Atos 2

Atos 2

Utley on devout - In the case of first century Judaism, it implies a reverence toward God and the traditions of the Elders (i.e. Oral Traditions, which became the Talmud). These were pious, religious men (cf. Acts 8:2; 22:12; Luke 2:25). Vincent on devout (eulabes) - Used by Luke only. The kindred word, eulabeia, godly-fear, occurs twice (piety of Jesus in Hebrews 5:7; service to God should be with "reverence" = Heb 12:28). From εὖ, well, and λαμβάνω, to take hold of. Hence of a circumspect or cautious person who takes hold of things carefully. As applied to morals and religion, it emphasizes the element of circumspection, a cautious, careful observance of divine law; and is thus peculiarly expressive of Old Testament piety, with its minute attention to precept and ceremony. (Word Studies in the New Testament) Alexander on devout - The Greek epithet (eulabes) originally signifies cautious, timid, but in Hellenistic usage is applied to the fear of God. The Geneva Bible has expressly, Jews that feared God; Wiclif, after the Vulgate, religious men...Its introduction here is not unmeaning, as it shows that the effusion of the Holy Ghost was attested by the most competent and trustworthy witnesses, Jews of the most serious and perhaps most bigoted character, who at the same time represented every nation under heaven. Devout (2126)(eulabes from eu = well + lambano = to receive, take hold) literally means taking hold of something well and hence cautious, reverent, devout, pious. It means persons who handle spiritual matters carefully. In the NT the idea is God-fearing. Friberg adds this was "a characteristic of one who carefully observes the law." Comparing these men to modern Judaism, these Jews would probably be considered "Orthodox." It is used only by Luke and in Luke-Acts is never used of Gentiles, only Jews. In Lk. 2:25 we man "a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him." This description indicates Simeon was an OT believer in Messiah. Paul uses eulabes to describe "A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there (Damascus)" (Acts 22:12) In Acts 8:2 Luke records that some "devout men buried Stephen (clearly a believer in Messiah), and made loud lamentation over him." The status of these devout Jews in Acts 2 is uncertain as to whether they were believers or not, but clearly they are men who have a fear of God, which is how the old Geneva Bible translates it "Jews that feared God." Wycliffe ("religious men"). NIV = "God fearing." Every nation under heaven was a common idiom did not mean the entire world but in this context referred to those lands as a result of the Jewish diaspora who were spread throughout the "civilized" world at the time. Kistemaker adds "We observe that the gospel comes to the Jew first and not to the Gentile, as Jesus instructed his disciples when he sent them on their missionary tour: “Do not go toward the Gentiles.… But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 10:5–6). God-fearing Jews from abroad settled in the holy city. “It was the wish of pious Jews of the Dispersion to spend their last days on the soil of the holy land and to be buried there....After the Babylonian captivity, not all the Jewish people returned to Palestine. Many remained in Persia and Mesopotamia. Others were deported from Babylon to Asia Minor during the fourth and third centuries before Christ. Still others settled in Egypt, especially in the city of Alexandria, or traveled west to Rome. Jews resided everywhere in the Roman empire, from east to west, for they were a scattered people. Every nation under heaven suggests an allusion to a "reversal" of Genesis 11 when God (? the Spirit) came down to the people and confused their languages... Ge 11:4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”....(11:7 = God's Response) “Come, let Us go down and there confuse (Heb - balal - mingle, confuse, confound; Lxx = sugcheo - used in Acts 2:6 = "bewildered") their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” Paul Apple - This sign miracle (in Acts 2:5) could be viewed as a reversal of the judgment that took place at the Tower of Babel. Remember the Lord’s worldwide charge to Noah after the flood: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (Ge 9:1, 7) Instead the people in pride determined to make a great name for themselves and resist being scattered over the face of the earth. The multiplication of languages (in Genesis 12) facilitated God’s worldwide mission. (Ed: Now in Acts 2, the "multiplication of languages" spoken would work to facilitate Jesus' charge in Acts 1:8. And so in a sense, Acts 2:5 gives us an initial fulfilling of Jesus' teaching in Acts 1:8 where He says that Spirit empowered believers were to be His witnesses to "even to the remotest part of the earth.”) (Acts Commentary) Warren