Yeremia 52:14

52:14 The whole Babylonian army that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that surrounded Jerusalem.

Yeremia 52:2

52:2 He did what displeased the Lord ¹  just as Jehoiakim had done.

Kisah Para Rasul 25:10

25:10 Paul replied, ²  “I am standing before Caesar’s ³  judgment seat, ⁴  where I should be tried. ⁵  I have done nothing wrong ⁶  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ⁷ 

Nehemia 1:3

1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable ⁸  adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” ⁹ 

[52:2]  ¹ tn Heb “what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

[25:10]  ² tn Grk “said.”

[25:10]  ³ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:10]  ⁴ 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), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.

[25:10]  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.

[25:10]  ⁵ tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

[25:10]  ⁶ sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.

[25:10]  ⁷ tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”

[1:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “great.”

[1:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.