Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 2:12
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
12. they were all amazed, and were in doubt ] Rather, and were perplexed. The original means they did not know what to make of what they saw and heard. They had no doubt of the facts, for their ears bore testimony that in their own various mother-tongues the great works of God were being published, and they had just said so.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Were in doubt – This expression, dieporoun, denotes a state of hesitancy or anxiety about an event. It is applied to those who are traveling, and are ignorant of the way, or who hesitate about the road. They were all astonished at this; they did not know how to understand it or explain it, until some of them supposed that it was merely the effect of new wine.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Act 2:12-13
And they were all amazed.
—
Whit Sunday, or what our Churches need
Notice–
I. Three things immediately preceding the outpouring of the Spirit–things which if not the direct cause of a revival, always herald it–the shadows cast by the coming blessing.
1. A complete congregation. They were all in one place. No absentees. This betokened earnestness, for it was in fact an early Sunday morning prayer-meeting with every one present. Always before a great blessing there will be a revived interest in sanctuary services. The half truth, I can worship God as well at home (which is a lie when the man is able to come to the sanctuary and does not) will not be heard. Indifference to public worship is a fatal sign. Things that would never be permitted to interfere with business or pleasure are reckoned sufficient to warrant staying at home to-day. You found eleven oclock this morning too early to come to worship, but I will guarantee you catch the eight oclock excursion train to-morrow morning.
2. A congregation one in desire and motive; With one accord. No two motives had drawn them. They came to receive the promised blessing. Is not the want of this spirit of accord the weakness of the Churches of the present day? Unbelief is not the only thing that keeps Christ from doing many mighty works. It might with equal truth be said of many a Church: He did not many mighty works there because of their squabbling, petty, selfish spirit. There are men who will be nothing unless they are everything, and will without compunction sacrifice a whole Churchs prosperity upon the wretched little altar of their own unsanctified ambition. Instead of all being baptized into one spirit, it looks more as if every one had been baptized into a different spirit and every spirit an evil one. But when all differences become drowned in one overwhelming passion of saving souls, then let the Church lift up her head, for the day of her revival draweth nigh.
3. A congregation steeped in the spirit of prayer. They had a ten days prayer-meeting. Do you wonder they had a Whit Sunday? I should have wondered if they had not. The general prayerlessness of the Church is simply deplorable. Here and there the hundreds come to prayer. But take the general run of prayer-meetings. It is not an uncommon thing for Churches to have to give them up because so few come. Whilst all this is so it is of no use talking about having a revival.
II. The blessing itself.
1. It came at an appointed time. When the day of Pentecost was fully come. God has a time for everything. The disciples doubtless expected the blessing sooner. They had to learn that there is a sovereignty in revivals. Man has no power to command one. He can but cry and wait. Over one Church a cloud of blessing hangs, continually letting fall showers of refreshment. Beneath its influence all is verdant, fresh and lovely. But yonder is another Church the very contrast to this. The heavens above it seem as brass. The piety of its members seems to lack freshness and their leaf withers. Converts are almost unknown. Let not those Churches that have the blessing despise those that lack it. The only difference is that the time to favour them has come and the time to favour the others shall come.
2. It came suddenly and in a moment. Revivals very often do. With mans work the process as well as the result is visible. Is a temple to be built, the plans are exhibited, the foundations dug out, the scaffolding reared, and for months the chipping of the chisel and the clicking of the trowel are heard. God can build His temple in a night, and like Solomons, no sound of tool be heard. At any moment, without any previous warning, the revival may come.
3. It spread far and wide. From the upper room it soon flew along the streets of Jerusalem like an electric current. There is no telling where the influence of a revival in a Church may spread. It creeps into homes shut against the tract distributor. It glides into darkest places of vice. A revived Church will be certain to draw the multitude together. This is the secret of getting at the masses.
III. The question of our text. What meaneth this? Why, it means–
1. That Christ is ascended, and has received gifts for men. An ascended, glorified Christ warrants the Church in expecting any measure of blessing, any number of conversions. What meaneth this?
2. That all instrumentality is nothing without the Holy Ghost, but that the meanest instrumentality with the Spirit is mighty enough to accomplish anything. Alas, what an amount of powerless machinery we have in the so-called religious world, because it has no unction, because it is the work of man, not the working of God through the man, because it is dry and official. Instrumentality is almost worshipped, whilst the Holy Ghost is well-nigh ignored.
3. That God is pleased to work on the world through the Church. Far be it from us to call in question the good that has been accomplished by many of our societies, but we believe that half of them could be spared with ease did a greater unction but rest upon the Church.
4. That these are the seasons Gods Church is to seek at His hands. I will close with an illustration. Once upon the sea-shore, watching the getting off of a fishing smack, I saw in it a union of work and dependence that charmed me. The fishermen brought the craft clown the beach as far as they could and then left her awhile until the tide, which was flowing, neared her. Meantime two anchors had been cast out to sea, from which were ropes to a windlass in the centre of the vessel. Soon the surf (for the sea was fresh) began to run round her as she lay a dead weight upon the shore. Then the waves began to curl over and break upon her side. The men at the windlass took a turn and made the rope fast. And now every moment the tide had more power over her. She was never still. Twenty times did I say now she is off; and twenty times did she settle down again upon the shore, and twenty times did the men at the windlass put on the strain. At last one wave swept higher than any before; she shook–rose–glided down towards the deep–the men turning the handle of the windlass quickly as possible. A wave she met threatened to sweep her back upon the shore, but the anchors held her, and right through the surf the men wound her, and half an hour after she was flying away before the breeze, a very contrast to the dead weight she looked upon the beach. That vessel is the Church. The Holy Ghost is the tide. The ropes and the windlass are human agencies only to be used in dependence on the tide. The tide is coming in. The Church feels its power. She moves–she rises. Oh God send the billow that shall float her now, and send her careering on her course, with the breeze of the Spirit. (A. G. Brown.)
The multitude in amazement
I. A multitude gathered from all parts of the world.
II. A multitude gathered for religious purposes. They had come to the feast of Pentecost.
III. A multitude astonished by a miracle. The subject was one, the languages many. So–
1. In the gospel we have proof that by the foolishness of preaching God confounds the wisdom of the world.
2. Note the wonderful adaptation of the gospel to the entire world. It appeals to all natures and dispositions, and equally meets the wants of all.
IV. A multitude variously affected. All were amazed. Some inquired, some mocked. Some said (probably the devout men mentioned in Act 2:5), What meaneth this? This language betokened a desire to learn. Others (Act 2:13) said, They are full of new wine; regarding the religion of Jesus Christ as fanaticism. How does the gospel affect us? (F. Wagstaff.)
A miracle the object of derision
Of all the expressions of our distaste, a scoff is the worst. Admonition may be physic, a reproof balm, a blow ointment; but derision is as poison and a sword. It was the height of Jobs complaint that persons made jests on him; and it was the depth of Samsons calamity (Jdg 16:25). That which raises our anger presents some magnitude to our eyes; but that which we scorn is less than nothing. But now everything is not always as it appears, especially to the eye of the scoffer; for here we see things of excellency may be submitted to jests. Note
I.
the object of their derision. A. miracle. In every miracle there is the thing done, which must transcend the course of nature, and the end, which is also supernatural. In respect of the power of God there is no miracle; but in His goodness He was pleased to work wonders, not for show, but for our instruction. And as He had borne witness to His Son by miracles, so doth He here to the Holy Ghost. This was the end of this miraculous operation.
II. The persons.
1. What entertainment finds the miracle? What welcome hath the Holy Ghost? No other than what befals all extraordinary events. Every man lays hold of it and shapes it in such a form as he may please. To some it is a matter of wonder; to others, of mirth.
2. We should account it a strange stupidity in any one not to be more affected at the sight of the sun than of a taper, and to esteem the great palace of heaven but as a furnace. But when God stretcheth forth His hands to produce effects which follow not the force of secondary causes, then, not to put-on wonder, not to conclude that it is for some great end, is not folly, but infidelity, the daughter of malice and envy and affected ignorance.
3. Miracles are signs; and if they signify nothing it is evident that a stubborn heart and froward mind will not understand the meaning of them. And then what are miracles but trifles, matter of scoff and derision? Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God by miracles (verse 22), a juggler; a voice from heaven, but thunder; to make the blind to see, etc., witchcraft; to be full of the Spirit, to be full of drink. When Julian had read a Defence of Christianity, he remarked, I have read, understood, and condemned it. To which St. Basil replied, Had you understood it, you would never have condemned it. The same befalls men prepossessed and too far engaged in the world, and the fathers reply will reach home to them.
4. To this day our behaviour is little better than mocking. Our lust, which waits for the twilight, mocks at Gods Omniscience (Psa 73:11); our distrust argues against His power (Psa 78:20; 2Ki 8:2); our impatience questions His truth; and those who acknowledge Him to be the Giver of life, have confined His goodness to a few. His mercy triumpheth over His justice; yet Novatian made every fall as low as hell: and what is despair but a mocking of Gods mercy?
5. The ground of all is infidelity, the proper issue of obstinate and wilful ignorance. Plato well observeth, that none can taste and judge of that sweetness which truth affords but the philosopher, because they want that instrument of judgment which he useth; and that cannot be applied by covetousness, ambition, and lust; the philosophers instrument is reason. So in Divine mysteries and miracles, we cannot reach the meaning of them without a humble, pure, and free spirit, the best instrument of a Christian.
6. Indeed, reason might have taught these men that this was a miracle. For rude and illiterate men to speak on a sudden all languages, was more than all the linguists in the world could teach. And from no other principle arose the question of verse 12. But, to read the riddle, we must plough with another heifer than reason (Jdg 14:18). To dive into the sense of the miracle can proceed from no other Spirit than that whose miracle it was, even Him wire enlightens them that sit in darkness, and who makes the humble and docile soul both His school and His scholar. Reason is a light, but obnoxious to fogs and mists, till this great light dispel and scatter them. Julian was a man as well furnished as any; yet he wounded religion more with his scoffs than with his sword. When he had received his deaths wound, he confessed it came from the power of Christ, in a phrase of scorn, The day is Thine, O Galilean! Indeed the greatest scoffers have been for the most part eminent in natural abilities, whose reason, notwithstanding, could not show them their own fluctuations, the storms and tempest of their souls, she being eclipsed with her own beams.
III. The scoff itself.
1. It was not only a scoff, but an accusation, and there be divers reasons which make men accusers, ambition, hatred, hope of reward. Ecumenius tells us it was here that perverseness which indifferently passeth censure upon any cause, or no cause at all. And this is bred by opinion, and not by truth. If they understood not what the apostles spake, how could they say they were drunk? and if they did understand, why did they scoff? They were men settled in the very dregs of error and malice; and, having taken up an opinion, they would not let it go, no not at the sight of a miracle.
2. But yet though there were no reason nor probability to justify their scoff, some show there was to countenance it. The apostles, after this gift of tongues, talked much: they were full indeed with the wine of the New Testament; and, as drunken men, they were merry and cheerful; they publish secrets, they fear no face, regard no power, regard not themselves.
3. This hath always been, and to this day is, the great error of the world–to make shadows substances, similitudes indentities, the faintest representations truth (1Sa 1:13-14; 2Sa 6:20; Mar 3:21). Upon this ground faith is called presumption because it is like it; Christianity is called madness; for when we mortify the flesh, and estrange ourselves from the world, most that behold us think us not well in our wits. At this day true devotion goes for fancy, reverence for superstition, bowing for idolatry. Our Saviours counsel is, Judge not according to the appearance (Joh 7:24). For how easy is it to paint and present things as we please! Many times an evil eye makes an evil face, puts horror upon religion itself, and, where devotion shines out in the full beauty of holiness, draws a Pope or a devil. As charity covers a multitude of sins (Jam 5:20), so doth malice cover a multitude of virtues with the black mantle of vice. (A. Farindon, D. D.)
What meaneth this? (text and verse 37).—
Two great questions
These questions are the outcome of two widely different but intimately associated states of experience–the one intellectual, the other moral. The first is an inquiry of the mind in the face of a problem which unassisted it cannot solve; the second is an inquisition of the soul in the presence of a danger from which unaided it cannot flee. An extraordinary event had taken place at which the perplexed beholders exclaimed What meaneth this? When the reply came it was found to involve such tremendous issues that they cried in despair What shall we do?
I. What meaneth this? The inquiry was–
1. Natural. The mind instinctively rebels against the unexplained. It was made for and is fed by knowledge. Just as the animal instincts are urged by thirst and hunger to search for food and drink, so the intellect is stimulated by a sense of void to inquire for the knowledge that will fill and satisfy it. These men were confronted by a mysterious fact, and were troubled in mind until it was accounted for.
2. Right. The liberty to inquire is one of the inalienable, inborn, and crown rights of humanity. That it may exercise this function, God has endowed it with the requisite faculties. The hunger of the mind for knowledge is a stamp of its Divine original, and a prophecy of its immortality. Inquiry makes all the difference between savagedom and civilisation, between weakness and strength. The feeble and superstitious shun it, and perish in darkness; the strong and wise welcome it and are rewarded by the light. We must carefully distinguish, however–
(1) between aimless inquiry, i.e., curiosity, and the search for true wisdom, and
(2) between legitimate and illegitimate inquiry. The secret things belong unto God. The present inquiry was in many respects legitimate and commendable.
3. Was addressed to the wrong persons with unsatisfactory results. Twice, we are told, they questioned one to another. They were prevented by a too hasty generalisation and by prejudice from asking those on whom these wonders were wrought what they meant.
(1) It was enough for strangers to know that they were Galileans, a name which embodied all that was ignorant and vile.
(2) The dwellers at Jerusalem would recognise them as the fanatical followers of one who was set down as a man gluttonous and winebibber. These manifestations, therefore, were treated as the ravings of men excited with enthusiasm or with drink. But Galileans as they were, drunk or mad as they considered, there was the phenomenon. They could not account for it, but they felt it must be accounted for. And instead of asking those from whom only a reply could be obtained, they engaged in a fruitless inquiry among themselves. How like modern scepticism!
4. Suggests an important line of argument in favour of Christianity. There are certain facts equally inexplicable to the human mind to-day. We do not see cloven tongues, etc., but we are witnesses of events even more wonderful.
(1) The conversion of infidels. Lord Lyttleton, Gilbert West, and some within personal knowledge.
(2) The conversion of men immoral and profane. Bunyan and John Newton, etc.
(3) The conversion of men of merely moral habits. John Wesley and William Wilberforce. Each case forces the question upon us. They are not isolated but common occurrences. How are they to be accounted for? On the score of weakness, wrought upon by terror or excitement, or on the score of ignorance? The known character of these men forbid these explanations. These wonders should set us inquiring, and the inquiry is as natural and proper in the one case as in the other, and furthermore by inquiring matters will be disclosed that seriously concern us all.
II. What shall we do? Although not invited Peter undertook to reply to the first question. The general explanation was verses 14-21; the particular application verses 22-36. So with the modern facts adduced. Does this explanation satisfy? Is this explanation taken home? Then both will now as of old lead to the second question. This inquiry–
1. Expressed a sense of utter helplessness. What shall we do? These men were convinced of the crime and mistake of a whole life, and of the human impossibility of rectification.
2. Was to the point, What shall we do? Not like the other question theoretical, but practical. They felt that they were in an unsatisfactory state, and that something must be done. What?
3. Was, like the first inquiry, answered.
(1) Repent. Change your mind, forsake your sins.
(2) Be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; implying faith, union with the Church and public profession. Conclusion: Both inquiries were at length crowned with blessed results. Three thousand received forgiveness for the past, comfort for the present, hope for the future (verses 38-47). (J. W. Burn.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
They were all amazed; so Act 2:7; , they were as in an ecstasy, (the object was too strong for the faculty), they could not fathom the cause or reason of these wonderful things; and therefore they desire one of another to be resolved concerning them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And they were all amazed,…. That is, all these devout men, Jews and proselytes, which came from other nations before mentioned:
and were in doubt; not whether the apostles spoke in various languages, nor about the sense of their words; for they not only heard them with their ears, and were assured of the facts, but they seem also to understand what was said, since they call the things delivered, the great or wonderful things of God; but they were at a loss in their minds what should be the cause of this, or the reason of such a dispensation,
saying, one to another, what meaneth this? from whence is it? what is the design of it? or what the end to be answered by it? or what will follow upon it? surely something considerable.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Were perplexed (). Imperfect middle of (, privative, ) to be wholly at a loss. Old verb, but in N.T. only in Luke and Acts. They continued amazed () and puzzled.
What meaneth this? ( ). Literally, what does this wish to be?
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Were in doubt [] . Used by Luke only. See on Luk 9:7. Better, as Rev., perplexed.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And they were all amazed,” (eksistanto de pantes) “And they of all these multitude of dialectical races and languages were all amazed;- Divine matters amaze the devout worshippers of religions of error. They are often perplexed by Supernatural matters they seem neither to be able to accept not to explain, as Nicodemus was, Joh 3:1-16.
2) “And were in doubt,” (kai dieporounto) “And they were troubled, disturbed, in doubt or frustrated,” befuddled, by uncertainty, unable to explain the experience the city of Jerusalem was entertaining that day, except that by the mighty power of God the witness was beginning to all nations, as predicted and mandated by the Lord, Luk 24:45-49.
3) “Saying one to another,” (allos pros allon legontes) “Continually saying to one another (asking repeatedly) among themselves,” as desiring, searching for an answer that would affirm their bend of convictions to accept the Messiah-Savior right then. Perhaps a similar condition existed at Cornelius’ house after the visions of Peter and Cornelius had been discussed and reviewed, Act 10:1-47.
4) “What meaneth this?” (ti thelei touto einai) “What is the present (or existing) will, mind or meaning of this?” What do these witnesses want or will to do, to exist? What can or should we do? They asked themselves and inquired one of another, so great and broad-based was this central thought and conviction among them. What results may be expected? Our Lord had already disclosed, “if there be first a willing mind- -if any man wills to do His will, he shall know (comprehend) the teaching,” Joh 7:17; 2Co 8:12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
12. Others mocking Hereby it appeareth how monstrous as well the sluggishness, as also the ungodliness of men is, when Satan hath taken away their mind. If God should openly (and visibly) descend from heaven, his majesty could scarce more manifestly appear than in this miracle. Whosoever hath any drop of sound understanding in him must needs be stricken with the only hearing of it. How beastly, then, are those men who see it with their eyes, and yet scoff, and go about with their jests to mock the power of God? But the matter is so. There is nothing so wonderful which those men do not turn to a jest who are touched with no care of God; because they do, even upon set purposes, harden themselves in their ignorance in things most plain. And it is a just punishment of God, which he bringeth upon such pride, to deliver them to Satan, to be driven headlong into blind fury. Wherefore, there is no cause why we should marvel that there be so many at this day so blind in so great light, if they be so deaf when such manifest doctrine is delivered, yea, if they wantonly refuse salvation when it is offered unto them. For if the wonderful and strange works of God, wherein he doth wonderfully set forth his power, be subject to the mockery of men, what shall become of doctrine, which they think tasteth of nothing but of that which is common? Although Luke doth signify unto us that they were not of the worst sort, or altogether past hope, which did laugh (and mock;) but he meant rather to declare how the common sort was affected when they saw this miracle. And truly it hath been always so in the world, for very few have been touched with the true feeling of God as often as he hath revealed himself. Neither is it any marvel; for religion is a rare virtue, and a virtue which few men have; which is, indeed, the beginning of understanding. Nevertheless, howsoever the more part of men, through a certain hard stiff-neckedness, doth reject the consideration of the works of God, yet are they never without fruit, as we may see in this history.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) They were all amazed, and were in doubt.The last word is somewhat stronger in the Greek: were much perplexed, as in Luk. 24:4. No New Testament writer uses it except St. Luke.
What meaneth this?Better, What may this mean? The same phrase occurs in Act. 17:18.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
I. Peter’s first answer to the question of Act 2:12-21.
This is the predicted inauguration of the Church of the Spirit, Act 2:16-18; by wonderful omens is heralded this notable day, Act 2:19-21.
Peter is now not only an expounder of prophecy, but an empowered and inspired prophet. His comment, and even his variations, are of an equal authority with the original text.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with sweet wine.” ’
Opinions about what was happening were divided. Some were intrigued and even recognised that it somehow held a message for them. They recognised that there was some form of miracle here. In contrast the more cynical merely laughed and said that the men were drunk. However, to the more thoughtful and receptive it would have come home as in some way God Himself speaking to them, for what other explanation for the phenomenon could there be for them hearing their own native language from an unexpected source?
‘Sweet wine (gleukous).’ The emphasis is on ‘sweet wine’, kept sweet through the year and possibly especially potent (the word occurs only here in the New Testament). It may indicate the first seepings from the new grapes in the wine press which were generally seen as potent, and probably regularly a cause of amusing comments. ‘Filled with gleukous’ might have been a common saying equivalent to our contemptuous ‘they’re drunk’.
We should note how the whole future response of the world is here epitomised in three types of hearers. There are three sets of people in mind (compare Act 17:32):
1) The believers.
2) The interested.
3) The scoffers.
The world is made up of these.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Act 2:12. And were in doubt, “And they were all in a mixture of amazement and perplexity.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Act 2:12-13 . .] see on Luk 9:7 .
;] The optative with , in order to denote the hypothetically conceived possibility: What might this possibly wish to be? i.e. What might if this speaking in our native languages, this strange phenomenon, is designed to have any meaning be to be thought of as that meaning? Comp. Act 17:18 ; Herm. ad Viger. p. 729; Bernhardy, p. 410 f. On the distinction of the sense without , see Khner, ad Xen. Anab. v. 7. 33. Comp. also Maetzner, ad Antiph. p. 130. On of impersonal things, see Wetstein and Stallbaum, ad Plat. Rep. p. 370 B.
] another class of judges, consequently none of the impartial, of whom there was mention in Act 2:7-12 , but hostile persons (in part, doubtless, of the hierarchical party) who drew from the well-known freer mode of life of Jesus and His disciples a judgment similar to Luk 7:34 , and decided against the disciples.
] mocking ; a stronger expression than the simple verb, Dem. 1221. 26; Plat. Ax. p. 364 B; Polyb. xvii. 4. 4, xxxix. 2. 13; used absolutely also, Polyb. xxx. 13. 12. The scoffers explain the enthusiasm of the speakers, which struck them as eccentric, and the use of foreign languages instead of the Galilean, as the effect of drunken excitement. Without disturbing themselves whence this foreign speaking (according to the historical position of the matter: this speaking with tongues) had come and become possible to the Galileans, they are arrested only by the strangeness of the phenomenon as it struck the senses, and, in accordance with their own vulgarity, impute it to the having taken too much wine. Comp. 1Co 14:23 . The contents of the speaking (van Hengel) would not, apart from that form of utterance as if drunk with the Spirit, have given ground for so frivolous an opinion, but would rather have checked it. The judgment of Festus concerning Paul (Act 26:24 ) is based on an essentially different situation.
] , Hesychius. Job 32:19 ; Lucian. Ep. Sat. 22, Philops . 39. 65; Nic. Al. 184. 299. Comp. , Leon. Tar. 18; Apollonid. 10.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? (13) Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
I detain the Reader over these two verses, just to call his attention to the very different effects here described, which were wrought upon the minds of the different characters beholding this miracle. Pause, Reader, at the view. What but divine teaching could have made this difference? Here is one set of men struck with awe at the wonderful works of God. And here is another attempting to turn the solemn work of God the Spirit into ridicule. One praising God; and another blaspheming. And yet the work is the same. And is it not so now? Do not some mock, while others pray? Some laugh, while others mourn? Both not the same Gospel, the same preacher, produce these different effects? Reader! do you not know it? Have you never seen it? 2Co 2:15-16 . And, Reader! depend upon it, such is, and must be the case forever. If the devils in hell were liberated from their chains, devils they would still be. Nothing short of Almighty grace could make a change. If the Reader would see an awful representation of this, let him read what is said under the fourth and fifth vials poured out upon the seat of the beast. Rev 16:8-11
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Ver. 12. The wonderful works ] The magnifical, majestical things of God; they praised him according to his excellent greatness, Psa 150:2 .
What meaneth this? ] Gr. “What will this be, or come to?” a And here began their conversion. Let none “despise the day of small things,” Zec 4:10 : God put little thoughts into Ahasuerus’s head, but for great purposes,Ezr 6:1Ezr 6:1 . The word falls often upon men’s ears, “as the sound of many waters” at first, working wonder only. Next “as the voice of thunder,” working fear also, as it did on these here, Act 2:37 . Lastly, as the harmony of harpers, filling the heart with peace and joy through believing, as one observeth from Rev 14:1-5
a
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 2:12 . : not found in LXX (only in Psa 76:5 , and Dan 2:3 , Symmachus), and peculiar to St. Luke in the N.T., once in his Gospel, Luk 9:7 (Luk 24:4 , W.H [122] and R.V.), and three times in Acts, cf. Act 5:24 ; Act 10:17 . in R.V. “were perplexed”; A. V. “were in doubt,” although in Luk 24:4 this or a similar word is rendered as in R.V., “were (much) perplexed”. The Greek conveys the thought of utter uncertainty what to think, rather than doubt as to which opinion of several is right (Humphry). The word no doubt is frequently found in classical writers, and is found also in Philo (not in Josephus), but it may be worth noting that , , , are all peculiar to St. Luke, and were terms constantly employed by medical writers (Hobart, Medical Language , etc., p. 163). was constantly used in this sense in classical writers, see instances in Wetstein. On the popular use of instead of in later Greek, cf. Blass, Acta Apostolorum , p. 15. Blass points out that St. Luke’s employment of is characteristic of his culture, although it must be remembered that the Evangelist uses (as here) very frequently.
[122] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
were in doubt = were perplexed. Occurs here; Act 5:24; Act 10:17. Luk 9:7; Luk 24:4.
What meaneth this? = What does this imply? Greek. thelo. (App-102.)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 2:12. , all) viz. the devout men, Act 2:5; as opposed to the mockers in the following verse.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
What: Act 10:17, Act 17:20, Luk 15:26, Luk 18:36
Reciprocal: Mar 12:11 – General Act 2:7 – amazed Act 3:10 – they were Act 5:24 – they Act 9:21 – amazed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
Doubt is from DIAPOREO which Thayer defines, “To be entirely at a loss, to be in perplexity.” Some of the multitude had a respectful attitude toward the situation, but were perplexed over it and honestly wondered what it all meant.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 2:12-13. And they were all amazed . . . Others mocking, said, These men are full of new wine. The effect of the Pentecost miracle was twofold. Some were convinced, some became inquirers. We read later, that three thousand were baptized (first – fruits of the Pentecostal miracle) that very day; while others, without pausing to consider whence these comparatively illiterate Galileans had drawn their strange new powers of language and of thought, in their blind hatred of Jesus of Nazareth, His doctrine and His disciples, at once ascribed the passionate earnestness of the inspired to drunkenness. These hostile men, who so bitterly refused to hear, no doubt belonged to the priestly party in Jerusalem, which had compassed the murder of the Holy One and Just.
Sweet wine. This wine was probably that produced from dried grapes, by soaking them in old wine and then pressing them a second time (comp. John, quoted by Hackett). This wine was very intoxicating.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 6
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
2:12 {2} And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
(2) God’s word pierces some in such a way that it drives them to seek out the truth, and it so chokes others that it forces them to be witnesses of their own impudency.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Unable or unwilling to accept the miraculous working of God in their midst some observers charged that the believers were under the control of wine rather than the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph 5:18; 1Co 14:23). The Greek word for wine here (gleukous) means sweet wine, which had a higher alcoholic content than regular wine. [Note: Blaiklock, p. 58.]