Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 12]
28:18). {That they should be put to death} (\apachth•nai\).
First aorist passive infinitive (indirect command) of \apag•\,
old verb to lead away, especially to execution as in Mt 27:31.
Here it is used absolutely. This was the ordinary Roman routine
and not a proof of special cruelty on the part of Herod Agrippa.
{Tarried} (\dietriben\). Imperfect active. Herod Agrippa made his
home in Jerusalem, but he went to Caesarea to the public games in
honour of Emperor Claudius.
12:20 {Was highly displeased} (\•n thumomach•n\). Periphrastic
imperfect active of \thumomache•\, late compound of \thumos\
(passionate heat) and \machomai\, to fight. Only here in the
N.T., to fight desperately, to have a hot quarrel. Whether it was
open war with the Phoenicians or just violent hostility we do not
know, save that Phoenicia belonged to Syria and Herod Agrippa had
no authority there. The quarrel may have been over commercial
matters. {They came with one accord} (\homothumadon par•san\).
The representatives of Tyre and Sidon. See on ¯1:14 for
\homothumadon\. Tyre was a colony of Sidon and had become one of
the chief commercial cities of the world by reason of the
Phoenician ships. {The king's chamberlain} (\ton epi tou koit•nos
tou basileos\). The one over the bedchamber (\koit•nos\, late
word from \koit•\, bed, here only in the N.T.). {Made their
friend} (\peisantes\). First aorist active participle of
\peith•\, to persuade. Having persuaded (probably with bribes as
in Mt 28:14). {They asked for peace} (\•itounto eir•n•n\).
Imperfect middle of \aite•\, kept on asking for peace. {Because
their country was fed} (\dia to trephesthai aut•n t•n choran\).
Causal sentence with \dia\ and the articular infinitive (present
passive of \treph•\, to nourish or feed) and the accusative of
general reference, "because of the being fed as to their
country." Tyre and Sidon as large commercial cities on the coast
received large supplies of grain and fruits from Palestine. Herod
had cut off the supplies and that brought the two cities to
action.
12:21 {Upon a set day} (\takt•i h•mer•i\). Locative case and the
verbal adjective of \tass•\, to arrange, appoint, old word, here
only in the N.T. Josephus (_Ant_. XVII. 6, 8; XIX. 8, 2) gives a
full account of the occasion and the death of Herod Agrippa. It
was the second day of the festival in honour of the Emperor
Claudius, possibly his birthday rather than the _Quinquennalia_.
The two accounts of Luke and Josephus supplement each other with
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC12.RWP.html (10 of 12) [28/08/2004 09:06:46 a.m.]