2 Tawarikh 3:1--4:22
Konteks3:1 Solomon began building the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem 1 on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan 2 the Jebusite. 3:2 He began building on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 3
3:3 Solomon laid the foundation for God’s temple; 4 its length (determined according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 feet. 5 3:4 The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple, 6 and its height was 30 feet. 7 He plated the inside with pure gold. 3:5 He paneled 8 the main hall 9 with boards made from evergreen trees 10 and plated it with fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains. 11 3:6 He decorated the temple with precious stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim. 12 3:7 He overlaid the temple’s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls.
3:8 He made the most holy place; 13 its length was 30 feet, 14 corresponding to the width of the temple, and its width 30 feet. 15 He plated it with 600 talents 16 of fine gold. 3:9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels; he also plated the upper areas with gold. 3:10 In the most holy place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold. 3:11 The combined wing span of the cherubs was 30 feet. 17 One of the first cherub’s wings was seven and one-half feet long and touched one wall of the temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the second cherub’s wings. 18 3:12 Likewise one of the second cherub’s wings was seven and one-half feet long and touched the other wall of the temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the first cherub’s wings. 19 3:13 The combined wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet. 20 They stood upright, facing inward. 21 3:14 He made the curtain out of violet, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim.
3:15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length 22 of 52½ feet, 23 with each having a plated capital seven and one-half feet high. 24 3:16 He made ornamental chains 25 and put them on top of the pillars. He also made one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments and arranged them within the chains. 3:17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. 26 He named the one on the right Jachin, 27 and the one on the left Boaz. 28
4:1 He made a bronze altar, 30 feet 29 long, 30 feet 30 wide, and 15 feet 31 high. 4:2 He also made the big bronze basin called “The Sea.” 32 It measured 15 feet 33 from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven and one-half feet 34 high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 35 4:3 Images of bulls were under it all the way around, ten every eighteen inches 36 all the way around. The bulls were in two rows and had been cast with “The Sea.” 4:4 “The Sea” stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, three westward, three southward, and three eastward. “The Sea” was placed on top of them, and they all faced outward. 37 4:5 It was four fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily blossom. It could hold 18,000 gallons. 38 4:6 He made ten washing basins; he put five on the south side and five on the north side. In them they rinsed the items used for burnt sacrifices; the priests washed in “The Sea.”
4:7 He made ten gold lampstands according to specifications and put them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. 4:8 He made ten tables and set them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. He also made one hundred gold bowls. 4:9 He made the courtyard of the priests and the large enclosure and its doors; 39 he plated their doors with bronze. 4:10 He put “The Sea” on the south side, in the southeast corner.
4:11 Huram Abi 40 made the pots, shovels, and bowls. He finished all the work on God’s temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 41 4:12 He made 42 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 4:13 the four hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two pillars (each latticework had two rows of these ornaments at the bowl-shaped top of the pillar), 4:14 the ten 43 movable stands with their ten 44 basins, 4:15 the big bronze basin called “The Sea” with its twelve bulls underneath, 4:16 and the pots, shovels, and meat forks. 45 All the items King Solomon assigned Huram Abi to make for the Lord’s temple 46 were made from polished bronze. 4:17 The king had them cast in earthen foundries 47 in the region of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. 4:18 Solomon made so many of these items they did not weigh the bronze. 48
4:19 Solomon also made these items for God’s temple: the gold altar, the tables on which the Bread of the Presence 49 was kept, 4:20 the pure gold lampstands and their lamps which burned as specified at the entrance to the inner sanctuary, 4:21 the pure gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, and tongs, 4:22 the pure gold trimming shears, basins, pans, and censers, and the gold door sockets for the inner sanctuary (the most holy place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.
2 Tawarikh 4:1
Konteks4:1 He made a bronze altar, 30 feet 50 long, 30 feet 51 wide, and 15 feet 52 high.
Kisah Para Rasul 6:1--7:51
Konteks6:1 Now in those 53 days, when the disciples were growing in number, 54 a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews 55 against the native Hebraic Jews, 56 because their widows 57 were being overlooked 58 in the daily distribution of food. 59 6:2 So the twelve 60 called 61 the whole group 62 of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. 63 6:3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, 64 seven 65 men who are well-attested, 66 full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge 67 of this necessary task. 68 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 6:5 The 69 proposal pleased the entire group, so 70 they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with 71 Philip, 72 Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism 73 from Antioch. 74 6:6 They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed 75 and placed 76 their hands on them. 6:7 The word of God continued to spread, 77 the number of disciples in Jerusalem 78 increased greatly, and a large group 79 of priests became obedient to the faith.
6:8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs 80 among the people. 6:9 But some men from the Synagogue 81 of the Freedmen (as it was called), 82 both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, 83 stood up and argued with Stephen. 6:10 Yet 84 they were not able to resist 85 the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 6:11 Then they secretly instigated 86 some men to say, “We have heard this man 87 speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 6:12 They incited the people, the 88 elders, and the experts in the law; 89 then they approached Stephen, 90 seized him, and brought him before the council. 91 6:13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place 92 and the law. 93 6:14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs 94 that Moses handed down to us.” 6:15 All 95 who were sitting in the council 96 looked intently at Stephen 97 and saw his face was like the face of an angel. 98
7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” 99 7:2 So he replied, 100 “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather 101 Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 7:3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ 102 7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God 103 made him move 104 to this country where you now live. 7:5 He 105 did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, 106 not even a foot of ground, 107 yet God 108 promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, 109 even though Abraham 110 as yet had no child. 7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your 111 descendants will be foreigners 112 in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. 113 7:7 But I will punish 114 the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there 115 and worship 116 me in this place.’ 117 7:8 Then God 118 gave Abraham 119 the covenant 120 of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, 121 and Isaac became the father of 122 Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 123 7:9 The 124 patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold 125 him into Egypt. But 126 God was with him, 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made 127 him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 7:11 Then a famine occurred throughout 128 Egypt and Canaan, causing 129 great suffering, and our 130 ancestors 131 could not find food. 7:12 So when Jacob heard that there was grain 132 in Egypt, he sent our ancestors 133 there 134 the first time. 7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family 135 became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message 136 and invited 137 his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people 138 in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, 139 along with our ancestors, 140 7:16 and their bones 141 were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money 142 from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
7:17 “But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, 143 the people increased greatly in number 144 in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about 145 Joseph ruled 146 over Egypt. 147 7:19 This was the one who exploited 148 our people 149 and was cruel to our ancestors, 150 forcing them to abandon 151 their infants so they would die. 152 7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful 153 to God. For 154 three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, 155 Pharaoh’s daughter adopted 156 him and brought him up 157 as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained 158 in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful 159 in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind 160 to visit his fellow countrymen 161 the Israelites. 162 7:24 When 163 he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, 164 Moses 165 came to his defense 166 and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people 167 would understand that God was delivering them 168 through him, 169 but they did not understand. 170 7:26 The next day Moses 171 saw two men 172 fighting, and tried to make peace between 173 them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed 174 Moses 175 aside, saying, ‘Who made 176 you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 You don’t want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 177 7:29 When the man said this, 178 Moses fled and became a foreigner 179 in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
7:30 “After 180 forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert 181 of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 182 7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, 183 the God of Abraham, Isaac, 184 and Jacob.’ 185 Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. 186 7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 187 7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering 188 of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. 189 Now 190 come, I will send you to Egypt.’ 191 7:35 This same 192 Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ 193 God sent as both ruler and deliverer 194 through the hand of the angel 195 who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs 196 in the land of Egypt, 197 at 198 the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 199 for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 200 ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 201 7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation 202 in the wilderness 203 with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, 204 and he 205 received living oracles 206 to give to you. 207 7:39 Our 208 ancestors 209 were unwilling to obey 210 him, but pushed him aside 211 and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt 212 – we do not know what has happened to him!’ 213 7:41 At 214 that time 215 they made an idol in the form of a calf, 216 brought 217 a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing 218 in the works of their hands. 219 7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over 220 to worship the host 221 of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices 222 forty years in the wilderness, was it, 223 house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle 224 of Moloch 225 and the star of the 226 god Rephan, 227 the images you made to worship, but I will deport 228 you beyond Babylon.’ 229 7:44 Our ancestors 230 had the tabernacle 231 of testimony in the wilderness, 232 just as God 233 who spoke to Moses ordered him 234 to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our 235 ancestors 236 received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, 237 until the time 238 of David. 7:46 He 239 found favor 240 with 241 God and asked that he could 242 find a dwelling place 243 for the house 244 of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house 245 for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High 246 does not live in houses made by human hands, 247 as the prophet says,
7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
and earth is the footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is my resting place? 248
7:50 Did my hand 249 not make all these things?’ 250
7:51 “You stubborn 251 people, with uncircumcised 252 hearts and ears! 253 You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors 254 did!
[3:1] 1 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:1] 2 tn In 2 Sam 24:16 this individual is called אֲרַוְנָא (“Aravna”; traditionally “Araunah”). The form of the name found here also occurs in 1 Chr 21:15; 18-28.
[3:2] 3 sn This would be April-May, 966
[3:3] 4 tn Heb “and these are the founding of Solomon to build the house of God.”
[3:3] 5 tn Heb “the length [in] cubits by the former measure was sixty cubits, and a width of twenty cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches (45 cm) for the standard cubit, the length of the foundation would be 90 feet (27 m) and its width 30 feet (9 m).
[3:4] 6 tc Heb “and the porch which was in front of the length corresponding to the width of the house, twenty cubits.” The phrase הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת (heykhal habbayit, “the main hall of the temple,” which appears in the parallel account in 1 Kgs 6:3) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton after עַל־פְּנֵי (’al-pÿney, “in front of”). Note that the following form, הָאֹרֶךְ (ha’orekh, “the length”), also begins with the Hebrew letter he (ה). A scribe’s eye probably jumped from the initial he on הֵיכַל to the initial he on הָאֹרֶךְ, leaving out the intervening letters in the process.
[3:4] 7 tc The Hebrew text has “one hundred and twenty cubits,” i.e. (assuming a cubit of 18 inches) 180 feet (54 m). An ancient Greek witness and the Syriac version read “twenty cubits,” i.e., 30 feet (9 m). It is likely that מֵאָה (me’ah, “a hundred”), is a corruption of an original אַמּוֹת (’ammot, “cubits”).
[3:5] 9 tn Heb “the large house.”
[3:5] 10 tn Heb “wood of evergreens.”
[3:5] 11 tn Heb “and he put up on it palm trees and chains.”
[3:6] 12 tn Heb “and he plated the house [with] precious stone for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim.”
[3:6] sn The location of Parvaim, the source of the gold for Solomon’s temple, is uncertain. Some have identified it with modern Farwa in Yemen; others relate it to the Sanskrit parvam and understand it to be a general term for the regions east of Palestine.
[3:8] 13 tn Heb “the house of the holy place of holy places.”
[3:8] 14 tn Heb “twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), this would give a length of 30 feet (9 m).
[3:8] 15 tc Heb “twenty cubits.” Some suggest adding, “and its height twenty cubits” (see 1 Kgs 6:20). The phrase could have been omitted by homoioteleuton.
[3:8] 16 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold plating was 40,380 lbs. (18,360 kg).
[3:11] 17 tn Heb “and the wings of the cherubs, their length was twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the wingspan of the cherubs would have been 30 feet (9 m).
[3:11] 18 tn Heb “the wing of the one was five cubits from the touching of the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits from the touching of the wing of the other cherub.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), each wing would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m) long.
[3:12] 19 tn Heb “and the wing of the one (הָאֶחָד, ha’ekhad, “the one”; this should probably be emended to הָאַחֵר, ha’akher, “the other”) cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits, clinging to the wing of the other cherub.”
[3:13] 20 tn Heb “the wings of these cherubs were spreading twenty cubits.”
[3:13] 21 tn Heb “and they were standing on their feet, with their faces to the house.” An alternative translation of the last clause would be, “with their faces to the main hall.”
[3:15] 22 sn The figure given here appears to refer to the combined length of both pillars (perhaps when laid end-to-end on the ground prior to being set up; cf. v. 17); the figure given for the height of the pillars in 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21 is half this (i.e., eighteen cubits).
[3:15] 23 tc The Syriac reads “eighteen cubits” (twenty-seven feet). This apparently reflects an attempt at harmonization with 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21.
[3:15] 24 tn Heb “and he made before the house two pillars, thirty-five cubits [in] length, and the plated capital which was on its top [was] five cubits.” The significance of the measure “thirty-five cubits” (52.5 feet or 15.75 m, assuming a cubit of 18 inches) for the “length” of the pillars is uncertain. According to 1 Kgs 7:15, each pillar was eighteen cubits (27 feet or 8.1 m) high. Perhaps the measurement given here was taken with the pillars lying end-to-end on the ground before they were set up.
[3:16] 25 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “in the inner sanctuary,” but the description at this point is of the pillars, not the inner sanctuary.
[3:17] 26 tn Or “one on the south and the other on the north.”
[3:17] 27 tn The name “Jachin” appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”
[3:17] 28 tn The meaning of the name “Boaz” is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בֹּעַז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name asבְּעֹז (bÿ’oz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”
[4:1] 29 tn Heb “twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 30 feet (9 m).
[4:1] 30 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
[4:1] 31 tn Heb “ten cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 15 feet (4.5 m).
[4:2] 32 tn Heb “He made the sea, cast.”
[4:2] sn The large bronze basin known as “The Sea” was mounted on twelve bronze bulls and contained water for the priests to bathe themselves (see v. 6; cf. Exod 30:17-21).
[4:2] 33 tn Heb “ten cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the diameter would have been 15 feet (4.5 m).
[4:2] 34 tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m).
[4:2] 35 tn Heb “and a measuring line went around it thirty cubits all around.”
[4:3] 36 tn Heb “ten every cubit.”
[4:4] 37 tn Heb “all their hindquarters were toward the inside.”
[4:5] 38 tn Heb “3,000 baths” (note that the capacity is given in 1 Kings 7:26 as “2,000 baths”). A bath was a liquid measure roughly equivalent to six gallons (about 22 liters), so 3,000 baths was a quantity of about 18,000 gallons (66,000 liters).
[4:9] 39 tn Heb “and the doors for the enclosure.”
[4:11] 40 tn Heb “Huram,” but here this refers to Huram Abi (2 Chr 2:13). The complete name has been used in the translation to avoid possible confusion with King Huram of Tyre.
[4:11] 41 tn Heb “Huram finished doing all the work which he did for King Solomon [on] the house of God.”
[4:12] 42 tn The words “he made” are added for stylistic reasons.
[4:14] 43 tc The Hebrew text has עָשָׂה (’asah, “he made”), which is probably a corruption of עֶשֶׂר (’eser, “ten”; see 1 Kgs 7:43).
[4:14] 44 tc The Hebrew text has עָשָׂה (’asah, “he made”), which is probably a corruption of עֲשָׂרָה (’asarah, “ten”; see 1 Kgs 7:43).
[4:16] 45 tc Some prefer to read here “bowls,” see v. 11 and 1 Kgs 7:45.
[4:16] 46 tn Heb “Huram Abi made for King Solomon [for] the house of the
[4:17] 47 tn Or perhaps, “molds.”
[4:18] 48 tn Heb “Solomon made all these items in great abundance; the weight of the bronze was not sought.”
[4:19] 49 tn Heb “the bread of the face/presence.”
[4:19] sn This bread offered to God was viewed as a perpetual offering to God. See Lev 24:5-9.
[4:1] 50 tn Heb “twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 30 feet (9 m).
[4:1] 51 tn Heb “twenty cubits.”
[4:1] 52 tn Heb “ten cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 15 feet (4.5 m).
[6:1] 53 tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.
[6:1] 54 tn Grk “were multiplying.”
[6:1] 55 tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.
[6:1] sn The Greek-speaking Jews were the Hellenists, Jews who to a greater or lesser extent had adopted Greek thought, customs, and lifestyle, as well as the Greek language. The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a focal point for them, but they were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.
[6:1] 56 tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.
[6:1] 57 sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.
[6:1] 59 tn Grk “in the daily serving.”
[6:1] sn The daily distribution of food. The early church saw it as a responsibility to meet the basic needs of people in their group.
[6:2] 60 sn The twelve refers to the twelve apostles.
[6:2] 61 tn Grk “calling the whole group…together, said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενοι (proskalesamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[6:2] 62 tn Or “the multitude.”
[6:2] 63 tn Grk “to serve tables.”
[6:3] 64 tn It is not clear from a historical standpoint (but it is unlikely) that women would have been involved in the selection process too. For this reason the translation “brothers” has been retained, rather than “brothers and sisters” (used in contexts where both male and female believers are clearly addressed).
[6:3] 65 sn Seven. Jewish town councils often had seven members (Josephus, Ant. 4.18.14 [4.214]).
[6:3] 66 tn Or “are of good reputation” (BDAG 618 s.v. μαρτυρέω 2.b).
[6:3] 67 tn The translation “put in charge” is given by BDAG 492 s.v. καθίστημι 2.
[6:3] 68 tn Grk “of this need”; translated “necessary work” or “needed task” by L&N 42.22.
[6:5] 69 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[6:5] 70 tn The translation “so” has been used to indicate the logical sequence in English.
[6:5] 71 tn “With” is smoother English style for an addition like this. Because of differences between Greek and English style, καί (kai), which occurs between each name in the list, has not been translated except preceding the last element.
[6:5] 72 sn Philip. Note how many of the names in this list are Greek. This suggests that Hellenists were chosen to solve the problem they had been so sensitive about fixing (cf. 6:1).
[6:5] 74 map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.
[6:6] 75 tn Literally this is a participle in the Greek text (προσευξάμενοι, proseuxamenoi). It could be translated as a finite verb (“and they prayed and placed their hands on them”) but much smoother English results if the entire coordinate clause is converted to a relative clause that refers back to the apostles.
[6:6] sn Who prayed. The prayer indicates their acceptance and commissioning for ministry (cf. Deut 34:9).
[6:7] 77 tn Grk “kept on spreading”; the verb has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
[6:7] 78 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[6:7] 79 tn Grk “a great multitude.”
[6:7] sn A large group. Many Jews, even some religious leaders, were responding.
[6:8] 80 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context. Here the work of miracles extends beyond the Twelve for the first time.
[6:9] 81 sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
[6:9] 82 tn Grk “the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen.” The translation of the participle λεγομένης (legomenh") by the phrase “as it was called” is given by L&N 87.86. “Freedmen” would be slaves who had gained their freedom, or the descendants of such people (BDAG 594-95 s.v. Λιβερτῖνος).
[6:9] 83 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
[6:10] 84 tn Grk “and.” The context, however, indicates that the conjunction carries an adversative force.
[6:10] 85 sn They were not able to resist. This represents another fulfillment of Luke 12:11-12; 21:15.
[6:11] 86 tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.
[6:11] 87 tn Grk “heard him”; but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”
[6:12] 88 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[6:12] 89 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
[6:12] 90 tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:12] 91 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.
[6:13] 92 sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.
[6:13] 93 sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.
[6:14] sn Will destroy this place and change the customs. Stephen appears to view the temple as a less central place in light of Christ’s work, an important challenge to Jewish religion, since it was at this time a temple-centered state and religion. Unlike Acts 3-4, the issue here is more than Jesus and his resurrection. Now the impact of his resurrection and the temple’s centrality has also become an issue. The “falseness” of the charge may not be that the witnesses were lying, but that they falsely read the truth of Stephen’s remarks.
[6:15] 95 tn Grk “And all.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[6:15] 96 tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[6:15] 97 tn Grk “at him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:15] 98 sn His face was like the face of an angel. This narrative description of Stephen’s face adds to the mood of the passage. He had the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger.
[7:1] 99 tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).
[7:2] 101 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
[7:3] 102 sn A quotation from Gen 12:1.
[7:4] 103 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:4] 104 tn The translation “made him move” for the verb μετοικίζω (metoikizw) is given by L&N 85.83. The verb has the idea of “resettling” someone (BDAG 643 s.v.); see v. 43, where it reappears.
[7:5] 105 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:5] 106 tn Grk “He did not give him an inheritance in it.” This could be understood to mean that God did not give something else to Abraham as an inheritance while he was living there. The point of the text is that God did not give any of the land to him as an inheritance, and the translation makes this clear.
[7:5] 107 tn Grk “a step of a foot” (cf. Deut 2:5).
[7:5] 108 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:5] 109 sn An allusion to Gen 12:7; 13:15; 15:2, 18; 17:8; 24:7; 48:4. On the theological importance of the promise and to his descendants after him, see Rom 4 and Gal 3.
[7:5] 110 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:6] 111 tn Grk “that his”; the discourse switches from indirect to direct with the following verbs. For consistency the entire quotation is treated as second person direct discourse in the translation.
[7:6] 112 tn Or “will be strangers,” that is, one who lives as a noncitizen of a foreign country.
[7:6] 113 sn A quotation from Gen 15:13. Exod 12:40 specifies the sojourn as 430 years.
[7:7] 114 tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α states, “Oft. the emphasis is unmistakably laid upon that which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict, upon the condemnation or punishment: condemn, punish …Ac 7:7 (Gen 15:14).”
[7:7] 115 tn The words “of there” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[7:7] sn A quotation from Gen 15:14.
[7:7] 116 tn Or “and serve,” but with religious/cultic overtones (BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω).
[7:7] 117 sn An allusion to Exod 3:12.
[7:8] 118 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:8] 119 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:8] 120 sn God gave…the covenant. Note how the covenant of promise came before Abraham’s entry into the land and before the building of the temple.
[7:8] 121 tn Grk “circumcised him on the eighth day,” but many modern readers will not understand that this procedure was done on the eighth day after birth. The temporal clause “when he was eight days old” conveys this idea more clearly. See Gen 17:11-12.
[7:8] 122 tn The words “became the father of” are not in the Greek text due to an ellipsis, but must be supplied for the English translation. The ellipsis picks up the verb from the previous clause describing how Abraham fathered Isaac.
[7:8] 123 sn The twelve patriarchs refers to the twelve sons of Jacob, the famous ancestors of the Jewish race (see Gen 35:23-26).
[7:9] 124 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:9] 125 tn The meaning “sell” for the middle voice of ἀποδίδωμι (apodidwmi) is given by BDAG 110 s.v. 5.a. See Gen 37:12-36, esp. v. 28.
[7:9] 126 tn Though the Greek term here is καί (kai), in context this remark is clearly contrastive: Despite the malicious act, God was present and protected Joseph.
[7:10] 127 tn Or “appointed.” See Gen 41:41-43.
[7:11] 128 tn Grk “came upon all Egypt.”
[7:11] 129 tn Grk “and,” but logically causal.
[7:11] 130 sn Our. Stephen spoke of “our” ancestors (Grk “fathers”) in an inclusive sense throughout the speech until his rebuke in v. 51, where the nation does what “your” ancestors did, at which point an exclusive pronoun is used. This serves to emphasize the rebuke.
[7:11] 131 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:12] 132 tn Or possibly “food,” since in a number of extrabiblical contexts the phrase σιτία καὶ ποτά (sitia kai pota) means “food and drink,” where solid food is contrasted with liquid nourishment (L&N 3.42).
[7:12] 133 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:12] 134 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[7:13] 135 tn BDAG 194 s.v. γένος 2. gives “family, relatives” here; another alternative is “race” (see v. 19).
[7:14] 136 tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[7:14] 137 tn Or “Joseph had his father summoned” (BDAG 121 s.v. ἀποστέλλω 2.b).
[7:14] 138 tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).
[7:15] 139 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[7:15] 140 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:16] 142 sn See Gen 49:29-32.
[7:17] 143 tn Grk “But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near that God had declared to Abraham.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to improve English style. See vv. 6-7 above.
[7:17] 144 tn Grk “the people increased and multiplied.”
[7:18] 145 tn Or simply “did not know.” However, in this context the point is that the new king knew nothing about Joseph, not whether he had known him personally (which is the way “did not know Joseph” could be understood).
[7:18] 146 tn Grk “arose,” but in this context it clearly refers to a king assuming power.
[7:18] 147 sn A quotation from Exod 1:8.
[7:19] 148 tn According to L&N 88.147 it is also possible to translate κατασοφισάμενος (katasofisameno") as “took advantage by clever words” or “persuaded by sweet talk.”
[7:19] 150 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:19] 151 tn Or “expose” (BDAG 303 s.v. ἔκθετος).
[7:19] 152 tn Grk “so that they could not be kept alive,” but in this context the phrase may be translated either “so that they would not continue to live,” or “so that they would die” (L&N 23.89).
[7:20] 153 tn Or “was well-formed before God,” or “was well-pleasing to God” (BDAG 145 s.v. ἀστεῖος suggests the meaning is more like “well-bred” as far as God was concerned; see Exod 2:2).
[7:20] 154 tn Grk “who was brought up for three months.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation by changing the relative pronoun to a regular pronoun (“he”).
[7:21] 155 tn Or “exposed” (see v. 19).
[7:21] 156 tn Grk “Pharaoh’s daughter took him up for herself.” According to BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω, “The pap. exx. involve exposed children taken up and reared as slaves…The rendering ‘adopt’ lacks philological precision and can be used only in a loose sense (as NRSV), esp. when Gr-Rom. terminology relating to adoption procedures is taken into account.” In this instance both the immediate context and the OT account (Exod 2:3-10) do support the normal sense of the English word “adopt,” although it should not be understood to refer to a technical, legal event.
[7:21] 157 tn Or “and reared him” (BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b).
[7:22] 158 tn Or “instructed.”
[7:22] 159 tn Or “was able” (BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b.α).
[7:23] 161 tn Grk “brothers.” The translation “compatriot” is given by BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.
[7:23] 162 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”
[7:24] 163 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:24] 164 tn “Hurt unfairly” conveys a better sense of the seriousness of the offense against the Israelite than “treated unfairly,” which can sometimes refer to slight offenses, or “wronged,” which can refer to offenses that do not involve personal violence, as this one probably did.
[7:24] 165 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:24] 166 tn Or “he defended,” “he retaliated” (BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμύνομαι).
[7:25] 167 tn Grk “his brothers.”
[7:25] 168 tn Grk “was granting them deliverance.” The narrator explains that this act pictured what Moses could do for his people.
[7:25] 169 tn Grk “by his hand,” where the hand is a metaphor for the entire person.
[7:25] 170 sn They did not understand. Here is the theme of the speech. The people did not understand what God was doing through those he chose. They made the same mistake with Joseph at first. See Acts 3:17; 13:27. There is good precedent for this kind of challenging review of history in the ancient scriptures: Ps 106:6-46; Ezek 20; and Neh 9:6-38.
[7:26] 171 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:26] 172 tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).
[7:26] 173 tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).
[7:27] 174 tn Or “repudiated Moses,” “rejected Moses” (BDAG 126-27 s.v. ἀπωθέω 2).
[7:27] 175 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:28] 177 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do you?”
[7:28] sn A quotation from Exod 2:14. Even though a negative reply was expected, the question still frightened Moses enough to flee, because he knew his deed had become known. This understanding is based on the Greek text, not the Hebrew of the original setting. Yet the negative here expresses the fact that Moses did not want to kill the other man. Once again the people have badly misunderstood the situation.
[7:29] 178 tn Grk “At this word,” which could be translated either “when the man said this” or “when Moses heard this.” Since λόγος (logos) refers to the remark made by the Israelite, this translation has followed the first option.
[7:29] 179 tn Or “resident alien.” Traditionally πάροικος (paroiko") has been translated “stranger” or “alien,” but the level of specificity employed with “foreigner” or “resident alien” is now necessary in contemporary English because a “stranger” is a person not acquainted with someone, while an “alien” can suggest science fiction imagery.
[7:30] 180 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and contemporary English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:30] 181 tn Or “wilderness.”
[7:30] 182 sn An allusion to Exod 3:2.
[7:32] 183 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:32] 184 tn Grk “and Isaac,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[7:32] 185 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6. The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation.
[7:32] 186 tn Or “to investigate,” “to contemplate” (BDAG 522 s.v. κατανοέω 2).
[7:33] 187 sn A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.
[7:34] 188 tn Or “mistreatment.”
[7:34] 189 tn Or “to set them free.”
[7:34] 190 tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:34] 191 sn A quotation from Exod 3:7-8, 10.
[7:35] 192 sn This same. The reference to “this one” occurs five times in this speech. It is the way the other speeches in Acts refer to Jesus (e.g., Acts 2:23).
[7:35] 193 sn A quotation from Exod 2:14 (see Acts 7:27). God saw Moses very differently than the people of the nation did. The reference to a ruler and a judge suggests that Stephen set up a comparison between Moses and Jesus, but he never finished his speech to make the point. The reader of Acts, however, knowing the other sermons in the book, recognizes that the rejection of Jesus is the counterpoint.
[7:35] 194 tn Or “liberator.” The meaning “liberator” for λυτρωτήν (lutrwthn) is given in L&N 37.129: “a person who liberates or releases others.”
[7:35] 195 tn Or simply “through the angel.” Here the “hand” could be understood as a figure for the person or the power of the angel himself. The remark about the angel appearing fits the first century Jewish view that God appears to no one (John 1:14-18; Gal 3:19; Deut 33:2 LXX).
[7:36] 196 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
[7:36] sn Performing wonders and miraculous signs. Again Moses acted like Jesus. The phrase appears 9 times in Acts (2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12).
[7:36] 197 tn Or simply “in Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
[7:36] 198 tn Grk “and at,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[7:37] 200 tn Grk “to the sons of Israel.”
[7:37] 201 sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. This quotation sets up Jesus as the “leader-prophet” like Moses (Acts 3:22; Luke 9:35).
[7:38] 202 tn This term, ἐκκλησία (ekklhsia), is a secular use of the term that came to mean “church” in the epistles. Here a reference to an assembly is all that is intended.
[7:38] 204 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:38] 205 tn Grk “fathers, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new clause introduced by “and” was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[7:38] 206 tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.
[7:38] 207 tc ‡ The first person pronoun ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “to us”) is read by A C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy, while the second person pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”) is read by Ì74 א B 36 453 al co. The second person pronoun thus has significantly better external support. As well, ὑμῖν is a harder reading in this context, both because it is surrounded by first person pronouns and because Stephen perhaps “does not wish to disassociate himself from those who received God’s revelation in the past, but only from those who misinterpreted and disobeyed that revelation” (TCGNT 307). At the same time, Stephen does associate himself to some degree with his disobedient ancestors in v. 39, suggesting that the decisive break does not really come until v. 51 (where both his present audience and their ancestors are viewed as rebellious). Thus, both externally and internally ὑμῖν is the preferred reading.
[7:39] 208 tn Grk “whom our.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.
[7:39] 209 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:39] 210 sn To obey. Again the theme of the speech is noted. The nation disobeyed the way of God and opted for Egypt over the promised land.
[7:39] 211 sn Pushed him aside. This is the second time Moses is “pushed aside” in Stephen’s account (see v. 27).
[7:40] 212 tn Or simply “of Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
[7:40] 213 sn A quotation from Exod 32:1, 23. Doubt (we do not know what has happened to him) expresses itself in unfaithful action. The act is in contrast to God’s promise in Exod 23:20.
[7:41] 214 tn Grk “And.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:41] 215 tn Grk “In those days.”
[7:41] 216 tn Or “a bull calf” (see Exod 32:4-6). The term μοσχοποιέω (moscopoiew) occurs only in Christian writings according to BDAG 660 s.v.
[7:41] 217 tn Grk “and brought,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[7:41] 218 tn The imperfect verb εὐφραίνοντο (eufrainonto) has been translated ingressively. See BDAG 414-15 s.v. εὐφραίνω 2.
[7:41] 219 tn Or “in what they had done.”
[7:42] 220 sn The expression and gave them over suggests similarities to the judgment on the nations described by Paul in Rom 1:18-32.
[7:42] sn To worship the hosts of heaven. Their action violated Deut 4:19; 17:2-5. See Ps 106:36-43.
[7:42] 222 tn The two terms for sacrifices “semantically reinforce one another and are here combined essentially for emphasis” (L&N 53.20).
[7:42] 223 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “was it?”
[7:43] sn A tabernacle was a tent used to house religious objects or a shrine (i.e., a portable sanctuary).
[7:43] 225 sn Moloch was a Canaanite deity who was believed to be the god of the sky and the sun.
[7:43] 226 tc ‡ Most
[7:43] 227 sn Rephan (῾Ραιφάν, RJaifan) was a pagan deity. The term was a name for Saturn. It was variously spelled in the
[7:43] 228 tn Or “I will make you move.”
[7:43] 229 sn A quotation from Amos 5:25-27. This constituted a prediction of the exile.
[7:44] 230 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:44] sn The tabernacle was the tent used to house the ark of the covenant before the construction of Solomon’s temple. This is where God was believed to reside, yet the people were still unfaithful.
[7:44] 233 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:44] 234 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[7:45] 235 tn Grk “And.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:45] 236 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:45] 237 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:45] sn Before our ancestors. Stephen has backtracked here to point out how faithful God had been before the constant move to idolatry just noted.
[7:45] 238 tn Grk “In those days.”
[7:46] 239 tn Grk “David, who” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[7:46] 241 tn Grk “before,” “in the presence of.”
[7:46] 242 tn The words “that he could” are not in the Greek text, but are implied as the (understood) subject of the infinitive εὑρεῖν (Jeurein). This understands David’s request as asking that he might find the dwelling place. The other possibility would be to supply “that God” as the subject of the infinitive: “and asked that God find a dwelling place.” Unfortunately this problem is complicated by the extremely difficult problem with the Greek text in the following phrase (“house of Jacob” vs. “God of Jacob”).
[7:46] 243 tn On this term see BDAG 929 s.v. σκήνωμα a (Ps 132:5).
[7:46] 244 tc Some
[7:47] 245 sn See 1 Kgs 8:1-21.
[7:48] 246 sn The title the Most High points to God’s majesty (Heb 7:1; Luke 1:32, 35; Acts 16:7).
[7:48] 247 sn The phrase made by human hands is negative in the NT: Mark 14:58; Acts 17:24; Eph 2:11; Heb 9:11, 24. It suggests “man-made” or “impermanent.” The rebuke is like parts of the Hebrew scripture where the rebuke is not of the temple, but for making too much of it (1 Kgs 8:27; Isa 57:15; 1 Chr 6:8; Jer 7:1-34).
[7:49] 248 sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.
[7:50] 249 tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.
[7:50] 250 tn The question in Greek introduced with οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply.
[7:50] sn A quotation from Isa 66:1-2. If God made the heavens, how can a human building contain him?
[7:51] 251 sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
[7:51] 252 tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
[7:51] 253 tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
