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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Acts 26:22 - 26:22
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22. ἐπικουρίας οὖν τυχὲν τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, having therefore obtained the help that is from God. The connexion by οὖν implies that only help divine could have saved him in such perils. ἐπικουρία means such succour as an ally gives, and recalls God’s promise, ‘Surely I will be with thee.’
ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης ἕστηκα, I stand unto this day. The Apostle has in mind the many attempts to cast him down which had been made by Jews, and Gentiles too, during his missionary journeys. He has been rescued in many ways, and is still there standing safe and sound through the help which God hath sent him. He does not forget human agency, but this, whatever it was, was all sent of God.
μαρτυρόμενος μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ, testifying both to small and great. St Paul was now in the presence of two who would be named great, and he knew that God had declared he was to testify ‘before kings’ (Act 9:15).
ὧν. For the government, see Act 1:1.
οἱ προφῆται … καὶ Μωϋσῆς, the prophets and Moses, i.e. the whole Old Testament Scriptures. The form of the phrase is usually ‘Moses and the prophets,’ according to the order of the O.T. books. Sometimes we have ‘the Law and the prophets,’ and once (Luk 24:44) ‘the law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms.’
μελλόντεν γίνεσθαι, were about to come. The attraction of μελλόντων into the case of the relative preceding is an uncommon occurrence. The plain construction of the whole sentence would be ἐκτὸς τούτων ἂ οἱ προφῆται ἐλάλησαν μέλλοντα, ‘except those things which the prophets spake of as about to come.’ But τούτων being dropped, the relative is attracted into the case of the lost antecedent, and draws the participle in its train.