Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines - Libertini; Jewish 'freedmen.' Pompey, after overrunning Judea, in the year 63 BC, carried an immense number of Jews as prisoners of war to Rome, where they were sold as slaves. They were afterward manumitted, with liberty to adhere to their own religion; but Tiberius, as Tacitus informs us (Annals 2: 85), expelled them or their children, to the number of four thousand, from Italy on account of their religion. Of these many would no doubt settle in Palestine, and reside in Jerusalem.
And Cyrenians - Jews of Cyrene (see the note at Acts 2:10).
And Alexandrians - Jews of Alexandria. The form of the expression х toon (G3588) ek (G1537) tees (G3588) sunagoogees (G4864) tees (G3588) legomenees (G3004) Libertinoon (G3032), kai (G2532) Kureenaioon (G2956) kai (G2532) Alexandreoon (G221)] would seem to imply that these three classes of foreign Jews had one synagogue; while the next two classes seem distinguished from these х kai (G2532) toon (G3588) apo (G575) Kilikias (G2791) kai (G2532) Asias (G773)]: nevertheless, as the rabbis say that there were no fewer than 480 synagogues in Jerusalem, and all nationalities had their own, it is possible that the five different classes here named had each their own synagogue-arranged, however, in two groups (as Lechler remarks) - those of Roman and African descent, and those of Asia Minor.
And of them of Cilicia - among whom may have been Saul of Tarsus (Acts 7:58; Acts 21:39).
And of Asia - (see the note at Acts 16:6.) Lachmann excludes this last clause from his text, but the evidence for it is decisive: Tischendorf retains it. These five classes of foreign Jews combined in disputing with Stephen-as the enemy of their common religion.