(12) They were all amazed, and were in doubt.--The last word is somewhat stronger in the Greek: "were much perplexed," as in Luke 24:4. No New Testament writer uses it except St. Luke.
What meaneth this?--Better, What may this mean? The same phrase occurs in Acts 17:18.
2:5-13 The difference in languages which arose at Babel, has much hindered the spread of knowledge and religion. The instruments whom the Lord first employed in spreading the Christian religion, could have made no progress without this gift, which proved that their authority was from God.
And they were all amazed,.... That is, all these devout men, Jews and proselytes, which came from other nations before mentioned:
and were in doubt; not whether the apostles spoke in various languages, nor about the sense of their words; for they not only heard them with their ears, and were assured of the facts, but they seem also to understand what was said, since they call the things delivered, the great or wonderful things of God; but they were at a loss in their minds what should be the cause of this, or the reason of such a dispensation,
saying, one to another, what meaneth this? from whence is it? what is the design of it? or what the end to be answered by it? or what will follow upon it? surely something considerable.
What meaneth this?--Better, What may this mean? The same phrase occurs in Acts 17:18.
and were in doubt; not whether the apostles spoke in various languages, nor about the sense of their words; for they not only heard them with their ears, and were assured of the facts, but they seem also to understand what was said, since they call the things delivered, the great or wonderful things of God; but they were at a loss in their minds what should be the cause of this, or the reason of such a dispensation,
saying, one to another, what meaneth this? from whence is it? what is the design of it? or what the end to be answered by it? or what will follow upon it? surely something considerable.