Acts 13:42

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(42) And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue.—The better MSS. give simply, as they were going out, the Received text being apparently an explanatory interpretation. The reading, “the Gentiles besought,” is an addition of the same character, the better MSS. giving simply, they besought, or were beseeching. What follows shows, indeed, that some at least of the Jews were led to inquire further. The participle implies that they stopped as they passed out, to request the Apostle to resume his teaching on the following Sabbath. This, and not the marginal reading “in the week between,” is the true meaning of the words, though they admit, literally, of the other rendering.

Benson Commentary

Acts 13:42-43. When the Jews were gone out — Or rather, while they were going out, as the original expression means; of the synagogue — For probably many of them, not bearing to hear him, went out before he had done speaking; the Gentiles — Many of whom, it seems, were assembled on this occasion; besought that these words — Or the same doctrines; might be preached to them the next sabbath — Greek, εις το μεταξυ σαββατον, in the intermediate sabbath — That is, says Bengelius, “the sabbath that should occur within the remaining days about to be spent by Paul and Barnabas at Antioch.” But Grotius is confident that the reading ought to be, μεταξυ σαββατων, medio tempore inter duo sabbata, in the intermediate time between the two sabbaths, or in the course of the ensuing week; Mondays and Thursdays, or the second and fifth days of the week, being times in which the pious Jews were accustomed to meet together in the synagogue for the study of the law, in compliance, says Lightfoot, with the appointment of Ezra. It seems, however, to be fully determined, by Acts 13:44, that our version gives the true sense of the expression: and Capellus and Whitby have shown that it is not an unexampled manner of speaking. And when the congregation was broken up — Or dispersed; many of the Jews also, and religious proselytes — Seriously impressed by what they had heard; followed Paul and Barnabas — Desirous to receive farther instructions from them, or attached themselves to them as disciples; who, speaking to them — More familiarly; persuaded them to continue in the grace of God — That is, in the faith into which they were brought by the grace of God.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:42-52 The Jews opposed the doctrine the apostles preached; and when they could find no objection, they blasphemed Christ and his gospel. Commonly those who begin with contradicting, end with blaspheming. But when adversaries of Christ's cause are daring, its advocates should be the bolder. And while many judge themselves unworthy of eternal life, others, who appear less likely, desire to hear more of the glad tidings of salvation. This is according to what was foretold in the Old Testament. What light, what power, what a treasure does this gospel bring with it! How excellent are its truths, its precepts, its promises! Those came to Christ whom the Father drew, and to whom the Spirit made the gospel call effectual, Ro 8:30. As many as were disposed to eternal life, as many as had concern about their eternal state, and aimed to make sure of eternal life, believed in Christ, in whom God has treasured up that life, and who is the only Way to it; and it was the grace of God that wrought it in them. It is good to see honourable women devout; the less they have to do in the world, the more they should do for their own souls, and the souls of others: but it is sad, when, under colour of devotion to God, they try to show hatred to Christ. And the more we relish the comforts and encouragements we meet with in the power of godliness, and the fuller our hearts are of them, the better prepared we are to face difficulties in the profession of godliness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And when the Jews ... - There is a great variety in the mss. on this verse, and in the ancient versions. Griesbach and Knapp read it, "And when they were gone out, they besought them that these words might be spoken, etc." The Syriac reads it, "When they departed from them, they sought from them that these words might be spoken to them on another Sabbath." The Arabic, "Some of the synagogue of the Jews asked of them that they would exhort the Gentiles with them, etc." If these readings be correct, then the meaning is, that some of the Jews exhorted the apostles to proclaim these truths at some other time, particularly to the Gentiles. The mss. greatly vary in regard to the passage, and it is, perhaps, impossible to determine the true reading. If the present reading in the English translation is to be regarded as genuine of which, however, there is very little evidence the meaning is, that a part of the Jews, perhaps a majority of them, rejected the message, and went out, though many of them followed Paul and Barnabas, Acts 13:43.

The Gentiles besought - This expression is missing in the Vulgate, Coptic, Arabic, and Syriac versions, and in a great many mss. (Mill). It is omitted by Griesbach, Knapp, and others, and is probably spurious. Among other reasons which may be suggested why it is not genuine, this is one, that it is not probable that the Gentiles were in the habit of attending the synagogue. Those who attended there were called "proselytes." The expression, if genuine, might mean either that the Gentiles besought, or that they besought the Gentiles. The latter would be the more probable meaning.

The next sabbath - The margin has probably the correct rendering of the passage. The meaning of the verse is, that a wish was expressed that these doctrines might be repeated to them in the intermediate time before the next Sabbath.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

42, 43. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath—rather (according to what is beyond doubt the true reading), "Now, as they were going out [of the synagogue], they besought"—that is, not the Gentiles, whose case comes in afterwards, but the mixed congregation of Jews and proselytes, to whom the discourse had been addressed, entreated to have another hearing of such truths; those of them, that is, who had been impressed. "And after the breaking up of the synagogue, many of" both classes, Jews and religious; proselytes, followed Paul and Barnabas (observe, from this time forward, the inverted order of these names; except Ac 14:14; 13:7; 12:25; see on [2008]Ac 14:14; [2009]Ac 13:7; [2010]Ac 12:25). These names evidently been won to the Gospel by what they had heard, and felt a clinging to their spiritual benefactors.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

When the Jews were gone out of the synagogue; or, as some read, the apostles, Paul and Barnabas, were gone out of the synagogue of the Jews.

The Gentiles; proselytes, or such devout persons formerly spoken of, who had relinquished paganism, and came to be instructed in the knowledge of the true God by the Jews.

The next sabbath; or in some day betwixt the sabbaths: the apostles took all advantages, if there were a festival, which was also called a sabbath, Leviticus 16:31, and in Leviticus 23:1-44, frequently; they would preach in season and out of season: howsoever, because we find the apostles did meet again with them on that day seven-night after, it is most probable that their desire was so to be understood. See Acts 13:44.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue,.... The time of worship there being over; or being offended at the apostle's discourse concerning Jesus: the words will bear to be rendered, "when they were gone out of the synagogue of the Jews"; and the sense be, when Paul and Barnabas were come out from thence, Paul having finished his discourse: the word "Jews", and the phrase, "out of the synagogue", are left out in Beza's ancient copy, and in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions; and so may be interpreted either of the Jews, or of Paul and Barnabas; the Ethiopic version leaves out the whole clause: "the Gentiles besought that these words might be spoken unto them the next sabbath"; that is, the proselytes from among the Gentiles, who attended on the synagogue of the Jews, and who stayed behind when the Jews were gone out, being exceedingly delighted with the apostle's doctrine, most earnestly entreated that the same subject might be insisted upon the next sabbath: or, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, the words may be rendered, "they besought the Gentiles"; that is, the apostles, when they saw the Jews go out, being offended, addressed the Gentiles, and entreated them to come the next sabbath day, and patiently hear these doctrines: though in the above copies and versions there is no mention made of the Gentiles, any more than of the Jews; so that this may be understood either of the rulers of the synagogue, who first invited them to speak a word of exhortation to the people, or of the whole body, Jews and proselytes, who, when they were departing, entreated they might hear them again the next sabbath; about which "next sabbath", there is some difficulty; the words may be rendered, "between the sabbath", and so may regard what we call weekdays, or working days; and which the Jews call , "the intermediate days", or the days between one sabbath and another (s); and on some one of these days it was desired that the apostles would give them another discourse on the same subject; and it may be particularly, that either Monday or Thursday, the second or fifth day of the week, might be pitched upon; since on these days the Jews met together in the synagogue, and read the law, according to the order of Ezra, that they might not be three days without the law (t); and these were the days on which they fasted, Luke 18:12. Others choose to render the words, "on the sabbath day after"; and so the Syriac version renders it, "on the other sabbath"; and the Ethiopic version, "the sabbath following"; and so the Vulgate Latin, with which ours, and others agree; and to this reading and sense, Acts 13:44 greatly inclines; though they might meet together on one of the days between, when being so delighted with what they heard, and of which they so much talked, that the next sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear: but what pleases me best, and which, I think, has never been observed by any, is, that there was one sabbath in the year which was called ; which may be rendered by , "the sabbath between", or the intermediate sabbath; and this sabbath was on one of the ten days before the day of atonement; and was so called, because it was between the first of Tisri, which answers to part of our September, and was the beginning of the year, and the tenth of the same month, which was the day of atonement; and was a sabbath very much taken notice of by the Jews (u): and now this might be the sabbath following, and so all agrees; and a reason may be given for the different phrases in this verse, and Acts 13:44 and if so, this also points out the time of the year that Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch in Pisidia, and when that remarkable period began, that the apostles turned from the Jews, and preached to the Gentiles.

(s) T. Hieros. Gittin, fol. 49. 1. & Bab. Ceritot, fol. 16. 1, 2. & 17. 1.((t) T. Hieros. Megilla, fol. 75. 1. & Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 32. 1.((u) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 85. 4. & 86. 1, 2.

Geneva Study Bible

{17} And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

(17) The Gentiles go before the Jews into the kingdom of heaven.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 13:42-43. After this speech Paul and Barnabas depart, and on their going out of the synagogue are requested by those present (the subject of παρεκάλ.) to set forth these doctrines again next Sabbath. But after the assembly was dismissed (λυθείσης), many even follow them (to their lodging), etc.

ἐξιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν] They consequently departed, as is indisputably evident from Acts 13:43, before the formal dismissal of the synagogue. Olshausen, indeed, thinks that the ἐξιόντ. αὐτ. did not historically precede the λυθείσης τῆς συναγωγ., but is only anticipated as the chief point of the narrative, giving rise to the request to appear again. But this is nothing but an arbitrary device, which would impute to Luke the greatest clumsiness in his representation.

εἰς τὸ μεταξὺ σάββατον] on the next following Sabbath. Instead of μεταξύ, D has what is correct as a gloss: ἑξῇς. In the N.T. this meaning is without further example, for Romans 2:15 is not a case in point. From the apostolic Fathers: Barnabas 13; Clemens, ad Cor. I. 44. For the few, but quite certain examples from the other later Greek (Plut. Inst. Lac. 42, de discr. amici et adul. 22; Joseph. c. Ap. i. 21; Bell. v. 4. 2,—but not Bell. ii. 11. 4), see Krebs, Obss. p. 220; Kypke, II. p. 67 f.; Wyttenb. ad Plut. Mor. p. 177 C. Comp. Otto, ad Theoph. Ant. i. 8, p. 26 ff. Others (Camerarius, Calvin, Beza, Erasmus Schmid, Rosenmüller, Sepp, and others) render: “diebus sabbatha intercedentibus,” by which, following the Recepta (see the critical remarks), those making the request are regarded as Gentiles, who would have desired a week-day. Comp. Luther: “between Sabbaths.” We should then have to explain σάββατον as week (Mark 16:9; Luke 18:12; 1 Corinthians 16:2), that is: on the intervening week, so that it would require no conjectural emendation (Grotius: σαββάτων). But the evident connection in which Acts 13:42 stands with Acts 13:44 gives the necessary and authentic explanation: τῷ ἐχομένῳ σαββάτῳ.

τ. σεβομ. προσηλ.] the (God) worshipping proselytes. This designation of the proselytes occurs only here; elsewhere, merely προσήλυτοι (Acts 2:10, Acts 6:5; Matthew 13:21), or merely σεβόμενοι with (Acts 16:14, Acts 18:6) and without (Acts 13:50, Acts 17:4; Acts 17:17) Θεόν. Yet there is here no pleonasm; but σεβομ. is added, because they were just coming from the worship, as constant partakers in which they were worshipping proselytes.

οἵτινες] applies to Paul and Barnabas, who (quippe qui) made moving representations (ἔπειθον) to those following them to continue in the grace of God (which by this first preaching of the gospel had been imparted to them), because the apostles by the very following of the people (and certainly also by their expressions) might be convinced that the χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ had found an entrance into their souls.

προσλαλοῦντες] speaking to them; Acts 28:20. Lucian. Nigr. 7. 11, 18; Theophr. Char. 19; Wis 13:17.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 13:42. ἐξιόντων: “and as they went out,” i.e., the Apostles, before the synagogue broke up the congregation of Jews and proselytes besought them—not “when they had gone out,” which would introduce a confusion of time; see critical notes. Wendt refers to Acts 13:15, and takes ἀρχισυ. as the subject of παρεκάλουν.—εἰς τὸ μ. Σ.: “the next Sabbath,” A. and R.V., cf. for εἰς Acts 4:3. μετ. here an adverb, later Greek, cf. Barn., Epist., xiii., 5; Clem. Rom., Cor[264] i. 44, and so in Josephus; Acts 13:44 apparently decides for the rendering above. Others take it of the days during the intervening week, between the Sabbaths, cf. J. Lightfoot, in loco, and Schöttgen.

[264] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

42–52. Further preaching both to Jews and Gentiles. Jealousy of the Jews, and expulsion of the Apostles from Antioch

42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought, &c.] The oldest MSS. give, “And as they were going out of the synagogue they besought, &c.” The desire was expressed by the congregation both of Jews and proselytes as they left the synagogue. We do not read of the Gentiles joining the throng of listeners until the next Sabbath (Acts 13:44).

that these words (tidings)] The whole declaration of the Christian faith. It is not the ordinary Greek term for “word.” Cp. Acts 10:37.

the next sabbath] The Greek words differ from those below in Acts 13:44, and have been rendered by some “during the intervening week.” As is pointed out in the Excursus on Acts 13:15, the Jewish congregations had a portion of the Law read in the synagogues not only on the Sabbath, but on the Monday and on the Thursday mornings, that they might not be for three days without hearing the Scripture. The peculiar expression in this verse may apply to the meetings in the synagogue on those days, and that then the people desired to hear once more the message which St Paul had just preached to them. As a different expression is used so immediately, for “on the next Sabbath,” it is but just to suppose that the historian had some reason for the variation of his language in the two verses.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 13:42. Ἐξιόντων) Many Jews who refused to hear Paul went out before the time: see the foll. verse. Comp. ch. Acts 28:25; Acts 28:29.—παρεκάλυν0 besought, in contrast with what the Jews did.—εἰς τὸ μεταξὺ σάββατον, on the following Sabbath) μεταξὺ is an adverbial denoting the Sabbath that intervened between the rest of the days which Paul and Barnabas were about to spend at Antioch; and that was the seasonable time for discussing the same matters (“these words”). The proper notion of the Sabbath [as distinguished from its use to express a week] is to be retained, as long as the case admits of it.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 42. - And as they went out for when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, A.V. and T.R.; they for the Gentiles, A.V. and T.R.; spoken for preached, A.V. They besought. The R.T. is that of Chrysostom and the best manuscripts, and is adopted by Meyer, Olshausen, Lange, Afford, Bishop Wordsworth, the 'Speaker's Commentary,' etc. There is a difference of opinion as to who is meant by they. The simplest explanation is that they means Paul and Barnabas, who went out of the synagogue before the formal dismissal of the congregation; and, as they were going out, received an invitation to repeat their instruction on the next sabbath. Acts 13:42

Vincent's Word Studies

Next (μεταξὺ)

The word commonly means intermediate, and hence is explained by some as referring to the intermediate week. But the meaning is fixed by Acts 13:44; and though the word does not occur in the New Testament elsewhere in the sense of next, it has that meaning sometimes in later Greek.