Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 28]
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28:1 {Then we knew} (\tote epegn•men\). Second aorist
(ingressive) active indicative of \epigin•sk•\. Then we
recognized. See 27:39. {Was called} (\kaleitai\). Present
passive indicative retained in indirect discourse. {Melita}
(\Melit•\). Not \Mileten•\ as only B reads, a clerical error, but
retained in the text of Westcott and Hort because of B. Page
notes that the island was Malta as is shown from the name, the
location, the presence of a ship from Alexandria bound for Rome
wintering there (verse 11), and the mention of Syracuse as the
next stop after leaving (verse 12).
28:2 {The barbarians} (\hoi barbaroi\). The Greeks called all men
"barbarians" who did not speak Greek (Ro 1:14), not
"barbarians" in our sense of rude and uncivilized, but simply
"foreign folk." Diodorus Siculus (V. 12) says that it was a
colony of the Phoenicians and so their language was Punic (Page).
The word originally meant an uncouth repetition (\barbar\) not
understood by others (1Co 14:11). In Col 3:11 Paul couples it
with Scythian as certainly not Christian. These are (with verse
4 below) the only N.T. instances. {Showed us} (\pareichan\).
Imperfect active of \parech•\ with \-an\ instead of \-on\ as
\eichan\ in Mr 8:7 (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 339). It was their
habit on this occasion, Luke means, they kept on showing. {No
common kindness} (\ou t•n tuchousan philanthr•pian\). The old
word \philanthr•pia\ (\philos\, \anthr•pos\), love of mankind,
occurs in the N.T. only here and Tit 3:4 (adverb in 27:3).
See on ¯19:11 for this use of \ou t•n tuchousan\, "not the
kindness that happens every day." They were not "wreckers" to
take advantage of the calamity. {They kindled a fire} (\hapsantes
puran\). The only N.T. example and verse 3 of the old word
\pura\ (from \pur\, fire), a pile of burning fuel (sticks). First
aorist active participle of \hapt•\, to set fire to, to kindle.
Cf. \anapt•\ in Lu 12:49. {Received us all} (\proselabonto
pantas h•m•s\). Second aorist middle (indirect indicative of
\proslamban•\.) They took us all to themselves (cf. Ac 18:26).
{The present} (\ton ephest•ta\). Second perfect active participle
(intransitive) of \ephist•mi\, "the rain that stood upon them"
(the pouring rain). Only in Luke and Paul in N.T.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC28.RWP.html (1 of 11) [28/08/2004 09:08:26 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Acts: Chapter 28)