Acts:13:4-12
Seeker Overlay ON
rwp @
Acts:13:4 @{
Songs:they } (\
autoi men oun \).
They themselves indeed therefore .
No contrast is necessary ,
though there is a slight one in verses 5 ,
6 |.
Luke again refers to the Holy Spirit as the source of their authority for this campaign rather than the church at Antioch . {
Sent forth } (\
ekpemphthentes \).
Old verb from \
ekpemp \
and first aorist passive participle ,
but in the N .
T .
only here and strkjv @
Acts:17:10 |. {
Sailed } (\
apepleusan \).
Effective aorist active indicative of \
apople \,
old verb to sail away ,
depart from .
In the N .
T .
only here and strkjv @
14:26 ;
strkjv @
20:15 ;
strkjv @
27:1 |.
Barnabas was from Cyprus where there were many Jews .
rwp @
Acts:13:5 @{
Proclaimed } (\
kat
ggellon \).
Imperfect active of \
kataggell \,
inchoative ,
began to proclaim .
This was Paul '
s rule of procedure , "
to the Jew first " (
Romans:1:16 ;
strkjv @
Acts:13:46 ;
strkjv @
17:2 ;
strkjv @
18:4 ,
19 ;
strkjv @
19:8 |). {
They had also } (\
eichon de kai \).
Imperfect active ,
descriptive . {
As their attendant } (\
hup
ret
n \).
Literally , "
under-rower " (\
hupo ,
ret
s \)
in the trireme .
Probably here minister (\
chazzan \)
or assistant in the synagogue as in strkjv @
Luke:4:20 |.
Cf .
strkjv @
Matthew:5:25 |.
It is not clear what John Mark did ,
though he was evidently selected by Barnabas as his cousin .
He may have helped in the baptizing .
There were probably others also in the company (
verse 13 |).
The "
also "
may mean that Mark did some preaching .
Barnabas was probably the leader in the work in these Jewish synagogues .
rwp @
Acts:13:6 @{
Unto Paphos } (\
achri Paphou \).
The new Paphos at the other end of the island ,
reached by a fine Roman road ,
some eight miles north of the old Paphos famous for the worship of Venus . {
A certain sorcerer ,
a false prophet ,
a Jew } (\
andra tina magon pseudoproph
t
n Ioudaion \).
Literally , "
a certain man " (\
andra tina \)
with various descriptive epithets .
The word \
magon \
does not necessarily mean "
sorcerer ,"
but only a \
magus \ (
Matthew:2:1 ,
7 ,
10 |
which see ).
The bad sense occurs in strkjv @
Acts:8:9 ,
11 | (
Simon Magus )
and is made plain here by "
false prophet ."
In verse 8 |
here Barjesus (
Son of Jesus )
is called "
Elymas the sorcerer (
or Magian ),"
probably his professional title ,
as Luke interprets the Arabic or Aramaic word Elymas .
These Jewish mountebanks were numerous and had great influence with the uneducated .
In strkjv @
Acts:19:13 |
the seven sons of Sceva ,
Jewish exorcists ,
tried to imitate Paul .
If one is surprised that a man like Sergius Paulus should fall under the influence of this fraud ,
he should recall what Juvenal says of the Emperor Tiberius "
sitting on the rock of Capri with his flock of Chaldaeans around him ."
rwp @
Acts:13:7 @{
With the proconsul Sergius Paulus } (\
sun t
i anthupat
i Sergi
i Paul
i \).
Luke used to be sharply criticized for applying this term to Sergius Paulus on the ground that Cyprus was a province under the appointment of the emperor with the title of propraetor and not under the control of the senate with the title of proconsul .
That was true B .
C .
30 ,
but five years later it was changed to proconsul by Augustus and put under the control of the Senate .
Two inscriptions have been found with the date A .
D .
51 and 52 with the names of proconsuls of Cyprus and one is in the Cesnola Collection ,
an inscription found at Soli with the name of Paulus as Proconsul ,
undoubtedly this very man ,
though no date occurs . {
A man of understanding } (\
andri sunet
i \).
All the more amazing that he should be a victim of Barjesus .
He had given up idolatry at any rate and was eager to hear Barnabas and Saul .
rwp @
Acts:13:8 @{
Withstood them } (\
anthistato autois \).
Imperfect middle of \
anthist
mi \,
to stand against (
face to face ).
Dative case (\
autois \).
He persisted in his opposition and was unwilling to lose his great prize .
There may have been a public discussion between Elymas and Saul . {
To turn aside } (\
diastrepsai \).
First aorist active infinitive of \
diastreph \,
old verb to turn or twist in two ,
to distort ,
to pervert (
cf .
strkjv @
Matthew:17:17 ;
strkjv @
Luke:23:2 |).
rwp @
Acts:13:9 @{
But Saul ,
who is also called Paul } (\
Saulos de ,
ho kai Paulos \).
By this remarkably brief phrase Luke presents this epoch in the life of Saul Paul .
The "
also " (\
kai \)
does not mean that the name Paul was given now for the first time ,
rather than he had always had it .
As a Jew and a Roman citizen ,
he undoubtedly had both names all the time (
cf .
John Mark ,
Symeon Niger ,
Barsabbas Justus ).
Jerome held that the name of Sergius Paulus was adopted by Saul because of his conversion at this time ,
but this is a wholly unlikely explanation , "
an element of vulgarity impossible to St .
Paul " (
Farrar ).
Augustine thought that the meaning of the Latin _paulus_
(
little )
would incline Saul to adopt , "
but as a proper name the word rather suggested the glories of the Aemilian family ,
and even to us recalls the name of another Paulus ,
who was '
lavish of his noble life '" (
Page ).
Among the Jews the name Saul was naturally used up to this point ,
but from now on Luke employs Paul save when there is a reference to his previous life (
Acts:22:7 ;
strkjv @
26:14 |).
His real career is work among the Gentiles and Paul is the name used by them .
There is a striking similarity in sound between the Hebrew Saul and the Roman Paul .
Paul was proud of his tribe of Benjamin and so of King Saul (
Phillipians:3:5 |). {
Filled with the Holy Spirit } (\
pl
stheis pneumatos hagiou \).
First aorist (
ingressive )
passive participle of \
pimpl
mi \
with the genitive case .
A special influx of power to meet this emergency .
Here was a cultured heathen ,
typical of the best in Roman life ,
who called forth all the powers of Paul plus the special help of the Holy Spirit to expose the wickedness of Elymas Barjesus .
If one wonders why the Holy Spirit filled Paul for this emergency rather than Barnabas ,
when Barnabas was named first in strkjv @
13:2 |,
he can recall the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in his choice of agents (
1Corinthians:12:4-11 |)
and also the special call of Paul by Christ (
Acts:9:15 ;
strkjv @
26:17f .|). {
Fastened his eyes } (\
atenisas \).
As already in strkjv @
Luke:4:20 ;
strkjv @
22:56 ;
strkjv @
Acts:3:4 ,
12 ;
strkjv @
6:15 ;
strkjv @
10:4 |.
rwp @
Acts:13:10 @{
Of all guile } (\
pantos dolou \).
From \
del \,
to catch with bait ,
old word ,
already seen in strkjv @
Matthew:26:4 ;
strkjv @
Mark:7:22 ;
strkjv @
14:1 |.
Paul denounces Elymas as a trickster . {
All villainy } (\
p
s
s rh
idiourgias \).
Late compound from \
rh
idiourgos \ (\
rh
idios \,
easy ,
facile , \
ergon \,
deed ,
one who does a thing adroitly and with ease ).
Songs:levity in Xenophon and unscrupulousness in Polybius ,
Plutarch ,
and the papyri .
Only here in the N .
T .,
though the kindred word \
rh
idiourg
ma \
occurs in strkjv @
Acts:18:14 |.
With deadly accuracy Paul pictured this slick rascal . {
Thou son of the devil } (\
huie diabolou \).
Damning phrase like that used by Jesus of the Pharisees in strkjv @
John:8:44 |,
a slanderer like the \
diabolos \.
This use of son (\
huios \)
for characteristic occurs in strkjv @
Acts:3:25 ;
strkjv @
4:36 |,
a common Hebrew idiom ,
and may be used purposely by Paul in contrast with the name Barjesus (
son of Jesus )
that Elymas bore (
13:6 |). {
Enemy of all righteousness } (\
echthre p
s
s dikaiosun
s \).
Personal enemy to all justice ,
sums up all the rest .
Note triple use of "
all " (\
pantos ,
p
s
s ,
p
s
s \),
total depravity in every sense . {
Wilt thou not cease ?} (\
ou paus
i \).
An impatient rhetorical question ,
almost volitive in force (
Robertson ,
_Grammar_
,
p .
874 ).
Note \
ou \,
not \
m \, {
To pervert } (\
diastreph
n \).
Present active participle describing the actual work of Elymas as a perverter or distorter (
see verse 8 |).
More exactly ,
Wilt thou not cease perverting ? {
The right ways of the Lord } (\
tas hodous tou kuriou tas eutheias \).
The ways of the Lord the straight ones as opposed to the crooked ways of men (
Isaiah:40:4 ;
strkjv @
42:16 ;
strkjv @
Luke:3:5 |).
The task of John the Baptist as of all prophets and preachers is to make crooked paths straight and to get men to walk in them .
This false prophet was making even the Lord '
s straight ways crooked .
Elymas has many successors .
rwp @
Acts:13:11 @{
Upon thee } (\
epi se \).
The use of \
epi \
with the accusative is rich and varied ,
the precise shade of meaning depending on the content .
The "
hand of the Lord "
might be kindly (
Acts:11:21 |)
or hostile (
Hebrews:10:31 |),
but when God '
s hand touches one '
s life (
Job:19:21 |)
it may be in judgment as here with Elymas .
He has not humbled himself under the mighty hand of God (
1Peter:5:6 |). {
Not seeing } (\
m
blep
n \).
Repeating with negative participle the negative idea in "
blind " (\
tuphlos \). "
It was a judicial infliction ;
blindness for blindness ,
darkness without for wilful darkness within " (
Furneaux ).
He was an example of the blind leading the blind that was to cease and Sergius Paulus was to be led into the light .
The blindness was to be "
for a season " (\
achri kairou \,
strkjv @
Luke:4:13 |),
if it should please God to restore his sight .
Paul apparently recalls his own blindness as he entered Damascus . {
A mist } (\
achlus \).
Especially a dimness of the eyes ,
old poetic word and late prose ,
in LXX ,
only here in N .
T .
Galen uses it of the opacity of the eye caused by a wound . {
He went about seeking some one to lead him by the hand } (\
periag
n ez
tei cheirag
gous \).
A rather free rendering .
Literally , "
going about (\
periag
n \,
present active participle of \
periag \)
he was seeking (\
ez
tei \,
imperfect active of \
z
te \)
guides (\
cheirag
gous \,
from \
cheir \,
hand ,
and \
ag
gos \,
guide ,
from \
ag \,
one who leads by the hand )."
The very verb \
cheirag
ge \,
to lead by the hand ,
Luke uses of Paul in strkjv @
9:8 |,
as he entered Damascus .
rwp @
Acts:13:12 @{
Believed } (\
episteusen \).
Ingressive aorist active indicative .
Renan considers it impossible that a Roman proconsul could be converted by a miracle .
But it was the teaching about the Lord (\
tou kuriou \,
objective genitive )
by which he was astonished (\
ekpl
ssomenos \,
present passive participle of \
ekpl
ss \,
see on ¯
Matthew:7:28 |)
or struck out as well as by the miracle .
The blindness came "
immediately " (\
paraehr
ma \)
upon the judgment pronounced by Paul .
It is possible that Sergius Paulus was converted to Christ without openly identifying himself with the Christians as his baptism is not mentioned as in the case of Cornelius .
But ,
even if he was baptized ,
he need not have been deposed from his proconsulship as Furneaux and Rackham argue because his office called for "
official patronage of idolatrous worship ."
But that could have been merely perfunctory as it probably was already .
He had been a disciple of the Jewish magician ,
Elymas Barjesus ,
without losing his position .
Imperial persecution against Christianity had not yet begun .
Furneaux even suggests that the conversion of a proconsul to Christianity at this stage would have called for mention by the Roman and Greek historians .
There is the name Sergia Paullina in a Christian cemetery in Rome which shows that one of his family was a Christian later .
One will believe what he wills about Sergius Paulus ,
but I do not see that Luke leaves him in the category of Simon Magus who "
believed " (
8:13 |)
for revenue only .