Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Acts 2:41
A historical reference excerpt for this verse.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 they that gladly received his word, etc.] The Syriac version adds, “and believed”; what Peter said concerning repentance and baptism, and especially concerning remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost; and concerning the promise of Christ, and salvation by him, of the pardon of sin, and of the Holy Spirit; which doctrine they received with great joy and gladness, it being suitable to their case; and very “readily”, and “willingly”, as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it; for they were now made a willing people in the day of God’s power, and now that promise, or prophecy, in (<19B003>Psalm 110:3) had a remarkable accomplishment; these converts were the dew of Christ’s youth, as well as instances of his powerful and efficacious grace: not all that heard this sermon of Peter’s received his doctrine in this manner, only some; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render the words, “and some of them readily received”, etc. which shows the distinguishing grace of God in this instance. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions leave out the word “gladly”, which should not be omitted: and as soon as they had received the word, and were comforted by it, they were baptized; in water, by immersion, for which there was great conveniency in Jerusalem, and in the temple, where the apostles now were: in the city of Jerusalem, in private houses, they had their baths for purifications, by immersion, as in the case of menstruous, gonorrhoeas, and other defilements, by touching unclean persons, and things, which were very frequent; so that a digger of cisterns, for such uses, and others, was a business in Jerusalem. “Says Simeon Sicana f127, who was a digger of cisterns, ditches, and caves, in Jerusalem, to R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, I am as great a man as thou art; he made answer to him, why? (or your reason for it;) he replied to him, because I am employed in the necessary affairs of many, (or of the public,) as you are; for says he, if a man comes to you for judgment, or to ask a question, you say to him, drink out of this cistern, whose waters are pure, and cold; or, if a woman asks thee concerning her monstrous, you say to her, ylbj, dip in this cistern, whose waters purify.” And in the temple there was an apartment, called hlybj tyb, “the dipping place”, or “room”, where the high priest dipped himself on the day of atonement f128: and besides, there were ten lavers of brass, made by Solomon; and every laver held forty baths of water, and each was four cubits broad and long, sufficient for immersion of the whole body of a man; and to these Herbanus f129 the Jew seems to have respect, when he says, that in the outer part of Solomon’s temple, there were louthrhv, “lavers”, in every side, (or all around,) which were free, or open, for the use of all; to which, he thinks, the prophet Isaiah has respect, in (<230116>Isaiah 1:16). Those were for the priests, both to wash their hands and feet at, and also to wash the burnt offerings; (see <023018>Exodus 30:18-19 <140406>2 Chronicles 4:6) f130 : and who were likewise obliged, very often, to bathe, or dip their whole bodies in water; for if a priest went out of the temple for a little while to speak with a friend, hlybj ˆw[j, “he was obliged to dipping”: and if he nodded, he was obliged to wash his hands and his feet; but if he slept, he was obliged to dip himself; yea, a man might not go into the court, or to service, even though he was clean, lbwj awhç d[, “until he dip himself” f131 . Add…
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