Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 20]
20:11 {When he was gone up} (\anabas\). Second aorist active
participle in sharp contrast to \katabas\ (went down) of verse
10. {Had broken bread} (\klasas ton arton\). Probably the
Eucharist to observe which ordinance Paul had come and tarried
(verse 7), though some scholars distinguish between what took
place in verse 7 and verse 11, needlessly so as was stated on
verse 7. {And eaten} (\kai geusamenos\). The word is used in
10:10 of eating an ordinary meal and so might apply to the
\Agap•\, but it suits equally for the Eucharist. The accident had
interrupted Paul's sermon so that it was observed now and then
Paul resumed his discourse. {And had talked with them a long
while} (\eph' hikanon te homil•sas\). Luke, as we have seen, is
fond of \hikanos\ for periods of time, for a considerable space
of time, "even till break of day" (\achri aug•s\). Old word for
brightness, radiance like German _Auge_, English eye, only here
in the N.T. Occurs in the papyri and in modern Greek for dawn.
This second discourse lasted from midnight till dawn and was
probably more informal (as in 10:27) and conversational
(\homil•sas\, though our word homiletics comes from \homile•\)
than the discourse before midnight (\dialegomai\, verses 7,9).
He had much to say before he left. {So he departed} (\hout•s
ex•lthen\). Thus Luke sums up the result. Paul left (went forth)
only after all the events narrated by the numerous preceding
participles had taken place. Effective aorist active indicative
\exelthen\. \Hout•s\ here equals \tum demum\, now at length (Ac
27:7) as Page shows.
20:12 {They brought the lad alive} (\•gagon ton paida z•nta\).
Second aorist active indicative of \ag•\. Evidently the special
friends of the lad who now either brought him back to the room or
(Rendall) took him home to his family. Knowling holds that
\z•nta\ (living) here is pointless unless he had been dead. He
had been taken up dead and now they brought him living. {Not a
little} (\ou metri•s\). Not moderately, that is a great deal.
Luke is fond of this use of the figure _litotes_ (use of the
negative) instead of the strong positive (1:5, etc.). D (Codex
Bezae) has here instead of \•gagon\ these words: \alpazomen•n de
aut•n •gagen ton neaniskon z•nta\ (while they were saying
farewell he brought the young man alive). This reading pictures
the joyful scene over the lad's restoration as Paul was leaving.
20:13 {To the ship} (\epi to ploion\). Note article. It is
possible that Paul's party had chartered a coasting vessel from
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