SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:6
¶ Entonces los que se habían juntado le preguntaron, diciendo: Seor, ¿restituirs el Reino a Israel en este tiempo?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 1:6
Verse 6. When they therefore were come together] It is very likely that this is to be understood of their assembling on one of the mountains of Galilee, and there meeting our Lord. At this time restore again the kingdom] That the disciples, in common with the Jews, expected the Messiah's kingdom to be at least in part secular, I have often had occasion to note. In this opinion they continued less or more till the day of pentecost; when the mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit taught them the spiritual nature of the kingdom of Christ. The kingdom had now for a considerable time been taken away from Israel; the Romans, not the Israelites, had the government. The object of the disciples' question seems to have been this: to gain information, from their all-knowing Master, whether the time was now fully come, in which the Romans should be thrust out, and Israel made, as formerly, an independent kingdom. But though the verb apokaqistanein signifies to reinstate, to renew, to restore to a former state or master, of which numerous examples occur in the best Greek writers, yet it has also another meaning, as Schoettgen has here remarked, viz. of ending, abolishing, blotting out: so Hesychius says, apokatastasiv is the same as teleiwsiv, finishing, making an end of a thing. And Hippocrates, Aph. vi. 49, uses it to signify the termination of a disease. On this interpretation the disciples may be supposed to ask, having recollected our Lord's prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the whole Jewish commonwealth, Lord, Wilt thou at this time destroy the Jewish commonwealth, which opposes thy truth, that thy kingdom may be set up over all the land? This interpretation agrees well with all the parts of our Lord's answer, and with all circumstances of the disciples, of time, and of place; but, still, the first is most probable.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. When they therefore were come together , etc.] That is, Christ, and his eleven apostles; for not the hundred and twenty disciples hereafter mentioned, nor the five hundred brethren Christ appeared to at once, are here intended, but the apostles, as appears from ( Acts 1:2-4) they asked of him, saying, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ? The kingdom had been for some time taken away from the Jews, Judea was reduced to a Roman province, and was now actually under the power of a Roman governor. And the nation in general was in great expectation, that upon the Messiahs coming they should be delivered from the yoke of the Romans, and that the son of David would be king over them. The disciples of Christ had imbibed the same notions, and were in the same expectation of a temporal kingdom to be set up by their master, as is evident from ( Matthew 20:21) and though his sufferings and death had greatly damped their spirits, and almost destroyed their hopes, (see Luke 24:21) yet his resurrection from the dead, and his discoursing with them about the kingdom of God, and ordering them to wait at Jerusalem, the metropolis of that nation, for some thing extraordinary, revived their hopes, and emboldened them to put this question to him: and this general expectation of the Jews is expressed by them in the same language as here; the days of the Messiah will be the time when laryl twklmh bwt , the kingdom shall return, or be restored to Israel; and they shall return to the land of Israel, and that king shall be exceeding great, and the house of his kingdom shall be in Zion, and his name shall be magnified, and his fame shall fill the Gentiles more than King Solomon; all nations shall be at peace with him, and all lands shall serve him, because of his great righteousness, and the wonderful things which shall be done by him; and whoever rises up against him God will destroy, and he shall deliver him into his hands; and all the passages of Scripture testify of his and our prosperity with him; and there shall be no difference in anything from what it is now, only the kingdom shall return to Israel f9 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-11 - They were earnest in asking about that which their Master never ha directed or encouraged them to seek. Our Lord knew that his ascensio and the teaching of the Holy Spirit would soon end these expectations and therefore only gave them a rebuke; but it is a caution to his church in all ages, to take heed of a desire of forbidden knowledge. He had given his disciples instructions for the discharge of their duty both before his death and since his resurrection, and this knowledge is enough for a Christian. It is enough that He has engaged to giv believers strength equal to their trials and services; that under the influence of the Holy Spirit they may, in one way or other, by witnesses for Christ on earth, while in heaven he manages their concerns with perfect wisdom, truth, and love. When we stand gazing an trifling, the thoughts of our Master's second coming should quicken an awaken us: when we stand gazing and trembling, they should comfort an encourage us. May our expectation of it be stedfast and joyful, giving diligence to be found of him blameless.
Greek Textus Receptus
οι 3588 T-NPM μεν 3303 PRT ουν 3767 CONJ συνελθοντες 4905 5631 V-2AAP-NPM επηρωτων 1905 5707 V-IAI-3P αυτον 846 P-ASM λεγοντες 3004 5723 V-PAP-NPM κυριε 2962 N-VSM ει 1487 COND εν 1722 PREP τω 3588 T-DSM χρονω 5550 N-DSM τουτω 5129 D-DSM αποκαθιστανεις 600 5719 V-PAI-2S την 3588 T-ASF βασιλειαν 932 N-ASF τω 3588 T-DSM ισραηλ 2474 N-PRI
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. Asked (ephrwtwn). The imperfect, denoting the repetition and urging of the question.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:6 {They therefore} (hoi men oun). Demonstrative use of hoi with men oun without any corresponding de just as in #1:1 men occurs alone. The combination men oun is common in Acts (27 times). Cf. #Lu 3:18. The oun is resumptive and refers to the introductory verses (#1:1-5), which served to connect the Acts with the preceding Gospel. The narrative now begins. {Asked} (erwtwn). Imperfect active, repeatedly asked before Jesus answered. {Lord} (kurie). Here not in the sense of "sir" (#Mt 21:30), but to Jesus as Lord and Master as often in Acts (#19:5,10, etc.) and in prayer to Jesus (#7:59). {Dost thou restore} (ei apokaqistaneis). The use of ei in an indirect question is common. We have already seen its use in direct questions (#Mt 12:10; Lu 13:23 which see for discussion), possibly in imitation of the Hebrew (frequent in the LXX) or as a partial condition without conclusion. See also #Ac 7:1; 19:2; 21:37; 22:25. The form of the verb apokaqistanw is late (also apokathista") omega form for the old and common apokaqistemi, double compound, to restore to its former state. As a matter of fact the Messianic kingdom for which they are asking is a political kingdom that would throw off the hated Roman yoke. It is a futuristic present and they are uneasy that Jesus may yet fail to fulfil their hopes. Surely here is proof that the eleven apostles needed the promise of the Father before they began to spread the message of the Risen Christ. They still yearn for a political kingdom for Israel even after faith and hope have come back. They need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (#Joh 14-16) and the power of the Holy Spirit (#Ac 1:4f.).
