And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Read Chapter 16
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Jews. This was the name the first Christians went by among the pagans. Indeed our Saviour's being born of that nation, and his disciples adoring the same God, and following the same morality and Scriptures as the Jews, were sufficient reasons to make them confounded. When Suetonius relates that Claudius banished the Jews from Rome, he means the Christians. (Calmet)
What do you say? Do you believe the demon? Why not here also? He says, They are servants of the most high God; you say, They exceedingly trouble our city: he says, They show us the way of salvation; you say, They teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive.
Why did they not say, Because they cast out the demon, they were guilty of impiety against God? For this was a defeat to them: but instead of that, they have recourse to a charge of treason (ἐ πὶ καθοσίωσιν): like the Jews when they said, We have no king but Cæsar: whoso makes himself a king speaks against Cæsar. John 19:14 (c) And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
by doing what? Then why did you not drag them (hither) before this? Being Jews: the name was in bad odor. And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. Acts 16:21 They made a charge of treason of it (εἰς καθοσίωσιν ἤγαγον).
