Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 16]
and behind this the inner prison, a veritable dungeon with no
light or air save what came through the door when open. One has
only to picture modern cells in our jails, the dungeons in feudal
castles, London prisons before the time of Howard, to appreciate
the horrors of an inner prison cell in a Roman provincial town of
the first century A.D. {Made their feet fast} (\tous podas
•sphalisato aut•n\). First aorist (effective) middle of
\asphaliz•\, from \asphal•s\ (safe), common verb in late Greek,
in the N.T. only here and Mt 24:64ff. The inner prison was safe
enough without this refinement of cruelty. {In the stocks} (\eis
to xulon\). \Xulon\, from \xu•\, to scrape or plane, is used for
a piece of wood whether a cross or gibbet (Ac 5:30; 10:39;
13:29; Ga 3:13; 1Pe 2:24) or a log or timber with five holes
(four for the wrists and ankles and one for the neck) or two for
the feet as here, \xuloped•\, Latin _vervus_, to shackle the feet
stretched apart (Job 33:11). This torment was practiced in
Sparta, Athens, Rome, and Adonirom Judson suffered it in Burmah.
\Xulon\ is also used in the N.T. for stick or staff (Mt 26:47)
and even a tree (Lu 23:31). Tertullian said of Christians in
the stocks: _Nihil crus sentit in vervo, quum animus in caelo
est_ (Nothing the limb feels in the stocks when the mind is in
heaven).
16:25 {About midnight} (\kata de mesonuktion\). Middle of the
night, old adjective seen already in Mr 13:35; Lu 11:5 which
see. {Were praying and singing} (\proseuchomenoi humnoun\).
Present middle participle and imperfect active indicative:
Praying they were singing (simultaneously, blending together
petition and praise). \Humne•\ is an old verb from \humnos\ (cf.
Isa 12:4; Da 3:23). Paul and Silas probably used portions of
the Psalms (cf. Lu 1:39f.,67f.; 2:28f.) with occasional
original outbursts of praise. {Were listening to them}
(\ep•kro•nto aut•n\). Imperfect middle of \epakroaomai\. Rare
verb to listen with pleasure as to a recitation or music (Page).
It was a new experience for the prisoners and wondrously
attractive entertainment to them.
16:26 {Earthquake} (\seismos\). Old word from \sei•\, to shake.
Luke regarded it as an answer to prayer as in 4:31. He and
Timothy were not in prison. {So that the foundations of the
prison house were shaken} (\h•ste saleuth•nai ta themelia tou
desm•t•riou\). Regular construction of the first aorist passive
infinitive and the accusative of general reference with \h•ste\
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC16.RWP.html (14 of 19) [28/08/2004 09:07:01 a.m.]