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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Acts 28:2 - 28:2
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
The barbarians (hoi barbaroi). The Greeks called all men “barbarians” who did not speak Greek (Rom 1:14), not “barbarians” in our sense of rude and uncivilized, but simply “foreign folk.” Diodorus Siculus (Act 28:12) says that it was a colony of the Phoenicians and so their language was Punic (Page). The word originally meant an uncouth repetition (barbar) not understood by others (1Co 14:11). In Col 3:11 Paul couples it with Scythian as certainly not Christian. These are (with Act 28:4below) the only N.T. instances.
Showed us (pareichan). Imperfect active of parechō with ̇an instead of ̇on as eichan in Mar 8:7 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 339). It was their habit on this occasion, Luke means, they kept on showing.
No common kindness (ou tēn tuchousan philanthrōpian). The old word philanthrōpia (philos, anthrōpos), love of mankind, occurs in the N.T. only here and Tit 3:4 (adverb in Act 27:3). See note on Act 19:11 for this use of ou tēn tuchousan, “not the kindness that happens every day.” They were not “wreckers” to take advantage of the calamity.
They kindled a fire (hapsantes puran). The only N.T. example and Act 28:3of the old word pura (from pur, fire), a pile of burning fuel (sticks). First aorist active participle of haptō, to set fire to, to kindle. Cf. anaptō in Luk 12:49.
Received us all (proselabonto pantas hēmās). Second aorist middle (indirect indicative of proslambanō. They took us all to themselves (cf. Act 18:26).
The present (ton ephestōta). Second perfect active participle (intransitive) of ephistēmi, “the rain that stood upon them” (the pouring rain). Only in Luke and Paul in N.T.