John Gill Commentary Acts 9:33

"And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had kept his bed eight years; for he was palsied." — Acts 9:33 (ASV)

And there he found a certain man
In a house in that city, into which he entered:

named Aeneas ;
which is a Gentile name, and so might the person be; though there is mention made of this name among the Jews. We read of one R. Samuel Bar, (ayyna) "Aenea, or Aeneas" ^F12 ; but it was more common among the Greeks. Aeneas the Trojan is well known in history, who, after the destruction of Troy, went into Italy, and settled there; and from him the Trojans are sometimes called Aeneadae. The name comes from the Greek word (ainw) , "ainoo", which signifies "to praise"; and Aeneas is one "worthy of praise": though Jerom ^F13 takes it to be an Hebrew name, which he interprets "one that answers", or a "poor man", or "misery"; as if it came from the Hebrew word (hne) , "anah", which signifies "to answer, or to afflict".

Which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy ;
so that the distemper was grown stubborn, and thought incurable; nor perhaps had he, or his friends, any hope of his ever being restored to health again.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: T. Hieros. Yebamot, fol. 6. 2. & Midrash Kohelet, fol. 73. 3.
• F13: De Nominibus Hebraicis, fol. 105. H.