Acts 19:34

Act 19:34. Ἐπιγνόντες δὲ) The nominative for the oblique case [the genitive, to agree with πάντων]. “A change of construction” [anacoluthon], says Camerarius, “not unusual in Greek, similar to that in the Iliad, ἄμφω δʼ ἑζόμενοι γεραρώτερος ἦεν Ὀδυσσεύς.”—ἐκ πάντων, from all) They were unwilling to hear a Jew. Thus the danger was averted from the Christians.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_19:34-35. Ὅτι Ἰουδαῖός ἐστι] Alexander was a Jewish Christian; but his Christian position was either unknown to the mob, or they would listen to nothing at all from one belonging to the Jewish nation as the hereditary enemy of the worship of the gods.

ἐπιγνόντες] Nominative participle, having reference to the logical subject. See Winer, p. 528 [E. T. 710]; Buttmann, neut Gr. p. 256 [E. T. 298].

καταστείλας] after he had quieted. Plut. Mor. p. 207 E; Joseph. Antt. xiv. 9. 1, i. 1. 2.

The γραμματεύς, who had come up in the meantime, perhaps being sent for, is the city-secretary (Thuc. vii. 19, ὁ γραμματεὺς ὁ τῆς πόλεως), to whose office belonged the superintendence of the archives, the drawing up of official decrees, and the reading of them in the assemblies of the people. See van Dale, l.c., p. 423 f.; Hermann, Staatsalterth. § 127. 20, 147. 6.

τίς γὰρ κ.τ.λ.] who is there then, etc. With γάρ the speaker glances back on his efforts to calm them as completely justified, since there is certainly no one who does not know, etc. The question introduced with γάρ therefore states the motive of the καταστείλας. Comp. Nägelsbach on the Iliad, p. 59, ed. 3. Thus vividly does the question fit into the position of affairs.

τὴν Ἐφεσίων πόλιν] with patriotic emphasis.

On νεωκόρος (properly, temple-sweeper, temple-keeper, Xen. Anab. v. 3. 6; Plat. Legg. 6, p. 759 AC) as an honourable epithet of cities, particularly in Asia, in which the temple-service of a divinity or of a deified ruler has its principal seat, see van Dale, l.c., p. 300 ff.; Valckenaer, p. 570 f.; Krause, de civit. neocoris, Hal. 1844; Hermann, gottesd. Alterth. § 12. 7.

τὸ διοπετές] that which fell from Zeus. That this was the ἄγαλμα fallen from heaven (Eur. Iph. T. 977; Herodian, i. 11. 2) was obvious of itself. The image of Artemis in the temple of Ephesus (according to Vitruvius, ii. 9, of cedar; according to Plin. xvi. 40, of the wood of the vine; according to Xen. Anab. v. 3. 12, of gold, or at least gilt; and according to others, of ebony) was given out as such. See Spanheim, ad Callim. in Dian. 238; Wetstein in loc. On the figure of the image,[104] see Creuzer, Symbol. II. p. 176 ff. It represented the goddess with many breasts (multimammiam, Jerome). According to our passage it must have been rescued at the burning of Herostratus, at least according to general opinion.

[104] With enigmatical words on forehead, girdle, and feet; see upon it Ewald, Jahrb. II. p. 175 f.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 19:34 . ἐπιγνόντων : “when they recognised” by his dress and his features, “when they perceived,” R.V. If we read ἐπιγνόντες , see critical note, φωνὴ ἐγέν . = “anacoluthon luculentissimum” cf. Mar 9:20 (Blass). μία ἐκ πάντων : callida junctura , arresting the reader’s attention (Hackett). Alexander was thus unable to obtain a hearing because he was a Jew, a fact which sufficiently justifies the apprehension for Paul entertained by his friends. Μεγάλη κ . τ . λ ., see on Act 19:28 , the cry in , and [330] text is doubled, which marks its continuance and its emphatic utterance (Weiss). ὡς ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο κραζ .: probably they regarded this as in itself an act of worship, cf. 1Ki 18:26 , and Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire , p. 142, “Diana,” Hastings’ B.D., p. 605. “A childish understanding indeed! as if they were afraid lest their worship should be extinguished, they shouted without intermission:” Chrys., Hom. , xlii.

[330] R(omana), in Blass, a first rough copy of St. Luke.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Instead of reason, the idolaters are sufficiently contented with their own madness and outcries, and those are the greatest defenses that they have.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

But when they knew he was a Jew, all with one voice, for the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Diana, &c.--The very appearance of a Jew had the opposite effect to that intended. To prevent him obtaining a hearing, they drowned his voice in one tumultuous shout in honor of their goddess, which rose to such frantic enthusiasm as took two hours to exhaust itself.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

34. Great is Diana of the Ephesians. This was a clamorous confession, but without any soundness; neither did it proceed from the faith of the heart. For whence came that great divinity of Diana whereof they spake, save only because like mad men they furiously defend that error which they had once received? It fareth otherwise with true godliness, that we believe with the heart unto righteousness, and then doth the confession of the mouth follow to salvation. Therein doth the distemperature and mad stubbornness of all mad men and brain-sick fools differ from the constancy and zeal of the martyrs. And yet, notwithstanding, our sluggishness is shameful if we be not as ready and stout in the confession of a sure faith as are they in their filthy error. For we see what the Spirit of God prescribeth unto us by the mouth of David,

“I believed, and therefore will I speak,” (Psalm 116:10).

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(34) When they knew that he was a Jew.—Better, when they recognised.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34. But when they knew that he was a Jew] Better (with Rev. Ver.), perceived. The stamp of his nationality was on his face, and no doubt on his dress also.

all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out] They now had one object against which to direct their uproar and thus became all of one cry. It is clear from this that Jews were not popular, and that as a Jew was the object at which Demetrius and the workmen were excited, the whole body of Jews might well be anxious lest an attack should be made on all the race.

Great is Diana (Artemis) of the Ephesians] The cry, first raised by the workmen, now became general, and was persisted in with all the energy of a fanatical mob.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him,.... Who were the ringleaders and encouragers of this tumult:

have a matter against any man; any accusation, or charge, any crime to accuse him of, and charge him with:

the law is open; or court days are kept; there are certain times fixed for the hearing and trying of causes, where and when such an affair should be regularly brought; and not use such disorderly methods, and throw a city into confusion, and break the peace as these men had done: the Syriac version renders it, "they are artificers"; that is, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him; they are tradesmen, and it does not belong to them, nor should they take upon themselves to judge and determine what is right or wrong:

and there are deputies; or "proconsuls"; the proconsul and his deputy, to whom such matters appertain, and who are judges in such cases, and to whom application should be made, and before whom such cases should be brought, and heard, and tried: the Syriac version reads in the singular number, "and there is a proconsul in the city"; a Roman governor and judge, whose province it is to determine such matters:

let them implead one another; let the plaintiff bring his accusation, and charge, and let the others defend themselves, and let things proceed in a due course of law, and so issue.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

Ver. 34. That he was a Jew] The Jews were generally hated of the Gentiles, and especially after their return from the Babylonish captivity, because they cried down all gods and religions but their own, and would never be drawn again to worship other gods, for which sin they had so exceedingly smarted. At this day the Jews, for their inexpiable guilt in crucifying Christ and their implacable hatred to his people, are by a common consent of nations banished out of the world, as it were. The very Turks themselves so hate the Jews for their crucifying Christ, that they used to say in detestation of a thing, Iudaeus sim, si mentiar, I would I might die a Jew then. Neither will they permit a Jew to turn Turk, unless he be first baptized.

All with one voice cried out, &c.] So the Papists cry up, ad ravim usque, their Lady of Loretto, of Sichem, of Walsingham, &c., and have nothing in their mouths so much as the Church, the Church; wherein, like oyster wives, they do easily out cry us.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But when they knew - When they perceived or ascertained.

That he was a Jew - There was a general prejudice against the Jews. They were disposed to charge the whole difficulty on Jews - esteeming Christians to be but a sect of the Jews. They were, therefore, indiscriminate in their wrath, and unwilling to listen to any defense.

With one voice - Unitedly, in one continued shout and clamor.

About the space of two hours - The day, from sunrise to sunset, among the Greeks and Romans, was divided into twelve equal parts, Joh 11:9. An hour, therefore, did not differ materially from an hour with us. It is not at all improbable that the tumult would continue for so long a time, before it would be possible to allay the excitement.

Cried out ... - This they at first did to silence Alexander. The shouting, however, was continued in order to evince their attachment to Diana, as would be natural in an excited and tumultuous mob of pagan worshippers.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

A Jew, and by consequence an enemy to their idolatry; and, as they might imagine at least, a friend to St. Paul.

All with one voice; unanimity makes not the cause to be good, if it were bad at first.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Perceived for knew, A.V. ejpigigwskein, to recognize; see. (Act_3:10 Act_4:13)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But when they knew that he was a Jew - And consequently an enemy to their worship of images; they prevented him, by crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 32

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

34. ἐπιγνόντες with אABDEHLP. Vulg. seems to support Text. recept.

34. ἐπιγνόντες δέ, but when they perceived. The Jews would everywhere be readily known, both by their features and by their garb. We can see from the way in which the mob took fire at the sight of a Jewish speaker, that the apprehension of an attack on the Jews generally was not without grounds.

φωνή ἐγένετο μία ἐκ πάντων, all with one voice. The grammar here is disjointed. After ἐπιγνόντες we should have a verb in the plural (e.g. ἐφώνησαν). Instead of this the participle is left in suspense, and a new nominative introduced. For a participle similarly left cf. Mar 9:20.

ὡς ἐπὶ ὥρας δύο, for the space of two hours. They had found a common object to cry out against. Thus they became all of one voice. They took up the cry, first started by the craftsmen, and persisted in it with all the energy which characterizes a fanatical mob.

Chrysostom’s reflection is: παιδικὴ ὄντως ἡ διάνοια. καθάπερ φοβούμενοι μὴ σβεσθῇ τὸ σέβας αὐτῶν συνεχῶς ἐβόων.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

34. ἐπιγνόντες] The nom. is an anacoluthon, as in ch. 24:5 al. See Winer, edn. 6, § 63, i. 1.

They would hear nothing from a Jew, as being an enemy of image-worship.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With one voice cried out. There reverberations of their voices from the steep rock which formed one side of the theater must have rendered their frenzied cries still more terrific.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.