Acts 18:2

Lately (προσφάτως) Only here in New Testament, though the kindred adjective, rendered new, is found in Hebrews 10:20. It is derived from φένω, to slay, and the adjective means, originally, lately slain; thence, fresh, new, recent. It is quite common in medical writings in this sense.

Acts 18:2-3 . And found a certain Jew — Afterward converted to the faith of Christ, ( Acts 18:26 ,) doubtless by the instrumentality of Paul; born in Pontus — A province of the Lesser Asia, not far from Galatia and Cappadocia; lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla — Who also became an eminent Christian; because that Claudius — The Roman emperor; had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome — All who were Jews by birth; whether they were Jews or Christians by religion, the Romans were too stately to regard; and came unto them, because he was of the same craft — Namely, that of tent-making. It being a rule among the Jews (and why is it not also among Christians?) to bring up all their children to some trade, were they ever so rich and noble. Paul, though intended to have a better education than ordinary, had learned this when young, and being now capable of exercising it, he found it of great use to him on many occasions, particularly at this time. For by the profits of his labour therein, he maintained himself all the while he abode at Corinth, without burdening the Corinthians in the least. The same course he had followed some time before this, while he preached in Thessalonica; ( 1 Thessalonians 2:9 ;) and afterward at Ephesus, where, as also probably in many other places, he supported not only himself, but his assistants likewise, by his labour. See Acts 20:34 .

Pontus; a country between Cappadocia and the Black Sea, Acts 2:9 , whither the progenitors of Aquila, in one of the dispersions, might flee from Judea to inhabit there. Claudius; the Roman emperor, who, at the beginning of his reign, gave liberty to the Jews freely to exercise their religion, but about eight years after took away that privilege from them; which Suetonius makes mention of, though very much mistaking the reason. With the Jews, it is thought that the Christians were banished too; for the pagan Romans did not care to distinguish between them, they both worshipping but one God, and agreeing in opposing their idolatry.

Acts 18:2 . Προσφάτως ) So the LXX., Deuteronomy 24:5 .— ἐληλυθότα , who had come ) They afterwards returned to Rome, Romans 16:3 , after various travels.— τοὺς Ἰουδαίους , the Jews ) The Romans, in their proud contempt of both, did not care to distinguish between Jews and Christians. He expelled all who were Jews by nation.

And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that {a} Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. (a) Suetonius records that Rome banished the Jews because they were never at rest, and that because of Christ.

2. a Jew … Aquila … with his wife Priscilla—From these Latin names one would conclude that they had resided so long in Rome as to lose their Jewish family names. born in Pontus—the most easterly province of Asia Minor, stretching along the southern shore of the Black Sea. From this province there were Jews at Jerusalem on the great Pentecost (Ac 2:9), and the Christians of it are included among "the strangers of the dispersion," to whom Peter addressed his first Epistle (1Pe 1:1). Whether this couple were converted before Paul made their acquaintance, commentators are much divided. They may have brought their Christianity with them from Rome [Olshausen], or Paul may have been drawn to them merely by like occupation, and, lodging with them, have been the instrument of their conversion [Meyer]. They appear to have been in good circumstances, and after travelling much, to have eventually settled at Ephesus. The Christian friendship now first formed continued warm and unbroken, and the highest testimony is once and again borne to them by the apostle. Claudius, &c.—This edict is almost certainly that mentioned by Suetonius, in his life of this emperor [Lives of the Cæsars, "Claudius," 25].

Verse 2. - He found for found , A.V.; a man of Pontus by race for born in Pontus , A.V.; because for because that , A.V.; the Jews for ,[ ewe , A.V.: he came for came, A.V. Aquila . A Roman name, Graecized into Ἀκύλας . Knights and tribunes and others of the name occur in Roman history. Whether the Jewish family residing in Pontus took the name of Aquila from any of these Romans is not known. Aquila, the translator of the Old Testament into Greek about A.D. , was also a Jew of Pontus, the old kingdom of Mithridates. That there was a considerable colony of Jews in Pontus appears also from 1 Peter 1:1 and Acts 2:9 . Priscilla . Also called Prison ( 2 Timothy 4:19 ). So in classical authors, Livia and Livilla, Drusa and Drusilla , are used of the same persons (Howson, p. 415). Prisca is a not uncommon name for Roman women. The masculine Priscus occurs very frequently. Aquila and Priscilla were among the most active Christians, and the most devoted friends of St. Paul (vers. 18, 26; Romans 16:3, 4, 5 ; 1 Corinthians 16:19 ; 2 Timothy 4:19 ); and were evidently persons of culture as well as piety. Lately; προσφάτως ( i.q. πρόσφατον , Pindar, etc.), only found here in the New Testament. But it occurs in the LXX. of Deuteronomy 24:5 and Ezekiel 11:3 , and in the apocryphal books repeatedly, and in Polybius. The adjective πρόσφατος , which is also used by the LXX. and the Apocrypha and in classical Greek for "new," is used only once in the New Testament, in Hebrews 10:20 .

It means properly "newly killed," hence anything "recent," "fresh, or "new." Both the adjective and the adverb are very common in medical writings. Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome . Suetonius mentions the fact, but unfortunately does not say in what year of Claudius's reign it took place. His account is that, in consequence of frequent disturbances and riots among the Jews at the instigation of Chrestus, Claudius drove them from Rome. It seems almost certain, as Renan says, especially combining Tacitus's account ('Annal.,' 15:44) of the spread of Christianity in the city of Rome before the time of Nero, that Chrestus (Greek Ξρηστός ,) is only a corruption of the name Christ, similar to that found on three or four inscriptions before the time of Constantine, where Christians are called Ξρηστιανοί , and to the formation of the French word Chretien - in old French Chrestien ; and that the true account of these riots is that they were attacks of the unbelieving Jews upon Christian Jews, similar to these at Jerusalem ( Acts 8 .), at Antioch in Pisidia ( Acts 13:50 ), at Iconium and Lystra ( Acts 14 .), and at Thessalonica and Beraea ( Acts 17 .). The Romans did not discriminate between Jews and Christian Jews, and thought that those who called Christ their King were fighting under his leadership (comp. Acts 17:7 ; Luke 23:2 ; see Renan, 'St. Paul,' p. 101).

2 . a certain Jew named Aquila ] The name Aquila is a Latin word, and it is not likely that this was the man’s Jewish name, but as the custom was among the Jews, he had probably assumed a Roman name during his dwelling in Italy and in his intercourse with the Gentiles. See above on Acts 13:9 . The name is identified, by the Jews, with that of Onkelos, who wrote a Targum on the Pentateuch, and some make that Onkelos to be the same with Aquila who translated the Old Testament into Greek, of which translation part is preserved to us in Origen’s Hexapla. born in Pontus ] Lit. a man of Pontus by race . The provinces of Asia Minor abounded with Jewish families of the Dispersion, as we may see from the whole history in the Acts. In Acts 2:9-10 many of these districts are mentioned as contributing to the number of worshippers who had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. Pontus came under Roman sway when its king Mithridates was conquered by Pompey, and this connexion may have led Aquila to leave his native country for Italy.

Aquila and his wife are mentioned Romans 16:3 as though they were again in Rome, so that probably they had formed ties there which were only temporarily severed by the Claudian edict mentioned in this verse. (It is however questioned whether the salutations in Romans 16 form part of the Epistle as it was sent to the Romans.) They were with St Paul when he wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians ( 1 Corinthians 16:19 ), and were so far settled in Ephesus, where that Epistle was written, as to have a house which they could place at the service of the Christians there, as a place to worship in. And if (as is most probable) Timothy was in Ephesus when the second Epistle ( 2 Timothy 4:19 ) was addressed to him, they were in that city again at this later date (for Priscilla is only the diminutive form of Prisca as the name of the wife is there written). More than this is not known of their changes of abode. Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome ] The Jews were often objects of persecution in Rome, but this particular occasion is probably that mentioned by Suetonius, Claud . 25, where we read that by reason of Jewish tumults at the instigation of one Christus (or Chrestus) they were driven out of the city.