a murderer and the Prince of life. "Ye demanded a murderer, but the Prince of life ye killed." This is the only place where the phrase occurs. 'Archgov, though sometimes rendered prince, means, primarily, beginning, and thence originator, author. Better here as Rev., in margin, author, and so by Rev. at Heb. ii. 10; xii. 2.

16. Through faith (epi th pistei) Note the article: the faith which we had; not the cripple's faith, which was not demanded as a condition of his cure. Through faith (epi) is rather on account of, or on the basis of. Rev., by. Compare ch. ii. 38; and see on Matt. xxviii. 19.

Made strong (esterewse). See on ver. 7.

Ye see (qewreite). See on Luke x. 18.

Perfect soundness (oloklhrian). Only here in New Testament. From olov, entire, and klhrov, a lot. Denoting, therefore, the condition of one who has his entire allotment.

19. Be converted (epistreyate). Not a good rendering, because the verb is in the active voice. Better as Rev., turn again. See on Luke xxii. 32. Blotted out (exaleifqhnai) Forgiveness of sins under the figure of the erasure of hand-writing. The word is used thus in Psalms 51 (Sept. 1.), 1; Isa. xliii. 25. Also at Col. ii. 14. In classical Greek the verb is opposed to ejggrafein, to enter a name. So Aristophanes: "They do things not to be born, entering (eggrafontev) some of us, and others, erasing (exaleifontev) up and down, twice or thrice" ("Peace," 1180). More especially with reference to an item in an account.

When (opwv an). Wrong. Render in order that, or that (so there may come), as Rev. Times (kairoi). Better, seasons. See on ch. i. 7.

Of refreshing (anayuxewv). Only here in New Testament. The word means cooling, or reviving with fresh air. Compare the kindred verb, to wax cold, Matt. xxiv. 12, and see note.

Presence (proswpou). Lit., the face.

20. Which before was preached (ton prokekhrugmenon). But the best texts read prokeceirismenon, appointed. Compare ch. xxii. 14. Used by Luke only, ch. xxii. 14; xxvi. 16. The verb originally means to take in hand.

21. Of restitution (apokatastasewv). Only here in New Testament. The kindred verb, to restore, occurs Matt. xvii. 11; Acts i. 6, etc. As a technical medical term, it denotes complete restoration of health; the restoring to its place of a dislocated joint, etc.

Since the world began (ap aiwnov). The American Revisers insist on from of old.

23. Shall be destroyed (exoloqreuqhsetai). Only here in New Testament. Rev., "utterly destroyed," giving the force of ejx out.

25. Covenant (diaqhkhv). See on Matt. xxvi. 28.

Made (dieqeto). The Rev. gives covenanted in margin. The noun covenant is derived from the verb diatiqnmi, originally to distribute or arrange. Hence to arrange or settle mutually; to make a covenant with.