Kisah Para Rasul 13:11

13:11 Now ¹  look, the hand of the Lord is against ²  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ³  and darkness came over ⁴  him, and he went around seeking people ⁵  to lead him by the hand.

Kisah Para Rasul 25:10

25:10 Paul replied, ⁶  “I am standing before Caesar’s ⁷  judgment seat, ⁸  where I should be tried. ⁹  I have done nothing wrong ¹⁰  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹¹ 

[13:11]  ¹ 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.

[13:11]  ² tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.

[13:11]  ³ sn The term translated mistiness here appears in the writings of the physician Galen as a medical technical description of a person who is blind. The picture of judgment to darkness is symbolic as well. Whatever power Elymas had, it represented darkness. Magic will again be an issue in Acts 19:18-19. This judgment is like that of Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11.

[13:11]  ⁴ tn Grk “fell on.”

[13:11]  ⁵ tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”

[25:10]  ⁶ tn Grk “said.”

[25:10]  ⁷ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:10]  ⁸ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.

[25:10]  sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.

[25:10]  ⁹ tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

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

[25:10]  ¹¹ tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”