Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 9]
whole period was about "three years" which need not mean three
full years, but at least portions of three. Most of the three
years was probably spent in Arabia because of the two explosions
in Damascus (before his departure and on his return) and because
he was unknown in Jerusalem as a Christian on his arrival there.
It cannot be argued from the frequent lacunae in the Acts that
Luke tells all that was true or that he knew. He had his own
methods and aims as every historian has. We are at perfect
liberty to supplement the narrative in the Acts with items from
Paul's Epistles. So we must assume the return of Saul from Arabia
at this juncture, between verses 22,23, when Saul resumed his
preaching in the Jewish synagogues with renewed energy and grasp
after the period of mature reflection and readjustment in Arabia.
{Took counsel together} (\sunebouleusanto\). First aorist
(effective) middle indicative of \sunbouleu•\, old and common
verb for counselling (\bouleu•\) together (\sun\). Things had
reached a climax. It was worse than before he left for Arabia.
Paul was now seeing the fulfilment of the prophecy of Jesus about
him (9:16). {To kill him} (\anelein auton\). Second aorist
(effective) active infinitive of \anaire•\, to take up, to make
away with, to kill (Lu 23:32; Ac 12:1, etc.). The infinitive
expresses purpose here as is done in verse 24 by \hop•s\ and
the aorist active subjunctive of the same verb (\anel•sin\). Saul
now knew what Stephen had suffered at his hands as his own life
was in peril in the Jewish quarter of Damascus. It was a picture
of his old self. He may even have been scourged here (2Co
11:24).
9:24 {Plot} (\epiboul•\). Old word for a plan (\boul•\) against
(\epi\) one. In the N.T. only in Acts (9:24; 20:3,19; 23:30).
{They watched} (\paret•rounto\). Imperfect middle indicative of
\parat•re•\, common verb in late Greek for watching beside
(\para\) or insidiously or on the sly as in Lu 6:7, they kept
on watching by day and night to kill him. In 2Co 11:32 Paul
says that the Ethnarch of Aretas "kept guard" (\ephrourei\,
imperfect active of \phroure•\) to seize him. Probably the Jews
obtained the consent of the Ethnarch and had him appoint some of
them as guards or watchers at the gate of the city.
9:25 {Through the wall} (\dia tou teichous\). Paul in 2Co 11:33
explains \dia tou teichous\ as being \dia thuridos\ (through a
window) which opened into the house on the inside of the wall as
is true today in Damascus as Hackett saw there. See Jos 2:15f.
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC9.RWP.html (10 of 17) [28/08/2004 09:06:38 a.m.]