Acts 21:37 - Exposition

About to be brought for to be led , A.V.; saith for said, A.V.; say something for speak, A.V,; and he for who, A.V.; dost thou know for canst thou speak, A.V. About to be brought into the castle . He had nearly reached the top of the stairs, and there was, perhaps, a brief halt while the gates of the castle-yard were being opened. Paul seized the opportunity to address Lysias in Greek. Dost thou know Greek ? ( ἑλληνιστὶ γινώσκεις ;). According to some, λαλεῖν is to be understood, "Dost thou know how to speak Greek?" after the analogy of λαλοῦντες ἀζωτιστί , and οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐπιγινώσκοντες λαλεῖν ιουδαΐστί , in Nehemiah 13:24 . But others (Meyer, Alford, etc.) say that there is no ellipse of λαλεῖν , but that ἐλληνιστὶ γινώσκειν συριστὶ ἐπισταμένους (Xenophon), "Graece nescire" (Cicero), mean to know or not to know the Greek and Syrian languages.