The harmony, chronicle and order of the New Testament the text of the four evangelists methodized, story of the acts of the apostles analyzed, order of the epistles manifested, times of the revelation observed : all illustrated, with variety of observations upon the chiefest difficulties textuall & talmudicall, for clearing of their sense and language : with an additional discourse concerning the fall of Jerusalem and the condition of the Jews in that land afterward / John Lightfoot ...

ACTS CHAP. VI, VII.

THe seven Deacons [as they are commonly called] chosen by occasion of the Helle∣nists murmuring against the Hebrews about neglect of their widows. The Hebrews were Jews the inhabitants of Iudea, and the Hellenists those Jews that lived in other Countries dispersedly among the Greeks: Not only in Greece, but almost in all other Countries, which the conquests of Alexander, and the continuance of the Syrogre∣cian Monarchy after him had filled with Greeks, as all Countries also were filled with Jews.

In all the Jews Synagogues there were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Parnasin, Deacons, or such as had care of the poor, whose work it was to gather alms for them from the Congregation, and to distribute it to them. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 There were two that gathered alms for them and one more added to distribute it to them. Maym. in Sanhedr. per. 1. R. Chelbe in the name of R. Ba bar Zabda saith, They appoint not lesse then three Parnasin. For if judgement about pecuniary matters were judged by three, much more this matter which concerneth life is to be managed by three. Jerus. in Peah fol. 21. col. 1. That needfull office is here translated into the Christian Church: and the seven are chosen to this work out of the number of the hundred and twenty that are mentioned, chap. 1.15. and that company only was the choosers of them, and not all the Beleevers in Ierusalem. The reason why the Hebrews neglected the widows of the Hellenists may be supposed, ei∣ther because they would stick to their old rule, mentioned once before, That a widow was to be maintained by her husbands children. Talm. in che••••b. per. 11. Maym. in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 per. 18. [compare 1 Tim. 5.4.] or because the Hebrews of Iudea had brought in more into the common stock for the poor, by sale of their Goods and Lands, then those that had come from forrain Countries had done, they not having Goods and Lands so ready to sell. All that had been brought in hitherto, had been put into the Apostles hands, and they had been burdened with the care and trouble of the disposall of it: but now they transferre that work and office to the seven, solemnly ordaining them by Imposition of hands into it, and here only, the Imposition of the Apostles hands confers not the holy Ghost, for these men were full of the holy Ghost before.

Stephen an eminent man among them, is quarrelled by certain of the Libertines, and the Hellenists Synagogue. Libertini 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are exceeding frequently spoken of in the Jews Writings. And the Alexandrian Synagogue [one of the Hellenists] is menti∣oned in Jerus. in Megillah. fol. 73. col. 4. and Juchas. fol. 26. who tell, that R. Eliezer bar Zadoc took the Synagogue of the Alexandrians that was at Ierusalem, and imployed it to his own use.

When they are notable to overpower him by argument and disputation, they take a ready way to do it, by false accusation, and conventing him before the Sanhedrin: where being accused of vilifying Moses, and speaking of the destruction of that place, he is vin∣dicated,

even miraculously, before he pleadeth his own cause, by his face shining like the face of Moses, and bearing an Angelicall aspect and Majesty; for indeed he spake but what was spoken by the Angel Gabriel, Dan. 9.26, 27.

In his Apology, he speaketh to the heads of his accusation, but somewhat abstrusely; yet so as to them to whom he spake to be well understood, his discourse being according to their own Rhetorick and Logick: To what was laid to his charge, for vilifying Moses, and saying, his customs should be changed, he rehearseth in brief the whole history of Moses, and shews he was Orthodox to him; but yet he driveth all to this, that as the times before Moses were still moving and growing on to settlement in Moses, so when Moses himself had setled all he had to do, yet he pointed them to a Prophet yet to come, to whom they should hearken as the ultimate Oracle, which was this Iesus that he preached to them. And whereas he was accused for speaking of the destruction of the Temple, he first shews, that fixednesse to this or that place, is not so much to be stood upon, as ap∣pears by the flitting condition of the Patriachs [whose flittings he giveth the story of at large] and by the moving condition of the Tabernacle before the Temple was built: And when the Temple was built, it was not because God would confine himself to one place, for the most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands, ver. 48. &c.

He inserteth two or three sharp and true accusations of them, whereas theirs of him had been but false and causelesse. As, that their fathers had persecuted those that fore∣told of Christ, as they did him for now preaching him, and they followed their fathers steps; nay went further, for they had murdered Christ, whereas their fathers had but murdered his Prophets. And whereas they were so punctuall, about the Ceremo∣nious rites given by Moses, they neglected the morall Law, which was given by the dispo∣sition of Angels.

This cuts them to the heart, that they passe a rancourous and furious sentence of death upon him: but he hath a sight of the high bench of heaven, God and Christ at his right hand, their judge and his: A most fit prospect for the first Martyr.

They cast him out of the City and stone him for blasphemy. For these were to be stoned, He that went in to his mother, or to his fathers wife, or to his daughter in Law, or to a male, or to a beast: and he that blasphemed, or that committed Idolatry, &c. And the place of sto∣ning was out from the place of Iudgement, [nay out of the City, as the Gomarists resolve it] because it is said, Bring him that cursed, out of the Camp. And A crier went before him, that was to die, proclaiming his fault. Sanhedr. per. 6. & 7.

When he was come within four cubits of the place of stoning, they stript him naked: only covered his nakednesse before. Ibid.

And being come to the very place, first the witnesses laid their hands upon him, Maym. in Avodah Zarah per. 2. and then stripping off their coats that they might be more expedite for their present work, first one of them dasheth his loins violently against a stone that lay for that purpose: if that killed him not, then the other dasheth a great stone upon his heart, as he lay on his back▪ and if that dispatched him not, then all the people fell upon him with stones. Talm. ubi sup.

Steven in the midst of all this their fury, and his own anguish, gets on his knees and prayes for them: and having so done he fell asleep. The Jews do ordinarily use the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to signifie Dying, which properly signifies sleeping, especially when they speak of a fair and comfortable death: which word Luke translates here. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 All that were stoned were also hanged up upon a tree. Talm. ubi supr. Whether Steven were so used is uncertain, but it is evident that he had a fair buriall, and not the buriall of a malefactour.