the Fifth Sunday after Easter
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Acts 2:1
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from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the day: Acts 20:16, Exodus 23:16, Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:15-21, Numbers 28:16-31, Deuteronomy 16:9-12, 1 Corinthians 16:8
they: Acts 2:46, Acts 1:13-15, Acts 4:24, Acts 4:32, Acts 5:12, 2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 30:12, Psalms 133:1, Jeremiah 32:39, Zephaniah 3:9, Romans 15:6, Philippians 1:27, Philippians 2:2
Reciprocal: Exodus 36:10 - General Leviticus 8:3 - General Leviticus 23:16 - General Numbers 20:8 - speak Numbers 28:26 - in the day Song of Solomon 4:16 - Awake Isaiah 52:8 - see Daniel 6:10 - three Malachi 3:16 - spake Matthew 18:19 - That if Mark 16:20 - they went Luke 24:49 - but Acts 1:5 - but Acts 1:8 - ye shall Acts 1:14 - all Acts 2:5 - were Acts 15:25 - being Acts 26:26 - this thing Hebrews 10:25 - forsaking Hebrews 13:1 - General 1 Peter 3:8 - be
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,.... Or "was come", was begun and entered upon; for it was not over, or ended, it being but the third hour of the day, or nine of the clock in the morning, when Peter began his sermon; see Acts 2:15. The Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, "when the days of Pentecost were fulfilled"; not that there were more days than one, kept at this festival; for though the feasts of passover and tabernacles were observed each of them seven days, according to the law, and eight days according to the Scribes, yet the feast of Pentecost was kept but one day; and hence it is often said by the Jews, that Atzereth, which is one of the names they call this feast by, is but one day l; in the captivity they kept two days m, as they did for the beginning of the year, because of the uncertainty of calculations; but the sense is, when the whole fifty days from the passover to this time were fully come, or fulfilled, when the fiftieth day from thence, which was properly the day of Pentecost, was come: on the second day of the passover, on the sixteenth of Nisan, the sheaf of the first fruits was offered up; after which, and not before, it was lawful to reap the corn, Leviticus 23:10 from this time the Jews reckoned their feast of weeks, or seven weeks, or fifty days; see Exodus 34:22 which measured out the time of their harvest. Now the last of these fifty days was the day of Pentecost, on which day was offered the two wave loaves, as a thanksgiving that their harvest was ended. Josephus calls n this feast by the same name that Luke here does; and says o, the Jews so call it, from the number of the days, that is fifty; and so R. Sol Jarchi p calls this day, יום חמישים, "the fiftieth day": on this day, the Jews say q, the law was given; and observe r, that
"from the day that Israel went out of Egypt, unto the day that the law was given, were fifty days.''
And on this day, and which was the first day of the week, the Spirit was poured forth upon the disciples; the Gospel began to be preached to all nations, and a harvest of souls was gathered in:
they were all with one accord in one place; in two ancient copies of Beza's, and in some others it is read, "all the apostles"; Matthias, and the eleven, with whom he was numbered, who are last spoken of, in Acts 1:26. Though this need not be restrained to the twelve apostles, but may be understood of the hundred and twenty, on whom, as well as on the apostles, the Holy Ghost might be poured forth, that so they might speak with tongues; since among these were many ministers of the Gospel, as the seventy disciples, and it may be more; and that his extraordinary gifts should be bestowed on others, is but what was afterwards done; see Acts 8:17 and though there were so many of them together, they were very unanimous and peaceable; there were no jars nor contentions among them; they were of the same mind and judgment in faith and practice, and of one heart and soul, and had a cordial affection for one another; and were all in one place, which seems to be the temple; see Acts 2:46. And indeed, no other place or house could hold so many as came to hear them, of which number three thousand were converted.
l T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 65. 1. Gloss. in. T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 17. 2. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 100. fol. 88. 2. m T. Bab. Erachin, fol. 10. 1. n Antiqu. l. 3. c. 10. sect. 6. o De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 3. sect. 1. p In Lev. xxiii. 15. q T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 68. 2. r Zohar in Exod. fol. 34. 4. Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 9. 4.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And when the day of Pentecost - The word “Pentecost” is a Greek word signifying the 50th part of a thing, or the 50th in order. Among the Jews it was a applied to one of their three great feasts which began on the 50th day after the Passover. This feast was reckoned from the 16th day of the month Abib, or April, or the second day of the Passover. The paschal lamb was slain on the 14th of the month at evening, Leviticus 23:5; on the 15th day of the month was a holy convocation - the proper beginning of the feast; on the 16th day was the offering of the firstfruits of harvest, and from that day they were to reckon seven weeks, that is, 49 days, to the feast called the Feast of Pentecost, so that it occurred 50 days after the first day of the Feast of the Passover. This feast was also called the Feast of Weeks, from the circumstance that it followed a succession of weeks, Exodus 34:22; Numbers 28:26; Deuteronomy 16:10. It was also a harvest festival, and was accordingly called the Feast of Harvest; and it was for this reason that two loaves made of new meal were offered on this occasion as first-fruits, Leviticus 23:17, Leviticus 23:20; Numbers 28:27-31.
Was fully come - When the day had arrived. The word used here means literally “to be completed,” and as employed here refers, not to the day itself, but to the completion of the interval which was to pass before its arrival (Olshausen). See Luke 9:51. Compare Mark 1:15; Luke 1:57. This fact is mentioned, that the time of the Pentecost had come, or fully arrived, to account for what is related afterward, that there were so many strangers and foreigners present. The promised influences of the Spirit were withheld until the greatest possible number of Jews should be present at Jerusalem at the same time, and thus an opportunity be afforded of preaching the gospel to vast multitudes in the very place where the Lord Jesus was crucified, and also an opportunity be afforded of sending the gospel by them into distant parts of the earth.
They were all - Probably not only the apostles, but also the 120 people mentioned in Acts 1:15.
With one accord - See Acts 1:14. It is probable that they had continued together until this time, and given themselves entirely to the business of devotion.
In one place - Where this was cannot be known. Commentators have been much divided in their conjectures about it. Some have supposed that it was in the upper room mentioned in Acts 1:13; others that it was a room in the temple; others that it was in a synagogue; others that it was among the promiscuous multitude that assembled for devotion in the courts of the temple. See Acts 2:2. It has been supposed by many that this took place on the first day of the week; that is, on the Christian Sabbath. But there is a difficulty in establishing this. There was probably a difference among the Jews themselves as to the time of observing this festival: The Law said that they should reckon seven sabbaths; that is seven weeks, “from the morrow after the sabbath,” Leviticus 23:15. By this Sabbath the Pharisees understood the second day of the Passover, on whatever day of the week it occurred, which was kept as a day of holy convocation, and which might be called a Sabbath. But the Karaite Jews, or those who insisted on a literal interpretation of the Scriptures, maintained that by the Sabbath here was meant the usual Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Consequently, with them, the day of Pentecost always occurred on the first day of the week; and if the apostles fell in with their views, the day was fully come on what is now the Christian Sunday. But if the views of the Pharisees were followed, and the Lord Jesus had with them kept the Passover on Thursday, as many have supposed, then the day of Pentecost would have occurred on the Jewish Sabbath, that is, on Saturday (Kuinoel; Lightfoot). It is impossible to determine the truth on this subject. Nor is it of much importance. According to the later Jews, the day of Pentecost was kept also as a festival to commemorate the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai; but no trace of this custom is to be found in the Old Testament.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER II.
The day of pentecost being arrived, and the disciples assembled,
the Holy Spirit descended as a mighty rushing wind, and in the
likeness of fiery tongues sat upon them; in consequence of
which, they were all enabled to speak different languages,
which they had never learned, 1-4.
An account of persons from various countries who there present,
and were astonished to hear the apostles declare the wonderful
works of God in their respective languages, 5-12.
Some cavil, 13,
and are confounded by Peter, who asserts that this work is of
God; and that thereby a most important prophecy was fulfilled,
14-21.
He takes occasion from this to preach Jesus to them, as the true
Lord and only Messiah, 22-36.
The people are alarmed and convinced, and inquire what they
shall do, 37.
He exhorts them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus,
that they may receive remission of sins and the gift of the
Holy Spirit, 38-40.
They gladly receive his word, about three thousand are baptized
and added to the Church in one day; they continue steadfast in
the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, 41, 42.
The apostles work many miracles; and the disciples have all
things in common, and live in a state of great happiness and
Christian fellowship, 43-47.
NOTES ON CHAP. II.
Verse Acts 2:1. When the day of pentecost was fully come — The feast of pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the passover, and has its name πεντηκοστη from πεντηκοντα, fifty, which is compounded of πεντε, five, and ηκοντα, the decimal termination. It commenced on the fiftieth day reckoned from the first day of unleavened bread, i.e. on the morrow after the paschal lamb was offered. The law relative to this feast is found in Acts 23:15; Acts 23:16, in these words: And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days. This feast was instituted in commemoration of the giving the law on Mount Sinai; and is therefore sometimes called by the Jews, שמחת תורה shimchath torah, the joy of the law, and frequently the feast of weeks. There is a correspondence between the giving of the law, which is celebrated by this feast of pentecost, together with the crucifixion of our Lord, which took place at the passover, and this descent of the Holy Spirit, which happened at this pentecost.
1. At the passover, the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage: this was a type of the thraldom in which the human race were to Satan and sin.
2. At the passover Jesus Christ, who was typified by the paschal lamb, was sacrificed for the sin of the world, and by this sacrifice redemption from sin and Satan is now procured and proclaimed.
3. On the pentecost, God gave his law on Mount Sinai, accompanied with thunderings and lightnings. On the pentecost, God sent down his Holy Spirit, like a rushing mighty wind; and tongues of fire sat upon each disciple, in order that, by his influence, that new law of light and life might be promulgated and established. Thus, the analogy between the Egyptian bondage and the thraldom occasioned by sin - the deliverance from Egypt, and the redemption from sin - the giving of the law, with all its emblematic accompaniments, and the sending down the Holy Spirit, with its symbols of light, life, and power, has been exactly preserved.
4. At the Jewish passover, Christ was degraded, humbled, and ignominiously put to death: at the following festival, the pentecost, he was highly glorified; and the all conquering and ever during might of his kingdom then commenced. The Holy Spirit seems to have designed all these analogies, to show that, through all preceding ages, God had the dispensation of the Gospel continually in view; and that the old law and its ordinances were only designed as preparatives for the new.
They were all with one accord in one place. — It is probable that the ALL here mentioned means the one hundred and twenty spoken of Acts 1:15, who were all together at the election of Matthias. With one accord, ομοθυμαδον; this word is very expressive: it signifies that all their minds, affections, desires, and wishes, were concentred in one object, every man having the same end in view; and, having but one desire, they had but one prayer to God, and every heart uttered it. There was no person uninterested - none unconcerned - none lukewarm; all were in earnest; and the Spirit of God came down to meet their united faith and prayer. When any assembly of God's people meet in the same spirit they may expect every blessing they need.
In one place. - Where this place was we cannot tell: it was probably in the temple, as seems to be intimated in Acts 2:46, where it is said they were daily ὁμοθυμαδον εν τῳ ἱερῳ, with one accord in the temple; and as this was the third hour of the day, Acts 2:15, which was the Jewish hour of morning prayer, as the ninth hour was the hour of evening prayer, Acts 3:1, it is most probable that the temple was the place in which they were assembled.
