Kisah Para Rasul 8:1--9:31
Konteks8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing 1 him.
Now on that day a great 2 persecution began 3 against the church in Jerusalem, 4 and all 5 except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions 6 of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some 7 devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation 8 over him. 9 8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy 10 the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off 11 both men and women and put them in prison. 12
8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria 13 and began proclaiming 14 the Christ 15 to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, 16 as they heard and saw the miraculous signs 17 he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, 18 crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, 19 and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was 20 great joy 21 in that city.
8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 22 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, 23 from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 24 8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God 25 and the name of Jesus Christ, 26 they began to be baptized, 27 both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 28 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 29
8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem 30 heard that Samaria had accepted the word 31 of God, they sent 32 Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two 33 went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit 34 had not yet come upon 35 any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 36 8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, 37 and they received the Holy Spirit. 38
8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit 39 was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power 40 too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, 41 because you thought you could acquire 42 God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part 43 in this matter 44 because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord 45 that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. 46 8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious 47 and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, 48 “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to 49 me.”
8:25 So after Peter and John 50 had solemnly testified 51 and spoken the word of the Lord, 52 they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming 53 the good news to many Samaritan villages 54 as they went. 55
8:26 Then an angel of the Lord 56 said to Philip, 57 “Get up and go south 58 on the road that goes down from Jerusalem 59 to Gaza.” (This is a desert 60 road.) 61 8:27 So 62 he got up 63 and went. There 64 he met 65 an Ethiopian eunuch, 66 a court official of Candace, 67 queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He 68 had come to Jerusalem to worship, 69 8:28 and was returning home, sitting 70 in his chariot, reading 71 the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up 72 to it 73 and heard the man 74 reading Isaiah the prophet. He 75 asked him, 76 “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man 77 replied, “How in the world can I, 78 unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man 79 was reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did 80 not open his mouth.
8:33 In humiliation 81 justice was taken from him. 82
Who can describe his posterity? 83
For his life was taken away 84 from the earth.” 85
8:34 Then the eunuch said 86 to Philip, “Please tell me, 87 who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” 88 8:35 So Philip started speaking, 89 and beginning with this scripture 90 proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me 91 from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] 92 8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, 93 and Philip baptized 94 him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but 95 went on his way rejoicing. 96 8:40 Philip, however, found himself 97 at Azotus, 98 and as he passed through the area, 99 he proclaimed the good news 100 to all the towns 101 until he came to Caesarea. 102
9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats 103 to murder 104 the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues 105 in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, 106 either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners 107 to Jerusalem. 108 9:3 As he was going along, approaching 109 Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed 110 around him. 9:4 He 111 fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, 112 why are you persecuting me?” 113 9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up 114 and enter the city and you will be told 115 what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men 116 who were traveling with him stood there speechless, 117 because they heard the voice but saw no one.) 118 9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, 119 he could see nothing. 120 Leading him by the hand, his companions 121 brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For 122 three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. 123
9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The 124 Lord 125 said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, 126 Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ 127 and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 9:12 and he has seen in a vision 128 a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, 129 “Lord, I have heard from many people 130 about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison 131 all who call on your name!” 132 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument 133 to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. 134 9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 135 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed 136 his hands on Saul 137 and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, 138 has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 139 9:18 Immediately 140 something like scales 141 fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He 142 got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.
For several days 143 he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, 144 saying, “This man is the Son of God.” 145 9:21 All 146 who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not 147 the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging 148 those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners 149 to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, 150 and was causing consternation 151 among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving 152 that Jesus 153 is the Christ. 154
9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted 155 together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. 156 They were also watching 157 the city gates 158 day and night so that they could kill him. 9:25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening 159 in the wall by lowering him in a basket. 160
9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, 161 he attempted to associate 162 with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe 163 that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took 164 Saul, 165 brought 166 him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that 167 the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly 168 in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them 169 in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating 170 with the Greek-speaking Jews, 171 but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea 172 and sent him away to Tarsus.
9:31 Then 173 the church throughout Judea, Galilee, 174 and Samaria experienced 175 peace and thus was strengthened. 176 Living 177 in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church 178 increased in numbers.
[8:1] 1 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] 3 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] 4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:1] 5 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.
[8:2] 7 tn “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[8:2] 8 sn Made loud lamentation. For someone who was stoned to death, lamentation was normally not allowed (m. Sanhedrin 6:6). The remark points to an unjust death.
[8:2] 9 tn Or “mourned greatly for him.”
[8:3] 10 tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.
[8:3] 11 tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:3] 12 tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”
[8:5] 13 tn The word “main” is supplied in the translation to clarify that “Samaria” is not the name of the city (at least in NT times). See both BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, and L&N 93.568.
[8:5] sn The main city of Samaria most likely refers to the principal city of Samaria, rebuilt by Herod the Great as Sebaste in honor of Augustus (J. Boehmer, “Studien zur Geographie Palästinas bes. im Neuen Testament,” ZNW 9 [1908]: 216-18; D. Gill and C. Gempf, eds., The Book of Acts in its Graeco-Roman Setting, 272). This is the best option if the article before “city” is taken as original. If the reading without the article is taken as original, then another city may be in view: Gitta, the hometown of Simon Magus according to Justin Martyr (cf. C. K. Barrett, Acts [ICC], 1:402-3; F. F. Bruce, Acts [NICNT], 165).
[8:5] 14 tn The imperfect ἐκήρυσσεν (ekhrussen) has been translated as an ingressive, since this is probably the first time such preaching took place.
[8:5] 15 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:5] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[8:6] 16 tn Grk “to what was being said by Philip,” a passive construction that has been changed to active voice in the translation.
[8:6] 17 tn Here the following context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned. This term appears 13 times in Acts, but only twice more after Acts 8:13 (i.e., 14:3; 15:12).
[8:7] 18 sn The expression unclean spirits refers to evil supernatural spirits which were ceremonially unclean, and which caused the persons possessed by them to be ceremonially unclean.
[8:7] 19 tn Grk “For [in the case of] many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out, crying in a loud voice.”
[8:8] 20 tn Grk “and there came about,” but this is somewhat awkward in English.
[8:8] 21 sn Great joy. The reason for eschatological joy was that such events pointed to God’s decisive deliverance (Luke 7:22-23). Note how the acts of healing extend beyond the Twelve here.
[8:9] 22 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
[8:10] 23 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:10] 24 tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenh megalh) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”
[8:12] 25 sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.
[8:12] 26 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:12] 27 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[8:13] 28 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
[8:13] 29 sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.
[8:14] 30 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:14] 32 sn They sent. The Jerusalem church with the apostles was overseeing the expansion of the church, as the distribution of the Spirit indicates in vv. 15-17.
[8:15] 33 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the phrase “these two” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[8:16] 34 tn Grk “For he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:16] 36 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:17] 37 tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:17] 38 sn They received the Holy Spirit. It is likely this special distribution of the Spirit took place because a key ethnic boundary was being crossed. Here are some of “those far off” of Acts 2:38-40.
[8:18] 39 tc Most witnesses (Ì45,74 A* C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt sy bo) here read “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, to pneuma to {agion), while a few key
[8:19] 40 tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”
[8:20] 41 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.
[8:21] 43 tn The translation “share or part” is given by L&N 63.13.
[8:21] 44 tn Since the semantic range for λόγος (logos) is so broad, a number of different translations could be given for the prepositional phrase here. Something along the lines of “in this thing” would work well, but is too colloquial for the present translation.
[8:22] 45 tn Or “and implore the Lord.”
[8:22] 46 tn Grk “that if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in contemporary English and has thus been converted to an active construction in the translation.
[8:23] 47 tn Grk “in the gall of bitterness,” an idiom meaning to be particularly envious or resentful of someone. In this case Simon was jealous of the apostles’ power to bestow the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, and wanted that power for himself. The literal phrase does not convey this to the modern reader, and in fact some modern translations have simply rendered the phrase as involving bitterness, which misses the point of the envy on Simon’s part. See L&N 88.166. The OT images come from Deut 29:17-18 and Isa 58:6.
[8:24] 48 tn Grk “Simon answered and said.”
[8:24] sn Given that Simon does not follow Peter’s call for repentance, many interpreters read this reply as flippant rather than sincere. But the exact nature of Simon’s reply is not entirely clear.
[8:24] 49 tn Grk “may come upon.”
[8:25] 50 tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 51 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and could be taken to refer specifically to the warning given to Simon in the preceding verses. However, a more general reference is more likely, referring to parting exhortations from Peter and John to the entire group of believers.
[8:25] 52 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
[8:25] 53 tn Grk “they were returning to Jerusalem and were proclaiming.” The first imperfect is taken ingressively and the second is viewed iteratively (“proclaiming…as they went”).
[8:25] 54 sn By proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages, the apostles now actively share in the broader ministry the Hellenists had started.
[8:25] 55 tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).
[8:26] 56 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[8:26] 57 tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.
[8:26] 58 tn Or “Get up and go about noon.” The phrase κατὰ μεσημβρίαν (kata meshmbrian) can be translated either “about noon” (L&N 67.74) or “toward the south” (L&N 82.4). Since the angel’s command appears to call for immediate action (“Get up”) and would not therefore need a time indicator, a directional reference (“toward the south”) is more likely here.
[8:26] 59 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:26] 61 tn The words “This is a desert road” are probably best understood as a comment by the author of Acts, but it is possible they form part of the angel’s speech to Philip, in which case the verse would read: “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza – the desert road.”
[8:26] sn The concluding note about the road appears to be a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:27] 62 tn Grk “And,” but καί (kai) carries something of a resultative force in this context because what follows describes Philip’s response to the angel’s command.
[8:27] 63 tn Grk “So getting up he went.” The aorist participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:27] 64 tn Grk “And there.” 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.
[8:27] 65 tn Grk “and behold.” This expression is used to portray Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian in a vivid way. In the English translation this vividness is difficult to convey; it is necessary to supply the words “he met.”
[8:27] 66 sn The term eunuch normally referred to a man who had been castrated, but this was not always the case (see Gen 39:1 LXX, where Potiphar is called a eunuch). Such castrated individuals were preferred as court officials in the East, although Judaism opposed the practice. The Mosaic law excluded eunuchs from Israel (Deut 23:1), although God certainly accepted them (Isa 56:3-5; Wis 3:14). This individual was a high official, since he was said to be in charge of all her treasury. He may or may not have been a eunuch physically. He appears to be the first fully Gentile convert to Christianity, since the Samaritans mentioned previously (Acts 8:4-25) were regarded as half-breeds.
[8:27] 67 tn Or “the Candace” (the title of the queen of the Ethiopians). The term Κανδάκης (Kandakh") is much more likely a title rather than a proper name (like Pharaoh, which is a title); see L&N 37.77. A few, however, still take the word to be the name of the queen (L&N 93.209). BDAG 507 s.v. Κανδάκη, treats the term as a title and lists classical usage by Strabo (Geography 17.1.54) and others.
[8:27] sn Candace was the title of the queen of the Ethiopians. Ethiopia refers to the kingdom of Nubia in the northern Sudan, whose capital was Meroe (not to be confused with Abyssinia, which was later called Ethiopia and converted to Christianity in the 4th century
[8:27] 68 tn Grk “who was over all her treasury, who.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “he” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
[8:27] 69 sn Since this man had come to Jerusalem to worship, he may have been a proselyte to Judaism. This event is a precursor to Acts 10.
[8:28] 70 tn Grk “and was sitting.” 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.
[8:28] 71 tn Grk “and was reading.” 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.
[8:28] sn The fact that this man was reading from a scroll (an expensive item in the first century) indicates his connection to a wealthy house.
[8:30] 72 tn The participle προσδραμών (prosdramwn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.
[8:30] 73 tn The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[8:30] 74 tn Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:30] 75 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
[8:30] 76 tn Grk “he said”; but since what follows is a question, it is better English style to translate the introduction to the question “he asked him.”
[8:31] 77 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:31] 78 tn Grk “How am I able, unless…” The translation is based on the force of the conjunction γάρ (gar) in this context. The translation “How in the world can I?” is given in BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 1.f.
[8:32] 79 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:32] 80 tn Grk “does.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the first line of the quotation (“he was led like a sheep to slaughter”), which has an aorist passive verb normally translated as a past tense in English.
[8:33] 81 tc ‡ Most later
[8:33] 82 tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”
[8:33] 83 tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.”
[8:33] sn The rhetorical question suggests the insensitivity of this generation for its act against God’s servant, who was slain unjustly as he was silent.
[8:33] 84 tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.
[8:33] 85 sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.
[8:34] 86 tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.
[8:34] 87 tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”
[8:34] 88 sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.
[8:35] 89 tn Grk “opening his mouth” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:35] 90 sn Beginning with this scripture. The discussion likely included many of the scriptures Acts has already noted for the reader in earlier speeches. At the least, readers of Acts would know what other scriptures might be meant.
[8:36] 91 tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”
[8:37] 92 tc A few later
[8:38] 93 tn Grk “and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch.” Since this is somewhat redundant in English, it was simplified to “and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.”
[8:38] 94 sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.
[8:39] 95 tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).
[8:39] 96 sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).
[8:40] 98 sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.
[8:40] 99 tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[8:40] 100 tn Or “he preached the gospel.”
[8:40] 102 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.
[8:40] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:1] 103 tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”
[9:1] 104 tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.
[9:2] 105 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
[9:2] 106 sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).
[9:2] 107 tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.
[9:2] 108 sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.
[9:2] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:3] 109 tn Grk “As he was going along, it happened that when he was approaching.” The 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.
[9:3] 110 tn Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13.
[9:4] 111 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
[9:4] 112 tn The double vocative suggests emotion.
[9:4] 113 sn Persecuting me. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.
[9:6] 115 tn Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.
[9:7] 116 tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which is used only rarely in a generic sense of both men and women. In the historical setting here, Paul’s traveling companions were almost certainly all males.
[9:7] 117 tn That is, unable to speak because of fear or amazement. See BDAG 335 s.v. ἐνεός.
[9:7] 118 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Acts 22:9 appears to indicate that they saw the light but did not hear a voice. They were “witnesses” that something happened.
[9:8] 119 tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
[9:8] 120 sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of deafness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.
[9:8] 121 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:9] 122 tn Grk “And for.” 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.
[9:9] 123 tn The word “anything” 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. The fasting might indicate an initial realization of Luke 5:33-39. Fasting was usually accompanied by reflective thought.
[9:10] 124 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[9:10] 125 sn The Lord is directing all the events leading to the expansion of the gospel as he works on both sides of the meeting between Paul and Ananias. “The Lord” here refers to Jesus (see v. 17).
[9:10] 126 tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).
[9:11] 127 sn The noting of the detail of the locale, ironically called ‘Straight’ Street, shows how directive and specific the Lord was.
[9:12] 128 tc ‡ The words ἐν ὀράματι (en oramati, “in a vision”) are not found in some of the earliest and best
[9:12] sn Apparently while in Damascus Paul had a subsequent vision in the midst of his blindness, fulfilling the prediction in 9:6.
[9:13] 129 sn Ananias replied. Past events might have suggested to Ananias that this was not good counsel, but like Peter in Acts 10, Ananias’ intuitions were wrong.
[9:13] 130 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[9:14] 132 sn The expression “those who call on your name” is a frequent description of believers (Acts 2:21; 1 Cor 1:2; Rom 10:13).
[9:15] 134 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).
[9:16] 135 tn Or “because of my name.” BDAG 1031 s.v. ὑπέρ 2 lists Acts 9:16 as an example of ὑπέρ (Juper) used to indicate “the moving cause or reason, because of, for the sake of, for.”
[9:17] 136 tn Grk “and placing his hands on Saul, he said.” The participle ἐπιθείς (epiqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the same reason καί (kai) has not been translated before the participle.
[9:17] 137 tn Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:17] 138 tn Grk “on the road in which you came,” but the relative clause makes for awkward English style, so it was translated as a temporal clause (“as you came here”).
[9:17] 139 sn Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here someone who is not an apostle (Ananias) commissions another person with the Spirit.
[9:18] 140 tn Grk “And immediately.” 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.
[9:18] 141 tn The comparison to “scales” suggests a crusty covering which peeled away (cf. BDAG 592 s.v. λεπίς 2).
[9:18] 142 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence was started, with “and” placed before the final element of the previous clause as required by English style.
[9:19] 143 tn Grk “It happened that for several days.” 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.
[9:20] 144 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
[9:20] 145 tn The ὅτι (Joti) is understood to introduce direct (“This man is the Son of God”) rather than indirect discourse (“that this man is the Son of God”) because the pronoun οὗτος (Jouto") combined with the present tense verb ἐστιν (estin) suggests the contents of what was proclaimed are a direct (albeit summarized) quotation.
[9:20] sn This is the only use of the title Son of God in Acts. The book prefers to allow a variety of descriptions to present Jesus.
[9:21] 146 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.
[9:21] 147 tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.
[9:21] 148 tn Normally, “destroying,” but compare 4 Macc 4:23; 11:4 and MM 529 s.v. πορθέω for examples from Koine papyri. See also BDAG 853 s.v. πορθέω.
[9:21] 149 tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.
[9:22] 150 tn Grk “was becoming stronger,” but this could be understood in a physical sense, while the text refers to Saul’s growing ability to demonstrate to fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. The translation “to become capable” for ἐνδυναμόω (endunamow) is given in L&N 74.7, with this specific verse as an example.
[9:22] 151 tn Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω (suncew) see L&N 25.221.
[9:22] 152 tn Or “by showing for certain.”
[9:22] 153 tn Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:22] 154 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Note again the variation in the titles used.
[9:22] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[9:23] 155 sn Fitting the pattern emphasized earlier with Stephen and his speech in Acts 7, some Jews plotted to kill God’s messenger (cf. Luke 11:53-54).
[9:24] 156 tn The words “against him” are implied, as suggested by L&N 30.71.
[9:24] 157 tn Or “guarding.” This is a negative term in Luke-Acts (Luke 6:7; 14:1; 20:20).
[9:24] 158 tn The word πύλη (pulh) may refer to a house door or gate, or to the large gates used in a palace, temple, or city wall. Here the context clearly indicates a reference to the latter, so the translation “city gates” is used.
[9:25] 159 tn The opening in the wall is not specifically mentioned here, but the parallel account in 2 Cor 11:33 mentions a “window” or “opening” (θυρίς, quris) in the city wall through which Paul was lowered. One alternative to introducing mention of the opening is to translate Acts 9:25 “they let him down over the wall,” as suggested in L&N 7.61. This option is not employed by many translations, however, because for the English reader it creates an (apparent) contradiction between Acts 9:25 and 2 Cor 11:33. In reality the account here is simply more general, omitting the detail about the window.
[9:25] 160 tn On the term for “basket” used here, see BDAG 940 s.v. σπυρίς.
[9:26] 161 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:26] 163 tn The participle πιστεύοντες (pisteuonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
[9:27] 164 tn Grk “taking Saul, brought him.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενος (epilabomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[9:27] 165 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:27] 166 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.
[9:27] 167 tn Grk “and that,” 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.
[9:27] 168 tn On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28.
[9:28] 169 tn Grk “he was with them going in and going out in Jerusalem.” The expression “going in and going out” is probably best taken as an idiom for association without hindrance. Some modern translations (NASB, NIV) translate the phrase “moving about freely in Jerusalem,” although the NRSV retains the literal “he went in and out among them in Jerusalem.”
[9:29] 170 tn Or “arguing.” BDAG 954 s.v. συζητέω 2 gives “dispute, debate, argue…τινί ‘w. someone’” for συνεζήτει (sunezhtei).
[9:29] 171 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.
[9:30] 172 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine, south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.
[9:30] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:31] 173 tn Or “Therefore.” This verse is another summary text in Acts (cf. 2:41-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 6:7).
[9:31] 174 tn Grk “and Galilee,” 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.
[9:31] 176 tn Or “Built up.” The participle οἰκοδομουμένη (oikodomoumenh) has been translated as a participle of result related to εἶχεν (eicen). It could also be understood as adverbial to ἐπληθύνετο (eplhquneto): “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace. Strengthened and living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Although some scholars do not regard the participle of result as a legitimate category, it is actually fairly common (see ExSyn 637-39).
[9:31] 177 tn Grk “And living.” 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.
[9:31] 178 tn Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
