2 Samuel 7:13

7:13 He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. ¹ 

2 Samuel 7:1

The Lord Establishes a Covenant with David

7:1 The king settled into his palace, ²  for the Lord gave him relief ³  from all his enemies on all sides. ⁴ 

Kisah Para Rasul 5:1-18

The Judgment on Ananias and Sapphira

5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He ⁵  kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought ⁶  only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled ⁷  your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of ⁸  the land? 5:4 Before it was sold, ⁹  did it not ¹⁰  belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money ¹¹  not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? ¹²  You have not lied to people ¹³  but to God!”

5:5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped ¹⁴  all who heard about it. 5:6 So the young men came, ¹⁵  wrapped him up, ¹⁶  carried him out, and buried ¹⁷  him. 5:7 After an interval of about three hours, ¹⁸  his wife came in, but she did not know ¹⁹  what had happened. 5:8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you ²⁰  paid this amount ²¹  for the land?” Sapphira ²²  said, “Yes, that much.” 5:9 Peter then told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” 5:10 At once ²³  she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 5:11 Great ²⁴  fear gripped ²⁵  the whole church ²⁶  and all who heard about these things.

The Apostles Perform Miraculous Signs and Wonders

5:12 Now many miraculous signs ²⁷  and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By ²⁸  common consent ²⁹  they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. ³⁰  5:13 None of the rest dared to join them, ³¹  but the people held them in high honor. ³²  5:14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, ³³  crowds of both men and women. 5:15 Thus ³⁴  they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 5:16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem ³⁵  also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. ³⁶  They ³⁷  were all ³⁸  being healed.

Further Trouble for the Apostles

5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees ³⁹ ), ⁴⁰  and they were filled with jealousy. ⁴¹  5:18 They ⁴²  laid hands on ⁴³  the apostles and put them in a public jail.

Kisah Para Rasul 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ⁴⁴  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ⁴⁵  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ⁴⁶  against the native Hebraic Jews, ⁴⁷  because their widows ⁴⁸  were being overlooked ⁴⁹  in the daily distribution of food. ⁵⁰ 

Kisah Para Rasul 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ⁵¹  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ⁵²  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ⁵³  against the native Hebraic Jews, ⁵⁴  because their widows ⁵⁵  were being overlooked ⁵⁶  in the daily distribution of food. ⁵⁷ 

Kisah Para Rasul 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ⁵⁸  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ⁵⁹  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ⁶⁰  against the native Hebraic Jews, ⁶¹  because their widows ⁶²  were being overlooked ⁶³  in the daily distribution of food. ⁶⁴ 

Kisah Para Rasul 7:13-51

7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family ⁶⁵  became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message ⁶⁶  and invited ⁶⁷  his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people ⁶⁸  in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, ⁶⁹  along with our ancestors, ⁷⁰  7:16 and their bones ⁷¹  were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money ⁷²  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, ⁷³  the people increased greatly in number ⁷⁴  in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about ⁷⁵  Joseph ruled ⁷⁶  over Egypt. ⁷⁷  7:19 This was the one who exploited ⁷⁸  our people ⁷⁹  and was cruel to our ancestors, ⁸⁰  forcing them to abandon ⁸¹  their infants so they would die. ⁸²  7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful ⁸³  to God. For ⁸⁴  three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, ⁸⁵  Pharaoh’s daughter adopted ⁸⁶  him and brought him up ⁸⁷  as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained ⁸⁸  in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful ⁸⁹  in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind ⁹⁰  to visit his fellow countrymen ⁹¹  the Israelites. ⁹²  7:24 When ⁹³  he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, ⁹⁴  Moses ⁹⁵  came to his defense ⁹⁶  and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people ⁹⁷  would understand that God was delivering them ⁹⁸  through him, ⁹⁹  but they did not understand. ¹⁰⁰  7:26 The next day Moses ¹⁰¹  saw two men ¹⁰²  fighting, and tried to make peace between ¹⁰³  them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed ¹⁰⁴  Moses ¹⁰⁵  aside, saying, ‘Who made ¹⁰⁶  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?’ ¹⁰⁷  7:29 When the man said this, ¹⁰⁸  Moses fled and became a foreigner ¹⁰⁹  in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

7:30 “After ¹¹⁰  forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert ¹¹¹  of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ¹¹²  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, ¹¹³  the God of Abraham, Isaac, ¹¹⁴  and Jacob.’ ¹¹⁵  Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. ¹¹⁶  7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ¹¹⁷  7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering ¹¹⁸  of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. ¹¹⁹  Now ¹²⁰  come, I will send you to Egypt.’ ¹²¹  7:35 This same ¹²²  Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ ¹²³  God sent as both ruler and deliverer ¹²⁴  through the hand of the angel ¹²⁵  who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs ¹²⁶  in the land of Egypt, ¹²⁷  at ¹²⁸  the Red Sea, and in the wilderness ¹²⁹  for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ¹³⁰  ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ ¹³¹  7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation ¹³²  in the wilderness ¹³³  with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, ¹³⁴  and he ¹³⁵  received living oracles ¹³⁶  to give to you. ¹³⁷  7:39 Our ¹³⁸  ancestors ¹³⁹  were unwilling to obey ¹⁴⁰  him, but pushed him aside ¹⁴¹  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 ¹⁴²  – we do not know what has happened to him!’ ¹⁴³  7:41 At ¹⁴⁴  that time ¹⁴⁵  they made an idol in the form of a calf, ¹⁴⁶  brought ¹⁴⁷  a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing ¹⁴⁸  in the works of their hands. ¹⁴⁹  7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over ¹⁵⁰  to worship the host ¹⁵¹  of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices ¹⁵²  forty years in the wilderness, was it, ¹⁵³  house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle ¹⁵⁴  of Moloch ¹⁵⁵  and the star of the ¹⁵⁶  god Rephan, ¹⁵⁷  the images you made to worship, but I will deport ¹⁵⁸  you beyond Babylon.’ ¹⁵⁹  7:44 Our ancestors ¹⁶⁰  had the tabernacle ¹⁶¹  of testimony in the wilderness, ¹⁶²  just as God ¹⁶³  who spoke to Moses ordered him ¹⁶⁴  to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our ¹⁶⁵  ancestors ¹⁶⁶  received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, ¹⁶⁷  until the time ¹⁶⁸  of David. 7:46 He ¹⁶⁹  found favor ¹⁷⁰  with ¹⁷¹  God and asked that he could ¹⁷²  find a dwelling place ¹⁷³  for the house ¹⁷⁴  of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house ¹⁷⁵  for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High ¹⁷⁶  does not live in houses made by human hands, ¹⁷⁷  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? ¹⁷⁸ 

7:50 Did my hand ¹⁷⁹  not make all these things?’ ¹⁸⁰ 

7:51 “You stubborn ¹⁸¹  people, with uncircumcised ¹⁸²  hearts and ears! ¹⁸³  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ¹⁸⁴  did!

Kisah Para Rasul 8:20

8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, ¹⁸⁵  because you thought you could acquire ¹⁸⁶  God’s gift with money!

Kisah Para Rasul 8:1

8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ¹⁸⁷  him.

Saul Begins to Persecute the Church

Now on that day a great ¹⁸⁸  persecution began ¹⁸⁹  against the church in Jerusalem, ¹⁹⁰  and all ¹⁹¹  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ¹⁹²  of Judea and Samaria.

Kisah Para Rasul 17:1-2

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ¹⁹³  Amphipolis ¹⁹⁴  and Apollonia, ¹⁹⁵  they came to Thessalonica, ¹⁹⁶  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ¹⁹⁷  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ¹⁹⁸  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ¹⁹⁹  them from the scriptures,

Kisah Para Rasul 2:1--4:22

The Holy Spirit and the Day of Pentecost

2:1 Now ²⁰⁰  when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2:2 Suddenly ²⁰¹  a sound ²⁰²  like a violent wind blowing ²⁰³  came from heaven ²⁰⁴  and filled the entire house where they were sitting. 2:3 And tongues spreading out like a fire ²⁰⁵  appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. 2:4 All ²⁰⁶  of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages ²⁰⁷  as the Spirit enabled them. ²⁰⁸ 

2:5 Now there were devout Jews ²⁰⁹  from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. ²¹⁰  2:6 When this sound ²¹¹  occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, ²¹²  because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 2:7 Completely baffled, they said, ²¹³  “Aren’t ²¹⁴  all these who are speaking Galileans? 2:8 And how is it that each one of us hears them ²¹⁵  in our own native language? ²¹⁶  2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, ²¹⁷  2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, ²¹⁸  and visitors from Rome, ²¹⁹  2:11 both Jews and proselytes, ²²⁰  Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!” ²²¹  2:12 All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 2:13 But others jeered at the speakers, ²²²  saying, “They are drunk on new wine!” ²²³ 

Peter’s Address on the Day of Pentecost

2:14 But Peter stood up ²²⁴  with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “You men of Judea ²²⁵  and all you who live in Jerusalem, ²²⁶  know this ²²⁷  and listen carefully to what I say. 2:15 In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, ²²⁸  for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ²²⁹  2:16 But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: ²³⁰ 

2:17 ‘And in the last days ²³¹  it will be,’ God says,

‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, ²³² 

and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

and your young men will see visions,

and your old men will dream dreams.

2:18 Even on my servants, ²³³  both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ²³⁴ 

2:19 And I will perform wonders in the sky ²³⁵  above

and miraculous signs ²³⁶  on the earth below,

blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

2:20 The sun will be changed to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the great and glorious ²³⁷  day of the Lord comes.

2:21 And then ²³⁸  everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ²³⁹ 

2:22 “Men of Israel, ²⁴⁰  listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, ²⁴¹  wonders, and miraculous signs ²⁴²  that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know – 2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed ²⁴³  by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. ²⁴⁴  2:24 But God raised him up, ²⁴⁵  having released ²⁴⁶  him from the pains ²⁴⁷  of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. ²⁴⁸  2:25 For David says about him,

‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, ²⁴⁹ 

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

2:26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;

my body ²⁵⁰  also will live in hope,

2:27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, ²⁵¹ 

nor permit your Holy One to experience ²⁵²  decay.

2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of joy with your presence.’ ²⁵³ 

2:29 “Brothers, ²⁵⁴  I can speak confidently ²⁵⁵  to you about our forefather ²⁵⁶  David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 2:30 So then, because ²⁵⁷  he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants ²⁵⁸  on his throne, ²⁵⁹  2:31 David by foreseeing this ²⁶⁰  spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, ²⁶¹  that he was neither abandoned to Hades, ²⁶²  nor did his body ²⁶³  experience ²⁶⁴  decay. ²⁶⁵  2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. ²⁶⁶  2:33 So then, exalted ²⁶⁷  to the right hand ²⁶⁸  of God, and having received ²⁶⁹  the promise of the Holy Spirit ²⁷⁰  from the Father, he has poured out ²⁷¹  what you both see and hear. 2:34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my lord,

“Sit ²⁷²  at my right hand

2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool ²⁷³  for your feet.”’ ²⁷⁴ 

2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt ²⁷⁵  that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified ²⁷⁶  both Lord ²⁷⁷  and Christ.” ²⁷⁸ 

The Response to Peter’s Address

2:37 Now when they heard this, ²⁷⁹  they were acutely distressed ²⁸⁰  and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ²⁸¹  in the name of Jesus Christ ²⁸²  for ²⁸³  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ²⁸⁴  2:39 For the promise ²⁸⁵  is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 2:40 With many other words he testified ²⁸⁶  and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse ²⁸⁷  generation!” 2:41 So those who accepted ²⁸⁸  his message ²⁸⁹  were baptized, and that day about three thousand people ²⁹⁰  were added. ²⁹¹ 

The Fellowship of the Early Believers

2:42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, ²⁹²  to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ²⁹³  2:43 Reverential awe ²⁹⁴  came over everyone, ²⁹⁵  and many wonders and miraculous signs ²⁹⁶  came about by the apostles. 2:44 All who believed were together and held ²⁹⁷  everything in common, 2:45 and they began selling ²⁹⁸  their property ²⁹⁹  and possessions and distributing the proceeds ³⁰⁰  to everyone, as anyone had need. 2:46 Every day ³⁰¹  they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, ³⁰²  breaking bread from ³⁰³  house to house, sharing their food with glad ³⁰⁴  and humble hearts, ³⁰⁵  2:47 praising God and having the good will ³⁰⁶  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ³⁰⁷  those who were being saved.

Peter and John Heal a Lame Man at the Temple

3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time ³⁰⁸  for prayer, ³⁰⁹  at three o’clock in the afternoon. ³¹⁰  3:2 And a man lame ³¹¹  from birth ³¹²  was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day ³¹³  so he could beg for money ³¹⁴  from those going into the temple courts. ³¹⁵  3:3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, ³¹⁶  he asked them for money. ³¹⁷  3:4 Peter looked directly ³¹⁸  at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” 3:5 So the lame man ³¹⁹  paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 3:6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, ³²⁰  but what I do have I give you. In the name ³²¹  of Jesus Christ ³²²  the Nazarene, stand up and ³²³  walk!” 3:7 Then ³²⁴  Peter ³²⁵  took hold ³²⁶  of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s ³²⁷  feet and ankles were made strong. ³²⁸  3:8 He ³²⁹  jumped up, ³³⁰  stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts ³³¹  with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 3:9 All ³³²  the people saw him walking and praising God, 3:10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations ³³³  at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement ³³⁴  at what had happened to him.

Peter Addresses the Crowd

3:11 While the man ³³⁵  was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway ³³⁶  called Solomon’s Portico. ³³⁷  3:12 When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, ³³⁸  why are you amazed at this? Why ³³⁹  do you stare at us as if we had made this man ³⁴⁰  walk by our own power or piety? 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ³⁴¹  the God of our forefathers, ³⁴²  has glorified ³⁴³  his servant ³⁴⁴  Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected ³⁴⁵  in the presence of Pilate after he had decided ³⁴⁶  to release him. 3:14 But you rejected ³⁴⁷  the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. 3:15 You killed ³⁴⁸  the Originator ³⁴⁹  of life, whom God raised ³⁵⁰  from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses! ³⁵¹  3:16 And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ ³⁵²  name, ³⁵³  his very name has made this man – whom you see and know – strong. The ³⁵⁴  faith that is through Jesus ³⁵⁵  has given him this complete health in the presence ³⁵⁶  of you all. 3:17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, ³⁵⁷  as your rulers did too. 3:18 But the things God foretold ³⁵⁸  long ago through ³⁵⁹  all the prophets – that his Christ ³⁶⁰  would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way. 3:19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, 3:20 so that times of refreshing ³⁶¹  may come from the presence of the Lord, ³⁶²  and so that he may send the Messiah ³⁶³  appointed ³⁶⁴  for you – that is, Jesus. 3:21 This one ³⁶⁵  heaven must ³⁶⁶  receive until the time all things are restored, ³⁶⁷  which God declared ³⁶⁸  from times long ago ³⁶⁹  through his holy prophets. 3:22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey ³⁷⁰  him in everything he tells you. ³⁷¹  3:23 Every person ³⁷²  who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed ³⁷³  from the people.’ ³⁷⁴  3:24 And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced ³⁷⁵  these days. 3:25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, ³⁷⁶  saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants ³⁷⁷  all the nations ³⁷⁸  of the earth will be blessed.’ ³⁷⁹  3:26 God raised up ³⁸⁰  his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning ³⁸¹  each one of you from your iniquities.” ³⁸² 

The Arrest and Trial of Peter and John

4:1 While Peter and John ³⁸³  were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander ³⁸⁴  of the temple guard ³⁸⁵  and the Sadducees ³⁸⁶  came up ³⁸⁷  to them, 4:2 angry ³⁸⁸  because they were teaching the people and announcing ³⁸⁹  in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 4:3 So ³⁹⁰  they seized ³⁹¹  them and put them in jail ³⁹²  until the next day (for it was already evening). 4:4 But many of those who had listened to ³⁹³  the message ³⁹⁴  believed, and the number of the men ³⁹⁵  came to about five thousand.

4:5 On the next day, ³⁹⁶  their rulers, elders, and experts in the law ³⁹⁷  came together ³⁹⁸  in Jerusalem. ³⁹⁹  4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. ⁴⁰⁰  4:7 After ⁴⁰¹  making Peter and John ⁴⁰²  stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name ⁴⁰³  did you do this?” 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴⁰⁴  replied, ⁴⁰⁵  “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁴⁰⁶  4:9 if ⁴⁰⁷  we are being examined ⁴⁰⁸  today for a good deed ⁴⁰⁹  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ⁴¹⁰  – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ⁴¹¹  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 4:11 This Jesus ⁴¹²  is the stone that was rejected by you, ⁴¹³  the builders, that has become the cornerstone. ⁴¹⁴  4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people ⁴¹⁵  by which we must ⁴¹⁶  be saved.”

4:13 When they saw the boldness ⁴¹⁷  of Peter and John, and discovered ⁴¹⁸  that they were uneducated ⁴¹⁹  and ordinary ⁴²⁰  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. 4:14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this. ⁴²¹  4:15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, ⁴²²  they began to confer with one another, 4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain ⁴²³  to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign ⁴²⁴  has come about through them, ⁴²⁵  and we cannot deny it. 4:17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more ⁴²⁶  to anyone in this name.” 4:18 And they called them in and ordered ⁴²⁷  them not to speak or teach at all in the name ⁴²⁸  of Jesus. 4:19 But Peter and John replied, ⁴²⁹  “Whether it is right before God to obey ⁴³⁰  you rather than God, you decide, 4:20 for it is impossible ⁴³¹  for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ⁴³²  God for what had happened. 4:22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign ⁴³³  of healing had been performed, ⁴³⁴  was over forty years old.

Zakharia 6:12-13

6:12 Then say to him, ‘The Lord who rules over all says, “Look – here is the man whose name is Branch, ⁴³⁵  who will sprout up from his place and build the temple of the Lord. 6:13 Indeed, he will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed in splendor, sitting as king on his throne. Moreover, there will be a priest ⁴³⁶  with him on his throne and they will see eye to eye on everything.

[7:13]  ¹ tn Heb “and I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently.”

[7:1]  ² tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).

[7:1]  ³ tn Or “rest.”

[7:1]  ⁴ tn The translation understands the disjunctive clause in v. 1b as circumstantial-causal.

[5:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[5:2]  ⁶ tn The participle ἐνέγκας (enenka") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[5:3]  ⁷ sn This is a good example of the Greek verb fill (πληρόω, plhrow) meaning “to exercise control over someone’s thought and action” (cf. Eph 5:18).

[5:3]  ⁸ tn The words “from the sale of” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the meaning, since the phrase “proceeds from the land” could possibly be understood as crops rather than money from the sale.

[5:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “Remaining to you.”

[5:4]  ¹⁰ tn The negative interrogative particle οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply to this question and the following one (“And when it was sold, was it not at your disposal?”).

[5:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “it”; the referent of the pronoun (the money generated from the sale of the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:4]  ¹² tn Grk “How is it that you have [or Why have you] placed this deed in your heart?” Both of these literal translations differ from the normal way of expressing the thought in English.

[5:4]  ¹³ tn Grk “to men.” If Peter’s remark refers only to the apostles, the translation “to men” would be appropriate. But if (as is likely) the action was taken to impress the entire congregation (who would presumably have witnessed the donation or been aware of it) then the more general “to people” is more appropriate, since the audience would have included both men and women.

[5:5]  ¹⁴ tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”

[5:6]  ¹⁵ tn Or “arose.”

[5:6]  ¹⁶ tn The translation “wrapped up” for συνέστειλαν (sunesteilan) is suggested by L&N 79.119, but another interpretation is possible. The same verb could also be translated “removed” (see L&N 15.200), although that sense appears somewhat redundant and out of sequence with the following verb and participle (“carried him out and buried him”).

[5:6]  ¹⁷ sn Buried. Same day burial was a custom in the Jewish world of the first century (cf. also Deut 21:23).

[5:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “It happened that after an interval of about three hours.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[5:7]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “came in, not knowing.” The participle has been translated with concessive or adversative force: “although she did not know.” In English, the adversative conjunction (“but”) conveys this nuance more smoothly.

[5:8]  ²⁰ tn The words “the two of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate that the verb (ἀπέδοσθε, apedosqe) is plural and thus refers to both Ananias and Sapphira.

[5:8]  ²¹ tn Grk “so much,” “as much as this.”

[5:8]  ²² tn Grk “She”; the referent (Sapphira) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:10]  ²³ tn Grk “And at once.” 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.

[5:11]  ²⁴ tn Grk “And great.” 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.

[5:11]  ²⁵ tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”

[5:11]  ²⁶ sn This is the first occurrence of the term church (ἐκκλησία, ekklhsia) in Acts. It refers to an assembly of people.

[5:12]  ²⁷ tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.

[5:12]  ²⁸ tn Grk “And by.” 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.

[5:12]  ²⁹ tn Or “With one mind.”

[5:12]  ³⁰ tn Or “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”

[5:12]  sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. Located beside the Court of the Gentiles, it was a very public area.

[5:13]  ³¹ tn Or “to associate with them.” The group was beginning to have a controversial separate identity. People were cautious about joining them. The next verse suggests that the phrase “none of the rest” in this verse is rhetorical hyperbole.

[5:13]  ³² tn Or “the people thought very highly of them.”

[5:14]  ³³ tn Or “More and more believers were added to the Lord.”

[5:15]  ³⁴ tn This is a continuation of the preceding sentence in Greek, but because this would produce an awkward sentence in English, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[5:16]  ³⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:16]  ³⁶ sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.

[5:16]  ³⁷ tn Literally a relative pronoun, “who.” In English, however, a relative clause (“bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, who were all being healed”) could be understood to refer only to the second group (meaning only those troubled by unclean spirits were being healed) or even that the unclean spirits were being healed. To avoid this ambiguity the pronoun “they” was used to begin a new English sentence.

[5:16]  ³⁸ sn They were all being healed. Note how the healings that the apostles provided were comprehensive in their consistency.

[5:17]  ³⁹ sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.

[5:17]  ⁴⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[5:17]  ⁴¹ sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zhlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.

[5:18]  ⁴² tn Grk “jealousy, and they.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but a new sentence has been started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[5:18]  ⁴³ tn Or “they arrested.”

[6:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ⁵⁰ 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.

[6:1]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁵² tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ⁵⁷ 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.

[6:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁴ 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.

[7:13]  ⁶⁵ tn BDAG 194 s.v. γένος 2. gives “family, relatives” here; another alternative is “race” (see v. 19).

[7:14]  ⁶⁶ tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:14]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “Joseph had his father summoned” (BDAG 121 s.v. ἀποστέλλω 2.b).

[7:14]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).

[7:15]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:16]  ⁷¹ tn “and they.”

[7:16]  ⁷² sn See Gen 49:29-32.

[7:17]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “the people increased and multiplied.”

[7:18]  ⁷⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “arose,” but in this context it clearly refers to a king assuming power.

[7:18]  ⁷⁷ sn A quotation from Exod 1:8.

[7:19]  ⁷⁸ 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]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “race.”

[7:19]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:19]  ⁸¹ tn Or “expose” (BDAG 303 s.v. ἔκθετος).

[7:19]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “exposed” (see v. 19).

[7:21]  ⁸⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “and reared him” (BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b).

[7:22]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “instructed.”

[7:22]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “was able” (BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b.α).

[7:23]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “heart.”

[7:23]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “brothers.” The translation “compatriot” is given by BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

[7:23]  ⁹² tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”

[7:24]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:24]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “he defended,” “he retaliated” (BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμύνομαι).

[7:25]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:25]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “was granting them deliverance.” The narrator explains that this act pictured what Moses could do for his people.

[7:25]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “by his hand,” where the hand is a metaphor for the entire person.

[7:25]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:26]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).

[7:26]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).

[7:27]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “repudiated Moses,” “rejected Moses” (BDAG 126-27 s.v. ἀπωθέω 2).

[7:27]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:27]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “appointed.”

[7:28]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “wilderness.”

[7:30]  ¹¹² sn An allusion to Exod 3:2.

[7:32]  ¹¹³ tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:32]  ¹¹⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁵ sn A quotation from Exod 3:6. The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation.

[7:32]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “to investigate,” “to contemplate” (BDAG 522 s.v. κατανοέω 2).

[7:33]  ¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “mistreatment.”

[7:34]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “to set them free.”

[7:34]  ¹²⁰ 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]  ¹²¹ sn A quotation from Exod 3:7-8, 10.

[7:35]  ¹²² 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]  ¹²³ 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]  ¹²⁴ 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]  ¹²⁵ 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]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ tn Or simply “in Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.

[7:36]  ¹²⁸ 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.

[7:36]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “desert.”

[7:37]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “to the sons of Israel.”

[7:37]  ¹³¹ 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]  ¹³² 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]  ¹³³ tn Or “desert.”

[7:38]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:38]  ¹³⁵ 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]  ¹³⁶ tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.

[7:38]  ¹³⁷ 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]  ¹³⁸ 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]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:39]  ¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁴¹ sn Pushed him aside. This is the second time Moses is “pushed aside” in Stephen’s account (see v. 27).

[7:40]  ¹⁴² tn Or simply “of Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.

[7:40]  ¹⁴³ 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]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “In those days.”

[7:41]  ¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹⁴⁷ 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]  ¹⁴⁸ tn The imperfect verb εὐφραίνοντο (eufrainonto) has been translated ingressively. See BDAG 414-15 s.v. εὐφραίνω 2.

[7:41]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “in what they had done.”

[7:42]  ¹⁵⁰ 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]  ¹⁵¹ tn Or “stars.”

[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]  ¹⁵² tn The two terms for sacrifices “semantically reinforce one another and are here combined essentially for emphasis” (L&N 53.20).

[7:42]  ¹⁵³ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “was it?”

[7:43]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “tent.”

[7:43]  sn A tabernacle was a tent used to house religious objects or a shrine (i.e., a portable sanctuary).

[7:43]  ¹⁵⁵ sn Moloch was a Canaanite deity who was believed to be the god of the sky and the sun.

[7:43]  ¹⁵⁶ tc ‡ Most mss, including several important ones (Ì⁷⁴ א A C E Ψ 33 1739 Ï h p vg sy^h mae bo Cyr), have ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, in conformity with the LXX of Amos 5:26. But other significant and diverse witnesses lack the pronoun: The lack of ὑμῶν in B D 36 453 gig sy^p sa Ir^lat Or is difficult to explain if it is not the original wording here. NA²⁷ has the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[7:43]  ¹⁵⁷ sn Rephan (῾Ραιφάν, RJaifan) was a pagan deity. The term was a name for Saturn. It was variously spelled in the mss (BDAG 903 s.v. has Rompha as an alternate spelling). The references cover a range of deities and a history of unfaithfulness.

[7:43]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “I will make you move.”

[7:43]  ¹⁵⁹ sn A quotation from Amos 5:25-27. This constituted a prediction of the exile.

[7:44]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:44]  ¹⁶¹ tn Or “tent.”

[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]  ¹⁶² tn Or “desert.”

[7:44]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:44]  ¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁵ 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]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:45]  ¹⁶⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “In those days.”

[7:46]  ¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Or “grace.”

[7:46]  ¹⁷¹ tn Grk “before,” “in the presence of.”

[7:46]  ¹⁷² 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]  ¹⁷³ tn On this term see BDAG 929 s.v. σκήνωμα a (Ps 132:5).

[7:46]  ¹⁷⁴ tc Some mss read θεῷ (qew, “God”) here, a variant much easier to understand in the context. The reading “God” is supported by א² A C E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy co. The more difficult οἴκῳ (oikw, “house”) is supported by Ì⁷⁴ א* B D H 049 pc. Thus the second reading is preferred both externally because of better ms evidence and internally because it is hard to see how a copyist finding the reading “God” would change it to “house,” while it is easy to see how (given the LXX of Ps 132:5) a copyist might assimilate the reading and change “house” to “God.” However, some scholars think the reading “house” is so difficult as to be unacceptable. Others (like Lachmann and Hort) resorted to conjectural emendation at this point. Others (Ropes) sought an answer in an underlying Aramaic expression. Not everyone thinks the reading “house” is too difficult to be accepted as original (see Lake and Cadbury). A. F. J. Klijn, “Stephen’s Speech – Acts vii.2-53,” NTS 4 (1957): 25-31, compared the idea of a “house within the house of Israel” with the Manual of Discipline from Qumran, a possible parallel that seems to support the reading “house” as authentic. (For the more detailed discussion from which this note was derived, see TCGNT 308-9.)

[7:47]  ¹⁷⁵ sn See 1 Kgs 8:1-21.

[7:48]  ¹⁷⁶ sn The title the Most High points to God’s majesty (Heb 7:1; Luke 1:32, 35; Acts 16:7).

[7:48]  ¹⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁷⁸ sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.

[7:50]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.

[7:50]  ¹⁸⁰ 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]  ¹⁸¹ sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.

[7:51]  ¹⁸² 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]  ¹⁸³ tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)

[7:51]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[8:20]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “May your silver together with you be sent into destruction.” This is a strong curse. The gifts of God are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be purchased.

[8:20]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Or “obtain.”

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Or “severe.”

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”

[8:1]  ¹⁹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  ¹⁹¹ sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.

[8:1]  ¹⁹² tn Or “countryside.”

[17:1]  ¹⁹³ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ¹⁹⁴ sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).

[17:1]  ¹⁹⁵ sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ¹⁹⁶ sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.

[17:1]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:1]  ¹⁹⁷ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:2]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[2:1]  ²⁰⁰ tn Grk “And” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

[2:2]  ²⁰¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated for stylistic reasons. It occurs as part of the formula καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto) which is often left untranslated in Luke-Acts because it is redundant in contemporary English. Here it is possible (and indeed necessary) to translate ἐγένετο as “came” so that the initial clause of the English translation contains a verb; nevertheless the translation of the conjunction καί is not necessary.

[2:2]  ²⁰² tn Or “a noise.”

[2:2]  ²⁰³ tn While φέρω (ferw) generally refers to movement from one place to another with the possible implication of causing the movement of other objects, in Acts 2:2 φέρομαι (feromai) should probably be understood in a more idiomatic sense of “blowing” since it is combined with the noun for wind (πνοή, pnoh).

[2:2]  ²⁰⁴ tn Or “from the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.

[2:3]  ²⁰⁵ tn Or “And divided tongues as of fire.” The precise meaning of διαμερίζομαι (diamerizomai) in Acts 2:3 is difficult to determine. The meaning could be “tongues as of fire dividing up one to each person,” but it is also possible that the individual tongues of fire were divided (“And divided tongues as of fire appeared”). The translation adopted in the text (“tongues spreading out like a fire”) attempts to be somewhat ambiguous.

[2:4]  ²⁰⁶ 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.

[2:4]  ²⁰⁷ tn The Greek term is γλώσσαις (glwssai"), the same word used for the tongues of fire.

[2:4]  sn Other languages. Acts 2:6-7 indicates that these were languages understandable to the hearers, a diverse group from “every nation under heaven.”

[2:4]  ²⁰⁸ tn Grk “just as the spirit gave them to utter.” The verb ἀποφθέγγομαι (apofqengomai) was used of special utterances in Classical Greek (BDAG 125 s.v.).

[2:5]  ²⁰⁹ tn Grk “Jews, devout men.” It is possible that only men are in view here in light of OT commands for Jewish men to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem at various times during the year (cf. Exod 23:17, 34:23; Deut 16:16). However, other evidence seems to indicate that both men and women might be in view. Luke 2:41-52 shows that whole families would make the temporary trip to Jerusalem. In addition, it is probable that the audience consisted of families who had taken up permanent residence in Jerusalem. The verb κατοικέω (katoikew) normally means “reside” or “dwell,” and archaeological evidence from tombs in Jerusalem does indicate that many families immigrated to Jerusalem permanently (see B. Witherington, Acts, 135); this would naturally include women. Also, the word ἀνήρ (ajnhr), which usually does mean “male” or “man” (as opposed to woman), sometimes is used generically to mean “a person” (BDAG 79 s.v. 2; cf. Matt 12:41). Given this evidence, then, it is conceivable that the audience in view here is not individual male pilgrims but a mixed group of men and women.

[2:5]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “Now there were residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.”

[2:5]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:6]  ²¹¹ tn Or “this noise.”

[2:6]  ²¹² tn Or “was bewildered.”

[2:7]  ²¹³ tn Grk “They were astounded and amazed, saying.” The two imperfect verbs, ἐξίσταντο (existanto) and ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon), show both the surprise and the confusion on the part of the hearers. The verb ἐξίσταντο (from ἐξίστημι, existhmi) often implies an illogical perception or response (BDAG 350 s.v. ἐξίστημι): “to be so astonished as to almost fail to comprehend what one has experienced” (L&N 25.218).

[2:7]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “Behold, aren’t all these.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[2:8]  ²¹⁵ tn Grk “we hear them, each one of us.”

[2:8]  ²¹⁶ tn Grk “in our own language in which we were born.”

[2:9]  ²¹⁷ 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.

[2:10]  ²¹⁸ tn According to BDAG 595 s.v. Λιβύη, the western part of Libya, Libya Cyrenaica, is referred to here (see also Josephus, Ant. 16.6.1 [16.160] for a similar phrase).

[2:10]  ²¹⁹ map For location see JP4 A1.

[2:11]  ²²⁰ sn Proselytes refers to Gentile (i.e., non-Jewish) converts to Judaism.

[2:11]  ²²¹ tn Or “God’s mighty works.” Here the genitive τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a subjective genitive.

[2:13]  ²²² tn The words “the speakers” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[2:13]  ²²³ tn Grk “They are full of new wine!”

[2:13]  sn New wine refers to a new, sweet wine in the process of fermentation.

[2:14]  ²²⁴ tn Grk “standing up.” The participle σταθείς (staqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[2:14]  ²²⁵ tn Or “You Jewish men.” “Judea” is preferred here because it is paired with “Jerusalem,” a location. This suggests locality rather than ethnic background is the primary emphasis in the context. As for “men,” the Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, where “all” who live in Jerusalem are addressed, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Peter’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[2:14]  ²²⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:14]  ²²⁷ tn Grk “let this be known to you.” The passive construction has been translated as an active for stylistic reasons.

[2:15]  ²²⁸ tn Grk “These men are not drunk, as you suppose.”

[2:15]  ²²⁹ tn Grk “only the third hour.”

[2:16]  ²³⁰ sn Note how in the quotation that follows all genders, ages, and classes are included. The event is like a hope Moses expressed in Num 11:29.

[2:17]  ²³¹ sn The phrase in the last days is not quoted from Joel, but represents Peter’s interpretive explanation of the current events as falling “in the last days.”

[2:17]  ²³² tn Grk “on all flesh.”

[2:18]  ²³³ tn Grk “slaves.” Although this translation frequently renders δοῦλος (doulos) as “slave,” the connotation is often of one who has sold himself into slavery; in a spiritual sense, the idea is that of becoming a slave of God or of Jesus Christ voluntarily. The voluntary notion is not conspicuous here; hence, the translation “servants.” In any case, the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[2:18]  ²³⁴ sn The words and they will prophesy in Acts 2:18 are not quoted from Joel 2:29 at this point but are repeated from earlier in the quotation (Acts 2:17) for emphasis. Tongues speaking is described as prophecy, just like intelligible tongues are described in 1 Cor 14:26-33.

[2:19]  ²³⁵ tn Or “in the heaven.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context. Here, in contrast to “the earth below,” a reference to the sky is more likely.

[2:19]  ²³⁶ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned; this is made explicit in the translation.

[2:20]  ²³⁷ tn Or “and wonderful.”

[2:21]  ²³⁸ tn Grk “And it will be that.”

[2:21]  ²³⁹ sn A quotation from Joel 2:28-32.

[2:22]  ²⁴⁰ tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Peter’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[2:22]  ²⁴¹ tn Or “miraculous deeds.”

[2:22]  ²⁴² tn Again, the context indicates the miraculous nature of these signs, and this is specified in the translation.

[2:23]  ²⁴³ tn Or “you killed.”

[2:23]  ²⁴⁴ tn Grk “at the hands of lawless men.” At this point the term ἄνομος (anomo") refers to non-Jews who live outside the Jewish (Mosaic) law, rather than people who broke any or all laws including secular laws. Specifically it is a reference to the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion.

[2:24]  ²⁴⁵ tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”

[2:24]  ²⁴⁶ tn Or “having freed.”

[2:24]  ²⁴⁷ sn The term translated pains is frequently used to describe pains associated with giving birth (see Rev 12:2). So there is irony here in the mixed metaphor.

[2:24]  ²⁴⁸ tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).

[2:25]  ²⁴⁹ tn Or “always before me.”

[2:26]  ²⁵⁰ tn Grk “my flesh.”

[2:27]  ²⁵¹ tn Or “will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Often “Hades” is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Sheol, the place of the dead.

[2:27]  ²⁵² tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:28]  ²⁵³ sn A quotation from Ps 16:8-11.

[2:29]  ²⁵⁴ tn Since this represents a continuation of the address beginning in v.14 and continued in v. 22, “brothers” has been used here rather than a generic expression like “brothers and sisters.”

[2:29]  ²⁵⁵ sn Peter’s certainty is based on well-known facts.

[2:29]  ²⁵⁶ tn Or “about our noted ancestor,” “about the patriarch.”

[2:30]  ²⁵⁷ tn The participles ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) and εἰδώς (eidw") are translated as causal adverbial participles.

[2:30]  ²⁵⁸ tn Grk “one from the fruit of his loins.” “Loins” is the traditional translation of ὀσφῦς (osfu"), referring to the male genital organs. A literal rendering like “one who came from his genital organs” would be regarded as too specific and perhaps even vulgar by many contemporary readers. Most modern translations thus render the phrase “one of his descendants.”

[2:30]  ²⁵⁹ sn An allusion to Ps 132:11 and 2 Sam 7:12-13, the promise in the Davidic covenant.

[2:31]  ²⁶⁰ tn Grk “David foreseeing spoke.” The participle προϊδών (proidwn) is taken as indicating means. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance: “David foresaw [this] and spoke.” The word “this” is supplied in either case as an understood direct object (direct objects in Greek were often omitted, but must be supplied for the modern English reader).

[2:31]  ²⁶¹ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:31]  sn The term χριστός (cristos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul’s letters to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.

[2:31]  ²⁶² tn Or “abandoned in the world of the dead.” The translation “world of the dead” for Hades is suggested by L&N 1.19. The phrase is an allusion to Ps 16:10.

[2:31]  ²⁶³ tn Grk “flesh.” See vv. 26b-27. The reference to “body” in this verse picks up the reference to “body” in v. 26. The Greek term σάρξ (sarx) in both verses literally means “flesh”; however, the translation “body” stresses the lack of decay of his physical body. The point of the verse is not merely the lack of decay of his flesh alone, but the resurrection of his entire person, as indicated by the previous parallel line “he was not abandoned to Hades.”

[2:31]  ²⁶⁴ tn Grk “see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:31]  ²⁶⁵ sn An allusion to Ps 16:10.

[2:32]  ²⁶⁶ tn Or “of him”; Grk “of which [or whom] we are all witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

[2:33]  ²⁶⁷ tn The aorist participle ὑψωθείς (Juywqei") could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…” In the translation the more neutral “exalted” (a shorter form of “having been exalted”) was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33]  ²⁶⁸ sn The expression the right hand of God represents supreme power and authority. Its use here sets up the quotation of Ps 110:1 in v. 34.

[2:33]  ²⁶⁹ tn The aorist participle λαβών (labwn) could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit.” In the translation the more neutral “having received” was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33]  ²⁷⁰ tn Here the genitive τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the promise consists of the Holy Spirit.

[2:33]  ²⁷¹ sn The use of the verb poured out looks back to 2:17-18, where the same verb occurs twice.

[2:34]  ²⁷² sn Sit at my right hand. The word “sit” alludes back to the promise of “seating one on his throne” in v. 30.

[2:35]  ²⁷³ sn The metaphor make your enemies a footstool portrays the complete subjugation of the enemies.

[2:35]  ²⁷⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 110:1, one of the most often-cited OT passages in the NT, pointing to the exaltation of Jesus.

[2:36]  ²⁷⁵ tn Or “know for certain.” This term is in an emphatic position in the clause.

[2:36]  ²⁷⁶ tn Grk “has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” The clause has been simplified in the translation by replacing the pronoun “him” with the explanatory clause “this Jesus whom you crucified” which comes at the end of the sentence.

[2:36]  ²⁷⁷ sn Lord. This looks back to the quotation of Ps 110:1 and the mention of “calling on the Lord” in 2:21. Peter’s point is that the Lord on whom one calls for salvation is Jesus, because he is the one mediating God’s blessing of the Spirit as a sign of the presence of salvation and the last days.

[2:36]  ²⁷⁸ tn Or “and Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:36]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[2:37]  ²⁷⁹ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[2:37]  ²⁸⁰ tn Grk “they were pierced to the heart” (an idiom for acute emotional distress).

[2:38]  ²⁸¹ tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.

[2:38]  ²⁸² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  sn In the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism in Messiah Jesus’ name shows how much authority he possesses.

[2:38]  ²⁸³ tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, “for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins”). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of “for” or “unto.” Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of “baptism” in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, “Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…” Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, “Acts,” EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.

[2:38]  ²⁸⁴ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[2:39]  ²⁸⁵ sn The promise refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus received from the Father in 2:33 and which he now pours out on others. The promise consists of the Holy Spirit (see note in 2:33). Jesus is the active mediator of God’s blessing.

[2:40]  ²⁸⁶ tn Or “warned.”

[2:40]  ²⁸⁷ tn Or “crooked” (in a moral or ethical sense). See Luke 3:5.

[2:41]  ²⁸⁸ tn Or “who acknowledged the truth of.”

[2:41]  ²⁸⁹ tn Grk “word.”

[2:41]  ²⁹⁰ tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).

[2:41]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “were won over.”

[2:42]  ²⁹² sn Fellowship refers here to close association involving mutual involvement and relationships.

[2:42]  ²⁹³ tn Grk “prayers.” This word was translated as a collective singular in keeping with English style.

[2:43]  ²⁹⁴ tn Or “Fear.”

[2:43]  ²⁹⁵ tn Grk “on every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).

[2:43]  ²⁹⁶ tn In this context the miraculous nature of these signs is implied. Cf. BDAG 920 s.v. σημεῖον 2.a.

[2:44]  ²⁹⁷ tn Grk “had.”

[2:45]  ²⁹⁸ tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive (“began…”). Since in context this is a description of the beginning of the community of believers, it is more likely that these statements refer to the start of various activities and practices that the early church continued for some time.

[2:45]  ²⁹⁹ tn It is possible that the first term for property (κτήματα, kthmata) refers to real estate (as later usage seems to indicate) while the second term (ὑπάρξεις, Juparxeis) refers to possessions in general, but it may also be that the two terms are used together for emphasis, simply indicating that all kinds of possessions were being sold. However, if the first term is more specifically a reference to real estate, it foreshadows the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.

[2:45]  ³⁰⁰ tn Grk “distributing them” (αὐτά, auta). The referent (the proceeds of the sales) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:46]  ³⁰¹ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[2:46]  ³⁰² tn Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[2:46]  ³⁰³ tn Here κατά (kata) is used as a distributive (BDAG 512 s.v. B.1.d).

[2:46]  ³⁰⁴ sn The term glad (Grk “gladness”) often refers to joy brought about by God’s saving acts (Luke 1:14, 44; also the related verb in 1:47; 10:21).

[2:46]  ³⁰⁵ tn Grk “with gladness and humbleness of hearts.” It is best to understand καρδίας (kardias) as an attributed genitive, with the two nouns it modifies actually listing attributes of the genitive noun which is related to them.

[2:47]  ³⁰⁶ tn Or “the favor.”

[2:47]  ³⁰⁷ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[3:1]  ³⁰⁸ tn Grk “hour.”

[3:1]  ³⁰⁹ sn Going up to the temple at the time for prayer. The earliest Christians, being of Jewish roots, were still participating in the institutions of Judaism at this point. Their faith in Christ did not make them non-Jewish in their practices.

[3:1]  ³¹⁰ tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” This is calculated from sunrise (Josephus, Ant. 14.4.3 [14.65]; Dan 9:21).

[3:2]  ³¹¹ tn Or “crippled.”

[3:2]  ³¹² tn Grk “from his mother’s womb.”

[3:2]  ³¹³ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[3:2]  ³¹⁴ tn Grk “alms.” The term “alms” is not in common use today, so what the man expected, “money,” is used in the translation instead. The idea is that of money given as a gift to someone who was poor. Giving alms was viewed as honorable in Judaism (Tob 1:3, 16; 12:8-9; m. Pe’ah 1:1). See also Luke 11:41; 12:33; Acts 9:36; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17.

[3:2]  ³¹⁵ tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[3:2]  sn Into the temple courts. The exact location of this incident is debated. The ‘Beautiful Gate’ referred either to the Nicanor Gate (which led from the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of Women) or the Shushan Gate at the eastern wall.

[3:3]  ³¹⁶ tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[3:3]  sn See the note on the phrase the temple courts in the previous verse.

[3:3]  ³¹⁷ tn Grk “alms.” See the note on the word “money” in the previous verse.

[3:4]  ³¹⁸ tn Grk “Peter, looking directly at him, as did John, said.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[3:5]  ³¹⁹ tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the lame man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:6]  ³²⁰ tn Or “I have no money.” L&N 6.69 classifies the expression ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον (argurion kai crusion) as an idiom that is a generic expression for currency, thus “money.”

[3:6]  ³²¹ sn In the name. Note the authority in the name of Jesus the Messiah. His presence and power are at work for the man. The reference to “the name” is not like a magical incantation, but is designed to indicate the agent who performs the healing. The theme is quite frequent in Acts (2:38 plus 21 other times).

[3:6]  ³²² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[3:6]  ³²³ tc The words “stand up and” (ἔγειρε καί, egeire kai) are not in a few mss (א B D sa), but are included in A C E Ψ 095 33 1739 Ï lat sy mae bo. The external testimony is thus fairly evenly divided, with few but important representatives of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes supporting the shorter reading. Internally, the words look like a standard scribal emendation, and may have been motivated by other healing passages where Jesus gave a similar double command (cf. Matt 9:5; Mark 2:9, [11]; Luke 5:23; [6:8]; John 5:8). On the other hand, there is some motivation for deleting ἔγειρε καί here, namely, unlike Jesus’ healing miracles, Peter raises (ἤγειρεν, hgeiren) the man to his feet (v. 7) rather than the man rising on his own. In light of the scribal tendency to harmonize, especially in immediate context, the longer reading is slightly preferred.

[3:7]  ³²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the sequence of events.

[3:7]  ³²⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:7]  ³²⁶ tn Grk “Peter taking hold of him…raised him up.” The participle πιάσας (piasas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[3:7]  ³²⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:7]  ³²⁸ sn At once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. Note that despite the past lameness, the man is immediately able to walk. The restoration of his ability to walk pictures the presence of a renewed walk, a fresh start at life; this was far more than money would have given him.

[3:8]  ³²⁹ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[3:8]  ³³⁰ tn Grk “Jumping up, he stood.” The participle ἐξαλλόμενος (exallomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. It is possible that the paralyzed man actually jumped off the ground, but more probably this term simply refers to the speed with which he stood up. See L&N 15.240.

[3:8]  ³³¹ tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[3:9]  ³³² 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.

[3:10]  ³³³ tn Grk “alms,” but this term is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “donations,” is used instead. The idea is that of a donation to charity.

[3:10]  ³³⁴ sn Amazement is a frequent response to miracles of Jesus or the apostles. These took the ancients by as much surprise as they would people today. But in terms of response to what God is doing, amazement does not equal faith (Luke 4:36; 5:9, 26; 7:16).

[3:11]  ³³⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:11]  ³³⁶ tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.” The translation “covered walkway” (a descriptive translation) was used here because the architectural term “portico” or “colonnade” is less familiar. However, the more technical term “portico” was retained in the actual name that follows.

[3:11]  ³³⁷ sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. It was located on the east side of the temple (Josephus, Ant. 15.11.3-5 [15.391-420], 20.9.7 [20.221]) and was a place of commerce and conversation.

[3:12]  ³³⁸ tn Or perhaps “People of Israel,” since this was taking place in Solomon’s Portico and women may have been present. The Greek ἄνδρες ᾿Ισραηλῖται (andre" Israhlitai) used in the plural would normally mean “men, gentlemen” (BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).

[3:12]  ³³⁹ tn Grk “or why.”

[3:12]  ³⁴⁰ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:13]  ³⁴¹ tc ‡ The repetition of ὁ θεός (Jo qeos, “God”) before the names of Isaac and Jacob is found in Ì⁷⁴ א C (A D without article) 36 104 1175 pc lat. The omission of the second and third ὁ θεός is supported by B E Ψ 33 1739 Ï pc. The other time that Exod 3:6 is quoted in Acts (7:32) the best witnesses also lack the repeated ὁ θεός, but the three other times this OT passage is quoted in the NT the full form, with the thrice-mentioned θεός, is used (Matt 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37). Scribes would be prone to conform the wording here to the LXX; the longer reading is thus most likely not authentic. NA²⁷ has the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[3:13]  ³⁴² tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”

[3:13]  sn The reference to the God of the patriarchs is a reminder that God is the God of the nation and of promises. The phrase God of our forefathers is from the Hebrew scriptures (Exod 3:6, 15-16; 4:5; see also the Jewish prayer known as “The Eighteen Benedictions”). Once again, event has led to explanation, or what is called the “sign and speech” pattern.

[3:13]  ³⁴³ sn Has glorified. Jesus is alive, raised and active, as the healing illustrates so dramatically how God honors him.

[3:13]  ³⁴⁴ sn His servant. The term servant has messianic connotations given the context of the promise, the note of suffering, and the titles and functions noted in vv. 14-15.

[3:13]  ³⁴⁵ tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”

[3:13]  ³⁴⁶ tn This genitive absolute construction could be understood as temporal (“when he had decided”) or concessive (“although he had decided”).

[3:14]  ³⁴⁷ tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”

[3:15]  ³⁴⁸ tn Or “You put to death.”

[3:15]  ³⁴⁹ tn Or “Founder,” “founding Leader.”

[3:15]  ³⁵⁰ sn Whom God raised. God is the main actor here, as he testifies to Jesus and vindicates him.

[3:15]  ³⁵¹ tn Grk “whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the words “to this fact” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[3:15]  sn We are witnesses. Note the two witnesses here, Peter and John (Acts 5:32; Heb 2:3-4).

[3:16]  ³⁵² tn Grk “in his name”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:16]  ³⁵³ sn Here is another example of appeal to the person by mentioning the name. See the note on the word name in 3:6.

[3:16]  ³⁵⁴ tn Grk “see and know, and the faith.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated.

[3:16]  ³⁵⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:16]  sn The faith that is through Jesus. Note how this verse explains how the claim to “faith in Jesus’ name” works and what it means. To appeal to the name is to point to the person. It is not clear that the man expressed faith before the miracle. This could well be a “grace-faith miracle” where God grants power through the apostles to picture how much a gift life is (Luke 17:11-19). Christology and grace are emphasized here.

[3:16]  ³⁵⁶ tn Or “in full view.”

[3:17]  ³⁵⁷ sn The ignorance Peter mentions here does not excuse them from culpability. It was simply a way to say “you did not realize the great mistake you made.”

[3:18]  ³⁵⁸ sn God foretold. Peter’s topic is the working out of God’s plan and promise through events the scriptures also note.

[3:18]  ³⁵⁹ tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).

[3:18]  ³⁶⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[3:18]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[3:20]  ³⁶¹ tn Or “relief.”

[3:20]  sn Times of refreshing. The phrase implies relief from difficult, distressful or burdensome circumstances. It is generally regarded as a reference to the messianic age being ushered in.

[3:20]  ³⁶² tn The words “so that…Lord” are traditionally placed in v. 19 by most English translations, but in the present translation the verse division follows the standard critical editions of the Greek text (NA²⁷, UBS⁴).

[3:20]  ³⁶³ tn Or “the Christ”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[3:20]  sn He may send the Messiah appointed for you – that is, Jesus. The language points to the expectation of Jesus’ return to gather his people. It is a development of the question raised in Acts 1:6.

[3:20]  ³⁶⁴ tn Or “designated in advance.”

[3:21]  ³⁶⁵ tn Grk “whom,” continuing the sentence from v. 20.

[3:21]  ³⁶⁶ sn The term must used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) is a key Lukan term to point to the plan of God and what must occur.

[3:21]  ³⁶⁷ tn Grk “until the times of the restoration of all things.” Because of the awkward English style of the extended genitive construction, and because the following relative clause has as its referent the “time of restoration” rather than “all things,” the phrase was translated “until the time all things are restored.”

[3:21]  sn The time all things are restored. What that restoration involves is already recorded in the scriptures of the nation of Israel.

[3:21]  ³⁶⁸ tn Or “spoke.”

[3:21]  ³⁶⁹ tn Or “from all ages past.”

[3:21]  sn From times long ago. Once again, God’s plan is emphasized.

[3:22]  ³⁷⁰ tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw; see L&N 36.14) and the following context (v. 23) makes it clear that failure to “obey” the words of this “prophet like Moses” will result in complete destruction.

[3:22]  ³⁷¹ sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. By quoting Deut 18:15 Peter declared that Jesus was the eschatological “prophet like [Moses]” mentioned in that passage, who reveals the plan of God and the way of God.

[3:23]  ³⁷² tn Grk “every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).

[3:23]  ³⁷³ tn Or “will be completely destroyed.” In Acts 3:23 the verb ἐξολεθρεύω (exoleqreuw) is translated “destroy and remove” by L&N 20.35.

[3:23]  ³⁷⁴ sn A quotation from Deut 18:19, also Lev 23:29. The OT context of Lev 23:29 discusses what happened when one failed to honor atonement. One ignored the required sacrifice of God at one’s peril.

[3:24]  ³⁷⁵ tn Or “proclaimed.”

[3:24]  sn All the prophets…have spoken about and announced. What Peter preaches is rooted in basic biblical and Jewish hope as expressed in the OT scriptures.

[3:25]  ³⁷⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[3:25]  ³⁷⁷ tn Or “in your offspring”; Grk “in your seed.”

[3:25]  sn In your descendants (Grk “in your seed”). Seed has an important ambiguity in this verse. The blessing comes from the servant (v. 26), who in turn blesses the responsive children of the covenant as the scripture promised. Jesus is the seed who blesses the seed.

[3:25]  ³⁷⁸ tn Or “families.” The Greek word πατριά (patria) can indicate persons of succeeding generations who are related by birth (“lineage,” “family”) but it can also indicate a relatively large unit of people who make up a sociopolitical group and who share a presumed biological descent. In many contexts πατριά is very similar to ἔθνος (eqnos) and λαός (laos). In light of the context of the OT quotation, it is better to translate πατριά as “nations” here.

[3:25]  ³⁷⁹ sn A quotation from Gen 22:18.

[3:26]  ³⁸⁰ tn Grk “God raising up his servant, sent him.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Some translations (e.g., NIV, NRSV) render this participle as temporal (“when God raised up his servant”).

[3:26]  ³⁸¹ sn The picture of turning is again seen as the appropriate response to the message. See v. 19 above. In v. 19 it was “turning to,” here it is “turning away from.” The direction of the two metaphors is important.

[3:26]  ³⁸² tn For the translation of plural πονηρία (ponhria) as “iniquities,” see G. Harder, TDNT 6:565. The plural is important, since for Luke turning to Jesus means turning away from sins, not just the sin of rejecting Jesus.

[4:1]  ³⁸³ tn Grk “While they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:1]  ³⁸⁴ tn Or “captain.”

[4:1]  ³⁸⁵ tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.

[4:1]  sn The commander of the temple guard was the title of the officer commanding the Jewish soldiers responsible for guarding and keeping order in the temple courts in Jerusalem.

[4:1]  ³⁸⁶ sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 3:7; 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.

[4:1]  ³⁸⁷ tn Or “approached.” This verb often denotes a sudden appearing (BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1).

[4:2]  ³⁸⁸ tn Or “greatly annoyed,” “provoked.”

[4:2]  ³⁸⁹ tn Or “proclaiming.”

[4:3]  ³⁹⁰ tn Grk “And” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the logical sequence of events.

[4:3]  ³⁹¹ tn Or “they arrested”; Grk “they laid hands on.”

[4:3]  ³⁹² tn Or “prison,” “custody.”

[4:4]  ³⁹³ tn Or “had heard.”

[4:4]  ³⁹⁴ tn Or “word.”

[4:4]  ³⁹⁵ tn In the historical setting it is likely that only men are referred to here. The Greek term ἀνήρ (anhr) usually refers to males or husbands rather than people in general. Thus to translate “of the people” would give a false impression of the number, since any women and children were apparently not included in the count.

[4:5]  ³⁹⁶ tn Grk “It happened that on the next day.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[4:5]  ³⁹⁷ tn Or “and scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[4:5]  sn Experts in the law would have been mostly like the Pharisees in approach. Thus various sects of Judaism were coming together against Jesus.

[4:5]  ³⁹⁸ tn Or “law assembled,” “law met together.”

[4:5]  ³⁹⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:6]  ⁴⁰⁰ sn The high priest’s family. This family controlled the high priesthood as far back as a.d. 6. Annas, Caiaphas, and Alexander were all high priests at one time (though Alexander held that office after this event).

[4:7]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new sentence is begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 7.

[4:7]  ⁴⁰² tn Grk “making them”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:7]  ⁴⁰³ sn By what name. The issue of the “name” comes up again here. This question, meaning “by whose authority,” surfaces an old dispute (see Luke 20:1-8). Who speaks for God about the ancient faith?

[4:8]  ⁴⁰⁴ sn Filled with the Holy Spirit. The narrator’s remark about the Holy Spirit indicates that Peter speaks as directed by God and for God. This fulfills Luke 12:11-12 (1 Pet 3:15).

[4:8]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Grk “Spirit, said to them.”

[4:8]  ⁴⁰⁶ tc The Western and Byzantine texts, as well as one or two Alexandrian witnesses, read τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (tou Israhl, “of Israel”) after πρεσβύτεροι (presbuteroi, “elders”; so D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï it), while most of the better witnesses, chiefly Alexandrian (Ì⁷⁴ א A B 0165 1175 vg sa bo), lack this modifier. The longer reading was most likely added by scribes to give literary balance to the addressees in that “Rulers” already had an adjunct while “elders” was left absolute.

[4:9]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn This clause is a first class condition. It assumes for the sake of argument that this is what they were being questioned about.

[4:9]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.

[4:9]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Or “for an act of kindness.”

[4:9]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.

[4:10]  ⁴¹¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[4:11]  ⁴¹² tn Grk “This one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:11]  ⁴¹³ tn The word “you” is inserted into the quotation because Peter is making a direct application of Ps 118:22 to his hearers. Because it is not in the OT, it has been left as normal type (rather than bold italic). The remarks are like Acts 2:22-24 and 3:12-15.

[4:11]  ⁴¹⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 118:22 which combines the theme of rejection with the theme of God’s vindication/exaltation.

[4:12]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[4:12]  ⁴¹⁶ sn Must be saved. The term used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) reflects the necessity set up by God’s directive plan.

[4:13]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Or “courage.”

[4:13]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Or “and found out.”

[4:13]  ⁴¹⁹ sn Uneducated does not mean “illiterate,” that is, unable to read or write. Among Jews in NT times there was almost universal literacy, especially as the result of widespread synagogue schools. The term refers to the fact that Peter and John had no formal rabbinic training and thus, in the view of their accusers, were not qualified to expound the law or teach publicly. The objection is like Acts 2:7.

[4:13]  ⁴²⁰ tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiwtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.

[4:14]  ⁴²¹ tn Or “nothing to say in opposition.”

[4:15]  ⁴²² tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[4:16]  ⁴²³ tn Or “evident.”

[4:16]  ⁴²⁴ tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. It is clear that the healing of the lame man was a miracle, but for the Sanhedrin it was the value of the miraculous healing as a sign that concerned them because it gave attestation to the message of Peter and John. The sign “speaks” as Peter claimed in 3:11-16.

[4:16]  ⁴²⁵ tn Or “has been done by them.”

[4:17]  ⁴²⁶ tn Or “speak no longer.”

[4:18]  ⁴²⁷ tn Or “commanded.”

[4:18]  ⁴²⁸ sn In the name of Jesus. Once again, the “name” reflects the person. The person of Jesus and his authority is the “troubling” topic that, as far as the Jewish leadership is concerned, needs controlling.

[4:19]  ⁴²⁹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[4:19]  ⁴³⁰ tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw; see L&N 36.14).

[4:20]  ⁴³¹ tn Grk “for we are not able not to speak about what we have seen and heard,” but the double negative, which cancels out in English, is emphatic in Greek. The force is captured somewhat by the English translation “it is impossible for us not to speak…” although this is slightly awkward.

[4:21]  ⁴³² tn Or “glorifying.”

[4:22]  ⁴³³ tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. See also the note on this word in v. 16.

[4:22]  ⁴³⁴ tn Or “had been done.”

[6:12]  ⁴³⁵ tn The epithet “Branch” (צֶמַח, tsemakh) derives from the verb used here (יִצְמָח, yitsmakh, “will sprout up”) to describe the rise of the Messiah, already referred to in this manner in Zech 3:8 (cf. Isa 11:1; 53:2; Jer 33:15). In the immediate context this refers to Zerubbabel, but the ultimate referent is Jesus (cf. John 19:5).

[6:13]  ⁴³⁶ sn The priest here in the immediate context is Joshua but the fuller and more distant allusion is to the Messiah, a ruling priest. The notion of the ruler as a priest-king was already apparent in David and his successors (Pss 2:2, 6-8; 110:2, 4), and it finds mature expression in David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ, who will combine both offices in his kingship (Heb 5:1-10; 7:1-25).