Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Forasmuch as (epeidhper). Only ere in New Testament. A compound conjuction: ejpei , since, dh, as is well known, and per, giving the sense of certainty.Have taken in hand (epeceirhsan). Used by Luke only. A literal translation. The word carries the sense of a difficult undertaking (see Acts xix. 13), and implies that previous attempts have not been successful. It occurs frequently in medical language. Hippocrates begins one of his medical treatises very much as Luke begins his gospel. "As many as have taken in hand (epeceirhsan) to speak or to write concerning the healing art."
To set forth in order (anataxasqai). Only here in New Testament. The A.V. is true to the core of the word, which is tassw, to put in order, or arrange. Rev. happily gives the force of the preposition ajna, up, by the rendering draw up.
A declaration (dihghsin). Only here in New Testament. From dia, through, and hJgeomai, to lead the way. Hence something which leads the reader through the mass of facts: a narrative, as A.V., with the accompanying idea of thoroughness. Note the singular number. Many took in hand to draw up, not narratives, but a narrative, embracing the whole of the evangelic matter. The word was particularly applied to a medical treatise. Galen applies it at least seventy three times to the writings of Hippocrates.
Which are most surely believed (twn peplhroforhmenwn). From plhrhv, full, and forew, the frequentative form of ferw, to bring, meaning to bring frequently or habitually. Hence, to bring full measure; to fulfil. Compare 2 Tim. iv. 5, 17. Also of full assurance. Applied to persons. Rom. iv. 21; Heb. v. 22. As applied to things, therefore, the sense of the A.V. is inadmissible. Render as Rev., have been fulfilled. The word is chosen to indicate that these events happened in accordance with a preconceived design. Wyc., been filled in us.
Among us. Explained by the words in the next sentence, who were eye witnesses and ministers.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:1 {Forasmuch as} (epeideper). Here alone in the N.T., though common in literary Attic. Appears in the papyri. A triple compound (epei = since, de = admittedly true, per = intensive particle to emphasize importance). {Many} (polloi). How many no one knows, but certainly more than two or three. We know that Luke used the logia of Jesus written by Matthew in Aramaic (Papias) and Mark's Gospel. Undoubtedly he had other written sources. {Have taken in hand} (epeceiresan). A literal translation of epiceirew (from ceir, hand and epi, upon). Both Hippocrates and Galen use this word in their introduction to their medical works. Here only in the N.T., though a common literary word. Common in the papyri for undertaking with no idea of failure or blame. Luke does not mean to cast reflection on those who preceded him. The apocryphal gospels were all much later and are not in his mind. Luke had secured fuller information and planned a book on a larger scale and did surpass them with the result that they all perished save Mark's Gospel and what Matthew and Luke possess of the logia of Jesus. There was still room for Luke's book. That motive influences every author and thus progress is made. {To draw up, a narrative} (anataxasqai diegesin). Ingressive aorist middle infinitive. this verb anataxasqai has been found only in Plutarch's _Moral_. 968 CD about an elephant "rehearsing" by moonlight certain tricks it had been taught (Moulton and Milligan, _Vocabulary_). That was from memory going regularly through the thing again. But the idea in the word is plain enough. The word is composed of tassw, a common verb for arranging things in proper order and ana, again. Luke means to say that those before him had made attempts to rehearse in orderly fashion various matters about Christ. "The expression points to a connected series of narratives in some order (taxis), topical or chronological rather than to isolated narratives" (Bruce). "They had produced something more than mere notes or anecdotes" (Plummer). diegesis means leading or carrying a thing through, not a mere incident. Galen applies this word some seventy-five times to the writing of Hippocrates. {Which have been fulfilled} (twn peplerwforemenwn). Perfect passive participle from pleroforew and that from pleres (full) and ferw (to bring). Hence to bring or make full. The verb is rare outside of the LXX and the N.T. Papyri examples occur for finishing off a legal matter or a financial matter in full. Deissmann (_Light from the Ancient East_, pp. 86f.) gives examples from the papyri and inscriptions for completing a task or being convinced or satisfied in mind. The same ambiguity occurs here. When used of persons in the N.T. the meaning is to be convinced, or fully persuaded (#Ro 4:21; 14:5; Heb 6:11; 10:22). When used of things it has the notion of completing or finishing (#2Ti 4:5,17). Luke is here speaking of "matters" (pragmatwn). Luke may refer to the matters connected with Christ's life which have been brought to a close among us or accomplished. Bruce argues plausibly that he means fulness of knowledge "concerning the things which have become widely known among us Christians." In #Col 2:2 we have "fulness of understanding" (tes pleroforias tes sunesews). In modern Greek the verb means to inform. The careful language of Luke here really pays a tribute to those who had preceded him in their narratives concerning Christ.
