Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Acts 1:12
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Then returned they unto Jerusalem, etc.] With great joy, after the angels had told them that he should come again in like manner: from the mount called Olivet; which was on the east side of Jerusalem, a mountain Christ much frequented, and from whence he ascended to heaven. This is the hill which in (<111107>1 Kings 11:7) is said to be “before Jerusalem”; and accordingly Jarchi interprets it of the Mount of Olives; and in (<381404>Zechariah 14:4) it is expressly said to be “before Jerusalem on the east”; hence, when our Lord sat upon it, he is said to be over against the temple, (<411303>Mark 13:3). It has its name from the multitude of olive trees which grew upon it: it is by the Jewish writers sometimes called µytyzh rh, “the Mount of Olives” f13, as in (<381404>Zechariah 14:4) and sometimes hjçmh rh f14, and ajçm rwj f15, “the Mount of Oil”; i.e. of olive oil, which was made out of the olives that grew upon it. It is said, that in an old edition of the Latin version of this text it is called “the Mountain of Three Lights”; and this reason is given for it, because on the west side it was enlightened in the night by the continual fire of the altar in the temple; and on the east side it had the first beams of the sun before the city was enlightened with them; and it produced plenty of olives, by which the light is maintained in the lamps. Josephus f16 relates, that in the earthquake in the times of Uzziah, half part of this mountain, which was to the west, was divided from it, and was rolled four furlongs to the eastern part of it, so that the ways and king’s gardens were stopped up. Which, is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. The Syriac version renders it, “about seven furlongs”, or near a mile; though Josephus f17 writes, that the Mount of Olives was but five furlongs from Jerusalem: perhaps this may be a mistake in the present copies of Josephus, since Chrysostom on this place cites this passage of Josephus, and reads seven furlongs; which exactly agrees with the Syriac version. A sabbath day’s journey, according to the Jews, was two thousand cubits from any city or town, and which they often called, tbç µwjt, “the bound of the sabbath” f18 ; and which they collect partly from (<043504>Numbers 35:4,5) which they understand thus f19: “a thousand cubits are the suburbs (of the city), and two thousand cubits the bounds of the sabbath.” And these were so many middling paces; for so they say f20, “a walk of two thousand middling paces, this is the bound of the sabbath.” And that this was the proper space they also gather from (<060304>Joshua 3:4) it being the distance between the ark and the people when they marched; and though this was not fixed by the law, yet being a tradition of the elders, was strictly observed by them: so when Ruth desired to become a proselytess, the Targumist on (<080116>Ruth 1:16) introduces Naomi thus speaking to her; “says Naomi, we are commanded to keep the sabbaths, and the good days, (or feasts,) and not to walk above “two thousand cubits”;” i.e. on those days; for to go further was reckoned a profanation of them: so it is said f21, “the sabbath day is profaned with the hands by work, and with the feet by walking more than “two thousand cubits”.” Yea, this was punishable with beatings f22: “a man might go on the sabbath without the city two thousand cubits on every side — but if he went beyond two thousand cubits, they beat him with the beating of rebels,” or in the same manner a rebellious son was…
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