Kisah Para Rasul 8:4--12:25
Konteks8:4 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 1 and began proclaiming 2 the Christ 3 to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, 4 as they heard and saw the miraculous signs 5 he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, 6 crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, 7 and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was 8 great joy 9 in that city.
8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 10 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, 11 from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 12 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 13 and the name of Jesus Christ, 14 they began to be baptized, 15 both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 16 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 17
8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem 18 heard that Samaria had accepted the word 19 of God, they sent 20 Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two 21 went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit 22 had not yet come upon 23 any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 24 8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, 25 and they received the Holy Spirit. 26
8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit 27 was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power 28 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, 29 because you thought you could acquire 30 God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part 31 in this matter 32 because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord 33 that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. 34 8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious 35 and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, 36 “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to 37 me.”
8:25 So after Peter and John 38 had solemnly testified 39 and spoken the word of the Lord, 40 they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming 41 the good news to many Samaritan villages 42 as they went. 43
8:26 Then an angel of the Lord 44 said to Philip, 45 “Get up and go south 46 on the road that goes down from Jerusalem 47 to Gaza.” (This is a desert 48 road.) 49 8:27 So 50 he got up 51 and went. There 52 he met 53 an Ethiopian eunuch, 54 a court official of Candace, 55 queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He 56 had come to Jerusalem to worship, 57 8:28 and was returning home, sitting 58 in his chariot, reading 59 the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up 60 to it 61 and heard the man 62 reading Isaiah the prophet. He 63 asked him, 64 “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man 65 replied, “How in the world can I, 66 unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man 67 was reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did 68 not open his mouth.
8:33 In humiliation 69 justice was taken from him. 70
Who can describe his posterity? 71
For his life was taken away 72 from the earth.” 73
8:34 Then the eunuch said 74 to Philip, “Please tell me, 75 who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” 76 8:35 So Philip started speaking, 77 and beginning with this scripture 78 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 79 from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] 80 8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, 81 and Philip baptized 82 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 83 went on his way rejoicing. 84 8:40 Philip, however, found himself 85 at Azotus, 86 and as he passed through the area, 87 he proclaimed the good news 88 to all the towns 89 until he came to Caesarea. 90
9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats 91 to murder 92 the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues 93 in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, 94 either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners 95 to Jerusalem. 96 9:3 As he was going along, approaching 97 Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed 98 around him. 9:4 He 99 fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, 100 why are you persecuting me?” 101 9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up 102 and enter the city and you will be told 103 what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men 104 who were traveling with him stood there speechless, 105 because they heard the voice but saw no one.) 106 9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, 107 he could see nothing. 108 Leading him by the hand, his companions 109 brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For 110 three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. 111
9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The 112 Lord 113 said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, 114 Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ 115 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 116 a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, 117 “Lord, I have heard from many people 118 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 119 all who call on your name!” 120 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument 121 to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. 122 9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 123 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed 124 his hands on Saul 125 and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, 126 has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 127 9:18 Immediately 128 something like scales 129 fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He 130 got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.
For several days 131 he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, 132 saying, “This man is the Son of God.” 133 9:21 All 134 who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not 135 the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging 136 those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners 137 to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, 138 and was causing consternation 139 among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving 140 that Jesus 141 is the Christ. 142
9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted 143 together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. 144 They were also watching 145 the city gates 146 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 147 in the wall by lowering him in a basket. 148
9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, 149 he attempted to associate 150 with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe 151 that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took 152 Saul, 153 brought 154 him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that 155 the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly 156 in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them 157 in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating 158 with the Greek-speaking Jews, 159 but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea 160 and sent him away to Tarsus.
9:31 Then 161 the church throughout Judea, Galilee, 162 and Samaria experienced 163 peace and thus was strengthened. 164 Living 165 in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church 166 increased in numbers.
9:32 Now 167 as Peter was traveling around from place to place, 168 he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 169 9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because 170 he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter 171 said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ 172 heals you. Get up and make your own bed!” 173 And immediately he got up. 9:35 All 174 those who lived in Lydda 175 and Sharon 176 saw him, and they 177 turned 178 to the Lord.
9:36 Now in Joppa 179 there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means 180 Dorcas). 181 She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. 182 9:37 At that time 183 she became sick 184 and died. When they had washed 185 her body, 186 they placed it in an upstairs room. 9:38 Because Lydda 187 was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Come to us without delay.” 188 9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and 189 when he arrived 190 they brought him to the upper room. All 191 the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him 192 the tunics 193 and other clothing 194 Dorcas used to make 195 while she was with them. 9:40 But Peter sent them all outside, 196 knelt down, 197 and prayed. Turning 198 to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 199 9:41 He gave 200 her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called 201 the saints and widows and presented her alive. 9:42 This became known throughout all 202 Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 203 9:43 So 204 Peter 205 stayed many days in Joppa with a man named 206 Simon, a tanner. 207
10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea 208 named Cornelius, a centurion 209 of what was known as the Italian Cohort. 210 10:2 He 211 was a devout, God-fearing man, 212 as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people 213 and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon 214 he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God 215 who came in 216 and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius 217 replied, 218 “What is it, Lord?” The angel 219 said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity 220 have gone up as a memorial 221 before God. 10:5 Now 222 send men to Joppa 223 and summon a man named Simon, 224 who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, 225 whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius 226 called two of his personal servants 227 and a devout soldier from among those who served him, 228 10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
10:9 About noon 229 the next day, while they were on their way and approaching 230 the city, Peter went up on the roof 231 to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. 232 10:11 He 233 saw heaven 234 opened 235 and an object something like a large sheet 236 descending, 237 being let down to earth 238 by its four corners. 10:12 In it 239 were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles 240 of the earth and wild birds. 241 10:13 Then 242 a voice said 243 to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter 244 and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” 245 10:15 The voice 246 spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider 247 ritually unclean!” 248 10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. 249
10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over 250 what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was 251 and approached 252 the gate. 10:18 They 253 called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, 254 was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about 255 the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, 256 go down, and accompany them without hesitation, 257 because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down 258 to the men and said, “Here I am, 259 the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, 260 a righteous 261 and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, 262 was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message 263 from you.” 10:23 So Peter 264 invited them in and entertained them as guests.
On the next day he got up and set out 265 with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa 266 accompanied him. 10:24 The following day 267 he entered Caesarea. 268 Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously 269 for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when 270 Peter came in, Cornelius met 271 him, fell 272 at his feet, and worshiped 273 him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, 274 saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” 275 10:27 Peter 276 continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. 277 10:28 He said to them, “You know that 278 it is unlawful 279 for a Jew 280 to associate with or visit a Gentile, 281 yet God has shown me that I should call no person 282 defiled or ritually unclean. 283 10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, 284 I came without any objection. Now may I ask why 285 you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius 286 replied, 287 “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, 288 I was praying in my house, and suddenly 289 a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity 290 have been remembered before God. 291 10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, 292 by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. 293 So now we are all here in the presence of God 294 to listen 295 to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” 296
10:34 Then Peter started speaking: 297 “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, 298 10:35 but in every nation 299 the person who fears him 300 and does what is right 301 is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know 302 the message 303 he sent to the people 304 of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace 305 through 306 Jesus Christ 307 (he is Lord 308 of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 309 10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, 310 that 311 God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He 312 went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, 313 because God was with him. 314 10:39 We 315 are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea 316 and in Jerusalem. 317 They 318 killed him by hanging him on a tree, 319 10:40 but 320 God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, 321 10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, 322 who ate and drank 323 with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He 324 commanded us to preach to the people and to warn 325 them 326 that he is the one 327 appointed 328 by God as judge 329 of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, 330 that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins 331 through his name.”
10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on 332 all those who heard the message. 333 10:45 The 334 circumcised believers 335 who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished 336 that 337 the gift of the Holy Spirit 338 had been poured out 339 even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising 340 God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, 341 can he?” 342 10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized 343 in the name of Jesus Christ. 344 Then they asked him to stay for several days.
11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted 345 the word of God. 346 11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, 347 the circumcised believers 348 took issue with 349 him, 11:3 saying, “You went to 350 uncircumcised men and shared a meal with 351 them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, 352 saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, 353 an object something like a large sheet descending, 354 being let down from heaven 355 by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared 356 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, 357 and wild birds. 358 11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter 359 and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean 360 has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider 361 ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, 362 three men sent to me from Caesarea 363 approached 364 the house where we were staying. 365 11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers 366 also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message 367 to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on 368 them just as he did 369 on us at the beginning. 370 11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, 371 as he used to say, 372 ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 373 11:17 Therefore if God 374 gave them the same gift 375 as he also gave us after believing 376 in the Lord Jesus Christ, 377 who was I to hinder 378 God?” 11:18 When they heard this, 379 they ceased their objections 380 and praised 381 God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance 382 that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” 383
11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen 384 went as far as 385 Phoenicia, 386 Cyprus, 387 and Antioch, 388 speaking the message 389 to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus 390 and Cyrene 391 among them who came 392 to Antioch 393 and began to speak to the Greeks 394 too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The 395 hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed 396 turned 397 to the Lord. 11:22 A report 398 about them came to the attention 399 of the church in Jerusalem, 400 and they sent Barnabas 401 to Antioch. 402 11:23 When 403 he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true 404 to the Lord with devoted hearts, 405 11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people 406 were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. 407 So 408 for a whole year Barnabas and Saul 409 met with the church and taught a significant number of people. 410 Now it was in Antioch 411 that the disciples were first called Christians. 412
11:27 At that time 413 some 414 prophets 415 came down 416 from Jerusalem 417 to Antioch. 418 11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up 419 and predicted 420 by the Spirit that a severe 421 famine 422 was about to come over the whole inhabited world. 423 (This 424 took place during the reign of Claudius.) 425 11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, 426 decided 427 to send relief 428 to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, 429 sending their financial aid 430 to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
12:1 About that time King Herod 431 laid hands on 432 some from the church to harm them. 433 12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. 434 12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, 435 he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) 436 12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads 437 of soldiers to guard him. Herod 438 planned 439 to bring him out for public trial 440 after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly 441 praying to God for him. 442 12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, 443 Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while 444 guards in front of the door were keeping watch 445 over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly 446 an angel of the Lord 447 appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck 448 Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s 449 wrists. 450 12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt 451 and put on your sandals.” Peter 452 did so. Then the angel 453 said to him, “Put on your cloak 454 and follow me.” 12:9 Peter 455 went out 456 and followed him; 457 he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, 458 but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, 459 they came to the iron 460 gate leading into the city. It 461 opened for them by itself, 462 and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, 463 when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When 464 Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued 465 me from the hand 466 of Herod 467 and from everything the Jewish people 468 were expecting to happen.”
12:12 When Peter 469 realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, 470 where many people had gathered together and were praying. 12:13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. 471 12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told 472 them 473 that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” 474 But she kept insisting that it was Peter, 475 and they kept saying, 476 “It is his angel!” 477 12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door 478 and saw him, they were greatly astonished. 479 12:17 He motioned to them 480 with his hand to be quiet and then related 481 how the Lord had brought 482 him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. 483
12:18 At daybreak 484 there was great consternation 485 among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod 486 had searched 487 for him and did not find him, he questioned 488 the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. 489 Then 490 Herod 491 went down from Judea to Caesarea 492 and stayed there.
12:20 Now Herod 493 was having an angry quarrel 494 with the people of Tyre 495 and Sidon. 496 So they joined together 497 and presented themselves before him. And after convincing 498 Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, 499 to help them, 500 they asked for peace, 501 because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod 502 put on his royal robes, 503 sat down on the judgment seat, 504 and made a speech 505 to them. 12:22 But the crowd 506 began to shout, 507 “The voice of a god, 508 and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord 509 struck 510 Herod 511 down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. 512 12:24 But the word of God 513 kept on increasing 514 and multiplying.
12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to 515 Jerusalem 516 when they had completed 517 their mission, 518 bringing along with them John Mark. 519
[8:5] 1 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] 2 tn The imperfect ἐκήρυσσεν (ekhrussen) has been translated as an ingressive, since this is probably the first time such preaching took place.
[8:5] 3 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] 4 tn Grk “to what was being said by Philip,” a passive construction that has been changed to active voice in the translation.
[8:6] 5 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] 6 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] 7 tn Grk “For [in the case of] many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out, crying in a loud voice.”
[8:8] 8 tn Grk “and there came about,” but this is somewhat awkward in English.
[8:8] 9 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] 10 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
[8:10] 11 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:10] 12 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] 13 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] 14 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:12] 15 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[8:13] 16 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
[8:13] 17 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] 18 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:14] 20 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] 21 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] 22 tn Grk “For he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:16] 24 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:17] 25 tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:17] 26 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] 27 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] 28 tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”
[8:20] 29 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] 31 tn The translation “share or part” is given by L&N 63.13.
[8:21] 32 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] 33 tn Or “and implore the Lord.”
[8:22] 34 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] 35 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] 36 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] 37 tn Grk “may come upon.”
[8:25] 38 tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 39 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] 40 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] 41 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] 42 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] 43 tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).
[8:26] 44 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[8:26] 45 tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.
[8:26] 46 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] 47 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] 49 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] 50 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] 51 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] 52 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] 53 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] 54 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] 55 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] 56 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] 57 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] 58 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] 59 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] 60 tn The participle προσδραμών (prosdramwn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.
[8:30] 61 tn The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[8:30] 62 tn Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:30] 63 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] 64 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] 65 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:31] 66 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] 67 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:32] 68 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] 69 tc ‡ Most later
[8:33] 70 tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”
[8:33] 71 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] 72 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] 73 sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.
[8:34] 74 tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.
[8:34] 75 tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”
[8:34] 76 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] 77 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] 78 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] 79 tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”
[8:37] 80 tc A few later
[8:38] 81 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] 82 sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.
[8:39] 83 tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).
[8:39] 84 sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).
[8:40] 86 sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.
[8:40] 87 tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[8:40] 88 tn Or “he preached the gospel.”
[8:40] 90 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] 91 tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”
[9:1] 92 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] 93 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
[9:2] 94 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] 95 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] 96 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] 97 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] 98 tn Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13.
[9:4] 99 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] 100 tn The double vocative suggests emotion.
[9:4] 101 sn Persecuting me. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.
[9:6] 103 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] 104 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] 105 tn That is, unable to speak because of fear or amazement. See BDAG 335 s.v. ἐνεός.
[9:7] 106 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] 107 tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
[9:8] 108 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] 109 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:9] 110 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] 111 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] 112 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] 113 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] 114 tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).
[9:11] 115 sn The noting of the detail of the locale, ironically called ‘Straight’ Street, shows how directive and specific the Lord was.
[9:12] 116 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] 117 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] 118 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[9:14] 120 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] 122 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).
[9:16] 123 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] 124 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] 125 tn Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:17] 126 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] 127 sn Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here someone who is not an apostle (Ananias) commissions another person with the Spirit.
[9:18] 128 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] 129 tn The comparison to “scales” suggests a crusty covering which peeled away (cf. BDAG 592 s.v. λεπίς 2).
[9:18] 130 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] 131 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] 132 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
[9:20] 133 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] 134 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] 135 tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.
[9:21] 136 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] 137 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] 138 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] 139 tn Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω (suncew) see L&N 25.221.
[9:22] 140 tn Or “by showing for certain.”
[9:22] 141 tn Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:22] 142 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] 143 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] 144 tn The words “against him” are implied, as suggested by L&N 30.71.
[9:24] 145 tn Or “guarding.” This is a negative term in Luke-Acts (Luke 6:7; 14:1; 20:20).
[9:24] 146 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] 147 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] 148 tn On the term for “basket” used here, see BDAG 940 s.v. σπυρίς.
[9:26] 149 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[9:26] 151 tn The participle πιστεύοντες (pisteuonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
[9:27] 152 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] 153 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:27] 154 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] 155 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] 156 tn On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28.
[9:28] 157 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] 158 tn Or “arguing.” BDAG 954 s.v. συζητέω 2 gives “dispute, debate, argue…τινί ‘w. someone’” for συνεζήτει (sunezhtei).
[9:29] 159 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] 160 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] 161 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] 162 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] 164 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] 165 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] 166 tn Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:32] 167 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” 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.
[9:32] 168 tn Grk “As Peter was going through all [the places],” which is somewhat awkward in English. The meaning is best expressed by a phrase like “going around from place to place” or “traveling around from place to place.”
[9:32] 169 sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa. It was about 10.5 miles (17 km) southeast of Joppa.
[9:33] 170 tn Since the participle κατακείμενον (katakeimenon), an adjectival participle modifying Αἰνέαν (Ainean), has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who had been confined to a mattress”), it would be awkward to follow with a second relative clause (Grk “who was paralyzed”). Furthermore, the relative pronoun here has virtually a causal force, giving the reason for confinement to the mattress, so it is best translated “because.”
[9:34] 171 tn Grk “And Peter.” 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.
[9:34] 172 tc ‡ Several variants occur at this juncture. Some of the earliest and best witnesses (Ì74 א B* C Ψ 33vid Didpt) read “Jesus Christ” (᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, Ihsou" Cristo"); others ([A] 36 1175 it) have “the Lord Jesus Christ” (ὁ κύριος ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, Jo kurio" Ihsou" Cristo"); a few read simply ὁ Χριστός (614 1241 1505); the majority of
[9:34] tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[9:34] 173 tn The translation “make your own bed” for στρῶσον σεαυτῷ (strwson seautw) is given by BDAG 949 s.v. στρωννύω 1. Naturally this involves some adaptation, since a pallet or mat would not be ‘made up’ in the sense that a modern bed would be. The idea may be closer to “straighten” or “rearrange,” and the NIV’s “take care of your mat” attempts to reflect this, although this too probably conveys a slightly different idea to the modern English reader.
[9:35] 174 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.
[9:35] 175 sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa.
[9:35] 176 sn Sharon refers to the plain of Sharon, a region along the coast of Palestine.
[9:35] 177 tn Repetition of the pronoun “they” as subject of ἐπέστρεψαν (epestreyan) is not strictly necessary in English, but emphasizes slightly the resultative nature of the final clause: They turned to the Lord as a result of seeing Aeneas after he was healed.
[9:35] 178 sn They turned. To “turn” is a good summary term for the response to the gospel.
[9:36] 179 sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa. “Though Joppa never became a major seaport, it was of some importance as a logistical base and an outlet to the Mediterranean” (A. F. Rainey, ISBE 2:1118-19).
[9:36] 180 tn Grk “which being translated is called.” In English this would normally be expressed “which is translated as” or “which in translation means.” The second option is given by L&N 33.145.
[9:36] 181 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Dorcas is the Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha. Dorcas in Greek means “gazelle” or “deer.”
[9:36] 182 tn Or “and helping the poor.” Grk “She was full of good deeds and acts of charity which she was continually doing.” Since it is somewhat redundant in English to say “she was full of good deeds…which she was continually doing,” the translation has been simplified to “she was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.” The imperfect verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a progressive imperfect (“was continually doing”).
[9:37] 183 tn Grk “It happened that in those 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.
[9:37] 184 tn Grk “becoming sick, she died.” The participle ἀσθενήσασαν (asqenhsasan) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[9:37] 185 tn The participle λούσαντες (lousante") is taken temporally.
[9:37] 186 tn Grk “washed her,” but the reference is to her corpse.
[9:38] 187 sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa.
[9:38] 188 tn Grk “Do not delay to come to us.” It is somewhat smoother to say in English, “Come to us without delay.”
[9:39] 189 tn Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.
[9:39] 190 tn The participle παραγενόμενον (paragenomenon) is taken temporally.
[9:39] 191 tn Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
[9:39] 192 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[9:39] 193 tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
[9:39] 194 tn Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.
[9:39] 195 tn The verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a customary imperfect.
[9:40] 196 tn Grk “Peter, sending them all outside, knelt down.” The participle ἐκβαλών (ekbalwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[9:40] 197 tn Grk “and kneeling down,” 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. Instead the “and” is placed before the verb προσηύξατο (proshuxato, “and prayed”). The participle θείς (qeis) is taken as a participle of attendant circumstance.
[9:40] 198 tn Grk “and turning.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
[9:40] 199 sn She sat up. This event is told much like Luke 8:49-56 and Mark 5:35-43. Peter’s ministry mirrored that of Jesus.
[9:41] 200 tn Grk “Giving her his hand, he helped her.” The participle δούς (dous) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[9:41] 201 tn Grk “Then calling the saints…he presented her.” The participle φωνήσας (fwnhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style; it could also be taken temporally (“After he called”).
[9:42] 202 tn Or “known all over.” BDAG 511 s.v. κατά A.1.c. has “became known throughout all Joppa” for γνωστὸν γενέσθαι καθ᾿ ὅλης ᾿Ιόππης (gnwston genesqai kaq’ {olh" Iopph").
[9:42] 203 sn This became known…many believed in the Lord. This is a “sign” miracle that pictures how the Lord can give life.
[9:43] 204 tn Grk “So it happened that.” 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.
[9:43] 205 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:43] 206 tn Grk “with a certain Simon.”
[9:43] 207 tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.
[10:1] 208 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). It was known as “Caesarea by the sea” (BDAG 499 s.v. Καισάρεια 2). Largely Gentile, it was a center of Roman administration and the location of many of Herod the Great’s building projects (Josephus, Ant. 15.9.6 [15.331-341]).
[10:1] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:1] 209 sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.
[10:1] 210 sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion (BDAG 936 s.v. σπεῖρα). The Italian Cohort has been identified as cohors II Italica which is known to have been stationed in Syria in
[10:2] 211 tn In the Greek text this represents a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
[10:2] 212 sn The description of Cornelius as a devout, God-fearing man probably means that he belonged to 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, 43-44, and Sir 11:17; 27:11; 39:27.
[10:2] 213 tn Or “gave many gifts to the poor.” This was known as “giving alms,” or acts of mercy (Sir 7:10; BDAG 315-16 s.v. ἐλεημοσύνη).
[10:3] 214 tn Grk “at about the ninth hour of the day.” This would be the time for afternoon prayer.
[10:3] 215 tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
[10:3] 216 tn The participles εἰσελθόντα (eiselqonta) and εἰπόντα (eiponta) are accusative, and thus best taken as adjectival participles modifying ἄγγελον (angelon): “an angel who came in and said.”
[10:4] 217 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:4] 218 tn Grk “said,” but in response to the angel’s address, “replied” is better English style.
[10:4] 219 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:4] 220 tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”
[10:4] 221 sn The language used in the expression gone up as a memorial before God parallels what one would say of acceptable sacrifices (Ps 141:2; Sir 35:6; 50:16).
[10:5] 222 tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[10:5] 223 sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa.
[10:5] 224 tn Grk “a certain Simon.”
[10:6] 225 tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.
[10:7] 226 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:7] 227 tn Or “domestic servants.” The Greek word here is οἰκέτης (oiketh"), which technically refers to a member of the household, but usually means a household servant (slave) or personal servant rather than a field laborer.
[10:7] 228 tn The meaning of the genitive participle προσκαρτερούντων (proskarterountwn) could either be “a soldier from the ranks of those who served him” (referring to his entire command) or “a soldier from among his personal staff” (referring to a group of soldiers who were his personal attendants). The translation “from among those who served him” is general enough to cover either possibility.
[10:9] 229 tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”
[10:9] 230 tn The participles ὁδοιπορούντων (Jodoiporountwn, “while they were on their way”) and ἐγγιζόντων (engizontwn, “approaching”) have been translated as temporal participles.
[10:9] 231 sn Went up on the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.
[10:10] 232 tn The traditional translation, “he fell into a trance,” is somewhat idiomatic; it is based on the textual variant ἐπέπεσεν (epepesen, “he fell”) found in the Byzantine text but almost certainly not original.
[10:11] 233 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.
[10:11] 234 tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
[10:11] 235 tn On the heavens “opening,” see Matt 3:16; Luke 3:21; Rev 19:11 (cf. BDAG 84 s.v. ἀνοίγω 2). This is the language of a vision or a revelatory act of God.
[10:11] 236 tn Or “a large linen cloth” (the term was used for the sail of a ship; BDAG 693 s.v. ὀθόνη).
[10:11] 237 tn Or “coming down.”
[10:11] 238 tn Or “to the ground.”
[10:12] 239 tn Grk “in which.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[10:12] 240 tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. See also Gen 6:20, as well as the law making such creatures unclean food in Lev 11:2-47.
[10:12] 241 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[10:13] 242 tn Grk “And there came.” 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.
[10:13] 243 tn Grk “a voice to him”; the word “said” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[10:13] 244 tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.
[10:14] 245 tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqarto") here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.
[10:14] sn Peter insisted he would not violate the law by eating anything defiled and ritually unclean. These food laws were one of the practices that distinguished Jews from their Gentile neighbors. The practice made table fellowship with Gentiles awkward. For an example of Jewish attitudes to this, see Dan 1:8-16; 1 Macc 1:41-64; Letter of Aristeas 142; Tacitus, History 5.5.
[10:15] 246 tn Grk “And the voice.” 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.
[10:15] 248 sn For the significance of this vision see Mark 7:14-23; Rom 14:14; Eph 2:11-22. God directed this change in practice.
[10:16] 249 tn Or “into the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
[10:17] 250 tn Or “was greatly confused over.” The term means to be perplexed or at a loss (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπορέω).
[10:17] 251 tn Grk “having learned.” The participle διερωτήσαντες (dierwthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[10:17] 252 tn BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 has “ἐπί τι approach or stand by someth. (Sir 41:24) Ac 10:17.”
[10:17] sn As Peter puzzled over the meaning of the vision, the messengers from Cornelius approached the gate. God’s direction here had a sense of explanatory timing.
[10:18] 253 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the pronoun “they” as the subject of the following verb.
[10:18] 254 tn Grk “Simon, the one called Peter.” This qualification was necessary because the owner of the house was also named Simon (Acts 9:43).
[10:19] 255 tn The translation “think seriously about” for διενθυμέομαι (dienqumeomai) is given in L&N 30.2. Peter was “pondering” the vision (BDAG 244 s.v.).
[10:20] 256 tn Grk “But getting up, go down.” The participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[10:20] 257 tn The term means “without doubting” or “without deliberation.” It is a term of conscience and discernment. In effect, Peter is to listen to them rather than hesitate (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 6).
[10:21] 258 tn Grk “Peter going down to the men, said.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[10:21] 259 tn Grk “Behold, it is I whom you seek,” or “Behold, I am the one you seek.” “Here I am” is used to translate ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι (idou egw eimi).
[10:22] 260 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
[10:22] 262 tn The phrase τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (tou eqnou" twn Ioudaiwn) is virtually a technical term for the Jewish nation (1 Macc 10:25; 11:30, 33; Josephus, Ant. 14.10.22 [14.248]). “All the Jewish people,” while another possible translation of the Greek phrase, does not convey the technical sense of a reference to the nation in English.
[10:22] sn The long introduction of Cornelius by his messengers is an attempt to commend this Gentile to his Jewish counterpart, which would normally be important to do in the culture of the time.
[10:22] 263 tn Grk “hear words.”
[10:23] 264 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:23] sn When Peter entertained them as guests, he performed a culturally significant act denoting acceptance.
[10:23] 265 tn Or “went forth.”
[10:23] 266 sn Some of the brothers from Joppa. As v. 45 makes clear, there were Jewish Christians in this group of witnesses.
[10:24] 267 tn Grk “On the next day,” but since this phrase has already occurred in v. 23, it would be redundant in English to use it again here.
[10:24] 268 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi).
[10:24] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:24] 269 tn Normally προσδοκάω (prosdokaw) means “to wait with apprehension or anxiety for something,” often with the implication of impending danger or trouble (L&N 25.228), but in this context the anxiety Cornelius would have felt came from the importance of the forthcoming message as announced by the angel.
[10:25] 270 tn Grk “So it happened that when.” 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.
[10:25] 271 tn Grk “meeting him.” The participle συναντήσας (sunanthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[10:25] 272 tn Grk “falling at his feet, worshiped.” The participle πεσών (peswn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[10:25] 273 sn When Cornelius worshiped Peter, it showed his piety and his respect for Peter, but it was an act based on ignorance, as Peter’s remark in v. 26 indicates.
[10:26] 274 tn BDAG 271 s.v. ἐγείρω 3 has “raise, help to rise….Stretched out Ac 10:26.”
[10:26] 275 tn Although it is certainly true that Peter was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") has been translated as “mere mortal” because the emphasis in context is not on Peter’s maleness, but his humanity. Contrary to what Cornelius thought, Peter was not a god or an angelic being, but a mere mortal.
[10:27] 276 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 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.
[10:27] 277 tn Or “many people assembled.”
[10:28] 278 tn Here ὡς (Jws) is used like ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect discourse (cf. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5).
[10:28] 279 tn This term is used of wanton or callously lawless acts (BDAG 24 s.v. ἀθέμιτος).
[10:28] 280 tn Grk “a Jewish man” (ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ, andri Ioudaiw).
[10:28] 281 tn Grk “a foreigner,” but in this context, “a non-Jew,” that is, a Gentile. This term speaks of intimate association (BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.b.α). On this Jewish view, see John 18:28, where a visit to a Gentile residence makes a Jewish person unclean.
[10:28] 282 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").
[10:28] 283 tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.
[10:28] sn God has shown me…unclean. Peter sees the significance of his vision as not about food, but about open fellowship between Jewish Christians and Gentiles.
[10:29] 284 tn Grk “Therefore when I was sent for.” The passive participle μεταπεμφθείς (metapemfqei") has been taken temporally and converted to an active construction which is less awkward in English.
[10:29] 285 tn Grk “ask for what reason.”
[10:30] 286 tn Grk “And Cornelius.” 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.
[10:30] 288 tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” Again, this is the hour of afternoon prayer.
[10:30] 289 tn Grk “and behold.” The interjection ἰδού (idou) is difficult at times to translate into English. Here it has been translated as “suddenly” to convey the force of Cornelius’ account of the angel’s appearance.
[10:31] 290 tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”
[10:31] 291 sn This statement is a paraphrase rather than an exact quotation of Acts 10:4.
[10:32] 292 tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname.
[10:33] 293 tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalw" poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).
[10:33] 294 tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enwpion tou qeou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.
[10:33] 295 tn Or “to hear everything.”
[10:33] 296 tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.
[10:34] 297 tn Grk “Opening his mouth Peter said” (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.
[10:34] 298 tn Grk “God is not one who is a respecter of persons,” that is, “God is not one to show partiality” (cf. BDAG 887 s.v. προσωπολήμπτης). L&N 88.239 translates this verse “I realize that God does not show favoritism (in dealing with people).” The underlying Hebrew idiom includes the personal element (“respecter of persons”) so the phrase “in dealing with people” is included in the present translation. It fits very well with the following context and serves to emphasize the relational component of God’s lack of partiality. The latter is a major theme in the NT: Rom 2:11; Eph 2:11-22; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1; 1 Pet 1:17. This was the lesson of Peter’s vision.
[10:35] 299 sn See Luke 24:47.
[10:35] 300 tn Or “shows reverence for him.”
[10:35] 301 tn Grk “works righteousness”; the translation “does what is right” for this phrase in this verse is given by L&N 25.85.
[10:35] sn Note how faith and response are linked here by the phrase and does what is right.
[10:36] 302 tn The subject and verb (“you know”) do not actually occur until the following verse, but have been repeated here because of the requirements of English word order.
[10:36] 303 tn Grk “the word.”
[10:36] 304 tn Grk “to the sons.”
[10:36] 305 sn Peace is a key OT concept: Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; also for Luke: Luke 1:79; 2:14; Acts 9:31. See also the similar phrase in Eph 2:17.
[10:36] 307 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[10:36] 308 sn He is Lord of all. Though a parenthetical remark, this is the theological key to the speech. Jesus is Lord of all, so the gospel can go to all. The rest of the speech proclaims Jesus’ authority.
[10:37] 309 tn Or “proclaimed.”
[10:38] 310 sn The somewhat awkward naming of Jesus as from Nazareth here is actually emphatic. He is the key subject of these key events.
[10:38] 311 tn Or “how.” The use of ὡς (Jws) as an equivalent to ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect or even direct discourse is well documented. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5 lists Acts 10:28 in this category.
[10:38] 312 tn Grk “power, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[10:38] 313 tn The translation “healing all who were oppressed by the devil” is given in L&N 22.22.
[10:38] sn All who were oppressed by the devil. Note how healing is tied to the cosmic battle present in creation. Christ’s power overcomes the devil and his forces, which seek to destroy humanity.
[10:39] 315 tn Grk “And we.” 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.
[10:39] 316 tn Grk “the land of the Jews,” but this is similar to the phrase used as the name of the province of Judea in 1 Macc 8:3 (see BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b).
[10:39] 317 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:39] 318 tn Grk “in Jerusalem, whom they killed.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[10:39] 319 tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the 1st century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
[10:40] 320 tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied in the context. This is technically asyndeton, or lack of a connective, in Greek.
[10:40] 321 tn Grk “and granted that he should become visible.” The literal Greek idiom is somewhat awkward in English. L&N 24.22 offers the translation “caused him to be seen” for this verse.
[10:41] 322 tn Or “the witnesses God had previously chosen.” See Acts 1:8.
[10:41] 323 sn Ate and drank. See Luke 24:35-49.
[10:42] 324 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.
[10:42] 325 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and such a meaning is highly probable in this context where a reference to the judgment of both the living and the dead is present. The more general meaning “to testify solemnly” does not capture this nuance.
[10:42] 326 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.
[10:42] 327 tn Grk “that this one is the one,” but this is awkward in English and has been simplified to “that he is the one.”
[10:42] 328 tn Or “designated.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “the one appointed by God as judge” for this phrase.
[10:42] 329 sn Jesus has divine authority as judge over the living and the dead: Acts 17:26-31; Rom 14:9; 1 Thess 5:9-10; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.
[10:43] 330 tn Or “All the prophets testify about him.” Although modern English translations tend to place “about him” after “testify” (so NIV, NRSV) the phrase “about him” has been left at the beginning of v. 43 for emphatic reasons.
[10:43] 331 sn Forgiveness of sins. See Luke 24:47; also Acts 14:23; 19:4; 9:42; 11:17; 16:31. The gospel is present in the prophetic promise, Rom 1:1-7. The message is in continuity with the ancient hope.
[10:44] 332 tn Or “came down on.” God now acted to confirm the point of Peter’s speech.
[10:45] 334 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.
[10:45] 335 tn Or “The Jewish Christians”; Grk “The believers from the circumcision.”
[10:45] 336 sn The Jewish Christians who were with Peter were greatly astonished because they thought the promise of the Spirit would be limited only to those of Israel. God’s plan was taking on fresh dimensions even as it was a reflection of what the prophets had promised.
[10:45] 338 tn That is, the gift consisting of the Holy Spirit. Here τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Spirit.
[10:45] 339 sn The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out. Compare the account in Acts 2, especially 2:33. Note also Joel 2:17-21 and Acts 11:15-18.
[10:46] 340 tn Or “extolling,” “magnifying.”
[10:47] 341 tn Grk “just as also we.” The auxiliary verb in English must be supplied. This could be either “have” (NIV, NRSV) or “did” (NASB). “Did” is preferred here because the comparison Peter is making concerns not just the fact of the present possession of the Spirit (“they received the Spirit we now possess”), but the manner in which the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house received the Spirit (“they received the Spirit in the same manner we did [on the day of Pentecost]”).
[10:47] 342 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “can he?” The question is rhetorical. Peter was saying these Gentiles should be baptized since God had confirmed they were his.
[10:48] 343 tn The Greek construction (passive infinitive with accusative subject) could be translated either “he ordered them to be baptized” or “he ordered that they be baptized,” but the implication in English in either case is that Peter was giving orders to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house, telling them to get baptized. It is much more likely in the context that Peter was ordering those Jewish Christians who accompanied him to baptize the new Gentile converts. They would doubtless have still had misgivings even after witnessing the outpouring of the Spirit and hearing the tongues. It took Peter’s apostolic authority (“ordered”) to convince them to perform the baptisms.
[10:48] 344 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Jesus’ right to judge as the provider of forgiveness is highlighted here.
[11:1] 345 tn See BDAG 221 s.v. δέχομαι 5 for this translation of ἐδέξαντο (edexanto) here.
[11:1] 346 tn Here the phrase “word of God” is another way to describe the gospel (note the preceding verb ἐδέξαντο, edexanto, “accepted”). The phrase could also be translated “the word [message] from God.”
[11:2] 347 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:2] 348 tn Or “the Jewish Christians”; Grk “those of the circumcision.” Within the larger group of Christians were some whose loyalties ran along ethnic-religious lines.
[11:2] 349 tn Or “believers disputed with,” “believers criticized” (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 5.b).
[11:3] 350 tn Or “You were a guest in the home of” (according to L&N 23.12).
[11:3] 351 tn Or “and ate with.” It was table fellowship and the possibility of eating unclean food that disturbed them.
[11:4] 352 tn Or “to them in logical sequence,” “to them in order.” BDAG 490 s.v. καθεξῆς has “explain to someone point by point” for this phrase. This is the same term used in Luke 1:3.
[11:5] 353 tn This term describes a supernatural vision and reflects a clear distinction from something imagined (BDAG 718 s.v. ὅραμα 1). Peter repeated the story virtually word for word through v. 13. The repetition with this degree of detail shows the event’s importance.
[11:5] 354 tn Or “coming down.”
[11:5] 355 tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
[11:6] 356 tn Grk “Staring I looked into it.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[11:6] 357 tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate.
[11:6] 358 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[11:7] 359 tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.
[11:8] 360 tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts. The sentiment Peter expressed is like Ezek 4:14.
[11:9] 361 tn Or “declare.” The wording matches Acts 10:15.
[11:11] 362 tn Grk “And behold.”
[11:11] 363 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.
[11:11] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:11] 364 tn See BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 for this meaning for ἐπέστησαν (epesthsan) here.
[11:11] 365 tn The word “staying” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[11:12] 366 sn Six witnesses is three times more than what would normally be required. They could confirm the events were not misrepresented by Peter.
[11:14] 367 tn Grk “words” (ῥήματα, rJhmata), but in this context the overall message is meant rather than the individual words.
[11:15] 368 tn Or “came down on.”
[11:15] 369 tn The words “he did” are not in the Greek text but are implied. They form an ellipsis which must be supplied for the modern English reader. Some modern translations supply “it” rather than “he” because the gender of πνεῦμα (pneuma) in Greek is neuter, but there are sufficient NT contexts that use masculine pronouns to refer to the Spirit to justify the use of a masculine pronoun here in the translation.
[11:15] 370 sn At the beginning is an allusion to Acts 2 and Pentecost. The beginning is a way to refer to the start of the period of the realization of Jesus’ promise in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. Peter was arguing that God gave Gentiles the same benefits he gave the Jews at the start of their mission.
[11:16] 371 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; here and in Luke 22:61, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 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.
[11:16] 372 tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) is taken as a customary imperfect.
[11:16] 373 sn John…Spirit. This remark repeats Acts 1:5.
[11:17] 374 tc Codex Bezae (D) and {a few other Western witnesses} here lack ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”), perhaps because these scribes considered the Holy Spirit to be the gift of Christ rather than the gift of God; thus leaving the subject implicit would naturally draw the reader back to v. 16 to see the Lord Jesus as the bestower of the Spirit.
[11:17] 375 sn That is, the same gift of the Holy Spirit.
[11:17] 376 tn Or “gave us when we believed”; or “gave us after we believed”; or “gave us who believed”; or “gave them when they believed the same gift as he also gave us.” The aorist dative plural participle πιστεύσασιν (pisteusasin) can be understood in several different ways: (1) It could modify ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “us”) or αὐτοῖς (autois, “them”). Proximity (it immediately follows ἡμῖν) would suggest that it belongs with ἡμῖν, so the last option (“gave them when they believed the same gift he also gave us”) is less likely. (2) The participle could be either adverbial or adjectival, modifying ἡμῖν. This decision is primarily a contextual one. The point Peter made is not whether or not the Gentiles believed, since both groups (“us” and “they”) had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The point was whether or not the Gentiles received the Spirit when they believed, just as Jewish Christians had received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost when they believed. Translated as an adjectival participle, πιστεύσασιν only affirms the fact of belief, however, and raises somewhat of a theological problem if one realizes, “Would God have given the Gentiles the Spirit if they had not believed?” (In other words, belief in itself is a theological prerequisite for receiving the Spirit. As such, in the case of the Gentiles, it is assumed.) Thus in context it makes more sense to understand the participle πιστεύσασιν as adverbial, related to the time of belief in connection with the giving of the Spirit. (3) The participle πιστεύσασιν as a temporal participle can refer to action antecedent to the action of the main verb ἔδωκεν (edwken) or contemporaneous with it. Logically, at least, the gift of the Spirit followed belief in the case of the original Christians, who had believed before the day of Pentecost. In the case of Cornelius and his household, belief and the reception of the Spirit were virtually simultaneous. One can argue that Peter is “summarizing” the experience of Jewish Christians, and therefore the actions of belief and reception of the Spirit, while historically separate, have been “telescoped” into one (“gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed”), but to be technically accurate the participle πιστεύσασιν should be translated “gave them the same gift as he also gave us after we believed.” A number of these problems can be avoided, however, by using a translation in English that maintains some of the ambiguity of the Greek original. Thus “if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing” is used, where the phrase “after believing” can refer either to “them” or to “us,” or both.
[11:17] 377 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[11:17] 378 tn Or “prevent,” “forbid” (BDAG 580 s.v. κωλύω 1.a). Peter’s point is that he will not stand in the way of God.
[11:18] 379 tn Grk “these things.”
[11:18] 380 tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done.
[11:18] 381 tn Or “glorified.”
[11:18] 382 sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39).
[11:18] 383 sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.
[11:19] 384 sn The phrase over Stephen means in connection with Stephen’s death. See Acts 8:1b-3.
[11:19] 385 tn Or “finally reached.” The translations “went as far as” and “finally reached” for διῆλθον (dihlqon) in this verse are given in L&N 15.17.
[11:19] 386 sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.
[11:19] 387 tn Grk “and Cyprus,” 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.
[11:19] sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
[11:19] 388 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). This was probably the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world (Alexandria in Egypt was the second largest, and Rome the largest) and was the seat of government in Syria. Five miles away was a major temple to Artemis, Apollo, and Astarte, major pagan deities.
[11:19] map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.
[11:20] 390 sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
[11:20] 391 sn Cyrene was a city on the northern African coast west of Egypt.
[11:20] 392 tn Grk “among them, coming to Antioch began to speak.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[11:20] 393 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
[11:20] 394 sn The statement that some men from Cyprus and Cyrene…began to speak to the Greeks shows that Peter’s experience of reaching out to the Gentiles was not unique.
[11:21] 395 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.
[11:21] 396 tn The participle πιστεύσας (pisteusa") is articular and thus cannot be adverbial. It is adjectival, modifying ἀριθμός (ariqmo"), but has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who believed”).
[11:21] 397 sn Again, the expression turned is a summary term for responding to the gospel.
[11:22] 399 tn Grk “was heard in the ears,” an idiom. L&N 24.67 states that the idiom means “to hear in secret” (which it certainly does in Matt 10:27), but secrecy does not seem to be part of the context here, and there is no particular reason to suggest the report was made in secret.
[11:22] 400 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:22] 401 tc ‡ Most
[11:22] 402 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. Again the Jerusalem church exercised an oversight role.
[11:23] 403 tn Grk “Antioch, who when.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[11:23] 404 tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσμένω 1.a.β has “remain true to the Lord” for προσμένειν (prosmenein) in this verse.
[11:23] sn He…encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord. The call to faithfulness is frequent in Acts (2:40; 14:22; 15:32; 16:39; 20:1-2).
[11:23] 405 tn Grk “with purpose of heart”; BDAG 869 s.v. πρόθεσις 2.a translates this phrase “purpose of heart, i.e. devotion” here.
[11:24] 406 tn Grk “a significant crowd.”
[11:26] 407 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
[11:26] 408 tn Grk “So it happened that” 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.
[11:26] 409 tn Grk “year they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:26] 410 tn Grk “a significant crowd.”
[11:26] 411 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
[11:26] 412 sn The term Christians appears only here, in Acts 26:28, and 1 Pet 4:16 in the NT.
[11:27] 413 tn Grk “In these days,” but the dative generally indicates a specific time.
[11:27] 414 tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text, but is usually used in English when an unspecified number is mentioned.
[11:27] 415 sn Prophets are mentioned only here and in 13:1 and 21:10 in Acts.
[11:27] 416 sn Came down from Jerusalem. Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude).
[11:27] 417 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:27] 418 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
[11:27] map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2
[11:28] 419 tn Grk “getting up, predicted.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[11:28] 420 tn Or “made clear”; Grk “indicated beforehand” (BDAG 920 s.v. σημαίνω 2).
[11:28] 422 sn This famine is one of the firmly fixed dates in Acts. It took place from
[11:28] 423 tn Or “whole Roman Empire.” While the word οἰκουμένη (oikoumenh) does occasionally refer specifically to the Roman Empire, BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουνένη 2 does not list this passage (only Acts 24:5 and 17:6).
[11:28] 424 tn Grk “world, which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “this” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[11:28] 425 sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Claudius was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from
[11:29] 426 tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.
[11:29] 427 tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”
[11:29] 428 tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.
[11:29] sn The financial relief reflects the oneness of the church, meeting the needs of another (even racially distinct) community. Jerusalem, having ministered to them, now received ministry back. A later collection from Greece is noted in Rom 15:25-27, but it reflects the same spirit as this gift.
[11:30] 429 tn Grk “Judea, which they did.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[11:30] 430 tn The words “their financial aid” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[12:1] 431 sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great). His mediocre career is summarized in Josephus, Ant. 18-19. This event took place in
[12:1] 432 tn Or “King Herod had some from the church arrested.”
[12:1] 433 tn Or “to cause them injury.”
[12:2] 434 sn The expression executed with a sword probably refers to a beheading. James was the first known apostolic martyr (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-3). On James, not the Lord’s brother, see Luke 5:10; 6:14. This death ended a short period of peace noted in Acts 9:31 after the persecution mentioned in 8:1-3.
[12:3] 435 tn This could be a reference to the Jewish people (so CEV) or to the Jewish leaders (so NLT). The statement in v. 4 that Herod intended to bring Peter “out to the people” (i.e., for a public trial) may suggest the former is somewhat more likely.
[12:3] 436 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:4] 437 sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.
[12:4] 438 tn Grk “guard him, planning to bring him out.” The Greek construction continues with a participle (βουλόμενος, boulomeno") and an infinitive (ἀναγαγεῖν, anagagein), but this creates an awkward and lengthy sentence in English. Thus a reference to Herod was introduced as subject and the participle translated as a finite verb (“Herod planned”).
[12:4] 439 tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”
[12:4] 440 tn Grk “to bring him out to the people,” but in this context a public trial (with certain condemnation as the result) is doubtless what Herod planned. L&N 15.176 translates this phrase “planning to bring him up for a public trial after the Passover.”
[12:5] 441 tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.
[12:5] 442 tn Grk “but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God for him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to follow English style, and the somewhat awkward passive “prayer was being made” has been changed to the simpler active verb “were praying.” Luke portrays what follows as an answer to prayer.
[12:6] 443 tn Grk “was going to bring him out,” but the upcoming trial is implied. See Acts 12:4.
[12:6] 444 tn Grk “two chains, and.” Logically it makes better sense to translate this as a temporal clause, although technically it is a coordinate clause in Greek.
[12:6] 445 tn Or “were guarding.”
[12:7] 446 tn Grk “And behold.” 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 interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.
[12:7] 447 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[12:7] 448 tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:7] 449 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:7] 450 tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.
[12:8] 451 tn While ζώννυμι (zwnnumi) sometimes means “to dress,” referring to the fastening of the belt or sash as the final act of getting dressed, in this context it probably does mean “put on your belt” since in the conditions of a prison Peter had probably not changed into a different set of clothes to sleep. More likely he had merely removed his belt or sash, which the angel now told him to replace. The translation “put on your belt” is given by L&N 49.14 for this verse. The archaic English “girdle” for the sash or belt has an entirely different meaning today.
[12:8] 452 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:8] 453 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:8] 454 tn Or “outer garment.”
[12:9] 455 tn Grk “And going out he followed.”
[12:9] 456 tn Grk “Peter going out followed him.” The participle ἐξελθών (exelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:9] 457 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[12:9] 458 tn Grk “what was done through the angel was a reality” (see BDAG 43 s.v. ἀληθής 3).
[12:10] 459 tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”
[12:10] 460 sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).
[12:10] 461 tn Grk “which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[12:10] 462 tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).
[12:10] 463 tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).
[12:11] 464 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[12:11] 465 tn Or “delivered.”
[12:11] 466 sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.
[12:11] 467 sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:11] 468 sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).
[12:12] 469 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:12] 470 tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”
[12:12] sn John Mark becomes a key figure in Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39.
[12:13] 471 tn Or “responded.”
[12:14] 473 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[12:15] 474 sn “You’ve lost your mind!” Such a response to the miraculous is not unusual in Luke-Acts. See Luke 24:11; Acts 26:25. The term μαίνομαι (mainomai) can have the idea of being “raving mad” or “totally irrational” (BDAG 610 s.v.). It is a strong expression.
[12:15] 475 tn Grk “she kept insisting that the situation was thus” (cf. BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a). Most translations supply a less awkward English phrase like “it was so”; the force of her insistence, however, is that “it was Peter,” which was the point under dispute.
[12:15] 476 tn The two imperfect tense verbs, διϊσχυρίζετο (diiscurizeto) and ἔλεγον (elegon), are both taken iteratively. The picture is thus virtually a shouting match between Rhoda and the rest of the believers.
[12:15] 477 sn The assumption made by those inside, “It is his angel,” seems to allude to the idea of an attending angel (cf. Gen 48:16 LXX; Matt 18:10; Test. Jacob 1:10).
[12:16] 478 tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see Acts 12:13).
[12:16] 479 sn That they were greatly astonished is a common response in Luke-Acts to God’s work (Luke 8:56; Acts 2:7, 12; 8:13; 9:21; 10:45).
[12:17] 480 tn Or “He gave them a signal.” Grk “Giving them a signal…he related to them.” The participle κατασείσας (kataseisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:17] 481 tc ‡ Most
[12:17] 483 sn He…went to another place. This is Peter’s last appearance in Acts with the exception of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.
[12:18] 484 tn BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a has “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse.
[12:18] 485 tn Grk “no little consternation.” The translation given for τάραχος (taraco") in this verse by BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 1 is “mental agitation.” The situation indicated by the Greek word is described in L&N 25.243 as “a state of acute distress and great anxiety, with the additional possible implications of dismay and confusion – ‘great distress, extreme anxiety.’” The English word “consternation” is preferred here because it conveys precisely such a situation of anxiety mixed with fear. The reason for this anxiety is explained in the following verse.
[12:19] 486 sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:19] 487 tn Or “had instigated a search” (Herod would have ordered the search rather than conducting it himself).
[12:19] 488 tn “Questioned” is used to translate ἀνακρίνας (anakrina") here because a possible translation offered by BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω for this verse is “examined,” which could be understood to mean Herod inspected the guards rather than questioned them. The translation used by the NIV, “cross-examined,” also avoids this possible misunderstanding.
[12:19] 489 tn The meaning “led away to execution” for ἀπαχθῆναι (apacqhnai) in this verse is given by BDAG 95 s.v. ἀπάγω 2.c. Although an explicit reference to execution is lacking here, it is what would usually occur in such a case (Acts 16:27; 27:42; Code of Justinian 9.4.4). “Led away to torture” is a less likely option (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10, 96, 8).
[12:19] 490 tn Grk “and,” but the sequence of events is better expressed in English by “then.” A new sentence is begun in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek, which exceeds normal English sentence length.
[12:19] 491 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Since Herod has been the subject of the preceding material, and the circumstances of his death are the subject of the following verses (20-23), it is best to understand Herod as the subject here. This is especially true since according to Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 [19.343-352], Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in
[12:19] sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great), who died at Caesarea in
[12:19] 492 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.
[12:19] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:20] 493 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:20] sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:20] 494 tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).
[12:20] 495 sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.
[12:20] map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[12:20] 496 sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).
[12:20] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[12:20] 497 tn Or “with one accord.”
[12:20] 498 tn Or “persuading.”
[12:20] 499 tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.
[12:20] 500 tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[12:20] 501 tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.
[12:21] 502 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:21] sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:21] 503 tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.
[12:21] 504 tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.
[12:21] 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.
[12:21] 505 tn Or “delivered a public address.”
[12:22] 506 tn The translation “crowd” is given by BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος; the word often means a gathering of citizens to conduct public business. Here it is simply the group of people gathered to hear the king’s speech.
[12:22] 507 tn The imperfect verb ἐπεφώνει (epefwnei) is taken ingressively in the sequence of events. Presumably the king had started his speech when the crowd began shouting.
[12:22] 508 sn The voice of a god. Contrast the response of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:13-15.
[12:23] 509 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[12:23] 510 sn On being struck…down by an angel, see Acts 23:3; 1 Sam 25:28; 2 Sam 12:15; 2 Kgs 19:35; 2 Chr 13:20; 2 Macc 9:5.
[12:23] 511 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:23] 512 sn He was eaten by worms and died. Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.343-352), states that Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in
[12:24] 513 sn A metonymy for the number of adherents to God’s word.
[12:24] 514 tn Or “spreading.”
[12:25] 515 tc There are a number of variants at this point in the text: εἰς (eis, “to”) in א B Ï sams syhmg; ἀπό (apo, “from”) in D E Ψ 36 323 453 614 1175 al; ἐξ (ex, “from”) in Ì74 A 33 945 1739 al; ἐξ ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν (ex Ierousalhm ei" Antioceian, “from Jerusalem to Antioch”) in {a few later manuscripts and part of the Itala}. A decision on this problem is very difficult, but for several reasons εἰς can be preferred. It is the most difficult reading by far in light of the context, since Paul and Barnabas were going to Jerusalem in 11:30. It is found in better witnesses, א and B being very strong evidence. The other readings, ἐξ and ἀπό, are different from εἰς yet bear essentially the same meaning as each other; this seems to suggest that scribes had problems with εἰς and tried to choose an acceptable revision. If εἰς is the earliest reading, ἀπό may be a clarification of ἐξ, and ἐξ could have arisen through confusion of letters. Or ἐξ and ἀπό could both have independently arisen from εἰς as a more acceptable preposition. Despite such arguments, however, the case for εἰς is not airtight: either ἐξ or ἀπό could be preferred on other lines of reasoning. The reading ἐξ enjoys the earliest support, and εἰς could have arisen through the same confusion of letters mentioned above. The immediate and wider context seems to mitigate against εἰς as the original reading: The aorist participle πληρώσαντες (plhrwsante", “when they had completed”) seems to signal the end of the mission to Jerusalem with the famine relief, so it would make sense in the context for the team to be coming from Jerusalem (to Antioch) rather than to Jerusalem, and 13:1 certainly presents the scene at Antioch. The later addition εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν after ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ in some
[12:25] 516 sn That is, from Jerusalem to Antioch (see Acts 11:29-30).
[12:25] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:25] 517 tn Grk “fulfilled.”
