CRITICAL REMARKS
Acts 2:5. Dwelling at Jerusalem.—Not. “permanently residing” only, a sense the word usually has in Luke’s writings (Luke 1:19; Luke 4:16; Luke 13:4), but also “temporarily sojourning,” a meaning not excluded by the term, and apparently demanded by the context, which speaks of the multitude (Acts 2:6) as embracing “dwellers in Mesopotamia”—i.e., persons having their homes there, and “strangers of Rome”—i.e., Romans at the time sojourning in the city. Devout men.—Lit. cautious, circumspect, hence God-fearing persons, “men of piety and weight” (Alford), like Simeon (Luke 2:25), those who buried Stephen (Acts 8:2), Cornelius and his servant (Acts 10:2; Acts 10:7).
Acts 2:6. When this was noised abroad.—Better, when this sound occurred, or was heard (R.V.). Not when this report arose (Calvin), or when these tongues were listened to (Neander), but when this sound (of the mighty, rushing wind) was heard (Meyer, Alford, Hackett, Holtzmann, Zöckler, and others). If the house stood in one of the thoroughfares leading to the Temple the sound may have been audible all over Jerusalem. Every man … in his own language—i.e., one apostle spoke in one language and another in another. By this time the apostles and their company had probably gone forth into the streets.
Acts 2:7. Galileans.—This constituted the marvel, that the speakers were all recognised as natives of the northern Palestinian province. This suggests that only the eleven addressed the multitude, or—what is more probable—that the eleven being most prominent were regarded as leaders of the rest, and their nationality taken as representative of the nationality of their followers, the one hundred and twenty, who, however, were not all Galileans.
Acts 2:9-11. Parthians and Medes, etc.—The catalogue of peoples, fifteen in all, begins in the north-east (three), passes round to the north (one) and north-west (five, or including Judæa, six), moves toward the south (two), and closes in the west (one), Cretes and Arabians (two) being added as an afterthought. That Judæa should come between Mesopotamia and Cappadocia has led to the supposition that Idumæa should be read. But the MSS. forbid. The reason for the mention of Judæa is obscure. It may have been simply to serve as a connecting link between Mesopotamia and Cappadocia (Holtzmann), or in order to complete the enumeration of languages (Bengel, Meyer), or for the sake of Roman readers (Olshausen). Though the dialects may have been fifteen, Holtzmann thinks the actual tongues spoken were only three, or at most four—the Zend (Medes and Elamites), Semitic (Mesopotamia, Judæa, Arabia), Greek (Asia and Egypt), Latin (Rome). Both Jews and proselytes refers to persons from all the preceding places, and not exclusively to the Romans sojourning at Jerusalem.
Acts 2:11. The wonderful works of God.—Lit. the great things of God (magnalia dei, Vulgate) done by Him through Christ for the salvation of men. (Compare Luke 1:49.)
Acts 2:12. Amazed depicts the astonishment, in doubt the perplexity of the multitude.
Acts 2:13. New wine.—Lit. sweet drink. A peculiarly intoxicating beverage made from dried grapes by soaking them in old wine and pressing them a second time. “Furrer” (in Schenkel’s Lexicon) reports that a Jew in Hebron prepared such sweet wine by pouring water on dried grapes and distilling the infusion with an addition of spice” (Riehm’s Handwörterbuch des Biblischen Altertums, art. Wein).
HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS (Acts 2:5-13)
Excitement in Jerusalem; or, what the Multitude thought of the Phenomenon
I. The subjects of this excitement.—
1. The regular inhabitants of the city. “Devout men dwelling at Jerusalem.” Besides the ordinary native population, these would naturally include pious Jews from foreign countries who had become domiciled in the city for a longer or a shorter period.
2. The feast pilgrims temporarily sojourning in the city. “Devout men from every nation under heaven.” Of these fifteen different classes are mentioned.
(1) Parthians, from the north-east of Media—referred to nowhere else in Scripture.
(2) Medes, inhabiting the region between the Caspian Sea on the north, Armenia on the west, Hyrcania on the east, and Persia on the south (2 Kings 17:6; Ezra 6:2; Daniel 5:28).
(3) Elamites, located east of the Tigris, north of Susiania, and south of Media (Ezra 4:9).
(4) Mesopotamians, from the lands between the Tigris and the Euphrates (Genesis 24:10; Judges 3:8; 1 Chronicles 19:6).
(5) Judæans, including Jerusalemites, from the Holy Land—i.e., from different parts of Palestine.
(6) Cappadocians, whose settlements lay in the east of Asia Minor (1 Peter 1:1).
(7) Pontians, who resided in the north-east (1 Peter 1:1), and
(8) Asians from Proconsular Asia in the west of Asia Minor (Acts 6:9; Acts 16:6; Acts 19:10).
(9) Phrygians, also from the east of Asia Minor, and north of Pamphylia (Acts 16:6, Acts 18:23).
(10) Pamphylians, whose territory stretched along the Mediterranean coast, south of Phrygia (Acts 13:13; Acts 15:38; Acts 27:5).
(11) Egyptians from the Nile valley (Acts 7:22).
(12) Lybians from Cyrene on the west of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:9; Daniel 11:43), the native place of Simon, who bore Christ’s cross (Luke 23:26), and of Lucius, the prophet in the Church at Antioch (Acts 13:1).
(13) Romans, from the world’s capital on the banks of the Tiber (John 11:48; Romans 1:7).
(14) Cretans, islanders from the Mediterranean (Acts 27:7; Titus 1:5).
(15) Arabians from the desert regions east of the Nile (1 Kings 10:15; 2 Chronicles 17:11; Galatians 1:17). A motley group, a veritable microcosmus, or little world in the heart of Judæa.
II. The cause of this excitement.—
1. A mysterious sound. The noise of the rushing wind, or what resembled this, which pervaded the town arrested the attention of those who were abroad, and led them to investigate its cause. It is hardly to be supposed that thunder or even an earthquake would have produced the same sort of commotion.
2. A more mysterious experience. Every man in Jerusalem, from whatsoever regions arrived, heard one at least in the apostolic company preaching in his own tongue. Probably fifteen foreign languages, or dialects, were that day spoken in the streets of the Jewish capital. (See “Critical Remarks” on Acts 2:9-11.)
3. A most mysterious circumstance. That none of the speakers were themselves foreigners, but all (or most) of them were Galileans, who had never been abroad and certainly had never been at school to acquire such command of foreign tongues. It is obvious that the tongues of Pentecost were not mere unintelligible gibberish, ecstatic or frenzied utterances, “sound and fury signifying nothing,” but distinct, articulate, and reasonable speech which could be followed and understood. Nor is it at all likely that the miracle was one of hearing rather than of speaking.
III. The manifestations of this excitement.—These were three.
1. Astonishment. All, without exception, were confounded, amazed, and constrained to marvel. And no wonder. What they saw and heard was no every-day occurrence, but something altogether out of, and beyond, their usual experience. The universality of this astonishment guaranteed the reality of the phenomenon.
2. Perplexity. They could neither explain nor understand the phenomenon. Yet they did not on this account deny it. They felt at a loss to fathom its significance. Yet they did not conclude it had no significance. They realised that it must import something, and kept on asking one another what each man thought about it. In this their conduct was praiseworthy so far as it was serious; where it was insincere it was frivolous and deserving of blame.
3. Mockery. This was the attitude assumed by a portion of the crowd, who, because they failed to comprehend the phenomenon, lost their judgment, and began to scoff, accusing the Spirit-borne speakers of being under the influence of strong drink: “These men are filled with new wine”—a strongly intoxicating beverage. Ridicule and calumny have always been common weapons in the hands of unbelief since the days of Christ (Matthew 11:19). But neither the one nor the other is a satisfactory way of dealing with religion. Neither can disprove religion, scarcely even hinder its advancement; frequently they hasten its triumph, and often reveal the folly of those who resort to them.
Learn.—
1. The wide court to which Christianity appeals—men out of every nation under heaven.
2. The effect Christianity never fails to produce in every community it visits—excitement, wonder, inquiry, faith, and unbelief.
3. The adaptation of Christianity to every people under heaven a striking evidence of its supernatural origin.
4. The mystery which sometimes accompanies Christianity; its phenomena are not always capable of being accounted for by natural causes.
5. The unreasonable treatment Christianity often receives—ridicule instead of refutation or reception.
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Acts 2:5. Devout Men.
I. Are to be found in every nation under heaven—a lesson of charity (Acts 10:35). Examples Job and Cornelius.
II. Are in the way of meeting Heaven’s revelations—a ground for hopefulness as to men’s ultimate destinies (Psalms 25:14; Isaiah 64:5).
III. Are often perplexed at the divine dealings with themselves and others—a cause for humility (Micah 4:12; Job 37:21; John 13:7).
IV. Are sometimes led into sin—a warning against rashness in judgment (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
Acts 2:11. The Wonderful Works of God.
I. In nature.—
1. The creation of the material universe (Genesis 1:1).
2. The origination of life (Genesis 1:20).
3. The formation of man (Genesis 1:26).
II. In providence.—
1. The preservation of created things—of the material cosmos (Hebrews 1:3) and of all animated beings (Psalms 36:6; Psalms 104:27).
2. The selection and education of Israel (Isaiah 43:21).
3. The preparation, inspiration, and preservation of the Bible (1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16).
III. In grace.—
1. The redemption of a lost world through the atoning death of Christ (Galatians 4:4).
2. The regeneration and renewal of souls through the Spirit and the word (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 3:5).
Acts 2:7-11. How the World receives the Spirit’s Utterances.
I. It commonly undervalues the Spirit’s witnesses. “Are not all these Galileans?”
II. It is startled at the sound of the truth in its own conscience. “How hear we each in our own language?”
III. It distrusts the issue of the ways of God. “What meaneth this?”
IV. It mistakes the source of the Spirit’s operations. “These men are full of sweet wine.”—Gerok.
Acts 2:12. What meaneth this?
I. The majesty of the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named.
II. The glory of the Son, which now appears in heightened splendour, as the glory of the exalted sovereign of God’s kingdom.
III. The power of the Holy Ghost, which is here seen in signs and tokens which, at the same time, presage a higher and more glorious future.—Oosterzee.
Acts 2:12-13. Man’s Reception of the Great Things of God.
I. The great things of God.—These great things are everywhere, for God is everywhere; and everywhere they produce much the same effects on man. Truly great is our Jehovah, and of great power! He has not forsaken man nor man’s earth. He shows Himself more signally than by lightning, or thunder, or earthquake, or tempest; even by the Holy Ghost.
II. The impression made by them on man.—
1. Wonder. With that their religion begins and ends. They wonder, but believe not. They wonder, but love not. They wonder, but depart not from iniquity.
2. Perplexity. They know not what to think. They see and hear, and are puzzled. These “great things of God” were not meant to breed perplexity, nor to end in perplexity, yet how often do we find them doing both, through man’s perversity, or cowardice, or love of sin and darkness.
3. Mockery. This is the worst, yet not the least common treatment which the great things of God receive at the hands of men. Thus the natural heart speaks out. Let God’s great things produce their due, their natural impression. He does not work them for mere show.
(1) Let them overawe us.
(2) Let them break us down. Our hearts need breaking.
(3) Let them lead us to faith.—H. Bonar, D.D.