CANDACE'S TREASURER CONVERTED-CHAP. IX. 77 and join Julian Pe treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to wor- Gaza. ship, 28 Was returning; and, sitting in his chariot, read Esaias the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth": may be admitted to strengthen the Scripture account. He tells us-Τούτων δε ήσαν και οι της βασιλίσσης στρατηγοί της Κανδάκης ή καθ' ημάς ήρξε τών Αιθιόπων ανδρική τις γυνή, lib. 17. Pearson, however, is of opinion that this authority is of little weight (c.) (a) See Kuinoel in lib. Hist. N. T. vbl. iv. p. 313, and Preiffer dubia vexata, p. 939. (b) Plin. lib. vi. c. 29. ap. Benson, Pfeiffer, &c. (c) Pearson, section in Act. Apost. p. 72. 51 This quotation bas usually been classed among those which are taken from the Septuagint, and not from the original Hebrew. The difference between the Hebrew and the Septuagint appears at first sight to be considerable; that between the Septuagint and the Acts is very sligbt. It is indeed most probable that the Ethiopian would be reading that version which was in the most frequent or general use among the Hellenistic Jews in Egypt, a country which bordered so nearly upon his own ; and where the Septuagint version had been sanctioned by the Alex. andrian Jews, and originally made under royal authority. Pezronius (a) thinks the present reading is corrupt in the Hebrew, and the Greek version right. Alex. Morus (6) is of opinion that the original reading of the Hebrew was nps 779ya hoovn-in his affliction he was taken from his judgment: to which reading Wolfius would assent, altering only the position of the two last words. The latter critic supposes that s was read for 2, and they should be joined to the preceding word. Sic enim reddi, he observes, Ebræa possunt, propter angustiam et a judicio sublatus est, sive sublatum est judicium, quod idem plane est : nam cujus tollitur judicium, ille judicio seu condemnationi eximitur. Doddridge conjectares that there must have been anotber ) After a careful examination of these authorities, I cannot but Julian Pe- 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away : Gaza. riod, 4747. and who shall declare his generation 5 ? for his life is Vulgar Æra, 34. taken from the earth. Exod. vi. 9. and the proper interpretation of 78, from the “ And he was taken from judgment,” is the Hebrew. לקח וממשפט מעצר פיו יפתח לא not English Translation of the Hebrew. He was taken and from judgment from prison his mouth he opened not Septuagint. ήρθη ή κρίσις αυτού έν τη ταπεινώσει το στόμα ανοίγει ούς Greek Testament. ήρθη η κρίσις αυτού εν τη ταπεινώσει αυτού το στόμα αυτού ανοίγει ούς English Translation of the N. T. & LXX. was taken away his judgment in bis bumiliation bis month he opened Proposed mode of reading the above, so as not to alter either the Hebrew or the Septuagint:--Place the pause after nyyd, and TATELvóscel, rendering the former phrase by the words“ because of restraint or affliction;" or “humiliation,” giving the full signification in the second clause of the word own, in whieh case it will appear evident, that the meaning of both expressions will be the same. restraint Hebrew-He opened not his mouth, because of alliction; and from a just judgment he was taken away. Sept. and N. T.-He opened not his mouth in his bumiliation; and his just judgment was taken away. (a) Antiq. Tempor. restit. p. 167. ap. Wolfii. cur. Philolog. vol. ii. p. 1134. (b) Ap. Wolfium ut supra. 52 Bishop Lowth remarks on the parallel passage of Isaiah : כל מי שיודע לו זכות יבא וילמד עליו--the public crier in these words CANDACE'S TREASURER CONVERTED-CHAP. IX. 79 Julian Pe- 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray Gaza. of some other man * ? 34. serves, “ It is truly surprizing to see such falsities, contrary to Casaubon has a quotation from Maimonides, which further Now it is plain from the history of the four Evangelists, that in the trial and condemnation of Jesus no such rule was observed, (though, according to the account of the Mishna, it must have been in practice at that time ;) no proclamation was made for any person to bear witness to the innocence and character of Jesus ; nor did any one voluntarily step forth to give his attestation to it. And our Saviour seems to refer to such a custom, and to claim the benefit of it, by his answer to the High Priest, when he asked him of his disciples, and of his doctrine" I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them : behold, they know what I said.” John xviii. 20, 21. This, therefore, was one remark. able instance of hardship and injustice, among others, predicted by the prophet, which our Saviour underwent in his trial and sufferings. St. Paul likewise, in similar circumstances, standing before the judgment seat of Festus, seems to complain of the same unjust treatment; that no one was called, or would appear to Findicate his character. My manner of life (την Βιώσιν μου, *977,) from my youth, which was at first among my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews: which knew me from the beginning, if they would testisy; that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.” Acts xxvi. 4,5. 97 signifies age, duration, the time, which one man, or many together pass in this world, in this place, the course, tenor, or manner of life. The verb 777 signifies according to Castell, “ ordinatam vitam sive ætatem egit, ordinavit, ordine constituit.” In Arabic, "curavit, administravit.”-Lowth's Isaiab, notes, p. 240. 5. We have been so accustomed, and that rightly, both on the internal evidence and on the testimony of the Jewish Church, and the Church as well as on that of the contents of this section, to apply the words of Isaiah to our Lord, that many readers will be much surprized to hear that various other interpretations have been given, even by Christian theologians. There is a long list of names of authors mentioned by Kuinoel, with the opinions they bave espoused. Doederlein, by the servant of Jebovah, (Isai. lii. 13.) of whom the prophet continues to speak in the ensuing chapter, understands the Jewish people. others 6 Julian Pe- 85 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the Gaza. same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 34. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water : and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized **? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch ; and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philips, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through, he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea. SECTION XXX. consequence of the Persecution there, preach the Gospel ACTS viii. 4. vince of Ja dea, &c. the pious Jews ; others the converted Gentiles; and others the prophets after the captivity. Some suppose it to mean Cyrus ; Grotius imagines Jeremiah to have been designed. Many approve the decision the treasurer of Candace was about to arrive at, and conclude the prophet himself to bave been meant. Some refer the words to Hezekiah, others to Uzziah. See Kuinoel in lib. Hist. N. T. p. 317. and Doddridge's note in loc. Dr. Hammond too has intimated, that this prophecy might have been fulfilled in some one who lived shortly after Isaiah. The Jews interpret it“ of the aflictions of Israel ;" but see Schoetgen, vol ii. 54 This verse is wanting in a great number of manuscripts. Griesbach, Matthai, Michaelis, &c. &c. would expunge it from the canon. In the manuscripts where it is fouud it is read variously. Whitby would retain it, observing, that the verse was probably omitted, in later times, because it opposed the delay of baptism, which the catechumens experienced before they were admitted into the early Church. 55 The reading in the Alexandrian and some other manuscripts, is, “the Holy Spirit fell upon the eunuch, but an angel of the Lord took away Philip,” which is probably the true reading. 56 This section gives an account of the state of the infant Church at this time, and may be considered as an introduction to the bistory of St. Paul. By bim the new converts had been compelled to fly from Jerusalem, and he was now persecuting them even to strange cities; not only to Damascus, but to other adjacent towns. I would refer to this period the publication of St. Matthew's ST. MATTHEW WRITES HIS GOSPEL-CHAP. IX. 81 Julian Pe- Gospel. Both the fathers and heretics of the early Church The Proriod, 4747. have unitedly acknowledged that the first Gospel was written by vince of JuVulgar Æra, this Evangelist, and at an early date. It was very improbable that dea, &c. a long space of time should be allowed to elapse, without any We read in Justin Martyr's Apology, that the Jews circu. Bishop Tomline remarks, that the apostles, immediately after the descent of the Holy Ghost, which took place only ten days after the ascension of our Saviour into heaven, preached the Gospel to the Jews with great success : and surely it is reasonable to suppose that an authentic account of our Saviour's doctrines and miracles would very soon be committed to writing for the confirmation of those who believed in his divine mission, and for the conversion of others; and more particularly to enable the Jews to compare the circumstances of tho birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, with their ancicot prophecies relative to the Messiah : and we may conceive that the apostles would be desirous of losing no time in writing au account of the miracles wbich Jesus performed, and of the discourses which he delivered, because, the sooner such an account was published, the easier it would be to inquire into its truth and accuracy, and consequently when these points were satisfactorily ascertained, the greater would be its weight and authority (a). On these accounts the learned prelate assigns the date of St. Matthew's Gospel to the year 38. The sacred writers, says Mr. Horoe, from whom I extract the principal part of the remainder of this note, had a regard to the circumstances of the persons for whose use they wrote, and we hare therefore an additional evidence for the early date of this Gospel, in the state of persecution in which the Church was at the time when it was written: for it contains many obvious references to such a state, and many very apposite addresses both to the injuring and to tbe injured party (b). During this G VOL. II. |
