Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 19:38
Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
38. Wherefore if have a matter against any man ] i.e. have any charge which they wish to bring. For the concerns in which they are interested will be such as the legal tribunals can attend to.
the law is open ] This gives the general sense. The words are in the plural number and mean either “court- days are appointed,” i.e. there are proper times fixed when such causes can be heard; or perhaps better, because of the verb which seems to imply that the opportunity of legal action is even now open, “court- meetings are now going on.” This the Rev. Ver. appears to have adopted by rendering “the courts are open.”
and there are deputies ] The word is the same which in Act 13:7-8; Act 13:12 should be rendered “proconsul,” and that word is rightly given here by the Rev. Ver., for Asia was a proconsular province (see on this matter Conybeare and Howson, ii. 78). The difficulty in the present verse has arisen from the use of the plural number, for there was only one proconsul over a province at the same time, and there could only be one in Ephesus when the townclerk was speaking. But if we consider that he is speaking merely of the provision made by the institutions of the empire for obtaining justice in a case of wrong, we can see that his words need not occasion much trouble. “Proconsuls are (he says) an imperial institution. In every province like ours there exists such a supreme magistrate, and so there is no fear about obtaining redress for real injuries.” Another explanation (due to Basnage, and alluded to in the notes of Conybeare and Howson, u. s.) is that after the poisoning of Silanus the proconsul, (as related Tac. An. xiii. 1) Celer and lius, who governed the province of Asia as procurators, might be intended by this plural title. Others have thought that there might be present in Ephesus some other proconsul from a neighbouring province, as Cilicia, Cyprus, Bithynia or elsewhere; but what was first said seems the easier explanation.
let them implead one another ] Implead is somewhat antiquated now, and the Rev. Ver. substitutes accuse. Of course the accusations would be only from the one side, which the other would be called on to answer.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Have a matter against any man – Have a complaint of injury; if injustice has been done them by anyone.
The law is open – See the margin. Agoraioi agontai, that is, hemerai. There are court-days; days which are open, or appointed for judicial trials, where such matters can be determined in a proper manner. Perhaps the courts were then held, and the matter might be immediately determined.
And there are deputies – Roman proconsuls. See the notes on Act 13:7. The cause might be brought before them with the certainty that it would be heard and decided. The Syriac reads this in the singular number Lo, the proconsul is in the city.
Let them implead one another – Let them accuse each other in the court. The laws are equal, and impartial justice will be done.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 38. If Demetrius – have a matter against any man] If it be any breach of law, in reference to Demetrius and the artists, the law is open, ; these are the terms of law, public courts, times of sessions or assize; or, rather, the judges are mow sitting: so the words may be understood. And there are deputies, , proconsuls, appointed to guard the peace of the state, and to support every honest man in his right: let them implead one another; let the one party bring forward his action of assault or trespass, and the other put in his defense: the laws are equal and impartial, and justice will be done to him who is wronged.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The law is open; which is fittest to determine all questions and controversies; for men would be partial to their own cause, and every one challenge to be in the right.
Deputies; who, under the Roman emperors or consuls, had power to hear and determine of all matters.
Let them implead one another; that so both parties may be heard.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
38. if Demetrius have a matterofcomplaint.
against any man, the law isopenrather, “the court days are being held.”
and there aredeputiesliterally “proconsuls” (see on Ac13:7); that is, probably, the proconsul and his council, as acourt of appeal.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him,…. Who were the ringleaders and encouragers of this tumult:
have a matter against any man; any accusation, or charge, any crime to accuse him of, and charge him with:
the law is open; or court days are kept; there are certain times fixed for the hearing and trying of causes, where and when such an affair should be regularly brought; and not use such disorderly methods, and throw a city into confusion, and break the peace as these men had done: the Syriac version renders it, “they are artificers”; that is, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him; they are tradesmen, and it does not belong to them, nor should they take upon themselves to judge and determine what is right or wrong:
and there are deputies; or “proconsuls”; the proconsul and his deputy, to whom such matters appertain, and who are judges in such cases, and to whom application should be made, and before whom such cases should be brought, and heard, and tried: the Syriac version reads in the singular number, “and there is a proconsul in the city”; a Roman governor and judge, whose province it is to determine such matters:
let them implead one another; let the plaintiff bring his accusation, and charge, and let the others defend themselves, and let things proceed in a due course of law, and so issue.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Have a matter against any one ( ). For this use of with see Matt 5:32; Col 3:13. The town-clerk names Demetrius and the craftsmen () as the parties responsible for the riot.
The courts are open ( ). Supply (days), court days are kept, or , court-meetings are now going on, Vulgate conventus forenses aguntur. Old adjective from (forum) marketplace where trials were held. Cf. Ac 17:4. There were regular court days whether they were in session then or not.
And there are proconsuls ( ). Asia was a senatorial province and so had proconsuls (general phrase) though only one at a time, “a rhetorical plural” (Lightfoot). Page quotes from an inscription of the age of Trajan on an aqueduct at Ephesus in which some of Luke’s very words occur (, , , ).
Let them accuse one another ( ). Present active imperative of (, ), old verb to call in one’s case, to bring a charge against, with the dative. Luke uses the verb six times in Acts for judicial proceedings (Acts 19:38; Acts 19:40; Acts 23:28; Acts 23:29; Acts 26:2; Acts 26:7). The town-clerk makes a definite appeal to the mob for orderly legal procedure as opposed to mob violence in a matter where money and religious prejudice unite, a striking rebuke to so-called lynch-law proceedings in lands today where Christianity is supposed to prevail.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The law is open [ ] Lit., the court – days are being kept. Rev., the courts are open. Compare ch. 17 5.
Deputies [] Proconsuls, by whom Asia, as a senatorial province, was governed. See Introduction to Luke.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Wherefore if Demetrius,” (ei men oun Dimetrios)” If therefore indeed Demetrius,” master of the union of silversmiths of Ephesus, Act 19:24-25. This question seems to indicate that the town clerk, if not a friend of Christians, at least seemed to be unbiased toward them.
2) “And the craftsmen which are with him,” (kai hoi sun auto technitai) “And the Artisans or technicians who are in union, colleague with him,” in his business and god-making industry, Act 19:26-27. The town clerk recognized that the complaint was that the success of the craft was more in danger than their religion.
3) “Have a matter against any man,” (echousi pros tina logon) “Have anything (in way of complaint) toward anyone,” has a legal charge against anyone.
4) “The law is open and there are deputies:” (agoraioi agontai kai anthupatoi eisin) “There are assizes being held (open, public legal hearings) and there are proconsuls or Roman deputies to hear them,” as a court-source of appeal, Act 13:7. Law officers are to be desired above lynch mobs.
5) “Let them implead one another.” (egkaleitosan allelois) “Let them bring a charge against one another,” before or in the presence of them, of the members of the court, plead against one another in the presence of the court.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(38) The law is open.Literally, the court, or forum, days are going on. The words may either indicate that the proconsul was then actually sitting to hold trials in the agora or forum, or may be taken as a colloquial idiom for there are court days coming.
There are deputies.The Greek word is (as in Act. 13:7; Act. 18:12) the equivalent for proconsul. Strictly speaking, there was only one proconsul in each province, and we must therefore assume either that here also the expression is colloquial, or that the assessors (consiliarii) of the proconsul were popularly so described, or that some peculiar combination of circumstances had led to there being two persons at this time at Ephesus clothed with proconsular authority. There are some grounds for adopting the last alternative. Junius Silanus, who was Proconsul of Asia when St. Paul arrived in Ephesus (A.D. 54), had been poisoned by Celer and Helius, the two procurators, at the instigation of Agrippina; and it seems probable that they for a time held a joint proconsular authority.
Let them implead one another.The English word exactly expresses the technical force of the Greek. Demetrius and his followers were to lodge a formal statement of the charge they brought against the accused. They in their turn were to put in a rejoinder, and so joining issue, each side would produce its witnesses.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
38. Law is open Literally, the court days are going on.
Deputies In regular succession appointed, though but one at a time. By deputies are meant Roman proconsuls.
Implead Contest in law with.
“If therefore Demetrius, and the craftsmen who are with him, have a matter against any man, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse one another.”
If Demetrius and his craftsmen really did have a criminal charge against these men, or against anyone, then the periodic courts were available, and they could bring the matter before the proconsuls. Let them accuse one another there, and not in this unofficial way, which could only cause trouble.
The plural for proconsuls may simply be a general reference, indicating the generality of proconsuls, as there would normally be only one in the region. On the other hand it is an interesting historical fact that around this time there was a short period when there were seemingly two proconsuls in this region.
Act 19:38. The law is open, &c. “The courts are held, in which they may have justice done them, if they have a charge of any private injury to offer; and there are the proconsuls, (Celer and AElius, then joint proconsuls,) if they have any crime relating to the state to allege.” The word originally signifies a congregation or assembly of people, and thence it comes to signify likewise the place of assembly,the forum, whether understood of a market, or a court of judicature. We may just observe, that the word implead is a forensic term, and alludes to the methods practised in the Grecian courts. After the plaintiff had delivered in the name of the person against whom he brought his action, with an account of his offence,the magistrate finding it to belong to his cognizance, and worthy of a public trial, the plaintiff was allowed to call upon or summon his adversary to appear in court; to answer the complaint: and this summons is what is alluded to by the word , here rendered implead. See Act 19:40 in the original.
Act 19:38 . ] accordingly , since these men are neither robbers of temples, etc. On (an utterance , i.e. complaint ), see examples in Kypke, II. p. 103.
] by Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Bornemann, following Suidas, accented (but see on Act 17:5 ), are judicial assemblies (in construing it, is to be conceived as supplied). Comp. Strabo, xiii. p. 629; Vulg.: conventus forenses .
] and there are proconsuls . The plural is here also (comp. Act 17:18 ) the plural indefinite of the category. Arbitrarily Calvin and Grotius hold that the proconsul and his legate are meant. Bengel correctly says: “de eo quod nunquam non esse soleat.”
38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
Ver. 38,39. As the town clerk here quieted the tumultuating people, so ought we to compose unruly passions. Say to them, 1. Ye ought to do nothing rashly. 2. The law is open; so is God’s ear, to whom vengeance belongeth. 3. We are in danger of this day’s uproar, &c.
38. ] court-days (the grammarians distinguish , ‘circumforaneus,’ an idler in the market, and , as in our text: so Suidas: but Ammonius vice vers : and the distinction is now believed to be mere pedantry): and implies that they were then actually going on. They were the periodical assizes of the district, held by the proconsul and his assessors (see below). The Latin phrase for was conventus agere , or peragere , or convocare ; cf. Cs [102] B. G. i. 54; Act 19:1 ; viii. 46. Hence the district itself was called conventus . See Smith’s Dict. of Antiquities, art. Conventus.
[102] Csarius of Constantinople, 368
Pliny, H. N. Act 19:29 fin., mentions Ephesus as one of these assize towns.
] there are (such things as) proconsuls : the fit officers before whom to bring these causes: a categoric plural. So the Commentators generally. But may not the ‘consiliarii’ of the proconsul who were his assessors at the ‘conventus,’ held in the provinces, have themselves popularly borne the name? We find in Jos. B. J. ii. 16. 1, that Cestius, the of Syria, on receiving an application respecting Florus’s conduct at Jerusalem, , which were his assessors , or consiliarii . (See on ch. Act 25:12 , and Smith’s Dict. of Antt., ut supra.)
. . ] let them (the plaintiffs and defendants) plead against one another.
Act 19:38 . : no exact equivalent elsewhere in N.T., but Grimm (so Kypke) compares Mat 5:32 (see also Col 3:13 ). : “the courts are open,” R.V., perhaps best to understand , “court- meetings are now going on,” i.e. , for holding trials (in the forum or agora); Vulgate, conventus forenses aguntur , the verb being in the present indicative. Or may alone be supplied = court days are kept, i.e. , at certain intervals, not implying at that particular time, but rather a general statement as in the words that follow: “there are proconsuls,” see Page, in loco. For , cf. Luk 24:21 , Mat 14:6 , Mal 2:16Mal 2:16 , cf. Strabo, xiii., p. 932, Latin, conventus agere . Alford, so Wendt (1888), speaks of the distinction drawn by the old grammarians between and as groundless, but see also Winer-Schmiedel, p. 69. : the plural is used: “de eo quod nunquam non esse, soleat,” Bengel (quoted by Blass and Wendt), although strictly there would be only one proconsul at a time. There is no need to understand any assistants of the proconsul, as if the description was meant for them, or, with Lewin, as if there were several persons with proconsular power. It is quite possible that in both clauses the secretary is speaking in a mere colloquial way, as we might say, “There are assizes and there are judges”. Lightfoot calls it “a rhetorical plural” Cont. Rev. , p. 295, 1878, and quotes Eur., I. T. , 1359, , though there was only one image and one priestess. : “accuse,” R.V. The verb need not have a technical legal sense as is implied by “implead” in A.V. So in LXX it may be used quite generally, or of a criminal charge, and so in classical Greek, cf. Wis 12:12 and Sir 46:19 . In the N.T. it is used six times in Acts with reference to judicial process, and only once elsewhere by St. Paul in Rom 8:33 in a general sense. The verb only occurs in the second part of Acts in accordance no doubt with the subject-matter; see Hawkins, Hor Synoptic , p. 147, note, and Weiss, Einleitung in das N. T. , p. 570, note.
Wherefore if = If (App-118. a) indeed then.
matter = charge. Literally
word. Greek. logos. App-121. Figure of speech Idioma. App-6.
against. Greek. pros. App-104.
any man. Greek. tis. App-123.
law is open = courts (Greek. agoraios. See note on Act 17:5) are being held.
deputies = proconsuls. Greek. anthupatos. See note on Act 13:7. Asia was a proconsular province, but there was only one proconsul. The townclerk was probably speaking generally.
implead = charge, or accuse. Greek. enkaleo. Only here, Act 19:40; Act 23:28, Act 23:29; Act 26:2, Act 26:7. Rom 8:33.
38. ] court-days (the grammarians distinguish , circumforaneus, an idler in the market, and , as in our text: so Suidas: but Ammonius vice vers: and the distinction is now believed to be mere pedantry): and implies that they were then actually going on. They were the periodical assizes of the district, held by the proconsul and his assessors (see below). The Latin phrase for was conventus agere, or peragere, or convocare; cf. Cs[102] B. G. i. 54; Act 19:1; viii. 46. Hence the district itself was called conventus. See Smiths Dict. of Antiquities, art. Conventus.
[102] Csarius of Constantinople, 368
Pliny, H. N. Act 19:29 fin., mentions Ephesus as one of these assize towns.
] there are (such things as) proconsuls: the fit officers before whom to bring these causes: a categoric plural. So the Commentators generally. But may not the consiliarii of the proconsul who were his assessors at the conventus, held in the provinces, have themselves popularly borne the name? We find in Jos. B. J. ii. 16. 1, that Cestius, the of Syria, on receiving an application respecting Floruss conduct at Jerusalem, ,-which were his assessors, or consiliarii. (See on ch. Act 25:12, and Smiths Dict. of Antt., ut supra.)
. .] let them (the plaintiffs and defendants) plead against one another.
Act 19:38. , against any man) The clerk prudently does not name Paul.-) viz. .-, proconsuls) There was but one proconsul at the one time: but the clerk speaks in the plural of that which is wont never to cease to be [a permanent institution, such as the proconsulate].
Demetrius: Act 19:24
have: Act 18:14, Deu 17:8, 1Co 6:1
the law is open: or, the court-days are kept
Reciprocal: Act 13:7 – the deputy
8
Act 19:38. The reasoning of the town-clerk was that provision had been made by the law of the land, whereby all just complaints could be handled. Deputies were men authorized to represent the government in the disputes arising between man and man.
Act 19:38. If Demetrius and . . . have a matter against any man, the law is open. It was clear that these men with whom Demetrius and his fellow-craftsmen were so incensed had committed no crime of which public cognisance would be taken. If some trade law, some civic regulation, had been infringed, let Demetrius and the others proceed against Paul and his friends. Demetrius would be sure of all sympathy and even favour in such a trial in which the prosperity of the city was involved. The law is open; literally, court days are now going on. Ephesus was what we should now term an assize town, and the Roman officials held courts at intervals in all these. It was also an urbs libera, and had its local courts and magistrates. It is not improbable but that the words of the town-clerk signified, At this instant the proconsul is on circuit, and is just now at Ephesus.
There are deputies. Literally, there are proconsuls. In the time of Paul, Asia being a senatorial province, was governed by a proconsul. The only difficulty in the term is, that it is in the plural (proconsuls), while only one of these officials held office in the senatorial province. It has been suggested that the term includes the proconsul and his assessors. It is, however, more probable that the term is used in a general sense, as we should say, The province of Asia, with its capital Ephesus, is governed by proconsuls.
Let them implead one another.. This is a legal technical phrase in the original Greek, as in the English.
See notes on verse 35
38. If indeed Demetrius and the artificers along with him have an allegation against anyone, there are court-days and lawyers; let them implead one another. Having thus warned and reasoned the case with them, and succeeded in tranquilizing the multitude.
Verse 38
Deputies; the magistrates appointed to try such causes.
19:38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a {o} matter against any man, the {p} law is open, and there are {q} deputies: let them implead one another.
(o) Have anything to accuse any man of.
(p) For there are certain days appointed for civil causes and matters of judgment, and the deputies sit on those days.
(q) By the deputies are meant also the deputies’ substitutes, that is, those who sat for them.
Third, if Demetrius and his fellow silversmiths had a complaint against the Christians they should handle it in the legally authorized way and take their adversaries to court. The court that would have dealt with this kind of complaint met three times a month in Ephesus. [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., p. 402.] Proconsuls were provincial governors.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)