Kejadian 20:7

20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed ¹  he is a prophet ²  and he will pray for you; thus you will live. ³  But if you don’t give her back, ⁴  know that you will surely die ⁵  along with all who belong to you.”

Kejadian 20:1

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁶  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ⁷  in Gerar,

Kisah Para Rasul 17:9-15

17:9 After ⁸  the city officials ⁹  had received bail ¹⁰  from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ¹¹  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ¹²  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹³  17:11 These Jews ¹⁴  were more open-minded ¹⁵  than those in Thessalonica, ¹⁶  for they eagerly ¹⁷  received ¹⁸  the message, examining ¹⁹  the scriptures carefully every day ²⁰  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ²¹  prominent ²²  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ²³  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ²⁴  in Berea, ²⁵  they came there too, inciting ²⁶  and disturbing ²⁷  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ²⁸  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ²⁹  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ³⁰  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ³¹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 17:20-24

17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ³²  to our ears, so we want to know what they ³³  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ³⁴  in nothing else than telling ³⁵  or listening to something new.) ³⁶ 

17:22 So Paul stood ³⁷  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ³⁸  in all respects. ³⁹  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ⁴⁰  I even found an altar with this inscription: ⁴¹  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ⁴²  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ⁴³  who is ⁴⁴  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ⁴⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 18:3-4

18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ⁴⁶  (for they were tentmakers ⁴⁷  by trade). ⁴⁸  18:4 He addressed ⁴⁹  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ⁵⁰  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ⁵¹  them.

Kisah Para Rasul 18:2

18:2 There he ⁵²  found ⁵³  a Jew named Aquila, ⁵⁴  a native of Pontus, ⁵⁵  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ⁵⁶  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ⁵⁷  Rome. ⁵⁸  Paul approached ⁵⁹  them,

Kisah Para Rasul 4:8-10

4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁶⁰  replied, ⁶¹  “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁶²  4:9 if ⁶³  we are being examined ⁶⁴  today for a good deed ⁶⁵  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ⁶⁶  – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ⁶⁷  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.

Kisah Para Rasul 4:16-17

4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain ⁶⁸  to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign ⁶⁹  has come about through them, ⁷⁰  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 ⁷¹  to anyone in this name.”

Kisah Para Rasul 4:32-37

Conditions Among the Early Believers

4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, ⁷²  and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. ⁷³  4:33 With ⁷⁴  great power the apostles were giving testimony ⁷⁵  to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 4:34 For there was no one needy ⁷⁶  among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling ⁷⁷  them ⁷⁸  and bringing the proceeds from the sales 4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds ⁷⁹  were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 4:36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), ⁸⁰  4:37 sold ⁸¹  a field ⁸²  that belonged to him and brought the money ⁸³  and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

Kisah Para Rasul 16:15

16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ⁸⁴  “If ⁸⁵  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ⁸⁶  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ⁸⁷  us.

Roma 16:1-4

Personal Greetings

16:1 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant ⁸⁸  of the church in Cenchrea, 16:2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

16:3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, ⁸⁹  my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 16:4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only I, but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Roma 16:23

16:23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus the city treasurer and our brother Quartus greet you.

Roma 16:2

16:2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

Titus 1:16

1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

Ibrani 6:10

6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.

Ibrani 6:3

6:3 And this is what we intend to do, ⁹⁰  if God permits.

Yohanes 1:5-8

1:5 And the light shines on ⁹¹  in the darkness, ⁹²  but ⁹³  the darkness has not mastered it. ⁹⁴ 

1:6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. ⁹⁵  1:7 He came as a witness ⁹⁶  to testify ⁹⁷  about the light, so that everyone ⁹⁸  might believe through him. 1:8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify ⁹⁹  about the light.

[20:7]  ¹ tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

[20:7]  ² sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

[20:7]  ³ tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

[20:7]  sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.

[20:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

[20:7]  ⁵ tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

[20:1]  ⁶ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  sn Negev is the name for the southern desert region in the land of Canaan.

[20:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[17:9]  ⁸ 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.

[17:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:9]  ¹⁰ tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.

[17:10]  ¹¹ 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) west of Thessalonica.

[17:10]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:10]  ¹² tn Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, Joitine") has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally.

[17:10]  ¹³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:11]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ²⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ²¹ 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]  ²² tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ²³ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ³⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ³¹ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:20]  ³² tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ³⁵ tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ³⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ³⁷ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

[17:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).

[17:23]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² 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.

[17:24]  ⁴³ tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.

[17:24]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (Joutos, “who is Lord…”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord…”). Since the participle διδούς (didou") in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context.

[17:24]  ⁴⁵ sn On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands.

[18:3]  ⁴⁶ tn The prepositional phrase “with them” occurs only once in the Greek text, but since it occurs between the two finite verbs (ἔμενεν, emenen, and ἠργάζετο, hrgazeto) it relates (by implication) to both of them.

[18:3]  ⁴⁷ tn On the term translated “tentmakers,” see BDAG 928-29 s.v. σκνηοποιός. Paul apparently manufactured tents. In contrast to the Cynic philosophers, Paul at times labored to support himself (see also v. 5).

[18:3]  ⁴⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:4]  ⁴⁹ 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 18:4. 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.

[18:4]  ⁵⁰ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “Addressing in the synagogue every Sabbath, he was attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks.” Because in English the verb “address” is not used absolutely but normally has an object specified, the direct objects of the verb ἔπειθεν (epeiqen) have been moved forward as the objects of the English verb “addressed,” and the pronoun “them” repeated in the translation as the object of ἔπειθεν. The verb ἔπειθεν has been translated as a conative imperfect.

[18:2]  ⁵² tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:2]  ⁵³ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ⁵⁴ sn On Aquila and his wife Priscilla see also Acts 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. This author uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[18:2]  ⁵⁵ sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ⁵⁶ sn Claudius refers to the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. The edict expelling the Jews from Rome was issued in a.d. 49 (Suetonius, Claudius 25.4).

[18:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ⁵⁸ map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “went to.”

[4:8]  ⁶⁰ 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]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “Spirit, said to them.”

[4:8]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.

[4:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “for an act of kindness.”

[4:9]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.

[4:10]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[4:16]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “evident.”

[4:16]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “has been done by them.”

[4:17]  ⁷¹ tn Or “speak no longer.”

[4:32]  ⁷² tn Grk “soul.”

[4:32]  ⁷³ tn Grk “but all things were to them in common.”

[4:32]  sn Everything was held in common. The remark is not a reflection of political philosophy, but of the extent of their spontaneous commitment to one another. Such a response does not have the function of a command, but is reflective of an attitude that Luke commends as evidence of their identification with one another.

[4:33]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “And with.” 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.

[4:33]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “were witnessing.”

[4:34]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “poor.”

[4:34]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “houses, selling them were bringing.” The participle πωλοῦντες (pwlounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:34]  ⁷⁸ tn The word “them” 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.

[4:35]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “It” (or “They,” plural). The referent of the understood pronoun subject, the proceeds from the sales, of the verb διεδίδετο (diedideto) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:36]  ⁸⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Note how the actions of Barnabas are in keeping with the meaning of his nickname. He stands in contrast to Ananias and Sapphira in 5:1-11.

[4:37]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “selling a field that belonged to him, brought” The participle πωλήσας (pwlhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:37]  ⁸² tn Or “a farm.”

[4:37]  ⁸³ tn Normally a reference to actual coins (“currency”). See L&N 6.68.

[16:15]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[16:15]  ⁸⁵ tn This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.

[16:15]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “faithful to the Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ – ‘believer, Christian, follower.’”

[16:15]  ⁸⁷ tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”

[16:1]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “deaconess.” It is debated whether διάκονος (diakonos) here refers to a specific office within the church. One contextual argument used to support this view is that Phoebe is associated with a particular church, Cenchrea, and as such would therefore be a deacon of that church. In the NT some who are called διάκονος are related to a particular church, yet the scholarly consensus is that such individuals are not deacons, but “servants” or “ministers” (other viable translations for διάκονος). For example, Epaphras is associated with the church in Colossians and is called a διάκονος in Col 1:7, but no contemporary translation regards him as a deacon. In 1 Tim 4:6 Paul calls Timothy a διάκονος; Timothy was associated with the church in Ephesus, but he obviously was not a deacon. In addition, the lexical evidence leans away from this view: Within the NT, the διακον- word group rarely functions with a technical nuance. In any case, the evidence is not compelling either way. The view accepted in the translation above is that Phoebe was a servant of the church, not a deaconess, although this conclusion should be regarded as tentative.

[16:3]  ⁸⁹ sn On Prisca and Aquila see also Acts 18:2, 18, 26; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. The author of Acts uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[6:3]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “and we will do this.”

[1:5]  ⁹¹ tn To this point the author has used past tenses (imperfects, aorists); now he switches to a present. The light continually shines (thus the translation, “shines on”). Even as the author writes, it is shining. The present here most likely has gnomic force (though it is possible to take it as a historical present); it expresses the timeless truth that the light of the world (cf. 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) never ceases to shine.

[1:5]  sn The light shines on. The question of whether John has in mind here the preincarnate Christ or the incarnate Christ is probably too specific. The incarnation is not really introduced until v. 9, but here the point is more general: It is of the very nature of light, that it shines.

[1:5]  ⁹² sn The author now introduces what will become a major theme of John’s Gospel: the opposition of light and darkness. The antithesis is a natural one, widespread in antiquity. Gen 1 gives considerable emphasis to it in the account of the creation, and so do the writings of Qumran. It is the major theme of one of the most important extra-biblical documents found at Qumran, the so-called War Scroll, properly titled The War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness. Connections between John and Qumran are still an area of scholarly debate and a consensus has not yet emerged. See T. A. Hoffman, “1 John and the Qumran Scrolls,” BTB 8 (1978): 117-25.

[1:5]  ⁹³ tn Grk “and,” but the context clearly indicates a contrast, so this has been translated as an adversative use of καί (kai).

[1:5]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “comprehended it,” or “overcome it.” The verb κατέλαβεν (katelaben) is not easy to translate. “To seize” or “to grasp” is possible, but this also permits “to grasp with the mind” in the sense of “to comprehend” (esp. in the middle voice). This is probably another Johannine double meaning – one does not usually think of darkness as trying to “understand” light. For it to mean this, “darkness” must be understood as meaning “certain people,” or perhaps “humanity” at large, darkened in understanding. But in John’s usage, darkness is not normally used of people or a group of people. Rather it usually signifies the evil environment or ‘sphere’ in which people find themselves: “They loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). Those who follow Jesus do not walk in darkness (8:12). They are to walk while they have light, lest the darkness “overtake/overcome” them (12:35, same verb as here). For John, with his set of symbols and imagery, darkness is not something which seeks to “understand (comprehend)” the light, but represents the forces of evil which seek to “overcome (conquer)” it. The English verb “to master” may be used in both sorts of contexts, as “he mastered his lesson” and “he mastered his opponent.”

[1:6]  ⁹⁵ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[1:7]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “came for a testimony.”

[1:7]  sn Witness is also one of the major themes of John’s Gospel. The Greek verb μαρτυρέω (marturew) occurs 33 times (compare to once in Matthew, once in Luke, 0 in Mark) and the noun μαρτυρία (marturia) 14 times (0 in Matthew, once in Luke, 3 times in Mark).

[1:7]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “to bear witness.”

[1:7]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “all.”

[1:8]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “to bear witness.”