Acts 19:7

Act 19:7. Ὡσεὶ, about) There was no need that the precise number should be indicated. Comp. 1Co 1:16, “I baptized also the household of Stephanas; besides I know not whether I baptized any other.”

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

Act 19:7 . ὡσεὶ , as Weiss admits, excludes any special significance attaching to the number twelve on account of which the narrative would be constructed. See also Knabenbauer, in loco . We know so little about these men that it seems hazardous to attempt to define them more clearly (see Plumptre, in loco ).

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

(7) And all the men were about twelve.—Better, The men were in all about twelve. The whole narrative seems to imply that they were not individual cases, occurring here and there from time to time, but were living together as a kind of ascetic community, attending the meetings of the Church, yet not sharing the fulness of its life.

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

7. And all the men were about twelve] The Revised Version “And they were in all about twelve men,” is a more strict rendering of the Greek, but it does not give a different sense, and “men” in that position receives an undue accent.

The verse has been the cause of much remark. Why the inspired historian should speak with an “about,” has been asked by some. With that we are not concerned, only to observe that the Spirit has not prompted him to speak otherwise. Some have seen in the number and the circumstances a resemblance to the Apostles and their supernatural endowment; others have looked back as far as the Patriarchs and have made of these men the beginning of another Israel. May it not be that the “about” was written to admonish us of the unprofitableness of such speculations? Cp. Jos_7:5.

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.

And all the men were about twelve. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, have not the word "about"; but affirm, that the men were twelve; and indeed the number being so small, the historian might be at a certainty about it: these seem to be the first materials of a Gospel church at Ephesus, which afterwards was very large and flourishing, and very likely were some of the elders of it.

And all the men were about twelve. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, have not the word "about"; but affirm, that the men were twelve; and indeed the number being so small, the historian might be at a certainty about it: these seem to be the first materials of a Gospel church at Ephesus, which afterwards was very large and flourishing, and very likely were some of the elders of it.

Acts 19:8

act 19:8

act 19:8

act 19:8And he went into the synagogue,.... Of the Jews at Ephesus, for it seems to have been a private house, where he had met with the twelve baptized disciples, and had laid his hands on them; and these being Jews, as it seems most likely, by their having been baptized into John's baptism, the apostle went along with them to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his usual custom; having a very great desire, and an affectionate concern, for the welfare of his countrymen the Jews:

and spake boldly for the space of three months; that is, he used great freedom of speech, and showed much courage and intrepidity of mind, in preaching the Gospel at the synagogue every sabbath day as it returned, during this space of time; some manuscripts read, "three days":

disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God; the kingdom of the Messiah, the Gospel dispensation, the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel, and the Gospel church state, often signified by the kingdom of God, and of heaven, in Scripture; and concerning the glory of a future state, the way and right unto it, and meetness for it; and these things he reasoned upon in such a strong and nervous manner, and made use of such powerful arguments, in proof and demonstration of them, as were very persuasive, and engaged many to believe them, and give their assent unto them.

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

7 And all the men were about twelve.

Ver. 7. And all the men were about twelve] These twelve, being the firstfruits of this Church, were endued with extraordinary gifts to be for elders and rulers there: for these gifts were not common to all believers, as Beza well noteth.

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.

And all the men - The whole number.

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

Or exactly twelve; answering to the apostles, and that blessed number so often mentioned in Scripture.

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

They were in all about twelve men for all the men were about twelve, A.V.

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

See notes on verse 1

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.

7. The men were about twelve. Thus these men appear in this episode and then disappear from our knowledge. They were now endowed for usefulness, and perhaps did great service in the religious revolution that soon transformed all that part of Asia.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

7. ἦσαν δὲ οἱ πάντες ἄνδρες ὡσεὶ δώδεκα, and they were in all about twelve men. A new band or Apostles.

The verse has been the cause of much remark. Why the inspired historian should speak with an ‘about,’ has been asked by some. With that we are not concerned, only to observe that the Spirit has not prompted him to speak otherwise. Some have seen in the number and the circumstances a resemblance to the Apostles and their supernatural endowment; others have looked back as far as the Patriarchs and have made of these men the beginning of another Israel. May it not be that the ‘about’ was written to admonish us of the unprofitableness of such speculations? Cp. Jos 7:5.

Here Chrysostom asks: πῶς οἱ λαβόντες τὸ πνεῦμα οὐκ ἐδίδασκον, ἀλλ’ Ἀπολλὼς μήπω τὸ πνεῦμα λαβών; ὅτι οὐκ ἦσαν οὕτω ζέοντες οὐδὲ κατηχημένοι· ἐκεῖνος δὲ καὶ κατηχημένος ἦν καὶ σφόδρα ζέων. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ ὅτι καὶ πολλὴ ἦν ἡ παρρησία τοῦ ἀνδρός. ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐλάλει τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ; ὅμως ἐδεῖτο ἔτι ἀκριβεστέρας διδασκαλίας. οὕτω καίτοι οὐκ εἰδὼς πάντα ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας ἐπεσπάσατο τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καθάπερ οἱ περὶ Κορνήλιον.

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.

7.] οἱ πάντ., in all: so Herod. vii. 4, βασιλεύσαντα τὰ πάντα ἔτεα ἕξ τε κ. τριήκοντα: Thuc. v. 120, πεσόντων δὲ τῶν πάντων πολλῶν. See Kühner, § 489 e.

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