Yehezkiel 8:10

8:10 So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure ¹  of creeping thing and beast – detestable images ²  – and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. ³ 

Yehezkiel 8:14

8:14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house. I noticed ⁴  women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. ⁵ 

Yehezkiel 8:16

8:16 Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. Right there ⁶  at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar, ⁷  were about twenty-five ⁸  men with their backs to the Lord’s temple, ⁹  facing east – they were worshiping the sun ¹⁰  toward the east!

Yehezkiel 16:44-47

16:44 “‘Observe – everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” 16:45 You are the daughter of your mother, who detested her husband and her sons, and you are the sister of your sisters who detested their husbands and their sons. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 16:46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north ¹¹  of you with her daughters, and your younger sister, who lived south ¹²  of you, was Sodom ¹³  with her daughters. 16:47 Have you not copied their behavior ¹⁴  and practiced their abominable deeds? In a short time ¹⁵  you became even more depraved in all your conduct than they were!

Imamat 18:3

18:3 You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, ¹⁶  and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; ¹⁷  you must not ¹⁸  walk in their statutes.

Imamat 18:24-28

Warning against the Abominations of the Nations

18:24 “‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, for the nations which I am about to drive out before you ¹⁹  have been defiled with all these things. 18:25 Therefore ²⁰  the land has become unclean and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, ²¹  so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants. 18:26 You yourselves must obey ²²  my statutes and my regulations and must not do any of these abominations, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner in your midst, ²³  18:27 for the people who were in the land before you have done all these abominations, ²⁴  and the land has become unclean. 18:28 So do not make the land vomit you out because you defile it ²⁵  just as it has vomited out the nations ²⁶  that were before you.

Ulangan 12:30-31

12:30 After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” 12:31 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! ²⁷  For everything that is abhorrent ²⁸  to him, ²⁹  everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!

Ulangan 12:2

12:2 You must by all means destroy ³⁰  all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree. ³¹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 16:3

16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ³²  to accompany him, and he took ³³  him and circumcised ³⁴  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ³⁵  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ³⁶ 

Kisah Para Rasul 16:10-11

16:10 After Paul ³⁷  saw the vision, we attempted ³⁸  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ³⁹  concluding that God had called ⁴⁰  us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

16:11 We put out to sea ⁴¹  from Troas ⁴²  and sailed a straight course ⁴³  to Samothrace, ⁴⁴  the next day to Neapolis, ⁴⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 16:2

16:2 The brothers in Lystra ⁴⁶  and Iconium ⁴⁷  spoke well ⁴⁸  of him. ⁴⁹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 17:11-23

17:11 These Jews ⁵⁰  were more open-minded ⁵¹  than those in Thessalonica, ⁵²  for they eagerly ⁵³  received ⁵⁴  the message, examining ⁵⁵  the scriptures carefully every day ⁵⁶  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ⁵⁷  prominent ⁵⁸  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ⁵⁹  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ⁶⁰  in Berea, ⁶¹  they came there too, inciting ⁶²  and disturbing ⁶³  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ⁶⁴  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ⁶⁵  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ⁶⁶  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ⁶⁷ 

Paul at Athens

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ⁶⁸  his spirit was greatly upset ⁶⁹  because he saw ⁷⁰  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ⁷¹  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ⁷²  in the synagogue, ⁷³  and in the marketplace every day ⁷⁴  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ⁷⁵  and Stoic ⁷⁶  philosophers were conversing ⁷⁷  with him, and some were asking, ⁷⁸  “What does this foolish babbler ⁷⁹  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁸⁰  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁸¹  17:19 So they took Paul and ⁸²  brought him to the Areopagus, ⁸³  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ⁸⁴  to our ears, so we want to know what they ⁸⁵  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ⁸⁶  in nothing else than telling ⁸⁷  or listening to something new.) ⁸⁸ 

17:22 So Paul stood ⁸⁹  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ⁹⁰  in all respects. ⁹¹  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ⁹²  I even found an altar with this inscription: ⁹³  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ⁹⁴  this I proclaim to you.

Kisah Para Rasul 18:12

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ⁹⁵  was proconsul ⁹⁶  of Achaia, ⁹⁷  the Jews attacked Paul together ⁹⁸  and brought him before the judgment seat, ⁹⁹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 21:2

21:2 We found ¹⁰⁰  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ¹⁰¹  went aboard, ¹⁰²  and put out to sea. ¹⁰³ 

Kisah Para Rasul 21:2

21:2 We found ¹⁰⁴  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ¹⁰⁵  went aboard, ¹⁰⁶  and put out to sea. ¹⁰⁷ 

Kisah Para Rasul 13:9

13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ¹⁰⁸  filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁰⁹  stared straight ¹¹⁰  at him

Kisah Para Rasul 28:3

28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood ¹¹¹  and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

Kisah Para Rasul 1:2-9

1:2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, ¹¹²  after he had given orders ¹¹³  by ¹¹⁴  the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 1:3 To the same apostles ¹¹⁵  also, after his suffering, ¹¹⁶  he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period ¹¹⁷  and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. 1:4 While he was with them, ¹¹⁸  he declared, ¹¹⁹  “Do not leave Jerusalem, ¹²⁰  but wait there ¹²¹  for what my ¹²²  Father promised, ¹²³  which you heard about from me. ¹²⁴  1:5 For ¹²⁵  John baptized with water, but you ¹²⁶  will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

1:6 So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, ¹²⁷  “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 1:7 He told them, “You are not permitted to know ¹²⁸  the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts ¹²⁹  of the earth.” 1:9 After ¹³⁰  he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Kisah Para Rasul 1:14

1:14 All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. ¹³¹ 

Mazmur 106:35-39

106:35 They mixed in with the nations

and learned their ways. ¹³² 

106:36 They worshiped ¹³³  their idols,

which became a snare to them. ¹³⁴ 

106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ¹³⁵ 

106:38 They shed innocent blood –

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.

The land was polluted by bloodshed. ¹³⁶ 

106:39 They were defiled by their deeds,

and unfaithful in their actions. ¹³⁷ 

Yeremia 10:2

10:2 The Lord says,

“Do not start following pagan religious practices. ¹³⁸ 

Do not be in awe of signs that occur ¹³⁹  in the sky

even though the nations hold them in awe.

[8:10]  ¹ tn Or “pattern.”

[8:10]  ² tn Heb “detestable.” The word is often used to describe the figures of foreign gods.

[8:10]  ³ sn These engravings were prohibited in the Mosaic law (Deut 4:16-18).

[8:14]  ⁴ tn Given the context this could be understood as a shock, e.g., idiomatically “Good grief! I saw….”

[8:14]  ⁵ sn The worship of Tammuz included the observation of the annual death and descent into the netherworld of the god Dumuzi. The practice was observed by women in the ancient Near East over a period of centuries.

[8:16]  ⁶ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something.

[8:16]  ⁷ sn The priests prayed to God between the porch and the altar on fast days (Joel 2:17). This is the location where Zechariah was murdered (Matt 23:35).

[8:16]  ⁸ tc The LXX reads “twenty” instead of twenty-five, perhaps because of the association of the number twenty with the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash.

[8:16]  tn Or “exactly twenty-five.”

[8:16]  ⁹ sn The temple faced east.

[8:16]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the sun god.”

[8:16]  sn The worship of astral entities may have begun during the reign of Manasseh (2 Kgs 21:5).

[16:46]  ¹¹ tn Heb “left.”

[16:46]  ¹² tn Heb “right.”

[16:46]  ¹³ sn Sodom was the epitome of evil (Deut 29:23; 32:32; Isa 1:9-10; 3:9; Jer 23:14; Lam 4:6; Matt 10:15; 11:23-24; Jude 7).

[16:47]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “walked in their ways.”

[16:47]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew expression has a temporal meaning as illustrated by the use of the phrase in 2 Chr 12:7.

[18:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “As the work [or “deed”] of the land of Egypt, which you were dwelling in it, you must not do.”

[18:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and as the work [or “deed”] of the land of Canaan which I am bringing you to there, you must not do.” The participle “I am bringing” is inceptive; the Lord is “about to” bring them into the land of Canaan, as opposed to their having dwelt previously in the land of Egypt (see the first part of the verse).

[18:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and you shall not walk.”

[18:24]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “which I am sending away (Piel participle of שָׁלַח [shalakh, “to send”]) from your faces.” The rendering here takes the participle as anticipatory of the coming conquest events.

[18:25]  ²⁰ tn Heb “And.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative or even inferential force here.

[18:25]  ²¹ tn Heb “and I have visited its [punishment for] iniquity on it.” See the note on Lev 17:16 above.

[18:26]  ²² tn Heb “And you shall keep, you.” The latter emphatic personal pronoun “you” is left out of a few medieval Hebrew mss, Smr, the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate.

[18:26]  ²³ tn Heb “the native and the sojourner”; NIV “The native-born and the aliens”; NAB “whether natives or resident aliens.”

[18:27]  ²⁴ tn Heb “for all these abominations the men of the land who were before you have done.”

[18:28]  ²⁵ tn Heb “And the land will not vomit you out in your defiling it.”

[18:28]  ²⁶ tc The MT reads the singular “nation” and is followed by ASV, NASB, NRSV; the LXX, Syriac, and Targum have the plural “nations” (cf. v. 24).

[12:31]  ²⁷ tn Heb “you must not do thus to/for the Lord your God.”

[12:31]  ²⁸ tn See note on this term at Deut 7:25.

[12:31]  ²⁹ tn Heb “every abomination of the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 27.

[12:2]  ³⁰ tn Heb “destroying you must destroy”; KJV “Ye shall utterly (surely ASV) destroy”; NRSV “must demolish completely.” The Hebrew infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by the words “by all means.”

[12:2]  ³¹ sn Every leafy tree. This expression refers to evergreens which, because they keep their foliage throughout the year, provided apt symbolism for nature cults such as those practiced in Canaan. The deity particularly in view is Asherah, wife of the great god El, who was considered the goddess of fertility and whose worship frequently took place at shrines near or among clusters (groves) of such trees (see also Deut 7:5). See J. Hadley, NIDOTTE 1:569-70; J. DeMoor, TDOT 1:438-44.

[16:3]  ³² tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ³³ tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).

[16:3]  ³⁴ tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.

[16:3]  ³⁵ tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ³⁶ tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).

[16:3]  sn His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the 1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully Jewish because he was not circumcised.

[16:10]  ³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ³⁸ tn Grk “sought.”

[16:10]  ³⁹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “summoned.”

[16:11]  ⁴¹ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[16:11]  ⁴² sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.

[16:11]  ⁴³ tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”

[16:11]  ⁴⁴ sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.

[16:11]  ⁴⁵ sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.

[16:2]  ⁴⁶ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:2]  ⁴⁷ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 110 mi (175 km) east of Pisidian Antioch.

[16:2]  ⁴⁸ tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (marturew), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.

[16:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.

[17:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ⁵¹ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ⁵² sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:11]  ⁵³ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ⁵⁵ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ⁵⁶ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:12]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ⁵⁹ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:13]  ⁶¹ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[17:13]  ⁶² tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.

[17:13]  sn Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians.

[17:13]  ⁶³ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ({ew" epi thn qalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km).

[17:14]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ⁶⁶ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ⁶⁷ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:16]  ⁶⁸ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:16]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.”

[17:16]  sn His spirit was greatly upset. See Rom 1:18-32 for Paul’s feelings about idolatry. Yet he addressed both Jews and Gentiles with tact and reserve.

[17:16]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (qewrounto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal.

[17:17]  ⁷¹ 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 17:17. 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.

[17:17]  ⁷² tn Or “and the devout,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in 17:4.

[17:17]  ⁷³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:17]  ⁷⁴ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:18]  ⁷⁵ sn An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection.

[17:18]  ⁷⁶ sn A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342-270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence.

[17:18]  ⁷⁷ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.

[17:18]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “saying.”

[17:18]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologo") is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show – ‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’” A similar view is given in BDAG 937 s.v. σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger…Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.”

[17:18]  ⁸⁰ tn The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see BDAG 210 s.v. δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniwn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus.

[17:18]  ⁸¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:19]  ⁸² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ⁸³ tn Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22.

[17:19]  sn The Areopagus has been traditionally understood as reference to a rocky hill near the Acropolis in Athens, although this place may well have been located in the marketplace at the foot of the hill (L&N 93.412; BDAG 129 s.v. ῎Αρειος πάγος). This term does not refer so much to the place, however, as to the advisory council of Athens known as the Areopagus, which dealt with ethical, cultural, and religious matters, including the supervision of education and controlling the many visiting lecturers. Thus it could be translated the council of the Areopagus. See also the term in v. 22.

[17:20]  ⁸⁴ tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation.

[17:21]  ⁸⁶ tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ⁸⁷ tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ⁸⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ⁹⁰ tn The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterou") is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” (BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.

[17:22]  ⁹¹ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

[17:23]  ⁹² tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).

[17:23]  ⁹³ tn Grk “on which was written,” but since it would have been carved in stone, it is more common to speak of an “inscription” in English. To simplify the English the relative construction with a passive verb (“on which was inscribed”) was translated as a prepositional phrase with a substantive (“inscription”).

[17:23]  ⁹⁴ tn BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b has “Abs. ὅ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε what you worship without knowing it (on the subject matter Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e: all sorts of philosophers ἴσασιν οὐκ ἑκόντες καὶ λέγουσιν ἄκοντες sc. τὸ θεῖον = they know and name God without intending to do so) Ac 17:23.” Paul, in typical Jewish Christian style, informs them of the true God, of whom their idols are an ignorant reflection.

[18:12]  ⁹⁵ sn Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from a.d. 51-52. This date is one of the firmly established dates in Acts. Lucius Junius Gallio was the son of the rhetorician Seneca and the brother of Seneca the philosopher. The date of Gallio’s rule is established from an inscription (W. Dittenberger, ed., Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum 2.3 no. 8). Thus the event mentioned here is probably to be dated July-October a.d. 51.

[18:12]  ⁹⁶ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ⁹⁷ sn Achaia was a Roman province created in 146 b.c. that included the most important parts of Greece (Attica, Boeotia, and the Peloponnesus).

[18:12]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ⁹⁹ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), there is no need for an alternative translation here since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time.

[18:12]  sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city. So this was a very public event.

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[21:2]  ¹⁰¹ sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[21:2]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:2]  ¹⁰³ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁵ sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁷ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[13:9]  ¹⁰⁸ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:9]  ¹⁰⁹ sn This qualifying clause in the narrative indicates who represented God in the dispute.

[13:9]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “gazed intently.”

[28:3]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “sticks.”

[1:2]  ¹¹² tn The words “to heaven” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied from v. 11. Several modern translations (NIV, NRSV) supply the words “to heaven” after “taken up” to specify the destination explicitly mentioned later in 1:11.

[1:2]  ¹¹³ tn Or “commands.” Although some modern translations render ἐντειλάμενος (enteilameno") as “instructions” (NIV, NRSV), the word implies authority or official sanction (G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:545), so that a word like “orders” conveys the idea more effectively. The action of the temporal participle is antecedent (prior) to the action of the verb it modifies (“taken up”).

[1:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “through.”

[1:3]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:3]  ¹¹⁶ sn After his suffering is a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion and the abuse which preceded it.

[1:3]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “during forty days.” The phrase “over a forty-day period” is used rather than “during forty days” because (as the other NT accounts of Jesus’ appearances make clear) Jesus was not continually visible to the apostles during the forty days, but appeared to them on various occasions.

[1:4]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “While he was assembling with them,” or “while he was sharing a meal with them.” There are three basic options for translating the verb συναλίζω (sunalizw): (1) “Eat (salt) with, share a meal with”; (2) “bring together, assemble”; (3) “spend the night with, stay with” (see BDAG 964 s.v.). The difficulty with the first option is that it does not fit the context, and this meaning is not found elsewhere. The second option is difficult because of the singular number and the present tense. The third option is based on a spelling variation of συναυλιζόμενος (sunaulizomeno"), which some minuscules actually read here. The difference in meaning between (2) and (3) is not great, but (3) seems to fit the context somewhat better here.

[1:4]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “ordered them”; the command “Do not leave” is not in Greek but is an indirect quotation in the original (see note at end of the verse for explanation).

[1:4]  ¹²⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:4]  ¹²¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text (direct objects in Greek were frequently omitted when clear from the context).

[1:4]  ¹²² tn Grk “the,” with the article used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[1:4]  ¹²³ tn Grk “for the promise of the Father.” Jesus is referring to the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (see the following verse).

[1:4]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “While he was with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for ‘what my Father promised, which you heard about from me.’” This verse moves from indirect to direct discourse. This abrupt change is very awkward, so the entire quotation has been rendered as direct discourse in the translation.

[1:5]  ¹²⁵ tn In the Greek text v. 5 is a continuation of the previous sentence, which is long and complicated. In keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:5]  ¹²⁶ tn The pronoun is plural in Greek.

[1:6]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “they began to ask him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. The imperfect tense of the Greek verb ἠρώτων (hrwtwn) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[1:7]  ¹²⁸ tn Grk “It is not for you to know.”

[1:8]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “to the ends.”

[1:9]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “And after.” 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.

[1:14]  ¹³¹ sn Jesus’ brothers are mentioned in Matt 13:55 and John 7:3.

[106:35]  ¹³² tn Heb “their deeds.”

[106:36]  ¹³³ tn Or “served.”

[106:36]  ¹³⁴ sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.

[106:37]  ¹³⁵ tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.

[106:38]  ¹³⁶ sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

[106:39]  ¹³⁷ tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).

[10:2]  ¹³⁸ tn Heb “Do not learn the way of the nations.” For this use of the word “ways” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh) compare for example Jer 12:16 and Isa 2:6.

[10:2]  ¹³⁹ tn Heb “signs.” The words “that occur” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[10:2]  sn The Hebrew word translated here “things that go on in the sky” (אֹתוֹת, ’otot) refers both to unusual disturbances such as eclipses, comets, meteors, etc., but also to such things as the changes in the position of the sun, moon, and stars in conjunction with the changes in seasons (cf. Gen 1:14). The people of Assyria and Babylonia worshiped the sun, moon, and stars, thinking that these heavenly bodies had some hold over them.