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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Acts 19:37 - 19:37
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
37. τοὺς ἄνδρας τούτους, these men, Gaius and Aristarchus.
ἱεροσύλους, robbers of temples. As the temple at Ephesus had a great treasure-chamber, the offence might not be unknown among them. All that was placed under the guardianship of the goddess would be for the time the property of the temple, to steal which would be sacrilege.
ἱερόσυλος is applied to Lysimachus (2Ma 4:42) for his plundering of the temple at Jerusalem. αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν ἱερόσυλον παρὰ τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον ἐχειρώσαντο.
οὔτε βλασφημοῦντας τὴν θεὸν ἡμῶν, nor blasphemers of our goddess. In a popular address it is natural that such a speaker would identify himself with his fellow-citizens. We may gather from this verse that the language of St Paul and his companions had been measured when they had spoken about the special worship of Ephesus. They had inculcated the great principle that those were no gods which were made with hands and had allowed that to do its work. We find the same restraint put on himself by St Paul at Athens, though he was greatly moved to see the city wholly given to idolatry. Different conduct in either of these cities would most likely have deprived him of all chance of a hearing.