Acts 2:4

Began Bringing into prominence the first impulse of the act. See on began, Acts 1:1. With other tongues (ἑτέραις γλώσσαις) Strictly different, from their native tongues, and also different tongues spoken by the different apostles. See on Matthew 6:24. Gave (ἐδίδου) A graphic imperfect; kept giving them the language and the appropriate words as the case required from time to time. It would seem that each apostle was speaking to a group, or to individuals. The general address to the multitude followed from the lips of Peter. Utterance (ἀποφθέγγεσθαι) Used only by Luke and in the Acts. Lit., to utter. A peculiar word, and purposely chosen to denote the clear, loud utterance under the miraculous impulse. It is used by later Greek writers of the utterances of oracles or seers. So in the Septuagint, of prophesying. See 1 Chronicles 25:1; Deuteronomy 32:2; Zechariah 10:2; Ezekiel 13:19.

Acts 2:4 . They were all filled with the Holy Ghost — That is, all the one hundred and twenty, as appears from Acts 2:1 . At the time of this wonderful appearance, this whole company were abundantly replenished with both the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, not only in order to their own salvation, but also and especially to qualify them to be Christ’s witnesses to mankind, both Jews and Gentiles, according to his promise, Acts 1:1 ; Acts 1:8 . They were filled with the graces of the Spirit, and were more than ever under its sanctifying influences; were now holy, and heavenly, and spiritual; more weaned from this world, and better acquainted with the other. They were more filled with the comforts of the Spirit, rejoiced more than ever in the love of Christ, and the hope of heaven, and in it all their griefs and fears were swallowed up. They were also, 2d, In proof of this, filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which is especially meant here: they were endued with miraculous powers for the furtherance of the gospel.

It seems evident that not the twelve apostles only, but all the one hundred and twenty disciples were endowed with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost at this time; all the seventy disciples, who were apostolical men, and employed in the same work, and all the rest that were to preach the gospel; for it is said expressly, ( Ephesians 4:8 ; Ephesians 4:11 ,) that when Christ ascended on high, (which refers to this here, Acts 2:33 ,) he gave gifts unto men, not only some apostles, such were the twelve; but some prophets, and some evangelists, many of the seventy disciples, itinerant preachers; and some pastors and teachers, settled in particular churches, as we may suppose some of these afterward were. And began to speak with other tongues — To speak languages of which they had before been entirely ignorant. For this miracle was not in the ears of the hearers, as some have unaccountably supposed, but in the mouths of the speakers. The meaning is not, that one was enabled to speak one language, and another another, as it was with the several families that were dispersed from Babel; but every one was enabled to speak divers languages as he should have occasion to use them. And we may suppose that they not only understood what they themselves said, but understood one another too, which the builders at Babel did not, Genesis 11:7 .

Filled with the Holy Ghost; those gifts and graces which proceeded from him; the apostles having them all in a more excellent manner than formerly, and the gift of tongues superadded. With other tongues, than what were vernacular or natural to them. As the Spirit gave them utterance; apofyeggesyai, signifies more than barely to speak, implying they speak each language in its perfection, after an excellent, eloquent, and powerful manner, as from the Holy Ghost, whose works are perfect; non vox hominem sonat.

Acts 2:4 . Καὶ , and ) The internal operations are here described, along with their effect, as in Acts 2:3 the external symbol is described.— ἅπαντες , they all ) all those of whom Acts 2:1 ; Acts 2:14-15 , ch. Acts 1:14 , etc. treat, of various age, sex, and condition; see below, Acts 2:17-18 .— ἤρξαντο , they began ) This was a thing which never before had occurred.— λαλεῖν , to speak ) without difficulty, with readiness.— γλώσσαις , with tongues ) The miraculous variety was not in the ears of the hearers, but in the mouth of the speakers: ch. Acts 10:46 , Acts 19:6 ; Mark 16:17 ; 1 Corinthians 12:10 . This family, which was thus celebrating the praises of God in the tongues of the whole world, was an equivalent representative of the whole world, which is about to praise God with the tongues of its inhabitants.— καθὼς , even as ) 1 Corinthians 12:11 , “All these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.”— ἐδίδου ) was giving, gave , so as that they might speak without difficulty, and yet freely.[8]— ἀποφθέγγεσθαι ) the power to speak forth , with soberness, and at the same time power; Acts 2:14 , “Peter lifted up his voice;” ch. Acts 26:25 , Paul, “I am not mad, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” Justus Jonas observes, “Moses, who is the typical representative of the law, had a ‘tongue slow of speech’ ( Exodus 4:10 ):—but the Gospel speaks with a tongue set on fire and flaming with ardour”. [8] i.e .

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with {c} other tongues, as the {d} Spirit gave them utterance. (c) He calls them other tongues which were not the same as the apostles commonly used, and Mark calls them new tongues. (d) By this we understand that the apostles were not speaking one language and then another by chance at random, or as eccentric men used to do, but that they kept in mind the languages of their hearers: and to be short, that they only spoke as the Holy Spirit directed them to speak.

4. they … began to speak with … tongues, &c.—real, living languages, as is plain from what follows. The thing uttered, probably the same by all, was "the wonderful works of God," perhaps in the inspired words of the Old Testament evangelical hymns; though it is next to certain that the speakers themselves understood nothing of what they uttered (see on [1936]1Co 14:1-25).

Verse 4. - Spirit for Ghost , A.V. Other tongues ( 1 Corinthians 14:21 ; Isaiah 28:11 ); the same as the "new tongues" of Mark 16:17 . St. Paul speaks of them as "the tongues of men and of angels" ( 1 Corinthians 13:1 ), and as "kinds of tongues" ( 1 Corinthians 12:10 ). His habitual phrase is "speaking in [or with ] a tongue [or tongues ]" ( 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4-6 , etc.), and the verb is always λαλεῖν , as here. What these tongues were on this occasion we are explicitly informed in vers. 6, 8, and 11. They were the tongues of the various nationalities present at the feast - Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Phrygians, Arabians, etc. This is so clearly and so distinctly stated that it is astonishing that any one should deny it who accepts St. Luke's account as historical. The only room for doubt is whether the speakers spoke in these divers languages, or the hearers heard in them though the speakers spoke in only one tongue. But not to mention that this is far more difficult to imagine, and transfers the miracle from those who had the Holy Spirit to those who had it not, it is against the plain language of the text, which tells us that "they began to speak with other tongues," and that "every man heard them speaking in his own language." "Speaking," said they, "in our own tongues the mighty works of God." There may , indeed, have been something ecstatic besides in these utterances, but there is no reference to such made either by St.