Act 13:6, 24:15, 21, 26:6 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 6. Gone through the isle ] ολην, The WHOLE isle , is added here by ABCDE, several others, both the Syrian, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Vulgate , and Itala ; and also by several of the Greek fathers; and this must be the true reading, for it is evident they ran through the whole island from east to west . Unto Paphos ] This town, next in importance to Salamis , was situated on the western part of the isle; and having gone from Salamis to this place is a proof that they had gone through the whole island from east to west, according to the reading noticed above. There was probably no town in the universe more dissolute than Papas . Here Venus had a superb temple: here she was worshipped with all her rites ; and from this place she was named the Paphian Venus , the queen of Paphos , &c. This temple and whole city were destroyed by an earthquake; so that a vestige of either does not now remain. There are two islands which go by this name, both adjoining, and on the west side of the island of Cyprus. One is called Old Paphos , the other New Paphos ; the latter is probably the island here mentioned, though they are often confounded. On this island there is a Christian Church, dedicated to St. George, in which service is performed by the Greek ministers. It is a bishop's see, suffragan to the Abp. of Nicosia . A certain sorcerer ] τιναμαγον, A magician , one who used magical arts, and pretended to have commerce with supernatural agents. A person who dealt in sleight of hand , or leger-de-main . Such as I have supposed Simon Magus to be. . A false prophet ]. A deceiver, one who pretended to have a Divine commission, a fortune teller. Bar-Jesus ] That is, the son of Jesus or Joshua; as Bar-jona is the son of Jonah; Bar-tholomew , the son of Thalmi , &c.

‏ Acts 13:6

Verse 6. Gone through the isle] ολην, The WHOLE isle, is added here by ABCDE, several others, both the Syrian, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and Itala; and also by several of the Greek fathers; and this must be the true reading, for it is evident they ran through the whole island from east to west.

Unto Paphos] This town, next in importance to Salamis, was situated on the western part of the isle; and having gone from Salamis to this place is a proof that they had gone through the whole island from east to west, according to the reading noticed above. There was probably no town in the universe more dissolute than Papas. Here Venus had a superb temple: here she was worshipped with all her rites; and from this place she was named the Paphian Venus, the queen of Paphos, &c. This temple and whole city were destroyed by an earthquake; so that a vestige of either does not now remain. There are two islands which go by this name, both adjoining, and on the west side of the island of Cyprus. One is called Old Paphos, the other New Paphos; the latter is probably the island here mentioned, though they are often confounded. On this island there is a Christian Church, dedicated to St. George, in which service is performed by the Greek ministers. It is a bishop's see, suffragan to the Abp. of Nicosia.

A certain sorcerer] τιναμαγον, A magician, one who used magical arts, and pretended to have commerce with supernatural agents. A person who dealt in sleight of hand, or leger-de-main. Such as I have supposed Simon Magus to be. See Clarke on Ac 8:9.

A false prophet]. A deceiver, one who pretended to have a Divine commission, a fortune teller.

Bar-Jesus] That is, the son of Jesus or Joshua; as Bar-jona is the son of Jonah; Bar-tholomew, the son of Thalmi, &c.

‏ Acts 24:15

Verse 15. And have hope toward God, &c.] I not only do not hold any thing by which the general creed of this people might be altered, in reference to the present state; but, also, I hold nothing different from their belief in reference to a future state; for, if I maintain the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, it is what themselves allow.

‏ Acts 24:21

Verse 21. Except it be for this one voice] The Sadducees who belong to that council, and who deny the resurrection of the dead, may indeed blame me for professing my faith in this doctrine; but as this is a doctrine credited by the nation in general, and as there can be nothing criminal in such a belief, and there can bring no accusation against me relative to any thing else, this, of course, is the sum of all the charges to which I am called to answer before you this day.

‏ Acts 26:6

Verse 6. For the hope of the promise] This does not appear to mean, the hope of the Messiah, as some have imagined, but the hope of the resurrection of the dead, to which the apostle referred in Ac 23:6, where he says to the Jewish council, (from which the Roman governor took him,) of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question: see the notes there. And here he says, I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise, &c., and to which, he says, Ac 26:7, the twelve tribes hope to come. The Messiah had come, and was gone again, as Paul well knew; and what is here meant is something which the Jews hoped to come to, or attain; not what was to come to them; and this singular observation excludes the Messiah from being meant. It was the resurrection of all men from the dead which Paul's words signified; and this the Jews had been taught to hope for, by many passages in the Old Testament. I shall only add, that when, in the next verse, this hope of the promise is mentioned as what the Jews did then hope, καταντηοαι, to come to, it is the very same word which Paul, in Php 3:11, uses to express the same thing: If by any means, (says he) καταντησω, I might attain to, the resurrection of the dead. Bp. Pearce.