^13:13Then Paul and his companions put out to sea⁴⁶ from Paphos⁴⁷ and came to Perga⁴⁸ in Pamphylia,⁴⁹ but John⁵⁰ left them and returned to Jerusalem.⁵¹^13:14Moving on from⁵² Perga,⁵³ they arrived at Pisidian Antioch,⁵⁴ and on the Sabbath day they went into⁵⁵ the synagogue⁵⁶ and sat down. ^13:15After the reading from the law and the prophets,⁵⁷ the leaders of the synagogue⁵⁸ sent them a message,⁵⁹ saying, “Brothers,⁶⁰ if you have any message⁶¹ of exhortation⁶² for the people, speak it.”⁶³^13:16So Paul stood up,⁶⁴ gestured⁶⁵ with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel,⁶⁶ and you Gentiles who fear God,⁶⁷ listen: ^13:17The God of this people Israel⁶⁸ chose our ancestors⁶⁹ and made the people great⁷⁰ during their stay as foreigners⁷¹ in the country⁷² of Egypt, and with uplifted arm⁷³ he led them out of it. ^13:18For⁷⁴ a period of about forty years he put up with⁷⁵ them in the wilderness.⁷⁶^13:19After⁷⁷ he had destroyed⁷⁸ seven nations⁷⁹ in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance.⁸⁰^13:20All this took⁸¹ about four hundred fifty years. After this⁸² he gave them judges until the time of⁸³ Samuel the prophet. ^13:21Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled⁸⁴ forty years. ^13:22After removing him, God⁸⁵ raised up⁸⁶ David their king. He testified about him:⁸⁷ ‘I have found David⁸⁸ the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart,⁸⁹ who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’⁹⁰^13:23From the descendants⁹¹ of this man⁹² God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised.⁹³^13:24Before⁹⁴ Jesus⁹⁵ arrived, John⁹⁶ had proclaimed a baptism for repentance⁹⁷ to all the people of Israel. ^13:25But while John was completing his mission,⁹⁸ he said repeatedly,⁹⁹ ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’¹⁰⁰

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Footnotes

46 ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
47 Paphos was a city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. See Acts 13:6.
48 Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor. The journey from Paphos to Perga is about 105 mi (175 km).
49 Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor.
50 That is, John Mark.
51 Returned to Jerusalem. John Mark had originally accompanied them from Jerusalem (see Acts 12:25). John Mark’s decision to leave became an issue later for Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36–39). For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
52 Or “Passing by.”
53 Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.
54 Or “at Antioch in Pisidia.” Pisidian Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 100 mi (160 km) north of Perga. It was both a Roman colony and the seat of military and civil authority in S. Galatia. One had to trek over the Taurus Mountains to get there, since the city was 3,600 ft (1,100 m) above sea level. For location see ; ; ; .
55 Grk “going into the synagogue they sat down.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
56 See the note on synagogue in .
57 After the reading from the law and the prophets. In the 1st century Jewish synagogue, it was customary after the reading of the Torah (law) and prophets for men to give exhortation from the scriptures.
58 Normally ἀρχισυνάγωγος (archisunagōgos) refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so and L&N 53.93). Since the term is plural here, however, and it would sound strange to the English reader to speak of “the presidents of the synagogue,” the alternative translation “leaders” is used. “Rulers” would also be acceptable, but does not convey quite the same idea.
59 Grk “sent to them”; the word “message” is an understood direct object. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
60 Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
61 Or “word.”
62 Or “encouragement.”
63 Or “give it.”
64 This participle, ἀναστάς (anastas), and the following one, κατασείσας (kataseisas), are both translated as adverbial participles of attendant circumstance.
65 Or “motioned.”
66 Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context involving an address to a synagogue gathering, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Paul’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.
67 Grk “and those who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for 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, 6:732–34, 743–44.
68 Or “people of Israel.”
69 Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.” Note how Paul identifies with his audience by referring to our ancestors. He speaks as a Jew. God’s design in history is the theme of the speech. The speech is like Stephen’s, only here the focus is on a promised Son of David.
70 That is, in both numbers and in power. The implication of greatness in both numbers and in power is found in ὑψόω 2.
71 Or “as resident aliens.”
72 Or “land.”
73 Here uplifted arm is a metaphor for God’s power by which he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. See Exod 6:1, 6; 32:11; Deut 3:24; 4:34; Ps 136:11–12.
74 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.
75 For this verb, see τροποφορέω (cf. also Deut 1:31; Exod 16:35; Num 14:34).
76 Or “desert.”
77 Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
78 The participle καθελών (kathelōn) is taken temporally.
79 Seven nations. See Deut 7:1.
80 Grk “he gave their land as an inheritance.” The words “his people” are supplied to complete an ellipsis specifying the recipients of the land.
81 The words “all this took” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete statement in English. There is debate over where this period of 450 years fits and what it includes: (1) It could include the years in Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and the distribution of the land; (2) some connect it with the following period of the judges. This latter approach seems to conflict with 1 Kgs 6:1; see also Josephus, 8.3.1 (8.61).
82 Grk “And after these things.” 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.
83 The words “the time of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
84 The words “who ruled” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. They have been supplied as a clarification for the English reader. See Josephus, 6.14.9 (6.378).
85 Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
86 The expression raised up refers here to making someone king. There is a wordplay here: “raising up” refers to bringing someone onto the scene of history, but it echoes with the parallel to Jesus’ resurrection.
87 Grk “about whom.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) 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. The verb εἶπεν (eipen) has not been translated (literally “he said testifying”) because it is redundant when combined with the participle μαρτυρήσας (marturēsas, “testifying”). Instead the construction of verb plus participle has been translated as a single English verb (“testified”).
88 A quotation from Ps 89:20.
89 A quotation from 1 Sam 13:14.
90 Or “who will perform all my will,” “who will carry out all my wishes.”
91 Or “From the offspring”; Grk “From the seed.” From the descendants (Grk “seed”). On the importance of the seed promise involving Abraham, see Gal 3:6–29.
92 The phrase this man is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
93 Grk “according to [his] promise.” The comparative clause “just as he promised” is less awkward in English. Just as he promised. Note how Paul describes Israel’s history carefully to David and then leaps forward immediately to Jesus. Paul is expounding the initial realization of Davidic promise as it was delivered in Jesus.
94 Grk “John having already proclaimed before his coming a baptism …,” a genitive absolute construction which is awkward in English. A new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.
95 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the context for clarity, since God is mentioned in the preceding context and John the Baptist in the following clause.
96 John refers here to John the Baptist.
97 Grk “a baptism of repentance”; the genitive has been translated as a genitive of purpose.
98 Or “task.”
99 The verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) has been translated as an iterative imperfect, since John undoubtedly said this or something similar on numerous occasions.
100 Literally a relative clause, “of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his feet.” Because of the awkwardness of this construction in English, a new sentence was begun here.