Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 9]
(cf. 1Sa 19:12) for the way that Rahab let out the spies "by a
cord through the window." {Lowering him} (\auton chalasantes\).
First aorist active participle of \chala•\, old and common verb
in a nautical sense (Ac 27:17,30) as well as otherwise as here.
Same verb used by Paul of this experience (2Co 11:33). {In a
basket} (\en sphuridi\). The word used when the four thousand
were fed (Mr 8:8; Mt 15:37). A large basket plaited of reeds
and distinguished in Mr 8:19f. (Mt 16:9f.) from the smaller
\kophinos\. Paul uses \sargan•\, a basket made of ropes. This
escape by night by the help of the men whom he had come to
destroy was a shameful memory to Paul (2Co 11:33). Wendt thinks
that the coincidences in language here prove that Luke had read
II Corinthians. That, of course, is quite possible.
9:26 {He assayed} (\epeirazen\). Imperfect active of conative
action. {To join himself} (\kollasthai\). Present middle (direct)
infinitive of conative action again. Same word \kolla•\ in Lu
15:15; Ac 10:28. See on ¯Mt 19:5 for discussion. {Were all
afraid of him} (\pantes ephobounto auton\). They were fearing
him. Imperfect middle picturing the state of mind of the
disciples who had vivid recollections of his conduct when last
here. What memories Saul had on this return journey to Jerusalem
after three years. He had left a conquering hero of Pharisaism.
He returns distrusted by the disciples and regarded by the
Pharisees as a renegade and a turncoat. He made no effort to get
in touch with the Sanhedrin who had sent him to Damascus. He had
escaped the plots of the Jews in Damascus only to find himself
the object of suspicion by the disciples in Jerusalem who had no
proof of his sincerity in his alleged conversion. {Not believing}
(\m• pisteuontes\). They had probably heard of his conversion,
but they frankly disbelieved the reports and regarded him as a
hypocrite or a spy in a new role to ruin them. {Was} (\estin\).
The present tense is here retained in indirect discourse
according to the common Greek idiom.
9:27 {Took him} (\epilabomenos\). Second aorist middle (indirect)
participle of \epilamban•\, common verb to lay hold of. Barnabas
saw the situation and took Saul to himself and listened to his
story and believed it. It is to the credit of Barnabas that he
had the insight and the courage to stand by Saul at the crucial
moment in his life when the evidence seemed to be against him. It
is a pleasing hypothesis that this influential disciple from
Cyprus had gone to the University of Tarsus where he met Saul. If
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