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14. Λυδία, Lydia. This may have been the woman’s proper name, or it may only have been that by which she passed among the colonists of Philippi, being from the Lydian town of Thyatira. From inscriptions which have been found on the site of the ancient town, it is clear that dyeing was one of the staple trades of Thyatira, and it was from thence that Lydia brought over the purple which she sold in Philippi.
πόλεως Θυατείρων, of the city of Thyatira. This city was on the Lydian river Lycus. There was another river Lycus in Phrygia, in the valley of which stood the cities of Laodicæa, Hierapolis and Colossæ, all afterwards the seats of Christian congregations in whose welfare St Paul was deeply interested. See Col 4:13.
σεβομένη τὸν θεόν, who worshipped God, i.e. who had become a proselyte to Judaism.
ἦς ό κύριος διήνοιξεν τὴν καρδίαν, whose heart the Lord opened. St Luke recognizes that without this the word would have made no entrance. He probably makes special mention of this here because he had previously stated that the Lord had called them to preach at Philippi. Having pointed out their work, He helps them to perform it.
For the phrase compare the prayer 2Ma 1:4, καὶ διανοίξαι τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ.
προσέχειν, that she attended. For the construction see note on Act 8:6. She gave such heed that she was convinced of the truth of what was taught.
Chrysostom says here: τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀνοίξαι, τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ δὲ προσέχειν, αὐτῆς· ὥστε καὶ θεῖον καὶ ἀνθρώπινον ἦν.