Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadLange Commentary - Acts 16:9 - 16:40
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
C.—DIVINE INTIMATIONS CONDUCT THE APOSTLE TO EUROPE. SUCCESSFUL COMMENCEMENT; HOSTILITIES AND IMPRISONMENT; BUT ALSO DIVINE DELIVERANCE AT PHILIPPI
13And on the sabbath [day] we went out of the city [went out before the gate] by a river side [to the river], where prayer was wont to be made [where there was commonly a place of prayer]; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither [who had assembled]. 14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of [dealer in] purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped [who feared] God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of [by] Paul. 15And [But] when she was baptized, and her household [house], she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to [judged that I am one that believest in] the Lord, come into my house, and abide [continue] there. And she constrained us [to enter]. 16And [But] it came to pass, as we went to prayer, [to the place of prayer, that] a certain damsel [a female slave] possessed with a spirit of divination [who possessed ( ἔ÷ïõóáí ) a soothsaying spirit.] met us, which [who] brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17The same [This (one)] followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew [who proclaim] unto us [you] the way of salvation. 18And this did she [for] many days. But Paul, being grieved [displeased], turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out at the same hour.
19And [But] when her masters saw that the hope of their gains [gain] was gone, they caught [seized] Paul and Silas, and drew [dragged] them into [to] the market-place unto the rulers, 20And brought them to [before] the magistrates [commanders], saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city [These men create disturbances in our city; they are Jews], 21And teach customs, which are not [which it is not] lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being [as we are] Romans. 22And the multitude rose up together [at the same time rose up] against them; and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them [and the commanders directed that their clothes should be torn off, and that they should be beaten with rods]. 23And when they had laid [inflicted] many stripes [blows] upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: 24Who, having received such a charge [command], thrust [cast] them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25And at [But about] midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto [and praised] God: and the prisoners heard [listened to] them. 26And suddenly there was [occurred] a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands [the bands of all] were loosed [loosened]. 27And [But] the keeper of the prison [jailer] awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his [open, drew a] sword, and would have killed [intended to kill] himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled [had escaped]. 28But Paul cried [called] with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29Then he called for a light [for light, ( öῶôá , pl.)], and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before [at the feet of] Paul and Silas, 30and brought [led] them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be [do, in order that I may be] saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ [om. Christ], and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to [together with] all that were in his house. 33And he took them [along] the same [in that] hour of the night, and washed [off] their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34And when he had brought [led] them into his house, he set meat [food] before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house [rejoiced with all his house that he now believed in God].
35And [But] when it was day, the magistrates [commanders] sent the Serjeants [lictors], saying, Let these men go [Dismiss these men]. 36And the keeper of the prison told this saying [the jailer reported these words] to Paul, The magistrates [commanders] have sent to let you go [that ye should be dismissed]: now therefore depart, and go in [go out, and depart in] peace. 37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly [publicly] uncondemned [without right or trial], being [although we are] Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do [will] they thrust [cast] us out privily [secretly]? nay verily [No]; but let them [they shall] come themselves and fetch [lead] us out. 38And [Then, äὲ ] the Serjeants [lictors] told [reported] these words unto the magistrates [commanders]: and they feared [were afraid], when they heard that they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and brought [led] them out, and desired [asked] them to depart out of the city. 40And [But after] they went out of the prison, and [prison, they] entered into the house of [went to] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted [exhorted] them, and departed [left the city].
Act_16:10. a. And after he had seen the vision.—Paul and his companions at once decided, in consequence of this vision, to proceed to Macedonia, and sought ( ἐæçôÞóáìåí , etc.) for an opportunity to sail thither; for, on considering all the circumstances of the case in their connection, they became convinced ( óõìâéâÜæïíôåò , comp. Act_9:22) that the Redeemer called them to Macedonia in order to preach the Gospel to that nation. The considerations which, in their combination, fully established them in this opinion, were the following:—a. The Spirit of Jesus had restrained them from preaching the word of God in the western maritime region of Asia Minor ( ἡ Áóßá , Act_16:6). b. They were restrained, in the same manner, from laboring in Bithynia, Act_16:7. c. And now, on arriving at Troas, and thus reaching the coast of the Ægean Sea, the vision invites them to pass over to Macedonia. But all these circumstances, in such a sequence, cannot have been merely accidental; the help which Paul is asked to bring, is, surely, no other than that which the word of God, and the saving grace of Christ, afford. ‘And therefore’—as they now conclude—‘it is He himself who calls us by the vision to Macedonia, after having previously hindered us from preaching the Gospel on the borders of Asia Minor.’
b. Immediately we endeavored (sought).—The pronoun “we,” and the verb in the first person, are abruptly introduced, from which we discover that the narrator is an eye-witness, and that he accompanied Paul from Troas as a travelling companion. It has, consequently, always been assumed that Luke had joined the company at Troas, or, rather, that Paul had, at that point, associated him with himself. Of this circumstance he makes no mention whatever, because it was, like his personal relations in general, already known to Theophilus and the original readers. This opinion is by no means directly met and disproved by the objections which have, in more recent times, been advanced against it, for the purpose of sustaining the hypothesis that one of the other attendants of the apostle was the writer of this narrative of travel (beginning at Act_16:10), as well as of all the other sections of the Acts, in which “we” occurs (namely, Timotheus, according to Schleiermacher, Bleek, de Wette—or Silas, according to Schwanbeck). It would, on the contrary, be very singular, and, indeed, inexplicable, if the writer, after having been for some time in Paul’s company, should now only employ the first person, Silas having already accompanied Paul from Antioch, and Timotheus at least from Lystra. And the only difficulty which has been specially found in the present passage—namely, that the part which the narrator personally took in the deliberations and ultimate decision, is unsuited to one who had just joined the company—is altogether imaginary. If Paul met with Luke here in Troas, and, as one who had without doubt previously been a Christian, attached him to the company of travellers, it was quite appropriate that he should counsel and decide in common with Silas and Timotheus.
Act_16:11. Therefore loosing [sailing] from Troas.—The second part of this missionary journey, embracing Macedonia, begins with the embarkation of the company, which now consists of four persons. After a rapid and successful voyage in a direct course ( åὐèõäñïìÞóáíôåò ), they reach the island of Samothrace, in the Ægean sea, to the north-west of Troas, and only 38 Roman miles from the Thracian coast. They proceeded, on the next day, to Neapolis, a sea-port of Thrace, situated on the Strymonic Gulf, the modern name of which is Kavalla [Cavallo; Conyb. and H. Life etc. of St. Paul I. 309.—Tr.]. As they were aware that duty called them to Macedonia, they continued their journey without delay, until they reached the Macedonian city of Philippi, about 10 miles [Conyb., etc.] distant from Neapolis, to the north-west. This city was built and fortified by the father of Alexander the Great, on the site of a village called Krenides, on the Thracian boundary, and accordingly hears his name. Luke describes it in a twofold manner. (a) as the first city of that part of Macedonia; (b) as a colony. The latter fact is confirmed by other accounts, according to which Octavianus [Augustus] established the partisans of Antony there, gave the city the character of a colony, and invested it with colonial privileges (jus Italicum). [On this subject see Conyb. and H. I. 313 ff.—Tr.]. But the former remark has created various difficulties. The words ðñþôç ôῆò ìåñßäïò , etc., might at first suggest the thought that Philippi was intended to be described as the capital of that district of Macedonia. But the classic writers furnish the names of the capitals of the four districts into which Macedonia was divided, with great precision; Philippi is not mentioned in the list, but Amphipolis was, on the contrary, the capital of that district to which Philippi belonged (Macedonia prima). [Thessalonica was the “chief city” of the whole province of Macedonia.—Tr.]. Accordingly, ðñþôç cannot be taken in such a sense [as chief city, capital], and still less can it be supposed, with Ewald, that Philippi had been made the capital of the whole province of Macedonia, because the Roman governor perhaps resided there at that time. Further, the interpretation that ðñþôç is a title of honor, referring to special privileges granted to the city (Hug; Kuinoel), can claim no consideration, as no facts are on record which sustain it. The same remark applies to the combination of ðñþôç ðüëéò with êïëùíßá , i.e., the first, the most eminent colonial city, of the region (Meyer); for the arrangement of the words certainly suggests that ðñþôç ôῆò ìåñßäïò is a second and independent predicate (eademque colonia, van Hengel: Comm. in Ep. ad Phil.). We can, therefore, adopt no other method than to take ðñþôç ôῆò ìåñßäïò in a topographical sense, viz., ‘which is the first city of the province of Macedonia’ [‘to which we came in that district,’ as Neapolis properly belongs to Thrace. (Alf.).—Tr.]. Meyer objects to this view that Luke cannot have had any conceivable motive for departing from his usual method, by making such a precise geographical statement. But an examination of the context, beginning with Act_16:8, the more carefully it is conducted, will the more successfully remove this difficulty, and also recommend our interpretation as the only one that is correct. The apostle clearly understood, after he had seen that vision in the night, that the Redeemer called him to Macedonia, in order to preach the Gospel there. From that moment he and his companions resolved to continue their missionary journey in a direct course to Macedonia, and they immediately sought for the earliest opportunity to proceed to that country. After they had found a ship and embarked at Troas, they rapidly proceeded, with favorable winds ( åὐèõäñïìÞóáíôåò ), past Samothrace, to Neapolis. [“On a later occasion (Act_20:6) we are told that five days were spent on the passage from Philippi to Troas. On the present occasion the same voyage, in the opposite direction, was made in two.” (Conyb. and H. I. 306.—Tr.]. Now Neapolis was a Thracian city, whereas they had been directed to go to Macedonia. Hence they made no delay, but continued their journey until they reached Philippi, “which is the first city [which we reached] in the province of Macedonia.” According to this interpretation ἥôéò retains its sense, as indicating the motive [viz. to reach Macedonia, while Meyer suggests, as the motive indicated by ἥôéò , the distinctive character of Philippi, as the most important colonial city of the district.—Tr.]; and our explanation is confirmed by the fact that it is now established (since Rettig published his Quæst. Philippenses, p. 3 ff. 1831), that Neapolis actually belonged at that time to Thrace, and was not attached to Macedonia until the reign of Vespasian.—Erasmus had already given the following interpretation: ea civitas colonia, prima occurrit a Neapoli petentibus Macedoniam, and recent interpreters have adopted the same view, e. g. Olshausen, de Wette [also Alford; Conyb. and H. Life, etc. of St. Paul, p. 309, and 311, note 9.—Tr.]
Act_16:12-13. a. Philippi, which is the chief [the first] city (i.e., in Europe, in which the messengers of Jesus Christ paused, and preached the Gospel).—It was on a sabbath when this first occurred, and on the bank of a river, at a spot which had been assigned and consecrated by custom ( ἐíïìßæåôï ) to meetings for prayer ( ðñïòåõ÷Þ , a place of prayer, as a substitute for a synagogue). [“There was no synagogue at Philippi, but only one of those buildings called Proseuchæ, which were distinguished from the regular places of Jewish worship by being of a more slight and temporary structure, and frequently open to the sky.” (Conyb. and H., Life etc. of St. Paul, I. 315.)—Tr.]. This river has hitherto been supposed to be the Strymon, and such is the opinion of Neander, de Wette, and Meyer, 2d ed. [But Meyer now says, in the 3d ed. Acts 1861: “Not the Strymon—but the small stream Gangas, or some other one—.”—Tr.]. These writers are, however, in error, for the Strymon is more than a day’s journey distant from Philippi, to the west [“The nearest point on the Strymon was many miles distant.” (Conyb. etc., as quoted above.)—Tr.]. The wide plain on which the celebrated battle was fought, in which the army of the republicans was defeated by Antony and Octavius (B. C. 42), lay between this river and the city. Another river must, consequently, be meant, which flowed past the city at a distance of, at most, five or six stadia, that is, a sabbath day’s journey. It was, perhaps, the stream which Appian calls the Gangas or Gangites. Dr. Hackett, the same American divine who wrote a Commentary on the Acts, found, on a visit to the place, which, it is true, occurred in the winter (Dec. 13, 1858), a considerable stream flowing on the east side of the ruins of Philippi. [Dr. Hackett, without referring in the last edition, 1863, to his visit, remarks: “In summer the Gangas is almost dry, but in winter or after rains may be full and swollen.” (Com. at Act_16:13).—Tr.]. Now it was precisely on the banks of rivers, or on the seashore, that acts of worship were performed by way of preference, since the water needed for sacred ablutions, was thus furnished at the same time [“as it was customary to wash the hands before prayer.” (Meyer).—Josephus (Antiq. xiv. 10, 23) quotes from a public decree: “they may make their proseuchæ at the sea-side, according to the customs of their forefathers.”—Tr.].
b. And on the sabbath, etc.—The day and the place alike show that the apostle and his companions had Israelites and proselytes primarily in view. It seems, however, that there were, at that time, no Jewish men in the city. [“The number of the Jews at Philippi was small. This is sufficiently accounted for, when we remember that it was a military, and not a mercantile, city.” (Conyb. and H., I. p. 315.—Tr.]. Paul and his companions could speak, in that rural place of prayer, only to the women who had there assembled. And even they may have been few in number, as the speakers could not deliver addresses, but only engage in familiar conversation: êáèßóáíôåò ἐëáëïῦìåí . This expression, as contradistinguished from ëÝãåéí , äéáëÝãåóèáé , etc. describes a comparatively free and conversational intercourse; and the circumstance that they did not stand, but, rather, sat, while they spoke, indicates that they did not make their remarks in the formal and solemn manner of a public discourse. [Conyb. and H. (I. 317, and note 1) say: “Assuming at once the attitude of teachers, they ‘sat down,’ etc. Comp. ἐêÜèéóáí , Act_13:14; and ἐêÜèéóå , Luk_4:20.”—Tr.]
Act_16:14. And a certain woman, etc.—There was one of the hearers who was, in a special degree, open to the influence of the truth, and who listened with earnest attention to all that Paul said. ( Äéáíïßãù signifies to open, to open fully and widely.), [“Luke views this susceptibility of the woman as produced by the influence of the exalted Christ ( ὁ êýñéïò ), who promotes the interests of his kingdom, and who opened the heart Of Lydia, äéÞíïéîå , that is, wrought in her inner vital action a corresponding disposition and adaptation.” (Meyer).—Tr.]. She was a proselyte [“ óåâïõ . ô . èåüí , see Act_13:16” (Meyer)—Tr.], and a dealer in purple, known as Lydia, of the city of Thyatira.—This city belonged to a district of Asia Minor called Lydia, to the north of Sardis. [Lydia was a part of the province of Asia; see above, Act_16:7-8, Exeg. etc., and comp. Rev_1:11; Rev_2:18.—Tr.]. It is quite possible that she bore the name of “the Lydian woman” in Philippi, only on account of her original home; the name of Lydia was, however, very frequently given to females in ancient times.—The city of Thyatira was celebrated, at a very early period, for its purple dyes and purple fabrics, and thus the circumstance that she was a ðïñöõñüðùëéò , a dealer in cloths that had received a purple dye, agrees with her descent. [“The purple color, so extravagantly valued by the ancients, included many shades or tints, from rose-red to sea-green or blue. Lydia’s occupation may have been the sale of the dye itself, procured from a shell-fish (purpura murex), but more probably was that of cloth or clothes dyed with it, etc.” (Alex.)—Tr.]. And as Thyatira itself was a Macedonian colony, (Strabo), we may the more readily understand that circumstances connected with this woman’s trade, brought her at this time to Philippi.
Act_16:15. And when she was baptized.—Although it is not probable that the baptism of Lydia and her family was performed on the spot, it occurred, no doubt, on an early occasion. She then urgently invited the apostle and all his companions to enter her house, and remain there as her guests. ÐáñåâéÜóáôï , she constrained them to come; the same word, again occurs in Luk_24:29, as descriptive of friendly and repeated requests and importunities; it does not, however, justify the inference that the missionaries had at first resisted (Bengel; Baumgarten). This proffered hospitality furnished direct evidence of her love to the Redeemer, which proceeded from faith and which manifested itself by disinterested and kind attentions to His messengers. She supported her plea by appealing to the judgment which they had themselves pronounced in her case ( êåêñßêáôå ), and without which they would unquestionably have declined to baptize her; they had declared that she was a believer, in reference to the Lord, ðéóôὴí ôῷ êõñßῳ , which does not mean “faithful” to the Lord, for such a judgment would have been manifestly precipitate. That the messengers of the Gospel acceded to the request of Lydia, and entered her house as guests, may be confidently assumed, for ðáñåâéÜóáôï expresses, as in Luk_24:29, not merely the conatus, but also the actus.—[She was baptized, and her household.—“The real strength of the argument (viz., that as households include children, we have no right to except them from the general statement) lies not in any one case, but in the repeated mention of whole houses as baptized.” (Alex.)—“Who can believe that not one infant was found in all these families, and that Jews, accustomed to the circumcision, and Gentiles, accustomed to the lustration, of infants, should not have also brought them to baptism?” (Bengel).—“The practice (of infant-baptism) does not rest on inference, but on the continuity and identity of the covenant of grace to Jew and Christian, the sign only, of admission being altered.”—(Alford).—Tr.]
Act_16:16-18. And it came to pass, etc.—Some days afterwards, and not on the same sabbath (Heinrichs and Kuinoel, whom Meyer has refuted), occurred the expulsion of the soothsaying spirit from a female slave [ ðáéäßóêç in this sense, in the N. T.; see Robinson’s Lex.—Tr.]. She had a ðíåῦìá ðýèùíá , and practised divination ( ìáíôåõïìÝíç ), and, indeed, as a ventriloquist, as it may be inferred from the word ðýèùí . Python was the name of the serpent at Delphi, which was killed by Apollo. The name was afterwards given to any soothsaying äáéìüíéïí , and Hesychius specially states that ðýèùí means a ventriloquist, a soothsaying ventriloquist. Plutarch also mentions incidentally [De def. arac. p. 414. E.—Tr,.] that, in his day, the name ðýèùí was given to one who, at an earlier period, had been termed an ἐããáóôñßìõèïò , or åὐñõêëῆò [“The LXX. usually render àִáåֹú by ἐããáóôñßìõèïò , ventriloquist, and correctly; since among the ancients this power of ventriloquism was often misused for the purpose of magic.” (Robinson’s Hebr. Lex. p. 20). Comp. Lev_19:31; Lev_20:6; Lev_20:27, etc. Sept. and see Schleusner: Thes. V. T. ad verb. ἐããáóôñßìõèïò .—“Augustine calls this girl ‘ventriloqua foemina’, De Civ. Dei. II. 23. (Conyb. and H. I. 322. n. 1.)—Tr.]. Those persons who placed confidence in the soothsaying of this female, probably believed that a god who prophesied dwelt, in her, but Paul recognized in her one who was possessed by an unclean spirit, that is, she was a demoniac. She was the slave of several joint-owners ( ðὁ êýñéïé ), who availed themselves of her soothsaying arts as a source of profit, and who derived large gains from the money paid by the people for her divinations.—This person met Paul and his companions, on a certain occasion, as they were going to the place of prayer, ran after them, and, at the same time, cried to those who passed by, that these men were servants of the most high God, who showed the way of salvation. She accordingly spoke the truth, by means of a clairvoyance and gift, of divination which had been conferred upon her in a supernatural manner. [Without resorting, in this particular case, to ventriloquism and animal magnetism for an explanation, which is no more necessary here than in the analogous cases furnished by the Gospels, e. g., Luk_4:34-35, Mr. Howson remarks: “It is enough to say that we see no reason to blame the opinion of those writers, who believe that a wicked spiritual agency was really exerted in the prophetic sanctuaries and prophetic personages of the heathen world.” (Con. and Howson’s Life etc. of St. Paul. I. 321.—Tr.]. As the woman often repeated the act, Paul felt wounded ( äéáðïíçèåßò ), because he could not accept of any recommendation and support, or any honor from a spirit which was not of God. Hence, he suddenly turned to the woman who was following him, and commanded the spirit, in the name of Jesus, to come out of her.
Act_16:19-21. And when her masters saw, etc.—This occurrence created enemies, and even subjected Paul and Silas to corporeal punishment and to imprisonment. [“This is the first persecution proceeding from a purely heathen source, of which we have an account.” (Meyer).—Tr.]. ʼ Éäüíôåò can scarcely imply that the owners of the slave were present at the time when, the expulsion of the spirit took place, but rather refers to a subsequent time, when they became convinced that she had been restored to the ordinary psychic state, that the soothsaying spirit had departed from her, and that, consequently, no prospect of additional gains existed. (ʼ Åîῆëèåí [applied alike to the departure of the spirit, and to that of the hope of gain, Act_16:18-19.—Tr.], is, intentionally used in a double sense.). Self-interest now goaded them on to seek revenge, and they accordingly seized the persons of Paul and Silas in a violent manner. (Timotheus and Luke, as subordinate companions, were not molested.). The two men were dragged to the market-place before the rulers ( ïἱ ἄñ÷ïíôåò , is a general term), and presented, as accused persons, specially to the óôñáôçãïß . The honorable title of óôðáôçãüò , equivalent to the Roman prætor, was gladly accepted by the highest magistrates in Roman colonial cities, although their proper title was Duumviri (“cum ceteris in coloniis duumviri appellentur, hi se prætores appellari volebant.” Cicero: De Lege Agrar. c. 34.). [“The complainants must have felt some difficulty in stating their grievance.—The law had no remedy for property depreciated by exorcism. The true state of the case was therefore concealed, etc.” (Conyb. and H. p. 323.—Tr.]. The charge, assuming a political character, referred to political disturbances which, as it was alleged, had been created ( ἐêôÜñáóóåéí , perturbare), and was founded on the circumstance that these men, being Jews, attempted to introduce customs which the citizens, as Roman subjects and colonists, were not permitted to adopt and practise. [For the authorities respecting the intolerance of the Romans, see Conyb. and H. I. 324, notes,—Tr.]. The name. ʼ Éïõäáῖïé , is not merely the antithesis to ʼP ùìáßïéò ïῦ ̓ óé , as distinguishing the one nation from the other, but is, at the same time, pronounced in a bitter and contemptuous manner, and is intended to rouse the angry passions of the hearers.—ʼ́ Åèç occurs here [as in Act_6:14] in a wide sense, including customs connected with public worship and the religious life.—It may be added, that these accusers had not yet learned to distinguish Christianity, as such, but still confounded it with Judaism.
Act_16:22-24. And the multitude rose up together.—The multitude, after having rapidly assembled, at once united with the masters of that slave, in assailing the two Christians ( óííåðÝóôç ), probably by tumultuous cries and demands. And the duumviri, doubtless alarmed, and anxious to appease the excited people, immediately proceeded, without any previous trial or judicial process, to inflict a corporeal punishment, by administering many blows on the naked bodies of the accused; ( ðåñéῤῥÞîáíôåò ôὰ ἱìÜôéá , comp. Liv. II. 5. 8; lacerantibus vestem lictoribus). The act was unquestionably not performed by the óôñáôçãïß personally (Bengel), but by the inferior officers of justice (the ῥáâäïῦ÷ïé , Act_16:35; Act_16:38, the lictors), who inflicted the blows with rods (virgis cædere). [“Many stripes—there being no such merciful restriction in the Roman practice, as in that of the Jews (2Co_11:24), or rather in the law of Moses (Deu_25:3).” (Alex.).—Tr.]. The punishment was, probably, ordered and inflicted with such haste and passion that no protest against it could be audibly made. After this scene, which preceded any form of trial, the two strangers were committed to prison, and special orders were given to the jailer to secure them carefully. He obeyed by consigning them, as if they were dangerous criminals, to a cell which was situated far in the interior of the prison ( ἐóùôÝñáí ), and, also, by fastening their feet in the stocks ( ôὸ îýëïí , nervus). This instrument was a heavy piece of wood with holes, into which the feet were placed in such a manner that they were widely distended; hence it was also an implement of torture.
Act_16:25-28. And at midnight.—The miraculous aid. While Paul and Silas, in this ignominious and painful situation, were nevertheless, engaged, at midnight, in praying to God, and praising him [singing hymns to his praise, ὕìíïõí ,—Tr.] with loud voices, insomuch that the other prisoners listened in wonder, the foundations of the building were shaken by a violent earthquake; all the doors were thrown open, and not only were their own fetters instantly loosened, but also those of all ( ðáíôùí ) the other prisoners. The jailer, suddenly awaking, supposed at first, when he found the doors open, that his prisoners had escaped, and intended, amid loud cries of despair, to commit suicide. At that moment Paul called to him, and calmed him with the assurance that all were there. [“By the Roman law, the jailer was to undergo the same punishment which the malefactors who escaped by his negligence were to have suffered.” (Conyb. and H. I. 329. n. 2.—Tr.].—The other prisoners had listened to the, prayers of the two men, and when the earthquake occurred, which opened the doors and loosened all bonds, they felt the power of God, and, deeply impressed by the miracle, remained motionless in their cells.
Act_16:29-34. Then he called for a light.—The effect produced by the miracle, in the case of the jailer. He hastily entered with a light into the inner prison ( åἰæåðÞäçóå ), and, filled with fear, and trembling from anguish of conscience ( ἔíôñïìïò ), threw himself at the feet of Paul and Silas; for he was now thoroughly convinced that they were specially protected by the Deity. He then led them out of the ἐóùôÝñá öõëáêÞ , (Act_16:24), and conducted them to the inner court of the prison ( ðñïáã .— ἔîù ); here he respectfully addressed them ( êýñéïé ), and asked what he ought to do, in order to obtain that salvation which they preached (Act_16:17). [" Éíá óùèῶ ; he refers to that óùôçñßá , that ὁäὸí óùôçñßáò , Act_16:17, which, as he had previously heard, they showed to men; he was now convinced that they spoke the truth. (Meyer).—Tr.]. They require faith in Jesus as the Lord, and assure him that thus he and all the inmates of his house would be saved. They begin at once to proclaim succinctly to him and to all who belong to him, the word concerning Jesus Christ [ êáὶ ἐëÜëçóáí ]. The result was, that he, together with his whole house ( ðáíïéêß scarcely occurs except in the later Greek), believed in God; (the expression ïåïõóôåõêþò ôῷ èåῷ , because he had been a pagan and polytheist. He and all his were baptized during the same night; the rite was unquestionably administered in the court within the enclosure of the prison, at a well or tank. And we may infer from Act_16:33, that his baptism, occurred in immediate connection with his own act of washing the bloody marks made by the rods on the persons of Paul and Silas. [Constructio prægnaus in Act_16:33, ἐëïõóí , etc., i.e., he washed and cleansed them from the blows, that is, from the blood with which they were covered in consequence of the blows. (Winer: Gr. N. T. § 47. 5. b. and § 66. 2.—Tr.]. They returned that act of love by another, when they baptized him and his family at the same water. [“Nothing follows as to his immersion, since both ablutions may have been performed at the mouth of a deep well, or even with a bowl of water brought in for the purpose.” (Alexander). A well or cistern may have supplied the bowl with water; facilities for an immersion could scarcely have been found in the interior of an ancient Roman prison. If, on the other hand, Paul had stealthily gone forth during the night, in order to immerse the jailer in a neighboring stream, how could he, as an honest man, have, on the next day, declared that, after having been ignominiously conducted within the prison-walls, he would not leave them, until the magistrates personally led him forth?—Tr.]. And now the jailer provided food in his own dwelling for the two men, who were exhausted by the cruel treatment which they had received, the scourging, and the severe confinement. (The expression Üíáãáþí — åῖ ̓ ò , does not imply, as Meyer interprets it, that the jailer’s abode was a story higher than the prison, but merely that it was a story higher than the court of the prison, in which the ablution of the prisoners, and his own baptism had occurred). ôñÜðåæáí is both a Hebrew and a Roman mode of expression; , çַּòְַø ̇ êְ ìְôָðַé ùֻׁìְçָï Psa_23:5, apposuit mensam, and occurs in Greek as early as the age of Homer. (Od. E. 93).
Act_16:35-40. a. And when it was day.—The honorable dismission of the prisoners. On the next morning, the duumviri, who had, after further reflection during the interval, perceived that they had acted with too much precipitation, and who had probably received tidings of the occurrences in the prison during the night, were willing to dispose of the whole matter at once, by dismissing the prisoners. They accordingly sent an order by the lictors to the jailer, directing him to dismiss those people; (the order is expressed in haughty and contemptuous terms, ô . ἀíèñ . ἐêåßíïõò ). The jailer communicated the message to the two men, and supposed that they would now be gratified on recovering their liberty ( ἐîåëèüíôåò ), and being permitted to continue their journey without molestation ( ἐí åἰñÞíῃ ). But Paul objected to such a course; he represented to the officials before him ( ðñüò áὐôïýò , i.e., the jailer and the lictors), that the whole procedure had been contrary to law. He and Silas had, in violation of every sentiment of justice, been punished without a trial and judgment ( ἀêáôáêñßôïõò ); besides, they had both, although as Roman citizens, they could not be subjected to such a punishment, been scourged with rods, in opposition to the Roman law, and, moreover, they had suffered in public ( äçìïóßá ), which circumstance was an additional aggravation of the injury. [“By the Lex Valeria, passed A. U. C. 264, and the Lex Porcia, A. U. C. 506, Roman citizens were, exempted from stripes and torture: by the former, till an appeal to the people was decided,—by the latter, absolutely.” (Alford, Meyer). “The violation of the rights of citizens, was regarded as treason, and, as such, severely punished.” (Meyer, on Act_16:38).—Tr.]. They had then—Paul continues—been imprisoned. And now the magistrates wish to terminate the affair in a secret manner ( ëÜèñá , the antithesis to äçìïóßá ), by driving them abruptly from the prison, as they are already doing (pres. ἐêâÜëëïõóéí ), as far as it depends on them. Paul’s meaning is: ‘All this is wrong;’ hence he peremptorily refuses to go ( ïὐ ãáñ ;— ãÜñ indicates that the direct negative, ïὐ , contains the reason for the preceding indignant question [“and áëëÜ corresponds adversatively to ïὐ .” (Meyer). See Winer: Gr. N. T. § 53. 8. a. note 2.—Tr.]). He demands that the duumviri should come personally ( áὐôïß , not merely, sending the Motors), for the purpose of conducting them forth from the prison. Any other course might have suggested the thought that the prisoners had not been entirely free from guilt, and Paul’s departure might, at a subsequent period, have been represented as an escape, if he had withdrawn in the informal and quiet manner which had been proposed. [Doubtless, too, he apprehended that such a stain on his own reputation, might be prejudicial to the holy cause for which he labored.—Tr.].—He therefore testifies that he and Silas were Roman citizens ( ἄíèñùðïé ʼP ùìáῖïé ). In the ease of Silas, this fact is not known from other sources, but we are informed in Act_22:25-28, that Paul possessed the privilege of Roman citizenship from his birth. But he did not acquire it as a native of Tarsus, as some have erroneously supposed (Bengel), because that city was an urbs libera. [That is, it was not a colonia or municipium, but had only received the right from Augustus, after the civil war, of being governed by its own magistrates, while it acknowledged the Roman sovereignty; its citizens were not endowed with the privileges attaching to Roman citizenship. (Meyer).—Tr.]. Hence his father, or one of his ancestors must have received the Roman citizenship as a reward for services rendered to the state, or have acquired it by purchase. [See Exeg. etc., notes on Act_22:24-29.—Tr.]
b. And they feared.—When the authorities of the city received the report respecting Paul’s statements, they were alarmed ( öïâçèÝíôåò ), particularly as the prisoners enjoyed the rights of Roman citizens. Their illegal proceedings in the case of men invested with this character, might easily subject them to a trial and to punishment. They were consequently induced to proceed in person to the prison, and address the prisoners in terms of entreaty ( ðáñáêáëåῖí undoubtedly implies, in this connection, that they made an apology, and entreated the latter to be satisfied); they conducted them in an honorable manner beyond the prison walls ( ἐîáãáãüíôåò ), and courteously requested ( ἠñþôùí ) that they would voluntarily leave the city. Paul and Silas complied, without, however, exhibiting great haste; they first visited the house of Lydia ( ἐîåëèüíôåò — åἰòῆëèïí ), and there saw, exhorted [“ ðáñåêÜëåóáí , that they should not waver in their Christian confession.” (Meyer).—Tr.], and strengthened the brethren, i.e., both their fellow-travellers, Timotheus and Luke, and also the new converts.—ʼ Åîῆëèïí refers solely to Paul and Silas, and, as contradistinguished from the use of the first person (Act_16:16 ff.), implies that at least Luke, and perhaps also Timotheus, remained for the present, in Philippi, [“Timotheus seems to have rejoined Paul and Silas, if not at Thessalonica, at least at Berœa (Act_17:14). But we do not see St. Luke again in the Apostle’s company till the third missionary journey and the second visit to Macedonia (Act_20:4-6), where the first person, ‘we’ re-appears.” (Conyb. and H. I. 334.—Tr.]
2. There was one individual among the few female hearers, who took to heart the words which Paul spoke, and listened with devout attention. Her susceptibility itself was already an effect of grace. The Lord Jesus Christ had called his messengers to Macedonia, and it was He who opened her heart. Christ has the key of David; he can so open, that no man can shut. (Rev_3:7). The human heart is closed and barred by sin, so that divine truth cannot enter, enlighten the mind, direct the will, and renew the inner man. Grace opens the heart and converts it into good ground, in which the seed can remain, take root, and grow. The word is the same, but the hearing is twofold: when the Lord opens the heart, Conversion is possible to man, but it is actually effected only when man himself also receives the word with willingness and attention. Chrysostom says: ôὸ ìὲí ïῦ ̓ í ἀíïῖîáé ôïῦ èåïῦ , ôὸ äὲ ðñïòÝ÷åéí áὐôῆò , ῶïôå êáὶ èåῖïõ êáὶ ἀíèñþðéíïí ἡí .
3. Baptism is administered on two occasions that are described in this chapter, and each time an entire family is baptized—Lydia and her household, Act_16:15; the jailer and “all his”, Act_16:33. This is the first mention which Luke makes in his narrative of the missionary labors of Paul, of the baptism of the converted; and it is a significant circumstance, in both of the cases described in the present chapter, that all who belonged to the two persons named, were baptized along with them. Both passages, Act_16:15; Act_16:33, are adduced in favor of Infant-baptism, as an apostolical practice, on the supposition that little children were undoubtedly also counted as members of the family; and Bengel asks: Quis credat, in tot familiis nullum fuisse infantem? It is true that we cannot by any means maintain that this was the fact, with such confidence as to quote it as evidence. The most important feature of the whole subject, however, is not connected with the questions whether there were children in those families, or what their ages may have been. It is rather the indisputable fact, that in both cases the whole household, or all who belonged to the families, were baptized with the respective heads, which is here of a decisive character. It involves the conception of a Christian family, a Christian household. Personal self-determination is indeed a lofty privilege; still, it is not consistent with the truth to isolate the individual; the unity of the family in Christ, the consecration of the household through grace, the entire subjection of all to one Lord—these seem to us to be here required by the will of God. And it is a remarkable fact that this aspect of salvation is prominently exhibited in the apostolical history, first of all, on European ground.
4. The apostle of the Redeemer engages in a conflict with heathenism on a Macedonico-Hellenic soil. The arts of divination had been extensively practised ever since the Peloponnesian war. Polytheism prevailed; the Pythian oracles stood in the closest connection with the worship of Apollo. Even the comparative purity of which the whole system might possibly boast, gradually disappeared, and a superstitious form of soothsaying succeeded; a calculating selfishness, and gross or artful frauds were found in company with superstition. All these features—essentially heathenish as they are—were revealed in a hideous combination, in the case of the soothsaying female slave. The most serious injuries inflicted on the apostles proceeded from men whose interests had suffered. This circumstance does not, however, justify the inference that the whole affair was nothing else than an imposition, since, on this supposition, the exclamation of the slave, recorded in Act_16:17, would be altogether inexplicable. We must probably assume that the case exhibits a kind of clairvoyance. And in that the apostle recognizes a demoniacal power, and expels the spirit by a powerful command issued in the name of Jesus. Bengel remarks: Erat spiritus non e pessimis; quia non citius commovit Paulum: sed tamen expelli dignus. Any toleration of such exclamations, and, much more, any alliance with such spirits, could have had no other effect than that of dishonoring the Gospel, and hindering the grace and truth of God.
5. But the expulsion of the spirit in the power of Christ, subjects the apostles to a political accusation. In Jerusalem, the ostensible ground for the persecutions to which the apostles (Act_4:2; Act_4:7; Act_5:28) and Stephen (Act_6:11-14) were exposed, had been uniformly furnished by religion. The sufferers were accused of having invaded the rights of the hierarchical officers and teachers, and of having uttered blasphemies against God and Moses, the temple and the law. In Philippi, persecution assumes a political character; Paul and Silas are charged with having created disturbances, and attempted to introduce customs which were contrary to the Roman customs. Persecutions had been previously endured on a heathen soil (in Antioch of Pisidia, Act_13:14; Act_13:50, in Iconium, and in Lystra, Act_14:4; Act_14:19), but this is the first instance, in which, besides, the motives of the persecutors really proceeded from a heathenish source alone. The Roman authorities of the colonial city of Philippi, impelled by the covetousness of certain individuals who had sustained a loss, and by the excited but blind passions of the populace, hastily adopted illegal and unjustifiable measures. The whole occurrence may be viewed as a premonition of all those bloody persecutions to which the Roman empire was about to subject the Christians during two centuries (comp. Baumgarten, II. 1. p. 210, 211).—Indeed, the sufferings of Christ Himself, furnish the proper type of all the persecutions which have befallen His church. This is specially the case in so far as He was himself brought before both Jewish and heathen tribunals, and condemned, by the Jewish hierarchy for irreligion, and by the Roman procurator, for a political offence. The experience of his disciples is now the same in both respects: they are accused, at first, of offences of a hierarchical and religious, and, afterwards, of those of a political nature.
6. “By succumbing, we conquer”, is here again the watch-word. The two imprisoned witnesses of Christ have suffered the deepest humiliation; their feet are fastened in the stocks; their backs are lacerated with stripes; they are cast among common criminals. They are, nevertheless, so joyful and happy when they offer prayer to God, in the middle of the night, that they sing hymns of praise with loud voices. Thus the spirit prevails over the fles