Teks -- Acts 2:3 (NET)

2:3 And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Act 2:3 - Parting asunder

Parting asunder ( diamerizomenai ).

Present middle (or passive) participle of diamerizō , old verb, to cleave asunder, to cut in pieces as a butcher does meat (aorist passive in Luk 11:17.). So middle here would mean, parting themselves asunder or distributing themselves. The passive voice would be "being distributed."The middle is probably correct and means that "the fire-like appearance presented itself at first, as it were, in a single body, and then suddenly parted in this direction and that; so that a portion of it rested on each of those present"(Hackett). The idea is not that each tongue was cloven, but each separate tongue looked like fire, not real fire, but looking like (hōsei , as if) fire. The audible sign is followed by a visible one (Knowling). "Fire had always been, with the Jews, the symbol of the Divine presence (cf. Exo 3:2; Deu 5:4). No symbol could be more fitting to express the Spirit’ s purifying energy and refining energy"(Furneaux). The Baptist had predicted a baptizing by the Messiah in the Holy Spirit and in fire (Mat 3:11).

Robertson: Act 2:3 - It sat

It sat ( ekathisen ).

Singular verb here, though plural ōpthēsan with tongues (glōssai ). A tongue that looked like fire sat upon each one.

Vincent: Act 2:3 - There appeared

There appeared

See on Luk 22:43.

Vincent: Act 2:3 - Cloven tongues

Cloven tongues ( διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι )

Many prefer to render tongues distributing themselves, or being distributed among the disciples, instead of referring it to the cloven appearance of each tongue. Rev., tongues parting asunder.

Vincent: Act 2:3 - Like as of fire

Like as of fire

Not consisting off fire, but resembliny (ὡσεὶ ) .

Vincent: Act 2:3 - It sat

It sat

Note the singular. One of these luminous appearances sat upon each.

Wesley: Act 2:3 - And there appeared distinct tongues, as of fire

That is, small flames of fire. This is all which the phrase, tongues of fire, means in the language of the seventy. Yet it might intimate God's touching their tongues as it were (together with their hearts) with Divine fire: his giving them such words as were active and penetrating, even as flaming fire.

JFB: Act 2:1-4 - when the day of Pentecost was fully come

The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Lev 23:15-16).

JFB: Act 2:1-4 - with one accord

The solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.

JFB: Act 2:3 - cloven tongues, like as of fire, &c.

"disparted tongues," that is, tongue-shaped, flame-like appearances, rising from a common center or root, and resting upon each of that large company:--beautiful visible symbol of the burning energy of the Spirit now descending in all His plenitude upon the Church, and about to pour itself through every tongue, and over every tribe of men under heaven!

Clarke: Act 2:3 - Cloven tongues like as of fire

Cloven tongues like as of fire - The tongues were the emblem of the languages they were to speak. The cloven tongues pointed out the diversity of those languages; and the fire seemed to intimate that the whole would be a spiritual gift, and be the means of bringing light and life to the souls who should hear them preach the everlasting Gospel in those languages

Clarke: Act 2:3 - Sat upon each of them

Sat upon each of them - Scintillations, coruscations, or flashes of fire, were probably at first frequent through every part of the room where they were sitting; at last these flashes became defined, and a lambent flame, in the form of a cloven tongue, became stationary on the head of each disciple; a proof that the Spirit of God had made each his temple or residence. That unusual appearances of fire were considered emblems of the presence and influence of God, both the Scriptures and the Jewish writings amply prove. Thus God manifested himself to Moses, when he appointed him to deliver Israel, Exo 3:2, Exo 3:3; and thus he manifested himself when he delivered the law on Mount Sinai, Exo 19:16-20. The Jews, in order to support the pretensions of their rabbins, as delivering their instructions by Divine authority and influence, represent them as being surrounded with fire while they were delivering their lectures; and that their words, in consequence, penetrated and exhilarated the souls of their disciples. Some of the Mohammedans represent Divine inspiration in the same way. In a fine copy of a Persian work, entitled Ajaceb al Makhlookat, or Wonders of Creation, now before me, where a marred account of Abraham’ s sacrifice, mentioned Gen 15:9-17, is given, instead of the burning lamp passing between the divided pieces of the victim, Gen 15:17, Abraham is represented standing between four fowls, the cock, the peacock, the duck, and the crow, with his head almost wrapped in a flame of lambent fire, as the emblem of the Divine communication made to him of the future prosperity of his descendants. The painting in which this is represented is most exquisitely finished. This notion of the manner in which Divine intimations were given was not peculiar to the Jews and Arabians; it exists in all countries; and the glories which appear round the heads of Chinese, Hindoo, and Christian saints, real or supposed, were simply intended to signify that they had especial intercourse with God, and that his Spirit, under the emblem of fire, sat upon them and became resident in them. There are numerous proofs of this in several Chinese and Hindoo paintings in my possession; and how frequently this is to be met with in legends, missals, and in the ancient ecclesiastical books of the different Christian nations of Europe, every reader acquainted with ecclesiastical antiquity knows well. See the dedication of Solomon’ s temple, 2Ch 7:1-3

The Greek and Roman heathens had similar notions of the manner in which Divine communications were given: strong wind, loud and repeated peals of thunder, coruscations of lightning, and lambent flames resting on those who were objects of the Deities regard, are all employed by them to point out the mode in which their gods were reported to make their will known to their votaries. Every thing of this kind was probably borrowed from the account given by Moses of the appearance on Mount Sinai; for traditions of this event were carried through almost every part of the habitable world, partly by the expelled Canaanites, partly by the Greek sages travelling through Asiatic countries in quest of philosophic truth: and partly by means of the Greek version of the Septuagint, made nearly three hundred years before the Christian era

"A flame of fire seen upon the head of any person was, among the heathens, considered as an omen from their gods that the person was under the peculiar care of a supernatural power, and destined to some extraordinary employment. Many proofs of this occur in the Roman poets and historians. Wetstein, in his note on this place, has made an extensive collection of them. I shall quote but one, which almost every reader of the Aeneid of Virgil will recollect: -

Talia vociferans gemitu tectum omne replebat:

Cum subitum, dictuque oritur mirabile monstrum.

Namque manus inter, maestorumque ora parentum

Ecce levis summo de vertice visu

Iuli Fundere lumen apex, tactuque innoxia moll

Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora pasci

Nos pavidi trepidare metu, crinemque flagrante

Excutere, et sanctos restinguere fontibus ignes

At pater Anchises oculos ad sidera laetu

Extulit, et coelo palamas cum voce tetendit

Jupiter omnipotens -

Da auxilium, pater, atque haec omina firma

Virg. Aen. ii. v. 679

While thus she fills the house with clamorous cries

Our hearing is diverted by our eyes

For while I held my son, in the short spac

Betwixt our kisses and our last embrace

Strange to relate! from young Iulus’ head

A lambent flame arose, which gently sprea

Around his brows, and on his temples fed

Amazed, with running water, we prepar

To quench the sacred fire, and slake his hair

But old Anchises, versed in omens, rear’

His hands to heaven, and this request preferr’ d

If any vows almighty Jove can bend

Confirm the glad presage which thou art pleased to send

Dryden

There is nothing in this poetic fiction which could be borrowed from our sacred volume; as Virgil died about twenty years before the birth of Christ

It may be just necessary to observe, that tongue of fire may be a Hebraism: for in Isa 5:24, לשון אש leshon esh , which we render simply fire, is literally a tongue of fire, as the margin very properly has it. The Hebrews give the name of tongue to most things which terminate in a blunt point: so a bay is termed in Jos 15:2, לשן lashon , a tongue. And in Jos 15:5, what appears to have been a promontory is called לשון הים leshon hayam , a tongue of the sea

Clarke: Act 2:3 - It sat upon each

It sat upon each - That is, one of those tongues, like flames, sat upon the head of each disciple; and the continuance of the appearance, which is indicated by the word sat, shows that there could be no illusion in the case. I still think that in all this case the agent was natural, but supernaturally employed.

Defender: Act 2:3 - tongues like as of fire

These mysterious cloven tongues seem to depict a fiery root, divided into many individual tongues, enough to reach each person in the company. They were not real fire, however, but "like as of fire." There have been various speculations as to their nature, but since it was a supernatural phenomenon, these seem pointless. In any case, the mighty wind filling the house and the fire-like tongues reaching each of the company are the audible and visible signs that the Holy Spirit had come, baptizing and filling them all, fulfilling John the Baptist's prophecy that Christ would baptize them "with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Luk 3:16)."

TSK: Act 2:3 - cloven // like // sat

cloven : Act 2:4, Act 2:11; Gen 11:6; Psa 55:9; 1Co 12:10; Rev 14:6

like : Isa 6:5; Jer 23:29; Mal 3:2, Mal 3:3; Mat 3:11; Luk 24:32; Jam 3:6; Rev 11:3

sat : Act 1:15; Isa 11:2, Isa 11:3; Mat 3:15; Joh 1:32, Joh 1:33

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Act 2:3 - Cloven tongs // Like as of fire // And it sat upon each of them

Cloven tongs to signify the variety of languages which the apostles should be enabled to speak, to qualify them to preach the gospel unto all nations, and to remove the obstacle which the confusion of tongues caused.

Like as of fire which represented,

1. The light that the apostles should impart;

2. The fervent heat and zeal which they should be endowed with;

3. The gospel’ s spreading in the world, and carrying all before it, prevailing over all errors;

4. The purity and holiness which they and all that preach the gospel ought to appear withal.

And it sat upon each of them remained, as far as was necessary for the founding of the Christian religion; and was not, as the gift of prophecy, bestowed only occasionally, as on Nathan, Samuel.

Haydock: Act 2:3 - Tongues ... of fire

Tongues ... of fire. The Hebrews use the name tongue, for almost any thing pointed. Thus they say, a tongue of the earth, for a promontory. (Josue xv. 5.) A fiery tongue for a flame in shape of a tongue. (Isaias v. 24.) The expression, therefore, in this place, may mean noting more than sparks, or rather flames, which appeared above all who were in the house. ---

Sed et Latinis quod extremum et acutum est lingua dicitur, quare scopulos summos & invios linguas dixit Cæsar. (Pastorini) ---

By the fiery tongues is signified the efficacy of the apostles' preaching, and the gift of tongues bestowed upon them. (Menochius)

Gill: Act 2:3 - And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire // and it sat upon each of them

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,.... An emblem of the various tongues and languages, in which they were to preach the Gospel; these appearances were like flames of fire parted, and these parted flames looked like tongues; so, a flame of fire is with, the Jews called, לשון אש, "a tongue of fire", Isa 5:24 hence the Apostle James compares a tongue to fire, Jam 3:6 this was the baptism with fire, John the Baptist speaks of; see Gill on Mat 3:11; and the Jews say ^t,

"the holy blessed God baptizeth with fire, and the wise shall understand.

Through this baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, the apostles became more knowing, and had a greater understanding of the mysteries of the Gospel, and were more qualified to preach it to people of all nations and languages. The Holy Spirit, in his gifts and graces, is compared to fire, because of its purity, light, and heat, as well as consuming nature; the Spirit sanctifies, and makes men pure and holy, purges from the dross of sin, error and superstition; and enlightens the minds of men, and gives them knowledge of divine and spiritual things; and fills them with zeal and fervour for the glory of God and Christ, and the good of his church and interest, and for the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel; as well as fortifies them against their enemies, whom he consumes, according to Zec 2:5 a passage of Scripture the Jews make use of in an uncommon sense; for they say ^u, that as

"Jerusalem was destroyed by fire, "by fire it shall be built again"; as it is said, Zec 2:5 "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about".

The pouring forth of the Spirit upon the apostles, in this form of cloven tongues, as of fire, was indeed the means of rebuilding Jerusalem, in a spiritual sense; or of founding the Gospel church state in the world:

and it sat upon each of them; the fire, or the Holy Ghost in the appearance of fire. The Syriac and Arabic versions read, "and they sat upon each of them"; and so Beza's most ancient copy; that is, the cloven tongues sat on them; either one upon one of them and another upon another, or many upon each of them: where they sat, whether on their lips, or on their heads, it not certain, probably on the latter; nor how long they sat; however, their sitting upon them may denote the continuance of the gifts and graces of the Spirit with them. These cloven tongues cannot but bring to mind the division and confusion of the tongues or languages at Babel; which gave rise to different nations, and different religions; but these divided tongues gave rise to the spreading of the Gospel, and settling the true religion among the nations of the world. The Jews ^w seem to have respect to this account, when they tell us of.

"lights from above, that came forth and dwelt in the synagogues, ברישיהון, "on the heads" of those that prayed, and the lights מתפלגין, "were divided" upon their heads.