Acts 16:14 - Exposition

One that for which, A.V.; to give heed for that she attended, A.V.; by for of, A.V. A certain woman , etc. Whether her personal name was Lydia, or whether she was commonly so called on account of her native country and her trade, must remain uncertain. Thyatira was in Lydia. Lydian women, from the time of Homer downwards, were famous for their purple dyes; and it appears from an inscription found in Thyatira, that there was there a guild of dyers, called οἱ βαφεῖς (Lewin, 2:214). One that worshipped God ( σεβομένη τὸν θεὸν ); i.e. a proselyte. So in Acts 13:43 we find οἱ σεβόμενοι προσήλυτοι the devout or religious proselytes. And so αἱ σεβόμεναι γυναῖκες , the devout women. And so, in Acts 18:7 , Justus is described as σεβόμενος τὸν θεὸν one who worshipped God (see too Acts 17:4 , Acts 17:17 ). In Acts 10:1 Cornelius is spoken of as εὐσεβὴς καὶ φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν . It has been suggested that possibly Euodias and Syntyche ( Philippians 4:2 ) were of tile same class, and converted at tile same time as Lydia. There is certainly a coincidence between the mention of the women in Acts 10:13 and the prominence given to the Philippian women in Philippians 4:2 , Philippians 4:3 . It is well observed by Chrysostom, on the latter part of this verse, " The opening of tile heart was God's work, the attending was hers: so that it was both God's doing and man's" (camp. Philippians 2:12 , Philippians 2:13 ). To open ( διανοίγειν ) is applied as here to the heart (2 Mace. Philippians 1:4 ); to the eyes ( Luke 24:31 ); to the cars (Mk 17:34, 35); to the understanding ( Luke 24:45 ); to the Scriptures ( Luke 24:32 ); "Corclausum per se. Dei est id aporire "(Bengel).