who offers to take

ὑφίστημι, [dialect] Ion. [full] ὑπίστημι Hdt.5.16, al.: [tense] fut.

A

ὑποστήσω E.El. 983

: [tense] aor. ὑπέστησα, [dialect] Dor.

ὑπέστᾱσα Pi.O.8.26

:—Causal, place or set under, ὑποστήσαντες [τῷ χαλκηΐῳ] τρεῖς κολοσσούς having set them under it, to support it, Hdt.4.152;

ὑ. προθύρῳ κίονας Pi.O.6.1

: metaph., χώραν ὑπέστᾱσε ξένοις κίονα ib.8.26: without dat., τρεῖς σταυροὺς ὑπίστησι plants three piles in the lake to support a house, Hdt.5.16;

ὑ. κλῶνας X.Cyn.10.7

;

ἐρείσματα Arist.HA 625a12

, etc.: metaph., γνώμας ὑποστήσας σοφάς having laid them as a foundation, having begun with them, S.Aj. 1091;

ὑ. δόλον E.

l.c.; v. infr. B.1.1.

2 post secretly or in ambush,

τοὺς δορυφόρους Hdt.5.92

.

ή; ταξάρχους X.HG4.1.26

.

3 bring to a halt, hold up, ὑποστήσαντες (sc. τοὺς στρατιώτας)

ἐν τῷ στενῷ οἱ στρατηγοί Id.An.4.1.14

(v.l. ὑποστάντες, v. infr. B. 111); ὑπέστησε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ναῦν ἀντίπρῳρον τοῖς πολεμίοις stationed it, Plb. 1.50.6.

4 give substance to, cause to subsist, 'hypostatize', Plot.6.7.40, al.; treat as subsisting,

ὁ νοῦς κατὰ τὸ νοεῖν ὑφιστὰς τὸ ὄν Id.5.1.4

;

ὑφίστησι μὲν τὸ ὅλον, ὑφίσταται δὲ τὰ μέρη Dam.Pr. 271

, cf. Procl. Inst.28.

II [voice] Med. also in causal sense, mostly [tense] fut. and [tense] aor. 1, lay down, premise,

εἰ μή τι πιστὸν τῷδ' ὑποστήσει στόλῳ A.Supp. 461

;

ἀρχὰς ψευδεῖς ὑποστήσασθαι Plb.3.48.9

;

ἐπειδὰν ὑποθέσεις εὐπεριλήπτους.. ὑποστήσωνται Id.7.7.6

.

2 substitute one thing for another,

τὸν τρόπον τῇ τοῦ Πέρσου ἀλαζονείᾳ X.Ages.9.1

.

3 conceive, suppose, c. acc. et inf.,

τῷ -στησαμένῳ τοὺς θεοὺς.. εἶναι Phld.D.1.17

;

τοὺς θεοὺς ὑφίστανται τὸν κόσμον διοικεῖν D.S. 1.11

, cf. Heraclit.Incred.13; but the inf. is mostly omitted,

ἄφθαρτον ὑποστησάμενοι τὸν κόσμον D.S.1.6

, cf. 12, D.L.2.86:—[voice] Pass.,

τοὺς θεούς, ἂν φρονοῦντες -σταθῶσιν Phld.D.1.7

.

4 set before onself as a model, τινα Isoc.5.113.

B [voice] Pass., with [tense] aor. 2 and [tense] pf. [voice] Act. (Hom. uses only [tense] aor. 2):— stand under as a support,

ὑπεστᾶσι κολοσσοὶ.. τῇ αὐλῇ Hdt.2.153

;

τοὺς σταυροὺς τοὺς ὑπεστεῶτας τοῖσι ἰκρίοισι Id.5.16

;

τὸ ὑφεστὸς τῷ βάρει Arist.IA 708b31

; v. supr. A. 1.1.

2 sink, settle, τὸ ὑπιστάμενον the milk, opp. τὸ ἐπιστάμενον (the cream), Hdt.4.2; opp. τὸ ἐπιπολάζον, Arist.Cael. 311a17; of a sediment, deposit,

ἐν οὔρῳ ψαμμώδεα ὑφίσταται Hp.Aph.4.79

, cf. Arist.Mete. 357b3; opp. ἐπιπλεῖν, Thphr. HP3.15.4; of the sun, set, Emp.48(cj.).

II place oneself under an engagement, promise to do, folld. by [tense] fut. inf.,

ὅσσ' Ἀχιλῆϊ.. ὑπέστημεν δώσειν Il.19.195

, cf. Hdt.9.94;

θύσειν ὑπέστης παῖδα E.IA 360

(troch.), cf. Ar.V. 716(anap.), Pl.Lg. 751d; by [tense] aor.inf.,

ὑφεστακώς μοι ἦν ὁ Διόδωρος φιλάνθρωπον δοῦναι BGU1141.45

(i B. C.); by [tense] pres. inf.,

ὑπέστησαν ποιέειν ταῦτα Hdt.3.128

;

ὑ. τὴν τάξιν ἔχειν X.Cyr.6.3.35

: the inf. is sts. omitted, ὡς.. ὑπέστην καὶ κατένευσα (sc. ἔσεσθαι) Il.4.267: abs.,

ἢ ἔπος ἠέ τι ἔργον ὑποστὰς ἐξετέλεσσε

after promise given,

Od. 3.99

, cf. Il.21.457, Hdt.3.127, 9.34, Lys.19.19, X.An.4.1.26; ὤσπερ ὑπέστη as he promised, Th.4.39, 8.29: c. dat. pers., ὤς οἱ ὑπέστην as I promised him, Il.15.75: sts. with acc. of object (but an inf. may be supplied),

πάντα τελευτήσεις ὅσ' ὑπέστης.. Πριάμῳ 13.375

;

τρίποδας φέρον, οὕς οἱ ὑπέστη 19.243

, cf. 11.244;

ἐκτελέουσιν ὑπόσχεσιν ἥνπερ ὑπέσταν 2.286

, cf. Od.10.483; ἦ ῥ' ἅλιον τὸν μῦθον ὑπέστημεν.., ἀπονέεσθαι vain was the promise we made.., that he would return, Il.5.715.

2 submit, c. dat., τινι 9.160: with [tense] aor. inf., ὑ. θανεῖν, κατθανεῖν, E.HF 706, Ion 1415.

3 c. acc. rei, submit to, consent to, ὁ τὸ ἐλάχιστον ὑπιστάμενος who offers to take the least, Hdt. 1.196; ὑ. τὸν πλοῦν undertake it unwillingly, Th.4.28;

ὑ. τὸν κίνδυνον Id.2.61

, Lys.9.7, cf. Th.4.59, Isoc.3.28;

ἀγῶνας Th.3.57

, OGI763.9 (Milet., ii B. C.);

πόνον E.Supp. 189

;

βέλος Id.HF 1350

;

ἔρωτα Id.Tr. 415

;

ἀπεχθείας Plu.Them.3

;

πόλεμον Plb. 1.6.7

, Alciphr.3.45; πράγματα ib.61;

τὴν πρᾶξιν Plu.Pel.8

;

τὸν ἆθλον Luc.Rh.Pr.24

: also c. inf., consent, bring oneself to,

οὔ τίς με.. ὑπέστη σαῶσαι Il.21.273

;

πᾶν ἂν ὑποστὰς εἰπεῖν D.21.114

; ὑ. ἐξαπατᾶν τινα Id. 19.69: abs., submit patiently, Id.Prooem.5.1; ὑφίστασθαι συμβαίνει τὸν κερατοειδῆ the cornea yields (to pressure), Aët.7.36.

b undertake an office,

τὴν ἀρχήν X.An.6.1.19

,31;

γυμνασιαρχίαν IG5(1).535.12

([place name] Sparta), cf. OGI494.6 (Milet., ii A. D.); ὑφέστη (sic)

τὴν στρατηγίαν SIG876.6

(Smyrna, ii/iii A. D.), cf. Plu.Cam.37: also

ἐθελοντὴν ὑποστῆναι τριήραρχον Lys.29.7

;

χορηγὸς ὑπέστην D.21.69

; ἐμὲ τοῦ λόγου διάδοχον.. ὑποστάντα PlPhlb.19a; poet.,

ὑπέστης αἵματος δέκτωρ A.Eu. 204

: metaph., ψυχὴν Τέλητος ὑπέστης, i. e. you promised to be as brave as T., Hermipp.46 (anap.).

c make an offer in a public auction, ἔδοξεν.. μοι μηθὲν ὑποστῆναι I decided to make no bid, commit myself to nothing, PCair.Zen.371.9 (iii B.C.), cf. PMich.Zen. 60.10 (iii B. C.); δώδεκα ἀρταβῶν ὑπέστη he undertook (to supply the produce) of 12 artabae, ib. 36.5 (iii B.C.), cf. PCair.Zen.199.4 (iii B.C.), PEleph.21.16 (iii B.C.); ὑφίστατο.. τάξεσθαι ἑκάστου πήχεως [x] PTheb. Bank 1.2 (ii B. C.); οὐ δυνόμενος ( = -άμενος)

οὐκέτι ὑποστῆναι τὴν γεωργίαν Sammelb.7468.11

(iii A. D.).

d ὑπέστη πολλὰς ἀπορίας laid himself open to many doubts, Plot.3.6.12.

III lie concealed or in ambush, Hdt.8.91, E.Andr. 1114, v.l. in X.An.4.1.14; v. supr. A. 1.2,

ὑφίημι 1.3

, ὑφεῖσα.

IV resist, withstand, c. dat., A.Pers.87 (lyr.), X.An.3.2.11, HG7.5.12:

ξυμφοραῖς ταῖς μεγίσταις ὑ. Th.2.61

, cf. E.HF 1349: c. acc., Id.Cyc. 200, Rh. 375 (lyr.), Th.1.144, Plb.9.35.1: abs., stand one's ground, face the enemy, E.Ph. 1470, Th.4.54, 8.68, Plb.4.80.5; opp. φεύγω, X.Cyr.4.2.31, Plu.Demetr.25; ὑποστᾰθείς, opp. φεύγων, E.Rh. 315; of clouds, opp. προωθεῖσθαι, Arist.Pr. 940b36.

2 subsist, exist (cf.

ὑπόστασις B.

III),

κατ' ἰδίαν ὑφεστώς Arist.Fr. 188

;

ὑφέστηκε τό τε ὁρᾶν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀκούειν ὥσπερ τὸ ἀλγεῖν Epicur.Fr.36

;

τὸ ὑφεστηκὸς τέλος Id.Sent.22

, cf. Diog.Oen.5, Arr.Epict.3.7.6;

ἐκ τοῦ μηκέτ' ὄντος μηδ' ὑφεστῶτος Plu.2.829c

, cf. Luc.Par.27; τὸ παρῳχημένον τοῦ χρόνου καὶ τὸ μέλλον οὐχ ὑπάρχειν ἀλλ' ὑφεστηκέναι φησί (sc. Χρύσιππος) Stoic.2.165; the Stoic distinction betw. τὸ ὄν and τὸ ὑφεστός is pettifogging acc. to Gal.10.155 (= Stoic.2.115);

τὰ ὑφεστῶτα

business in hand,

Plb.6.14.5

.

b ὑφεστηκότος παρὰ τῷ ταμίᾳ κατ' ἰδίαν λόγου the treasurer having a special bank-account, IG12(9).236.64 (Eretria, ii B.C.);

τὸ ἥμισσυ ἀναπεμπόντω ἐπὶ τὰν δαμοσίαν τράπεζαν ἐς τὸν ὑφεστᾱκότα τᾶς θεοῦ λόγον Arch.f.Religionswiss. 10.211

(Cos, ii B.C.); ὑποστησαμένους λόγον πόλεως τῶν.. χρημάτων ἐγγράφεσθαι τὸ διδόμενον they shall open a municipal account (entitled) 'the.. fund' and place this gift to its credit, SIG577.13 (Milet., iii/ii B.C.).

V ἡ κοιλία ὑφίσταται the bowels are costive, lit., are obstructed or stopped, Plu.2.134e.

VI arise within,

τῷ πλήθει τοιοῦτον ὑπέστη δέος Plb.11.30.2

codd. ( παρέστη is prob. cj.).

ἄγω fut. ἄξω; 2 aor. ἤγαγον; also 3 pl. ἤγαγαν (GJs 10:1); ἠγάγοσαν LXX; pf. ἀγήοχα LXX. Pass.: impf. ἠγόμην; 1 fut. ἀχθήσομαι; 1 aor. ἤχθην; pf. 3 sg. ἦκται Is 23:1. See the pres. act. impv. ἄγε as a separate entry (Hom.+).

① to direct the movement of an object from one position to another

ⓐ lead, bring, lead off, lead away w. acc. τὴν ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον Mt 21:7 (cp. Just., A I, 32, 6; 54, 7); γυναῖκα J 8:3; παῖδα Ac 20:12. ἄγαγε αὐτήν bring her here! AcPl Ha 2, 15f. θέλεις χαλκέα ἄγωμεν; Do you wish us to fetch a locksmith? 3, 5. W. acc. and indication of the goal πρὸς αὐτόν Lk 4:40; 18:40; cp. 19:35; J 9:13; Ac 9:27; 23:18. πρὸς τὸ συμψέλιον Hv 3, 1, 7. εἰς τὴν ἔρημον B 7:8. ἐπὶ σφαγήν to be slaughtered Ac 8:32; 1 Cl 16:7; B 5:2 (all three Is 53:7). ἔξω J 19:4, 13; ὧδε Lk 19:27. W. dat. of pers. (1 Macc 7:2) ἀγάγετέ μοι bring it to me Mt 21:2. τινὰ σύν τινι (cp. PGM 1, 179) 1 Th 4:14. Pass. τὸ πλοῖον ἀγόμενον εἰς Μακεδονίαν the ship sailing for Macedonia AcPl Ha 5, 15.—In transf. sense, of Jesus as shepherd J 10:16; ὁ θεὸς ἤγαγεν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ σωτῆρα Ἰησοῦν God brought Jesus as savior to Israel Ac 13:23.

ⓑ bring/take along (Jos., Ant. 10, 179) εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν Ac 11:26. ἕως Ἀθηνῶν 17:15. ἐπὶ τὸν Ἄρειον πάγον vs. 19; ἄγοντες παρʼ ᾧ ξενισθῶμεν Μνάσωνι (=πρὸς Μνάσωνα) ἵνα παρʼ αὐτῷ ξενισθῶμεν 21:16; s. on this ξενίζω and B-D-F §294, 5; Rob. 719). ἄγε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ bring (him) along 2 Ti 4:11 (PPetr II, 32 [2a], 13 ἄγων μεθʼ αὑτοῦ).

② to take into custody, lead away, arrest, legal t.t. w. acc. Mk 13:11; Lk 22:54; J 7:45; Ac 5:26. ὅπως δεδεμένους ἀγάγῃ εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ 9:2; cp. 22:5. Of arraignment and trial w. ἐπί and acc. (BGU 22, 34ff; PTebt 331, 16f; Just., A II, 2, 12) ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας Mt 10:18. ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα Ac 18:12. ἐπʼ ἐξουσίαν Hs 9, 28, 4. εἰς τὸ συνέδριον Ac 6:12. [εἰς τὸ συμ]β[ο]ύ̣λιον AcPl BMM verso 20 (cp. Just. A II, 10, 4 εἰς δικαστήριον). Abs. Ac 25:6, 17, 23. Of the transport of a prisoner 23:31; J 18:28. εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν take away to the barracks Ac 21:34; 23:10. Of leading away to execution (cp. Diod S 13, 102, 1; Appian, Bell. Civ. 5, 9 §36; Lucian, Syr. Dea 25; 2 Macc 6:29; 7:18) Lk 23:32; J 19:16 v.l.; s. entry ἀπάγω 2c.

③ to lead/guide morally or spiritually, lead, encourage (in the direction of) (X., Mem. 1, 6, 14 ἐπὶ καλοκἀγαθίαν; Demosth. 25, 76 εἰς ἔλεον; 18, 316 εἰς ἀχαριστίαν; Pr 18:6; Jos., Ant. 2, 174; εἰς πίστιν Just., A I, 10, 4; εἰς ἐπίστασιν καὶ ἀνάμνησιν 44, 11) τινὰ εἰς μετάνοιαν Ro 2:4 (Polyb. 5, 16, 2 εἰς μετάνοιαν ἄξειν τ. βασιλέα; EpArist 188; Jos., Ant. 4, 144); εἰς δόξαν Hb 2:10. Of jealousy ἄ. εἰς θάνατον 1 Cl 9:1. γυναικάρια ἀγόμενα ἐπιθυμίαις ποικίλαις 2 Ti 3:6 (Aristot., EN 7, 3, 10, 1147a, 34 ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἄγει. Cp. Eur., Med. 310 σε θυμὸς ἦγεν; Pla., Prot. 355a ὑπὸ τ. ἡδονῶν ἀγόμενος; Demosth. 18, 9 τοῖς ἔξωθεν λόγοις ἠγμένος; Parthenius 29, 2 ἄγειν εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν=entice to desire; ἤγοντο εἰς τοὺς χώρους τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν Mel., P. 50, 359). Freq. of the working of the Spirit on human beings: pass. be led, allow oneself to be led πνεύματι θεοῦ ἄγεσθαι Ro 8:14; cp. Gal 5:18; Lk 4:1, 9 (on the “permissive pass.” s. Gildersleeve, Syntax I §167).—1 Cor 12:2 is difficult: ὅτι πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ ἄφωνα ὡς ἂν ἤγεσθε ἀπαγόμενοι may be transl. how you were attracted, carried away again and again to mute idols, where ἄν denotes repetition, and ὡς takes up the preceding ὅτι; for another expl., presupposing the rdg. ὡς ἀνήγεσθε, s. JWeiss ad loc.; s. also ICC ad loc. (Psellus p. 96, 33 offers a choice between ἂν ἀγάγοι and ἀναγάγοι; Herodas 6, 73 ἂν εὑρήσεις RHerzog or ἀνευρήσεις AKnox; CB I/2, 390 no. 248 ὸ̔ς ἂν ὀρύξει or ὸ̔ς ἀνορύξει). [τ]ὰς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπάτην ἀγούσας (paths) that lead to deceit AcPl Ha 1, 13.

④ to make use of time for a specific purpose, spend, observe (Eur., Hdt.+; Aberciusins 18; LXX) ἀ. τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ὀγδόην εἰς εὐφροσύνην celebrate the eighth day as a festival of joy B 15:9 (cp. OGI 90, 47 [196 B.C.] ἄγειν τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ἑορτάς; PCairGoodsp 3, 18 [III B.C.] ἡμέραν καλὴν ἤγαγον; freq. in PCairZen, s. Preis. IV). Perh. impers. τρίτην ταύτην ἡμέραν ἄγει this is the third day Lk 24:21; but, since this expr. cannot be found elsewhere, it is prob. better to supply Ἰησοῦς as subj. (B-D-F §129) lit. Jesus is spending the third day (cp. Galen XIII 581 Kühn τετάρτην ἡμέραν ἄγων ἀνώδυνος ἦν, ad Glauc. de med. meth. 1, 16 XI 65 K. πόστην ἄγει τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ νοσεῖν ἡμέραν ὁ ἄνθρωπος). Of festivals celebrate, observe (Hdt.+; Aesop, Fab. 389 P. γενέθλιον ἄγειν; PCairZen 541, 5 [III B.C.] Jos., Ant 11, 77, cp. 1 Esdr 5:50; ἄγοντα ἑορτάς Ar. 10, 8; μυστήρια ἄγετε Just., A I, 25, 1; Ath. 1, 1) γενέσια Mt 14:6 v.l.; τὸ σάββατον PtK 2 p. 14, 28; νεομηνίαν ibid. ln. 29. Of meetings (like Lat. agere) συμβούλιον ἄγειν hold a meeting IPol 7:2. Pass. ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται (s. ἀγοραῖος 2) Ac 19:38.

⑤ to move away from a position, go, intr. (X. et al.) ἄγωμεν let us go (so Vi. Aesopi G 77 P.; loanw. in rabb.; B-D-F §308) Mt 26:46; Mk 14:42; J 11:16. W. the goal given (Ael. Aristid. 51, 28 K.=27 p. 541 D.: εἰς τὸ ἱερόν; Epict. 3, 22, 55 ἄγωμεν ἐπὶ τ. ἀνθύπατον) εἰς τὰς κωμοπόλεις Mk 1:38. εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν J 11:7. εἰς τὸ ὄρος ApcPt 2:4. εἰς ἀγρόν Hs 6, 1, 5; ἐπὶ τὴν θεωρίαν AcPl Ha 4, 7; πρὸς αὐτόν J 11:15. παρὰ τὸν πύργον Hs 9, 5, 6. ἄγωμεν ἴδωμεν τὸν ἔχοντα τὸν θεὸν θηριομαχοῦντα let us go and see this man, who possesses divinity, fight with the beasts AcPl Ha 4, 7. W. the point of departure given ἐντεῦθεν J 14:31. JFitzmyer, The Use of Agein and Pherein in the Synoptics: Gingrich Festschr. 147–60.—B. 711; 713. DELG. M-M.

① maker of stage properties (acc. to Pollux 7, 189 the Old Comedy used the word as a synonym for μηχανοποιός=either a ‘stagehand’ who moved stage properties [as Aristoph., Pax 174] or a ‘manufacturer of stage properties’. Associated terms include σκηνογράφος Diog. L. 2, 125 and σκηνογραφία Arist., Poet. 1449a and Polyb. 12, 28a, 1, in ref. to painting of stage scenery) Ac 18:3. But if one understands σκηνή not as ‘scene’ but as ‘tent’ and considers it improbable that Prisca, Aquila, and Paul would have practiced such a trade in the face of alleged religious objections (s. Schürer II 54–55 on Jewish attitudes towards theatrical productions), one would follow the traditional rendering

② tentmaker. This interpretation has long enjoyed favor (s. Lampe s.v.; REB, NRSV; Hemer, Acts 119, 233), but several considerations militate against it. The term σκηνοποιός is not used outside the Bible (and its influence), except for Pollux (above) and Herm. Wr. 516, 10f=Stob. I, 463, 7ff. There it appears as an adj. and in a figurative sense concerning production of a dwelling appropriate for the soul. The context therefore clearly indicates a structure as the primary component, but in the absence of such a qualifier in Ac 18:3 it is necessary to take account of words and expressions that similarly contain the terms σκηνή and ποιεῖν. A survey of usage indicates that σκηνή appears freq. as the obj. of ποιέω in the sense ‘pitch’ or ‘erect a tent’ (s. ποιέω 1a; act. σκηνοποιέω Is 13:20 Sym. οὐδὲ σκηνοποιήσει ἐκεῖ ῎ Αραψ; 22:15 Sym.; mid. σκηνοποιέομαι Aristot., Meteor. 348b, 35; Clearch., Fgm. 48 W.; Polyb. 14, 1, 7; Diod S 3, 27, 4; Ps.-Callisth. 2, 9, 8.—Cp. σκηνοποιί̈α Aeneas Tact. 8, 3; Polyb. 6, 28, 3; ins, RevArch 3, ’34, 40; and acc. to the text. trad. of Dt 31:10 as an alternate expr. for σκηνοπηγία.—Ex 26:1, it is granted, offers clear evidence of use of the non-compounded σκηνή + ποιέω in the sense ‘produce’ or ‘manufacture [not pitch] a tent’, but the context makes the meaning unmistakable; cp. Herodian 7, 2, 4 on the building of rude housing). Analogously σκηνοποιός would mean ‘one who pitches or erects tents’, linguistically a more probable option than that of ‘tentmaker’, but in the passages cited for σκηνοποιέω and σκηνοποιί̈α components in the context (cp. the case for provision of housing in the Hermetic pass.) clearly point to the denotation ‘pitching of tents’, whereas Ac 18:3 lacks such a clear qualifier. Moreover, it is questionable whether residents of nomadic areas would depend on specialists to assist in such a common task (s. Mt 17:4 par. where a related kind of independent enterprise is mentioned).—That Prisca, Aquila, and Paul might have been engaged in the preparation of parts for the production of a tent is also improbable, since such tasks would have been left to their hired help. That they might have been responsible for putting a tent together out of various pieces is ruled out by the availability of the term σκηνορράφος (Ael., VH 2, 1 et al.; Bull. Inst. Arch. Bulg. 8, 69) in the sense of stitching together (the verb ἐπιτελεῖν Hb 8:5 does not support such a view, for it is not an alternate expr. for ‘production’ of a tent but denotes ‘completion’ of a project, connoting a strong sense of religious commitment; see ἐπιτελέω 2) in which the component ῥαφ-provides an unmistakable qualifier.—In modern times more consideration has been given to identification of Paul’s trade as ‘leather-worker’, an interpretation favored by numerous versions and patristic writings (s. Zahn, AG, ad loc.; L-S-J-M Suppl., s.v., as replacement for their earlier ‘tentmaker’; Haenchen, ad loc., after JJeremias, ZNW 30, ’31; Hock, s. below). As such he would make tents and other products from leather (Hock [s. below] 21). But this and other efforts at more precise definition, such as weaver of tent-cloth (a view no longer in fashion) may transmit reflections of awareness of local practice in lieu of semantic precision.—In the absence of any use of the term σκηνοποιός, beyond the pass. in Pollux and the Herm. Wr., and the lack of specific qualifiers in the text of Ac 18:3, one is left with the strong probability that Luke’s publics in urban areas, where theatrical productions were in abundance, would think of σκηνοποιός in ref. to matters theatrical (s. 1). In addition, Ac 20:34; 1 Cor 4:12; 1 Th 2:9; 2 Th 3:8 indicate that Paul’s work was of a technical nature and was carried out in metropolitan areas, where there would be large demand for such kind of work. What publics in other areas might understand is subject to greater question, for the evidence is primarily anecdotal.—JWeiss, Das Urchristentum 1917, 135; FGrosheide, Παῦλος σκηνοποιός: TSt 35, 1917, 241f; Zahn, AG II 632, 10; 634; Billerb. II 745–47; Beginn. IV, 223; PLampe, BZ 31, ’87, 211–21; RHock, The Social Context of Paul’s Ministry: Tentmaking and Apostleship ’80.—M-M. TW.