Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 2]
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2:1 {Was now come} (\en t•i sunpl•rousthai\). Luke's favourite
idiom of \en\ with the articular present infinitive passive and
the accusative of general reference, "in the being fulfilled
completely (perfective use of \sun-\) as to the day of
Pentecost." Common verb, but only in Luke in N.T. In literal
sense of filling a boat in Lu 8:23, about days in Lu 9:51 as
here. Whether the disciples expected the coming of the Holy
Spirit on this day we do not know. Blass holds that the present
tense shows that the day had not yet come. It is a Hebrew idiom
(Ex 7:25) and Luke may mean that the day of Pentecost was not
yet over, was still going on, though Hackett takes it for the
interval (fifty days) between Passover and Pentecost. Apparently
this day of Pentecost fell on the Jewish Sabbath (our Saturday).
It was the feast of first fruits. {All together in one place}
(\pantes homou epi to auto\). All together in the same place.
Note \homou\ here (correct text), not \homothumadon\ as in
1:14, and so a bit of tautology.
2:2 {Suddenly} (\aphn•\). Old adverb, but in the N.T. only in
Acts (2:2; 16:26; 28:6). Kin to \exaiphn•s\ (Ac 22:61). {A
sound} (\•chos\). Our \echo\. Old word, already in Lu 4:37 for
rumour and Lu 21:25 for the roar of the sea. It was not wind,
but a roar or reverberation "as of the rushing of a mighty wind"
(\h•sper pheromen•s pno•s biaias\). This is not a strict
translation nor is it the genitive absolute. It was "an echoing
sound as of a mighty wind borne violently" (or rushing along like
the whirr of a tornado). \Pno•\ (wind) is used here (in the N.T.
only here and 17:25 though old word) probably because of the
use of \pneuma\ in verse 4 of the Holy Spirit. In Joh 3:5-8
\pneuma\ occurs for both wind and Spirit. {Filled} (\epl•r•sen\).
"As a bath is filled with water, that they might be baptized with
the Holy Ghost, in fulfilment of Ac 1:5" (Canon Cook). {They
were sitting} (\•san kath•menoi\). Periphrastic imperfect middle
of \kath•mai\.
2:3 {Parting asunder} (\diamerizomenai\). Present middle (or
passive) participle of \diameriz•\, old verb, to cleave asunder,
to cut in pieces as a butcher does meat (aorist passive in Lu
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC2.RWP.html (1 of 17) [28/08/2004 09:06:06 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Acts: Chapter 2)