Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Sat (kaqezomenov). Sitting (present middle participle describing his posture).
In the window (epi thv quridov). Old word diminutive from qura, door, a little door. Latticed window (no glass) opened because of the heat from the lamps and the crowd. Our window was once spelt windore (Hudibras), perhaps from the wrong idea that it was derived from wind and door. Eutychus (a common slave name) was sitting on (epi) the window sill. Ahaziah "fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber" (II Kings 1:2). In the N.T. quriv only here and II Corinthians 11:33 (dia quridov) through which Paul was let down through the wall in Damascus.
Borne down with deep sleep (kataferomenov upnw baqei). Present passive participle of kataferw, to bear down, and followed by instrumental case (upnw). Describes the gradual process of going into deep sleep. Great medical writers use baquv with upnov as we do today (deep sleep). D here has basei (heavy) for baqei (deep).
As Paul discoursed yet longer (dialegomenou tou Paulou epi pleion). Genitive absolute of present middle participle of dialegomai (cf. verse Acts 20:7). with epi pleion. Eutychus struggled bravely to keep awake, vainly hoping that Paul would finish. But he went on "for more."
Being born down by his sleep (katenexqeiv apo tou upnou). First aorist (effective) passive showing the final result of the process described by kataferomenov, finally overcome as a result of (apo) the (note article tou) sleep (ablative case). These four participles (kaqezomenos, kataferomenos, dialegomenou, katenexqeiv) have no connectives, but are distinguished clearly by case and tense. The difference between the present kataferomenov and the aorist katenexqeiv of the same verb is marked.
Fell down (epesen katw). Effective aorist active indicative of piptw with the adverb katw, though katapiptw (compound verb) could have been used (Acts 26:14; Acts 28:6). Hobart (Medical Language of St. Luke) thinks that Luke shows a physician's interest in the causes of the drowsiness of Eutychus (the heat, the crowd, the smell of the lamps, the late hour, the long discourse). Cf. Luke 22:45.
From the third story (apo tou tristegou). From treiv (three) and stegh (roof), adjective tristegov having three roofs.
Was taken up dead (hrqh nekrov). First aorist passive indicative of airw. Luke does not say wv (as) or wsei (Mark 9:26 as if). The people considered him dead and Luke the physician seems to agree with that view.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 20:9:
Acts 1:13
Acts 20:11
Acts 23:19
Acts 25:7
2 Corinthians 10:10
2 Corinthians 11:33
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