was coupled to the prisoner, and every where attended him. To this Manilius alludes: Vinctorum dominus, sociusque in parte catenæ, Lib. v. In this manner was St. Paul confined when he made his incomparable apology before Festus. Sometimes the prisoner was fastened to two soldiers, one on each side. See Acts xii. 6. No. 1323. xxii. 3. Brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel.] With respect to the schools among the Jews it should be observed, that, besides the common schools in which children were taught to read the law, they had also academies, in which their doctors gave comments on the law, and taught the traditions to their pupils. Of this sort were the two famous schools of Hillel and Sammai, and the school of Gamaliel, who was St. Paul's tutor. In these seminaries the tutor's chair is said to have been so much raised above the level of the floor, on which the pupils sat, that his feet were even with their heads. Hence St. Paul says, that he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. No. 1324. xxii. 25. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned ?]" Roman citizens were secured against the tyrannical treatment of the magistrates, first by the right of appealing from them to the people, and that the person who appealed should in no manner be punished till the people determined the matter; but chiefly by the assistance of their tribunes. None but the whole Roman people in the Comitia Centuriata could pass sentence on the life of a Roman citizen. No magistrate was allowed to punish him by stripes, or capitally. The single expression, I am a Roman citizen, checked their severest decrees. Cic. in Ver. v. 54 and 57." ADAM's Roman Antiq. p. 45. No. 1325.-xxiii. 2. `And the high-priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.] A similar modern instance of the brutality with which criminals are treated in the East occurs in Hanway's Travels, vol. i. p. 299. when Sadoc Aga, one of the chiefs of the Persian rebels at Astrabad in the year 1744, was brought before Nadir Shah's general, and examined by him, he answered the questions put to him, but lamented his miserable change of circumstances in very pathetic terms; upon which the general ordered him to be struck across the mouth, to silence him; which was done with such violence that the blood issued forth. No. 1326.-xxiii. 12. Saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.] It was a common form of a vow or oath with the Jews, that I will not eat. Sometimes they only vowed abstinence from particular things; and then, others were lawful. GILL, in loc. No. 1327.-xxvii. 27. The shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country.] Literally, that some land approached them. No doubt this was an usual sea phrase for drawing near to land. So Virgil: Provehimur portû, terræque urbesque recedunt. We leave the port; the lands and towns recede. Thus also Ovid: Æn. iii. 72. Admotumque fetum remis, tellusque repulsa est. The oars now dash the sea, the shore's repell'd. Met. vi. 512. No. 1328.-xxvii. 29. Then, fearing lest they should have fallen upon rocks.] The ancients dreaded shipwreck as the worst sort of death, as being thereby liable to be devoured by fish, dashed against rocks, or cast upon uninhabited islands. So Horace: Quem mortis timuit gradum, Qui siccis oculis monstra natantia, Qui vidit mare turgidum, et Infames scopulos Acroceraunia? B. i. od. 3. 1. 17. What kind of death could affright him, who could behold the sea monsters swimming, the sea raging, and the infamous (by reason of shipwrecks) rocks of Acroceraunia, with dry eyes? No. 1329.-xxvii. 34. There shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you.] This was a proverbial phrase expressing the utmost safety, and therefore they might cheerfully eat their food and be satisfied. To dream of shaving the hair portended shipwreck to sailors: nor was it lawful for any to pare his nails, or eut off his hair, but in a storm, to which custom some think the apostle here alludes. See Kirchman, de Funer. Rom. 1. ii. c. 14. p. 212.. No. 1330.-xxvii. 40. And loosed the rudder-bands.] The ancient ships had frequently two rudders. They were a kind of very large and broad oars on each side of the hinder part of the ship. When occasion required they unloosed them, and even let them drop when in danger, as well as cut off the anchors. See more in Parkhurst's Greek Lex. p. 555. No. 1331.-xxviii. 16. And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard.] It was customary for prisoners who were brought to Rome to be delivered to the præfect or commander of the prætorian cohorts, who had the charge of the state prisoners; as appears from the instance of Agrippa, who was taken into custody by Macro, the prætorian prefect who succeeded Sejanus. Josephus Ant. lib. xviii. cap. 7. § 6. No. 1332.-ROMANS vi. 13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. THE word translated instruments signifies arms or weapons. The ancients formerly reckoned arms or weapons the members of soldiers. To this the apostle may allude. (Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. 1. i. c. 12.) No. 1333.-xvi. 23. Gaius my host, and of the whole church.] Dr. Lightfoot (Hor. Hebraic. 1 Cor. xi. 21.) has a peculiar notion concerning the christian agapæ ; that they were a sort of hospitals for the entertainment of strangers in imitation of those which the Jews had adjoining to their synagogues. Gaius, who is called the host of the whole church, he supposes to have been the master of such a hospital; and that Phabe, who is called the Saxovos of the church at Cenchrea, and those other women mentioned Phil. iv. 3. were servants attending these hospitals. No. 1334.-1 CORINTHIANS iv. 21. Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness? HERE seems to be an allusion to a practice among the Jews, in punishing a drunkard or gluttonous person; they first corrected him with words, or with a rod; but if he went on in his sin, then they stoned him. Perhaps the allusion may be to the judges in the Sanhedrim, one of the ensigns of whose office was a rod or staff, to smite with. GILL, in loc. No. 1335.-vi. 20. Ye are bought with a price.] This proves that believers belong to the Lord, not only as redeemed by a price, but as espoused to Christ: for one way of obtaining and espousing a wife among the Jews was by a price; and this was an ancient rite in marriage used among other nations. The husband and wife used to buy each other. (Servius in Virgil. Georg. 1. i. 31.) GILL, in loc. No. 1336.viii. 10. For if any man see thee who hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple.] Tables were common moveables in idol temples; and they were used to eat at after the sacrifices were over. The apostle Paul forbids Christians to eat on such occasions and in such places. No. 1337.-X. 16. The cup of blessing.] This cup is so called in allusion to the cup of wine used at common meals, or at the passover among the Jews; which they used to take and bless God with, and give him |