SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:30
¶ Pablo empero, qued dos aos enteros en su casa de alquiler, y recibía a todos los que a l venían,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 28:30
Verse 30. Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house] As a state prisoner, he might have had an apartment in the common prison; but peculiar favour was showed him, and he was permitted to dwell alone, with the soldier that guarded him, ver. 16. Finding now an opportunity of preaching the Gospel, he hired a house for the purpose, and paid for it, St. Chrysostom observes, by the fruits of his own labour. Here he received all that came unto him, and preached the Gospel with glorious success; so that his bonds became the means of spreading the truth, and he became celebrated even in the palace of Nero, Phil. i. 12, 13; and we find that there were several saints, even in Caesar's household, Phil. iv. 22, which were, no doubt, the fruits of the apostle's ministry. It is said that during his two years' residence here he became acquainted with Seneca, the philosopher, between whom and the apostle an epistolary correspondence took place. In an ancient MS. of Seneca's epistles in my own possession, these letters are extant, and are in number fourteen and have a prologue to them written by St. Jerome. That they are very ancient cannot be doubted; but learned men have long ago agreed that they are neither worthy of Paul nor of Seneca. While he was in captivity, the Church at Philippi, to which he was exceedingly dear, sent him some pecuniary assistance by the hands of their minister, Epaphroditus, who, it appears, risked his life in the service of the apostle, and was taken with a dangerous malady. When he got well, he returned to Philippi, and, it is supposed, carried with him that epistle which is still extant; and from it we learn that Timothy was then at Rome with Paul, and that he had the prospect of being shortly delivered from his captivity. See Phil. i. 12, 13; ii. 25; iv. 15, 16, 18, &c.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 30. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, etc.] In a house which he hired with his own money; in which his friends Luke, Aristarchus, and others, dwelt with him; where he was guarded by a soldier: whether at the expiration of these two years he was set at liberty, and for ten years afterwards travelled into Italy, France, and Spain, preaching the Gospel, as some think; or whether he then suffered martyrdom, is not certain; the latter is most probable: and received all that came in unto him; there, as the Syriac version reads, that is, into his lodging, as the Ethiopic version expresses it; which is not to be understood of his hospitality, for it cannot be thought that he should provide food and lodging for all that came unto him; but that be admitted all that would to come and hear him, and freely preached the Gospel to them: it should seem by this, as well as by what is said ( Acts 28:23); that many of the Jews came into his lodging, and heard him expound, that it was a large house he had hired and dwelt in; and such an one Jerom f1389 thinks it was, like that he supposes he would have Philemon provide for him, which he desires in his epistle to him, (Philemon 22); namely, a house in the most noted place in the city, for the conveniency of those that came to him; large enough to hold many; free from noise and disturbance; and not situated in a scandalous neighbourhood, nor near to shows and plays; and that the lodging should rather be on the floor than in an upper room: and such a house, with all the conditions that Jerom mentions, the Papists pretend to show at Rome to this day; where, as their tradition is, Luke composed, or however finished this his history; which, as the above writer observes f1390 , reaches to the two years of Pauls stay at Rome; that is, until the fourth year of Nero; from whence, adds he, we learn that in the same city this book was composed: and it is certain, that Luke was with him, when the apostle wrote his second epistle to Timothy from Rome, and when the time of his martyrdom seemed to himself to be at hand, ( Timothy 4:7,11).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 23-31 - Paul persuaded the Jews concerning Jesus. Some were wrought upon by the word, and others hardened; some received the light, and others shu their eyes against it. And the same has always been the effect of the gospel. Paul parted with them, observing that the Holy Ghost had wel described their state. Let all that hear the gospel, and do not hee it, tremble at their doom; for who shall heal them, if God does not The Jews had afterwards much reasoning among themselves. Many have great reasoning, who do not reason aright. They find fault with on another's opinions, yet will not yield to truth. Nor will men' reasoning among themselves convince them, without the grace of God to open their understandings. While we mourn on account of such despisers we should rejoice that the salvation of God is sent to others, who wil receive it; and if we are of that number, we should be thankful to Hi who hath made us to differ. The apostle kept to his principle, to know and preach nothing but Christ and him crucified. Christians, when tempted from their main business, should bring themselves back with this question, What does this concern the Lord Jesus? What tendency ha it to bring us to him, and to keep us walking in him? The apostl preached not himself, but Christ, and he was not ashamed of the gospe of Christ. Though Paul was placed in a very narrow opportunity for being useful, he was not disturbed in it. Though it was not a wide doo that was opened to him, yet no man was suffered to shut it; and to man it was an effectual door, so that there were saints even in Nero' household, Php 4:22. We learn also from Php 1:13, how God overrule Paul's imprisonment for the furtherance of the gospel. And not the residents at Rome only, but all the church of Christ, to the presen day, and in the most remote corner of the globe, have abundant reaso to bless God, that during the most mature period of his Christian lif and experience, he was detained a prisoner. It was from his prison probably chained hand to hand to the soldier who kept him, that the apostle wrote the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Hebrews; epistles showing, perhaps more than any others, the Christian love with which his heart overflowed, and the Christia experience with which his soul was filled. The believer of the presen time may have less of triumph, and less of heavenly joy, than the apostle, but every follower of the same Saviour, is equally sure of safety and peace at the last. Let us seek to live more and more in the love of the Saviour; to labour to glorify Him by every action of ou lives; and we shall assuredly, by his strength, be among the number of those who now overcome our enemies; and by his free grace and mercy, be hereafter among the blessed company who shall sit with Him upon his throne, even as He also has overcome, and is sitting on his Father' throne, at God's right hand for evermore __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
εμεινεν 3306 5656 V-AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM παυλος 3972 N-NSM διετιαν 1333 N-ASF ολην 3650 A-ASF εν 1722 PREP ιδιω 2398 A-DSM μισθωματι 3410 N-DSN και 2532 CONJ απεδεχετο 588 5711 V-INI-3S παντας 3956 A-APM τους 3588 T-APM εισπορευομενους 1531 5740 V-PNP-APM προς 4314 PREP αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
30. Hired house (misqwmati). Probably different from the xenia, or lodging-place, where he resided for the first few days, perhaps as the guest of friends, though under custody, and where he received the Jews (ver. 23).
Robertson's NT Word Studies
28:30 {Two whole years} (dietian holen). Only here in N.T. and #24:27 which see. During these busy years in Rome Paul wrote Philippians, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians, Epistles that would immortalize any man, unless, forsooth, one or more of them was written from Ephesus or Caesarea, which has not yet been proven. {In his own hired dwelling} (en idiwi misqwmati). Old word, here only in N.T., that which is hired for a price (from misqow and that from misqos, hire). {Received} (apedeceto). Imperfect middle of apodecomai, received from time to time as they came, all that came (eisporeuomenous) from time to time. {Preaching} (kerusswn), {teaching} (didaskwn), the two things that concerned Paul most, doing both as if his right hand was not in chains, to the amazement of those in Rome and in Philippi (#Php 1:12-14). {None forbidding him} (akwlutws). Old adverb from a privative and the verbal adjective kwlutos (from kwluw, to hinder), here only in the N.T. Page comments on "the rhythmic cadence of the concluding words." Page rejects the notion that the book is an unfinished work. It closes with the style of a concluded work. I agree with Harnack that Luke wrote the Acts during this period of two years in Rome and carried events no further because they had gone no further. Paul was still a prisoner in Rome when Luke completed the book. But he had carried Paul to "Rome, the capital of the world, _Urbi et Orbi_" (Page). The gospel of Christ has reached Rome. For the fate of Paul we must turn elsewhere. But Luke had the presence of Paul while he carried the Acts to its triumphant conclusion. Ramsay can give a good deal in proof of his claim that Luke is the greatest of all historians. Beyond a doubt his rank is high and the world can never repay its debt to this cultured physician who wrote the Gospel and the Acts.
