5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and

appear, and establish a temporal king- whether the luminous appearance condom. Jews. Those who were Jews tinued visible on the apostles' heads. by descent, though probably not born But the result of the heavenly gift rein Judea, ver. 8; including also those mained manifest; and they continued who were called Jews, being proselytes speaking in foreign languages. Probato Judaism, though foreigners by blood bly, during this exciting period, some and birth, ver. 10. Both classes seem of the number spake one language, to be comprehended under the general some another; for the inhabitants of name of Jews. Devout men. Devo- fifteen different regions are said to have tional in spirit, and circumspect in con- heard in their own language, or dialect, duct. Out of every nation under what was uttered by the apostles. heaven. An hyperbolical expression, T Confounded. Astonished, amazed, denoting many nations, which are named more particularly in ver. 9-11. The Jews had become widely scattered among the nations of the earth. Scarcely a commercial community existed, where some of this race might not be found. And, wherever they went, two principles chiefly engrossed their attention; namely, profit by traffic, and the making of proselytes to their religion. They had many synagogues in foreign lands, and they had induced many of the heathen to renounce idolatry and embrace Judaism. These various colonies were represented by delegations at Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost.

6. When this was noised abroad. When intelligence of the miraculous sound and appearance, and the amazing power bestowed on the apostles, was circulated through Jerusalem. It was about the hour of morning prayer; but the vast multitude then in Jerusalem might not be expected to present themselves before the Lord at the same moment. Or, we may suppose, the apostles and brethren, if at the temple, were in some of the courts, apart from the multitude; in which case, intelligence of what had occurred was communicated to those who had assembled for worship, but were occupying other courts. ¶ Multitude came together. There was a general gathering of the people. Thousands thronged around the apostles, that they might see and hear for themselves. It is not stated

at such a display of divine power. ¶ Own language. Literally, own dialect. It often occurs that different dialects of the same language are so unlike, that a person familiar with one can scarcely understand the other. Yet with such accuracy did the apostles utter the different languages and peculiar dialects spoken by all these strangers in Jerusalem, that each understood them without the slightest difficulty. Hence their surprise.

7. Galileans. What increased the amazement of the multitude was the fact, that the apostles were not ripe and polished scholars, or even dwellers in Jerusalem, where superior advantages were enjoyed for the attainment of knowledge; but they were natives of Galilee, a province held in derision by the Jews, on account of the uncouth manners and dialect of its inhabitants. To call a man a Galilean was, among the Jews, an expression of utter contempt. John vii. 52. former ignorance of the apostles rendered their present capability the more conspicuous and astonishing. What is true in this particular case holds equally true in regard to their unparalleled success in evangelizing the world. Nothing short of the divine aid could have enabled such men to perform such a work.

The

8. Our own tongue, wherein we were born. The language or dialect spoken where we were born; in other words, our native language. This phrase de

Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and

notes that the speakers, though of Jew- of Elam, a province of Persia, situated ish descent, were not born in Judea, but in other provinces or nations where their ancestors had fixed their residence. See note on ver. 5.

66

south of Media, west of Caramania, north of Persia, and east of Assyria. Its capital was Susa, or Shushan. Dan. viii. 2. The Elamites are said to have 9. Parthians. Jews or proselytes, descended from Elam, the son of Shem. who dwelt in Parthia. To convey a Gen. x. 22. In Gen. xiv. 1-4, Cherdormore distinct idea of the gift of tongues, laomer, king of Elam, is named as a the historian enumerates some of the powerful monarch, to whom several various nations whose representatives neighboring kings were subject. ¶ Meswere then in Jerusalem, beginning at opotamia. This province, called Padanthe north-eastern of those nations, and Aram in Gen. xxviii. 2 (comp. xxiv proceeding westwardly and southward- 10, 15), was bounded north by Armenia, ly. Parthia is understood to have once east by Assyria, south by Chaldea and been a province of Media, forming the Babylonia, and west by Syria. Its north-eastern portion of that kingdom. name signifies, between the rivers, in It is situated near the south-eastern reference to its situation between the border of the Caspian Sea, and has Tigris and the Euphrates. It was the Aria on the east, Caramania on the scene of many events recorded in the south, and Media on the west. It be- Old Testament; being the first dwellingcame a separate kingdom about the year place of Noah and his family, after the 250 B.C., and remained so until about deluge; and the birth-place of Abraham, A.D. 225, when it was subdued, and Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, and the became a part of the Persian empire. twelve sons of Jacob. The language The Parthians were formidable war- spoken in this province was the Chalriors, distinguished for the use of the daic. Assyria, Chaldea, Mesopotabow. So adroitly did they discharge mia, Syria, Colosyria, to inquire no their arrows, when appearing to retreat, further; all these spake that Chaldee that they were scarcely less dangerous language, so certainly that there heedwhen flying than when attacking. eth not the least pains to prove it. And This feat of dexterity has long since Judea was fallen into the same tongue passed into a proverb. Some have sup- now also; but with so much difference posed the Parthians to have descended from the Mesopotamian, Syriac, or from the ancient Scythians. Their Chaldee, that here it is nominated as a language was substantially the Persian. language distinct. And this showeth Medes. The Medes are often named the reason of the phrase, 'dwellers in in the Old Testament, in connection Mesopotamia and in Judea,' that he with the Persians. Media was a very might distinguish the Syriac of Judea ancient kingdom. About the year 550 and of Chaldea asunder; that those B.C., Persia became incorporated with that dwelt in Mesopotamia heard their this kingdom; and thenceforward, for Syriac, and those that dwelt in Judea many years, the laws of the Medes heard theirs."-Lightfoot. In Judea. and Persians, and their annals, are It has been thought singular by many, found mentioned together. See Esth. that the historian should here mention i. 19; x. 2; Dan. vi. 8, 12. Media was Judea, as if it were strange that the bounded east by Parthia, south by apostles could be understood by the Elam, a province of Persia, west by native Jews. Some have suggested, to Assyria, north-west by Armenia, and obviate this supposed difficulty, that north by the Caspian Sea. It was the text is corrupted, and should be somewhat larger than the present king-read India; others have hinted that the dom of Spain, and was a very fertile difference between the dialect of Judea country. Its capital was Ecbatana; Judith i. 1. It is said that, during the Babylonish captivity, many Jews inhabited this country, and preferred to remain when their brethren were reinstated in Judea: perhaps those mentioned in the text were their descendants. T Elamites. The inhabitants

and that of Galilee was so great as to require a miracle to enable an inhabitant of one to speak in the dialect of the other. Lightfoot, before quoted, suggests that Judea was named, because its language differed from that of Mesopotamia, though both had a com mon origin; and this certainly seems as

Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, |

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in

would seem therefore to be used here in a restricted sense. It sometimes denotes the whole continent; sometimes, what is elsewhere called Asia Minor; and sometimes, the portion styled Proconsular Asia, eastward of the Egean Sea, of which Ephesus was the capital; in which last-named sense it seems to be used here. In this region were the seven churches of Asia, Rev. i. 4; and the language here spoken was the Greek.

reasonable as any other special inter- and assisted the apostle Paul. ¶ Asia. pretation. But the following general The nations and provinces, previously interpretation bears the marks of com-named, were parts of Asia. The word mon sense, which, in a vast majority of cases, will be found to express the truth:-"This is one of the many instances in which commentators have perplexed themselves to very little purpose. Luke recorded this as any other historian would have done. In running over the languages which they spoke, he enumerated this as a matter of course, not that it was remarkable simply that they should speak the language of Judea, but that they should speak so many, meaning about the 10. Phrygia. A province in Asia same by it as if he had said, they spoke Minor, bounded north-east by Galatia, every language in the world. Just as east by Lycaonia, south-east by Pisidia, if a similar miracle were to occur at south-west by Caria, west by Lydia, this time among an assembly of native and northerly by Bithynia. It is Englishmen and foreigners. In describ-named in Acts xvi. 6; xviii. 23. Pro ing it, nothing would be more natural bably a dialect of the Greek was spokthan to say, they spoke French, and en in this province. Pamphylia. A German, and Spanish, and English, province bounded south by the Medand Italian, &c. In this there would iterranean, west by Lycia, north by be nothing remarkable, except that Pisidia, and east by Cilicia. It is they spoke so many languages."- named in Acts xiii. 13; xiv. 24; xv. Barnes. Cappadocia. "A region of 38; xxvii. 5. Here also the Greek lanAsia, adjoining Pontus, Armenia, Phry- guage was spoken, in less or greater gia, and Galatia (Acts ii. 9; 1 Pet. i. purity. ¶ Egypt. A country in AfriI), between the Halys, the Euphrates, ca, often mentioned in the Old Testaand the Euxine. Ptolemy mentions the ment. In this place, the children of Cappadocians, and derives their name Israel were long in bondage; and they from a river, Cappadox."-Calmet. departed from it under the most impresThe inhabitants of this region were re- sive circumstances. Signs and wongarded by the ancients as notoriously ders having been wrought in vain by wicked, and the preeminence was the hand of Moses, the Lord destroyed given them in the proverb, to beware the first-born of the Egyptians, led his of the three C's-Cappadocia, Cilicia, chosen people through the Red Sea and Crete. After the establishment of dry-shod, and overwhelmed Pharaoh Christianity in this province, it pro- and his host, who pursued them. This duced some eminent advocates of the country was bounded by Arabia on faith, such as Gregory Nyssen, and the east, Ethiopia on the south, Libya Basil the Great. The language an- on the west, and the Mediterranean Sea ciently spoken in this province is not on the north. The language spoken was known with certainty: some have, anciently the Coptic; now, the Arabic. however, supposed it to be a mixture Many Jews dwelt in Egypt; and here of Greek and Syriac. ¶ Pontus. "A was made the first translation of the province in Asia Minor, having the Hebrew Scriptures, called the SeptuaEuxine Sea north, Cappadocia south, gint. Parts of Libya about Cyrene. Paphlagonia and Galatia west, and the Libya was a country of Africa, west of Lesser Armenia and Colchis east. It Egypt, and bordering on the north, upon is thought that Peter preached here, the Mediterranean. This country now because he addresses his First Epistle passes under the general name of Barto the faithful of this and of the neigh-bary. Cyrene was one of its principal boring provinces."-Calmet. This is divisions, and was sometimes called named, Acts xviii. 2, as the birth-place Pentapolis from the five principal cities of Aquila, who, having resided in Italy, embraced in it. See note on Matt. went to Corinth, and there entertained xxvii. 32. T Strangers of Rome.

Egypt, and in the parts of Libya | about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

the

That is, Romans who were in Jerusa- the Euphrates, on the south by the Aralem, to attend the feast, or for other bian Sea and the Straits of Babelmanpurposes. Rome is a city in Italy, the del, and on the west by the Red Sea. capital of a nation which once attained Arabia is distinguished by geographers universal empire, political and ecclesi- into three parts, Arabia Deserta, Peastical. The nation is now compara- træa, and Felix."-Calmet. The detively weak, and the city fallen into sert, wherein the Israelites wandered decay. Its political power is inconsid- for the space of forty years, was in erable, except through the influence of Arabia. Many references are made to its ecclesiastical supremacy over the Arabia in the scriptures, and probably papal church. In the apostolic age, many Jews dwelt there. The language as Josephus testifies, the Jews had spoken by the inhabitants was eight synagogues in Rome. The lan- Arabic. It was in this country that guage spoken by the Romans was the Mahomet proclaimed his doctrine, in Latin. ¶ Jews. The descendants of the early part of the seventh century, Jacob, whether born in Judea or else- and imposed it on his countrymen by where. It is remarkable of this race, the power of the sword. ¶ Speak in that, in all their dispersions and wan-our tongues. Or, in our languages. It derings, they kept themselves from in- is supposed that the historian here termarriage with the Gentiles, and pre-enumerates as many as seven or eight served their name as a distinct race. different languages, besides different Proselytes. Converts from idolatry dialects of the same languages. Indeed, to Judaism. See note on Matt. xxiii. some have supposed the enumeration 15. The phrase, Jews and proselytes, to embrace all the distinct languages here used, seems designed to apply, not then spoken under heaven. It is evionly to the strangers of Rome, but also dent, from the whole narrative, that the to all the other classes of men before apostles were enabled to speak, and did mentioned. Of all these, there had as-speak, every language used by all who sembled at Jerusalem many representatives, embracing Jews by birth, and Jews by adoption, or proselytes, who, by conforming to the requirements of the law, were admitted to a less or greater participation of Jewish priv-it might; for nothing less than a miraileges.

11. Cretes. Inhabitants of Crete, now called Candia, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. Its ancient inhabitants were noted for their falsehood and deceit. See Tit. i. 12, 13. This country was united with Cappadocia and Cilicia, in the proverb mentioned in the note on ver. 9. A Christian church was early established here, of which Titus was appointed overseer, to "set in order the things that were wanting, and ordain elders in every city." Tit. i. 5. The language here spoken was probably the Greek. ¶Arabians. "Arabia is a considerable country of Western Asia, lying south and southeast of Judea. It extends fifteen hundred miles from north to south, and twelve hundred from east to west. On the north it is bounded by part of Syria, on the east by the Persian Gulf and

were then assembled in Jerusalem. No one found any difficulty in understanding what they said. And it was this marvellous power which excited such astonishment and amazement; and well

cle, wrought by divine power, could have given this ability. There was no room for deception here; for witnesses were present, competent to decide, and who did decide, that the languages spoken were not such gibberish as is sometimes styled an unknown tongue, but living languages, familiar to their ears from childhood: that is, Arabians could testify concerning the purity of the Arabic spoken; Egyptians, of the Coptic; Cretans, of the Greek; Romans, of the Latin; Medes, of the Persian; and so of the others. This miracle not only enabled the apostles to address the multitude, each in his own language, but its remote effect was exceedingly important; many, being convinced and converted, proclaimed the truth to their countrymen when they returned home; and hence the knowledge of the gospel was widely spread abroad at once, and

12 And they were all amazed,| and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

the way prepared for the more successful prosecution of their great labor by the apostles. As matter of fact, it is recorded that Christian churches were early established in almost all the regions here named. TWonderful works of God. The heavenly gift was not misimproved; but it was used to proclaim the most important truths concerning God, his Son, and his king

dom.

12. Amazed in doubt. They were in a state of utter perplexity. They could not account for what they witnessed. The picture here drawn is true to the life. On serious minds the first impression produced by such a miracle would be precisely such as is here described.

13 Others mocking, said, These men are full of new wine.

14 ¶ But Peter, standing up

His

Master in the hour of danger. brethren believed he had repented. Nevertheless, it served to confirm their confidence in him, when, regardless of danger, at the hazard of his life even, he placed himself in the most conspicuous situation, and, on their behalf as on his own, proclaimed the resurrection and exaltation of their Master. It may be observed that the language is mild, considering the temperament of the apostle, and the insulting remark made respecting him and his brethren. He does not return mockery for mockery, nor insult for insult; but his reply is calm, courteous, and manly. This is the more remarkable, as Peter had formerly been by no means distinguished for politeness and urbanity, but was 13. Others mocking. Or sneering, or often guilty of impertinence and appaderiding. These persons were probably rent disrespect even to his Master. See native Jews, who had previously Matt. xvi. 21-23. While therefore mocked or derided the Master, and we recognise the bold and sanguine caused him to be crucified. They Peter, in his assuming the post of dandoubtless knew the apostles as his disci- ger, in the front of the contest now beples, and were inclined to discredit ginning between the servants of Jesus them in the estimation of the multitude. and their ungodly adversaries, yet, in Full of new wine. As much as to the character of his address, we recogsay, the men are drunk. The phrase nise another fact, with equal distinctmight be rendered, quite as properly, ness; namely, that he spake under the full of sweet wine. The idea evidently direction of a controlling spirit, or as is, that they were stimulated or excited the Spirit gave him utterance, ver. 4. by wine, or, more plainly, intoxicated. Standing up with the eleven. It is It is known that what was properly called new wine, or must, namely, wine which had never been fermented, would not produce intoxication. But it is said that the ancients were acquainted with a process by which wine might be kept sweet, long after it attained its intoxicating quality by fermentation; and to this kind of wine the text is supposed to refer. This is by no means a solitary instance, in which men have endeavored, by mock-particularly addressed to the nativeJews, ery or gross abuse, to destroy the influence of others whom they could not overcome by argument.

the general opinion, that Peter alone addressed the multitude, and that the eleven stood up with him, in attestation that they concurred in the declarations which he made. Others suppose that all the apostles spake, one in one language, and others in different languages, so that the whole multitude were instructed at once, each in his own dialect; and that only the discourse of Peter is recorded, because it was more

who had been guilty of the enormities here charged upon them. 66 Reason itself, if the text did not, would readily 14. Peter. This apostle here, as else- resolve that it was not Peter alone that where, takes the lead. Besides the im- converted the three thousand that are petuosity of his character, which is mentioned after; but that the rest of sufficient to account for the fact, there the apostles were sharers with him in seems a peculiar fitness that he should that work. For if Peter must be held thus publicly and personally commit the only orator at this time, then must himself, as a follower of Jesus. He it needs be granted, that either the alone, of the apostles, had denied his three thousand which were converted