A.T. Robertson Commentary Acts 19:33

"And they brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made a defense unto the people." — Acts 19:33 (ASV)

And they brought Alexander out of the crowd (εκ δε του οχλου συνεβιβασαν Αλεξανδρον). The correct text (Aleph A B) has this verb συνεβιβασαν (from συνβιβαζω, to put together) instead of προεβιβασαν (from προβιβαζω, to put forward). It is a graphic word, causal of βαινω, to go, and occurs in Ac 16:10; Colossians 2:19; Ephesians 4:16. Evidently some of the Jews grew afraid that the mob would turn on the Jews as well as on the Christians. Paul was a Jew and so was Aristarchus, one of the prisoners. The Jews were as strongly opposed to idolatry as were the Christians.

The Jews putting him forward (προβαλοντων αυτον των Ιουδαιων). Genitive absolute of the second aorist active participle of προβαλλω, old verb to push forward as leaves in the spring (Luke 21:30). In the N.T. only in these two passages. Alexandria had already disgraceful scenes of Jew-baiting and there was real peril now in Ephesus with this wild mob. So Alexander was pushed forward as the champion to defend the Jews to the excited mob. He may be the same Alexander the coppersmith who did Paul much evil (2 Timothy 4:14), against whom Paul will warn Timothy then in Ephesus. "The Jews were likely to deal in the copper and silver required for the shrines, so he may have had some trade connexion with the craftsmen which would give him influence" (Furneaux).

Beckoned with the hand (κατασεισας την χειρα). Old verb κατασειω, to shake down, here the hand, rapidly waving the hand up and down to get a hearing. In the N.T. elsewhere only in Ac 12:17; 13:16; 21:40 where "with the hand" (τη χειρ, instrumental case) is used instead of την χειρα (the accusative).

Would have made a defence unto the people (ηθελεν απολογεισθα τω δημω). Imperfect active, wanted to make a defence, tried to, started to, but apparently never got out a word. Απολογεισθα (present middle infinitive, direct middle, to defend oneself), regular word for formal apology, but in N.T. only by Luke and Paul (twice in Gospel, six times in Acts, and in Ro 2:15; 2 Corinthians 12:19).