Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 7]
like \•sin\ (ears), but some MSS. have genitive singular
\kardias\ (objective genitive). No epithet could have been more
galling to these Pharisees than to be turned "uncircumcised in
heart" (Ro 2:29). They had only the physical circumcision which
was useless. {Ye always} (\humeis aei\). Emphatic position of
humeis and "always" looks backward over the history of their
forefathers which Stephen had reviewed. {Resist} (\antipiptete\).
Old word to fall against, to rush against. Only here in the N.T.,
but used in the O.T. which is here quoted (Nu 27:14). Their
fathers had made "external worship a substitute for spiritual
obedience" (Furneaux). Stephen has shown how God had revealed
himself gradually, the revelation sloping upward to Christ Jesus.
"And as he saw his countrymen repeating the old mistake--clinging
to the present and the material, while God was calling them to
higher spiritual levels--and still, as ever, resisting the Holy
Spirit, treating the Messiah as the patriarchs had treated
Joseph, and the Hebrews Moses--the pity of it overwhelmed him,
and his mingled grief and indignation broke out in words of fire,
such as burned of old on the lips of the prophets" (Furneaux).
Stephen, the accused, is now the accuser, and the situation
becomes intolerable to the Sanhedrin.
7:52 {Which of the prophets} (\tina t•n proph•t•n\). Jesus (Lu
11:47; Mt 23:29-37) had charged them with this very thing. Cf.
2Ch 36:16. {Which shewed before} (\prokataggeilantas\). The
very prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah their
fathers killed. {The coming} (\t•s eleuse•s\). Not in ancient
Greek or LXX and only here in the N.T. (in a few late writers).
{Betrayers} (\prodotai\). Just like Judas Iscariot. He hurled
this old biting word at them. In the N.T. only here and Lu 6:16;
2Ti 3:4. It cut like a knife. It is blunter than Peter in Ac
3:13. {Murderers} (\phoneis\). The climax with this sharp word
used of Barabbas (3:14).
7:53 {Ye who} (\hoitines\). The very ones who, _quippe qui_,
often in Acts when the persons are enlarged upon (8:15; 9:35;
10:41,47). {As it was ordained by angels} (\eis diatagas
aggel•n\). About angels see on ¯7:38. \Diatag•\ (from
\diatass•\, to arrange, appoint) occurs in late Greek, LXX,
inscriptions, papyri, Deissmann, _Light from the Ancient East_,
pp. 89ff., and in N.T. only here and Ro 13:2. At (or as) the
appointment of angels (cf. Mt 10:41; 12:41 for this use of
\eis\). {And kept it not} (\kai ouk ephulaxate\). Like a
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