Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 19]
They felt it in their pockets. {Of the great goddess Artemis}
(\t•s megal•s theas Artemidos\). She was generally known as the
Great (\h• Megal•\). An inscription found at Ephesus calls her
"the greatest god" (\h• megist• theos\). The priests were eunuchs
and there were virgin priestesses and a lower order of slaves
known as temple-sweepers (\ne•koroi\, verse 35). They had wild
orgiastic exercises that were disgraceful with their Corybantic
processions and revelries. {Be made of no account} (\eis outhen
logisth•nai\). Be reckoned as nothing, first aorist passive
infinitive of \logizomai\ and \eis\. {Should even be deposed of
her magnificence} (\mellein te kai kathaireisthai t•s
megaleiot•tos aut•s\). Note the present infinitive after
\mellein\, ablative case (so best MSS.) after \kathaire•\, to
take down, to depose, to deprive of. The word \megaleiot•s\
occurs also in Lu 9:43 (the majesty of God) and in 2Pe 1:16
of the transfiguration of Christ. It is already in the LXX and
Deissmann (_Light from the Ancient East_, p. 363) thinks that the
word runs parallel with terms used in the emperor-cult. {All Asia
and the world} \hol• (h•) Asia kai (h•) oikoumen•\. See 11:28
for same use of \oikoumen•\. An exaggeration, to be sure, but
Pausanias says that no deity was more widely worshipped. Temples
of Artemis have been found in Spain and Gaul. _Multitudo
errantium non efficit veritatem_ (Bengel). Even today heathenism
has more followers than Christianity. To think that all this
splendour was being set at naught by one man and a despised Jew
at that!
19:28 {They were filled with wrath} (\genomenoi plereis thumou\).
Having become full of wrath. {Cried out} (\ekrazon\). Inchoative
imperfect, began to cry out and kept it up continuously.
Reiteration was characteristic of the orgiastic exercises. The
Codex Bezae adds after \thumou\ (wrath): \Dramontes eis t•n
amphodon\ (running into the street), which they certainly did
after the speech of Demetrius. {Great is Artemis of the
Ephesians} (\Megal• h• Artemis Ephesi•n\). D (Codex Bezae) omits
\h•\ (the) and makes it read: "Great Artemis of the Ephesians."
This was the usual cry of the votaries in their orgies as the
inscriptions show, an ejaculatory outcry or prayer instead of an
argument as the other MSS. have it. That is vivid and natural
(Ramsay, _Church in the Roman Empire_, pp. 135ff.). Yet on this
occasion the artisans were making an argumentative protest and
plea against Paul. An inscription at Dionysopolis has "Great is
Apollo."
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