Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Aquila (Akulan). Luke calls him a Jew from Pontus, apparently not yet a disciple, though there were Jews from Pontus at the great Pentecost who were converted (Acts 2:9). Aquila who made the famous AD translation of the O.T. was also from Pontus. Paul "found" (eurwn, second aorist active participle of euriskw) though we do not know how. Edersheim says that a Jewish guild always kept together whether in street or synagogue so that by this bond they probably met.
Lately come from Italy (prosfatwv elhluqota apo thv Italiav). Second perfect participle of erxomai. Koin‚ adverb, here only in the N.T., from adjective prosfatov (pro, sfaw or sfazw, to kill), lately slaughtered and so fresh or recent (Hebrews 10:20).
With his wife Priscilla (kai Priskillan gunaika autou). Diminutive of Priska (Romans 16:3; I Corinthians 16:19). Prisca is a name in the Acilian family and the Prisci was the name of another noble clan. Aquila may have been a freedman like many Jews in Rome. Her name comes before his in verses Acts 18:18, Acts 18:26; Romans 16:3; II Timothy 4:9.
Because Claudius had commanded (dia to diatetaxenai Klaudion). Perfect active articular infinitive of diatassw, old verb to dispose, arrange, here with accusative of general reference. Dia here is causal sense, "because of the having ordered as to Claudius." This was about AD 49, done, Suetonius says (Claudius C. 25), because "the Jews were in a state of constant tumult at the instigation of one Chrestus" (probably among the Jews about Christ so pronounced). At any rate Jews were unpopular in Rome for Tiberius had deported 4,000 to Sardinia. There were 20,000 Jews in Rome. Probably mainly those implicated in the riots actually left.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 18:2:
Acts 16:20
Acts 17:7
Acts 28:22
Romans 1:14
Romans 16:3
1 Corinthians 16:19
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