Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Held their peace (hsuxasan). Ingressive aorist active indicative of hsuxazw, old verb to be quiet, to keep quiet. The wrangling (verse Acts 11:2) ceased. The critics even "glorified God" (edocasan, ingressive aorist again).
Then to the Gentiles also (Ara kai toiv eqnesin). Ergo as in Luke 11:20, Luke 11:48 and like ara oun in Romans 5:18. In ancient Greek inferential ara cannot come at the beginning of a clause as here. It was reluctant acquiescence in the undoubted fact that God had "granted repentance unto life" to these Gentiles in Caesarea, but the circumcision party undoubtedly looked on it as an exceptional case and not to be regarded as a precedent to follow with other Gentiles. Peter will see in this incident (Acts 15:8) the same principle for which Paul contends at the Jerusalem Conference. Furneaux suggests that this conduct of Peter in Caesarea, though grudgingly acquiesced in after his skilful defence, decreased his influence in Jerusalem where he had been leader and helped open the way for the leadership of James the Lord's brother.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 11:18:
Acts 15:8
Acts 22:2
1 Thessalonians 4:11
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