Acts 14:8

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) Being a cripple from his mother’s womb.—We note, as in Acts 3:2; Acts 9:33, the characteristic care to record the duration of the infirmity which was supernaturally cured.

Benson Commentary

Acts 14:8-10. And there sat, &c. — To the general account of the apostle’s labours given above, the historian here subjoins a particular relation of some memorable events which happened at Lystra. There sat a man impotent in his feet — Disabled, as the word is, to that degree, that it was impossible he should set his feet to the ground, or lay any stress upon them; being — As was well known, a cripple from his mother’s womb. This same man heard Paul speak — Having, it seems, been laid in some place of public resort, to beg alms of such as passed by, near where Paul was discoursing; who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving — By the ardour and humility expressed in his countenance, or by the gift of discerning spirits which he possessed; that he had faith to be healed — Had a degree of confidence in his soul, that the Jesus whom Paul preached could and would heal him: Paul probably finding at the same time in himself that the power of Christ was to be displayed on this occasion; said with a loud voice — In the hearing of all that were assembled there, as one that was conscious of the divine authority by which he then acted; Stand, &c. — Or, as is certainly implied, and as some copies read, I say unto thee, in the name of the Lord Jesus, stand upright on thy feet — And power went along with this word; for the lame man immediately leaped and walked — Thus showing that he was perfectly cured.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:8-18 All things are possible to those that believe. When we have faith, that most precious gift of God, we shall be delivered from the spiritual helplessness in which we were born, and from the dominion of sinful habits since formed; we shall be made able to stand upright and walk cheerfully in the ways of the Lord. When Christ, the Son of God, appeared in the likeness of men, and did many miracles, men were so far from doing sacrifice to him, that they made him a sacrifice to their pride and malice; but Paul and Barnabas, upon their working one miracle, were treated as gods. The same power of the god of this world, which closes the carnal mind against truth, makes errors and mistakes find easy admission. We do not learn that they rent their clothes when the people spake of stoning them; but when they spake of worshipping them; they could not bear it, being more concerned for God's honour than their own. God's truth needs not the services of man's falsehood. The servants of God might easily obtain undue honours if they would wink at men's errors and vices; but they must dread and detest such respect more than any reproach. When the apostles preached to the Jews, who hated idolatry, they had only to preach the grace of God in Christ; but when they had to do with the Gentiles, they must set right their mistakes in natural religion. Compare their conduct and declaration with the false opinions of those who think the worship of a God, under any name, or in any manner, is equally acceptable to the Lord Almighty. The most powerful arguments, the most earnest and affectionate addresses, even with miracles, are scarcely enough to keep men from absurdities and abominations; much less can they, without special grace, turn the hearts of sinners to God and to holiness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And there sat - There dwelt, Matthew 9:16; Acts 18:11 (margin). The word "sat," however, indicates his usual posture, his helpless condition. Such persons commonly sat by the wayside, or in some public place, to ask for alms, Mark 10:46.

Impotent in his feet - ἀδύνατος adunatos. Without any power. Entirely deprived of the use of his feet.

Being a cripple - Lame.

Who never had walked - The miracle, therefore, would be more remarkable, as the man would be well known. As they were persecuted from place to place, and opposed in every manner, it was desirable that a signal miracle should be performed to carry forward and establish the work of the gospel.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Ac 14:8-21. At Lystra Paul Healing a Cripple, the People Are Scarce Restrained from Sacrificing to Them as Gods, but Afterwards, Their Minds Being Poisoned, They Stone Paul, Leaving Him for Dead—Withdrawing to Derbe, They Preach and Teach There.

There being no mention of the synagogue at Lystra, it is probable there were too few Jews there to form one.

8-10. there sat there a certain man … a cripple from his mother's womb … The same heard Paul speak—in the open air and (Ac 14:11) to a crowd of people.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Such defects as are from nature, are incurable by art, and only to be helped immediately by the God of nature.

Who never had walked; this is observed and enlarged upon, to make the miracle the more appear to be the only work of God: Acts 3:2.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And there sat a certain man at Lystra,.... Where the apostle was preaching; and perhaps he sat there to beg, where there was a great concourse of people, and which might be in the open street: this man was

impotent in his feet; so weak, as not to be able to walk, and even to stand on them, and therefore is said to sit:

being a cripple from his mother's womb; he was born lame, as was the man cured by Peter, Acts 3:2

who never had walked; these circumstances are mentioned, to show that his case was incurable by any human art, and to illustrate the following miracle.

Geneva Study Bible

{3} And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:

(3) It is an old subtlety of the devil, either to cause the faithful servants of God to be immediately banished, or to be worshipped as idols: and he does this by taking occasion of miracles which they have done.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 14:8-10.[16] Ἐκάθητο] he sat, because he was lame. Perhaps he begged (comp. John 9:8), like the lame man in chap. 3.

περιπεπ.] Pluperfect without augment. See on Matthew 7:25, and Valckenaer, p. 504 f. Bornemann, ad Xen. Cyr. vi. 2. 9. Observe, moreover, the earnest circumstantiality of the narrative.

ἤκουε] The imperfect denotes his persevering listening.

ἰδών] Paul saw in the whole bearing of the man closely scanned by him (in his look, gestures, play of features) his confidence of being saved, i.e. healed. This confidence was excited by listening to the discourse of the apostle; by which Paul appeared to him as a holy man of superior powers. Bengel aptly says: “dum claudus verbum audit, vim sentit in anima, unde intus movetur, ut ad corpus concludat.”

τοῦ σωθῆναι] This genitive of the object depends directly on πίστιν. See Buttmann’s neut. Gr. p. 229 f.[E. T. 266].

μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ] thus, with the μεγ. predicatively prefixed only here and in Acts 26:24. See, generally, Kühner, § 493. 1, and especially Schaefer, ad Dionys. Comp. p. 359.

ὀρθός] ita ut erectus stes. See on Matthew 12:13, and Bornemann, Schol. in Luc. p. 39 f.

ἥλατο κ. περιεπάτει] Observe the exchange of the aorist and imperfect: he sprang up, made a leap, and walked. Otherwise in Acts 3:8.

[16] Although two cures of the same kind of infirmity and in a similar miraculous manner naturally enough produce two similar narratives, yet it cannot surprise us that, according to the criticism of Schneckenburger, Baur, and Zeller, the whole of this narrative is assumed to originate from an imitation of the narrative of the earlier Petrine miracle in chap. 3. “But with the miracle is withdrawn also the foundation of the attempted worship of the two apostles; this, therefore, cannot be regarded as historical, and so much the less, as it also is exposed to the suspicion of having arisen from an exaggerated repetition of a trait from the history of Peter,” Zeller, p. 214. Comp. Baur, I. p. 112 ff. ed. 2. In a corresponding manner have the miracles of Paul generally been placed in parallelism with those of Peter, to the prejudice of their historical truth. Comp., in opposition to this view, Trip, Paulus nach d. Apostelgesch. p. 161 ff.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 14:8. ἐν Λύστροις: here neuter plural, and not as in Acts 14:6; Acts 14:21; feminine. Clemen, p. 115, and Jüngst, p. 131, see a proof in this that 8–18, or 21a, was interpolated by a redactor. But Hilgenfeld points out that the same interchange of feminine singular and neuter plural recurs in Acts 16:1-2; cf. also 2 Timothy 3:11. The miracle which follows has often been compared with those narrated in Acts 3:1 ff., and it has been alleged that this second miracle is a mere imitation of the first, to keep up the parallel between Peter and Paul. But whilst there are, no doubt, features in common in the two narratives—no great matter for surprise in similar healings, where a similarity of expressions would fitly recur, especially in the literary usage of a medical writer (see Zöckler, p. 240)—the differences are also marked: e.g., in the Petrine miracle the man is a beggar, and asks only for alms; in the Pauline nothing is said of all this, even if the first fact is implied—in the Petrine miracle nothing is said of the man’s faith, although it is implied (see notes, in loco); here it is distinctly stated—in the earlier miracle Peter is represented as taking the man and raising him up; here nothing of the kind is mentioned (see further on the two miracles, and the different motive in their performance, Nösgen, Apostelgeschichte, p. 267). On St. Paul’s own claim to work miracles see 2 Corinthians 12:12, Romans 15:19, Galatians 3:5. If the latter passage occurs in an Epistle addressed amongst other Churches to Christians in Lystra, in accordance with the South Galatian theory, the assertion of miraculous powers is the more notable; see also McGiffert, Apostolic Age, p. 189.—ἀδύν. τοῖς π.: adjective only here in N.T. in this sense, cf. LXX, . Tob 2:10; Tob 5:9, ἀδύν. τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. It is used frequently in a similar sense by medical writers, Hobart, p. 46.—ἐκάθητο; not “dwelt” Hebraistic; but simply “used to sit,” cf. Luke 18:35, John 9:8; probably in the forum, cf. Acts 14:11 (Blass).—ἐκ κοιλ. μητρὸς α.; “no mendicant pretender, but one whose history from infancy was well known”. See Ramsay on the “triple beat,” St. Paul, p. 115.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8–18. Cure of a Cripple at Lystra. The heathen people regard the Apostles as gods

8. And there sat a certain man] Perhaps this cripple, like that other in Jerusalem (Acts 3:2), was brought by his friends to some much-frequented place that he might ask alms of them that passed by. There is no mention of a synagogue in Lystra, and it is very improbable that there was one. The Apostles therefore would seek out some place of public resort where they might proclaim their message, and such a position would also be most adapted for the purposes of a begging cripple.

at Lystra] This place lay almost south from Iconium, if the site generally assigned to it, at the foot of the Kara-dagh, be the correct one. See Dict. of the Bible. It is most probable that this was the home of Timothy. We cannot conclude this absolutely from Acts 16:1, because both Derbe and Lystra are there mentioned, but in Acts 20:4 we have an enumeration in which are the words “Gaius of Derbe and Timotheus,” where the form of the expression makes it almost certain that the latter was not of Derbe. Further, when St Paul recalls to Timothy his sufferings undergone at this period (2 Timothy 3:10-11), he says “Thou hast fully known … the persecutions and afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra,” words which seem to connect Timothy with the last-named place, and when taken in connection with the other passages to be conclusive that Timothy did not live at Derbe.

That Timothy was made a convert to Christianity at this first visit of St Paul is plain from Acts 16:1, where on the Apostle’s second visit he is called “a disciple.” It is also clear from the same passage (Acts 16:3) that there could have been but few Jews at Lystra at this time, or else the son of a religious Jewess would hardly have remained uncircumcised till he had reached man’s estate. Some, however, have thought that this may have come to pass through the influence of the Greek father of Timothy.

impotent in his feet, &c.] It is worth while to notice once again how minutely Luke, the physician, describes the nature of this and other maladies throughout the history.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 8. - At Lystra there sat, etc., for there sat... at Lystra, A.V.; a cripple for being a cripple, A.V. and T.R. Acts 14:8

Vincent's Word Studies

Impotent (ἀδύνατος)

The almost universal meaning of the word in the New Testament is impossible (see Matthew 19:26; Hebrews 6:4, etc.). The sense of weak or impotent occurs only here and Romans 15:1.