Acts 19:9

Divers were hardened; the sun hardeneth what it doth not soften, and causeth a stench from dunghills, as well as a sweet smell from the mountains of spices; and Christ is for the falling, as well as for the rising of many. That way; so the doctrine of the gospel is called, by reason of its excellency above other ways. By way the Hebrews understand any course or means to an end. Hence we read of the way of peace, the way of salvation, the way of the Lord. He departed from them; not frequenting any more the synagogue of the Jews, where they met only with contradiction of their doctrine, and blasphemy against their Saviour. Tyrannus; some have taken this word appellatively, as denoting some great man, or ruler, who maintained a school, or place for instruction; but it is rather a proper name of some private teacher amongst them: for the Jews had not only public schools, where their consisteries did meet, but private schools, where their law was taught.

Acts 19:9 . Ὡς — πλήθους , when —before the multitude ) A cause for just separation is public revilings against the truth.— ἀποστὰς , having withdrawn ) He left their synagogue to them, content with a smaller school, and a more select number: ἀποστὰς ἀφώρισε , having withdrawn he separated : by his act he influenced other good men; [and so he secured them against the stumbling-block thrown in their way by the evil-speakers.—V. g.]— καθʼ ἡμέραν , daily ) not merely on the Sabbath or Lord’s day.— σχολῇ , the school ) instead of the synagogue.

{3} But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that {d} way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one {e} Tyrannus. (3) For a man to separate himself and others from infidels who are utterly desperate, is not to divide the Church, but rather to unite it, and make it one. (d) By this word way, the Hebrews understand any type of life, and here it is taken for Christianity. (e) This was a man's proper name.

9. when divers—"some." were hardened, &c.—implying that others, probably a large number, believed. spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed—from the synagogue, as at Corinth (Ac 18:7). and separated the disciples—withdrawing to a separate place of meeting, for the sake both of the converts already made, and the unsophisticated multitude. disputing—"discoursing" or "discussing." daily in the school—or lecture hall. of one Tyrannus—probably a converted teacher of rhetoric or philosophy.

Verse 9. - Some for divers , A.V.; disobedient for believed not , A.V. ( ἡπείθουν , as Acts 14:2 ; Acts 17:5 , T.R.); speaking for but spake , A.V.; the Way for that way , A.V.; reasoning for disputing , A.V.; Tyrannus for one Tyrannus , A.V. Were hardened ; or, hardened themselves. Whether considered as active or middle, the hardening their minds against the reception of the truth was just as voluntary an action as that of one who shuts his eyes that he may not see the light. For the use of σκληρύνειν (Hebrew הִקְשָׁה , applied to the heart or the neck), see Romans 9:18 ; Hebrews 3:8, 15 ; Hebrews 4:7 - passages all founded upon the LXX. of Psalm 94:8 . See also Exodus 7:22 ; Exodus 8:19 ; and Ecclus. 30:11, where, as here, disobedience is the consequence of being hardened. Μήποτε σκληρυνθεὶς ἀπειθήσῃ σοι , "Lest being hardened he disobey thee." The A.V., by leaving out "were" before "disobedient," and translating as if "hardened" and "disobedient" were two adjectives, destroys this consequence. Speaking evil of ; κακολογοῦντες (see Matthew 15:4 ; Mark 9:39 ), frequent in the LXX. as the rendering of קִלֵּל ( Exodus 21:17 ; 1 Samuel 3:13 ), which is otherwise rendered by κακῶς εἴπειν ," as in Leviticus 20:9 . It is nearly synonymous with βλασφημαῖν . The Way (as ver. 23; see Acts 9:2 , note).

They would speak evil of the gospel by describing it as a blasphemy against God and against Moses, as contrary to the Law, as subversive of all the customs and traditions of the Jews, and so on. He departed . Ἀποστάσ is more than simply "departing;" it implies a withdrawal and separation front fellowship with them, as in 1 Timothy 6:5 (A.V.), "From such withdraw thyself;" Ecclesiastes 7:2 , "Depart from the unjust" (comp. Luke 13:27 ). Separated the disciples . Hitherto the converted Jews at Ephesus had continued to join their unconverted brethren in the worship of the synagogue; now Paul withdrew them and separated them ( ἀφώρισε , Galatians 2:10 ). The school of Tyrannus ; σχολή , leisure; then, "the employment of leisure," as especially in philosophic discussions and the like; thirdly, the "place" were such discussions were held, a school. It is uncertain whether Tyrannus was a Gentile well known at the time (without the τινός ), who kept a lecture room for philosophic discussions or lectures on rhetoric, or whether he was a Jew who held a private school or meeting in his house - a beth-midrash - as was not uncommon in largo towns where many Jews were (Light foot, vol. 3. p. 236). " Beth-midrash - The Jewish divinity school, where their doctors disputed of the more high and difficult matters of the Law" (Index to Lightfoot's Works).

Acts 19:9 . But when some were hardened and refused belief, he severed himself from them (from the synagogue) and separated the Christians , (henceforth) discoursing daily in the school of a certain Tyrannus . Tyrannus (the same name in Apollod. ii. 4. 5; Boeckh, Corp. Inscr . 1732; 2Ma 4:40 ; Joseph. Antt . xvi. 10. 3, Bell . i. 26. 3; and among the Rabbis טורנום , see Drusius in loc.) is usually considered (as by Lange and Baumgarten, comp. Ewald, p. 516) as a Gentile rhetorician, who had as a public sophist possessed a lecture-room, and is perhaps identical with the one described by Suidas: Τύραννος · σοφιστὴς περὶ στάσεων κ . διαιρέσεως λόγου βιβλία δέκα . But as the text does not indicate a transition of the apostle wholly to the Gentiles (see, on the other hand, Acts 18:6-7 , Acts 13:46 ), but merely a separation from the synagogue, and as in the new place of instruction ( σχολή , a teaching-room, often in Plutarch, etc.), Ἰουδαῖοι (and these are named first, Acts 19:10 ) continued to hear him; as, in fine, Tyrannus, had he been a Gentile, would have to be conceived of as σεβόμενος τὸν θεόν , like Justus, Acts 18:7 ,—an essential point, which Luke (comp. Acts 18:7 ) would hardly have left unnoticed: the opinion of Hammond is to be preferred, that Tyrannus is to be considered as a Jewish teacher who had a private synagogue, בית מדדש (“in Beth Midrasch docuerunt traditiones atque earum expositiones,” Babyl.

Berac. f. 17. 1; see Lightf. ad Matth. p. 253 f.; Vitringa, Synag. p. 137). Paul with his Christians withdrew from the public synagogue to the private synagogue of Tyrannus, where he and his doctrine were more secure from public annoyance. The objection, that it would have been inconsistency to pass from the synagogue to a Rabbinical school (Baumgarten), is of no weight, as there were also Rabbins like Gamaliel, and Tyrannus must be considered, at all events, as at least inclined to Christianity. τ . ὁδόν ] see on Acts 9:2 , Acts 18:25 .

9 . But when divers were hardened, and believed not ] Perhaps there may be a little gain to those unfamiliar with older English in putting (as Rev. Ver. ) “some” for “divers,” there seems to be none in giving “and disobedient” instead of “and believed not.” The original looks back to the verb “persuade” in the previous verse. The Apostle tried to persuade , these men refused to be persuaded . That seems better expressed by the A. V. but spake [better, speaking ] evil of that [ the ] way before the multitude ] The evil speaking is the final manifestation of the hardening. The Apostle continued his exhortations to stony-hearted hearers for three months, but when their obstinacy changed into malignity he left them. “The way” was soon given as a distinctive name to “the Christian religion.” See note on Acts 9:2 and cf. below Acts 19:23 . It was not mere opposition to the arguments of the Apostle which these Jews employed, they took occasion to excite the crowds of the city against him.

And it would seem from Acts 19:33 , where the Jews attempt to put forward a spokesman in the tumult, that they wished the heathen populace to understand that Paul was not approved of by his own nationality. he departed from them ] i.e. ceased to take part in the public services at the synagogue. and separated the disciples ] The Christian part of the congregation, with any of the Jews who were more interested than the rest in his teaching. disputing [Better, reasoning ] daily ] The verb is the same as in the previous verse. Among these more sympathizing hearers, he would only have to set forward the arguments for the faith which he preached unto them. His teaching now could go on constantly, and was not confined to the synagogue times of service. in the school of one Tyrannus ] The best authorities omit “one.” The teacher, whether a heathen or a Jew, was a man well known. Otherwise we can conceive no reason for the mention of a proper name. As the name is Greek, some have thought that the place meant was the lecture-room of a philosophic teacher; others, thinking that St Paul would hardly have chosen such a place for his preaching, have preferred to consider it a Jewish school or Beth-Hammidrash , in which his Jewish hearers would be more willing to assemble. Since the listeners are described, in the next verse, as being partly Jews, and partly Greeks, it is impossible to arrive at a conclusion.