Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 21]
be considerable. "A poor man would not have been treated with the
respect paid him at Caesarea, on the voyage, and at Rome"
(Furneaux). {That they may shave their heads} (\hina xur•sontai
t•n kephal•n\). Note \t•n kephal•n\, the head (singular). Future
middle indicative of \xura•\, late form for the old \xure•\, to
shave, middle to shave oneself or (causative) to get oneself
shaved. This use of \hina\ with the future indicative is like the
classic \hop•s\ with the future indicative and is common in the
N.T. as in the _Koin•_ (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 984). {And all
shall know} (\kai gn•sontai\). This future middle indicative of
\gin•sk•\ (cf. \akousontai\ in verse 22) may be independent of
\hina\ or dependent on it like \xur•sontai\, though some MSS. (H
L P) have \gn•sin\ (second aorist subjunctive, clearly dependent
on \hina\). {Of which} (\h•n\). Genitive plural of the relative
\ha\ (accusative) object of the perfect passive verb
\kat•ch•ntai\ (cf. verse 21 \kat•ch•th•san\) attracted into the
case of the omitted antecedent \tout•n\. The instruction still in
effect. {But that thou thyself walkest orderly} (\alla stoicheis
kai autos\). \Stoicheis\ is an old verb to go in a row (from
\stoichos\, row, rank, series), to walk in a line or by rule. In
the N.T. only here and Ga 5:25; Ro 4:12; Php 3:16. The rule is
the law and Paul was not a sidestepper. The idea of the verb is
made plain by the participle \phulass•n ton nomon\ (keeping or
observing the law).
21:25 {We wrote} (\epesteilamen\). First aorist active of
\epistell•\, to send to and so to write like our epistle
(\epistol•\). Old verb, but in the N.T. only here and Ac 15:20;
Heb 13:22. It is the very word used by James in this "judgment"
at the Conference (Ac 15:20, \episteilai\). B D here read
\apesteilamen\ from \apostell•\, to send away, to give orders.
Wendt and Schuerer object to this as a gloss. Rather is it an
explanation by James that he does not refer to the Gentile
Christians whose freedom from the Mosaic ceremonial law was
guaranteed at the Jerusalem Conference. James himself presided at
that Conference and offered the resolution that was unanimously
adopted. James stands by that agreement and repeats the main
items (four: anything sacrificed to idols, blood, anything
strangled, fornication, for discussion see Ac 15) from which
they are to keep themselves (direct middle \phulassesthai\ of
\phulass•\, indirect command after \krinantes\ with accusative,
\autous\, of general reference). James has thus again cleared the
air about the Gentiles who have believed (\pepisteukot•n\,
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC21.RWP.html (13 of 22) [28/08/2004 09:07:25 a.m.]