Acts 22:1–3

Footnotes

1. 1 Listen to my defense. This is the first of several speeches Paul would make in his own defense: Acts 24:10ff.; 25:8, 16; and 26:1ff. For the use of such a speech (“apologia”) in Greek, see Josephus, 2.15 [2.147]; Wis 6:10.
2. 2 The adverb νυνί (nuni, “now”) is connected with the phrase τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας (tēs pros humas nuni apologias) rather than the verb ἀκούσατε (akousate), and the entire construction (prepositional phrase plus adverb) is in first attributive position and thus translated into English by a relative clause.
3. 3 ἀκούσαντες (akousantes) has been taken temporally.
4. 4 Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness—‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ Ἐβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”
5. 5 Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See the note on “Aramaic” in .
6. 6 μᾶλλον 1 “ μ. can mean to a greater degree (than before), even more, now more than ever Lk 5:15; Jn 5:18; 19:8; Ac 5:14; 22:2; 2 Cor 7:7.”
7. 7 ἡσυχία 2 has “παρέχειν ἡσυχίαν quiet down, give a hearing … Ac 22:2.” This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.
8. 8 Grk “and.” Since this represents a continuation of the speech begun in v. 1, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
9. 9 Grk “a Jewish man.”
10. 10 ἀνατρέφω b has “of mental and spiritual nurture bring up, rear, train … ἀνατεθραμμένος ἐν τ. πόλει ταύτῃ 22:3.”
11. 11 Or “with precision.” Although often translated “strictly” this can be misunderstood for “solely” in English. ἀκρίβεια gives the meaning as “exactness, precision.” To avoid the potential misunderstanding the translation “with strictness” is used, although it is slightly more awkward than “strictly.”
12. 12 Grk “strictly at the feet of” (an idiom).
13. 13 Or “brought up in this city under Gamaliel, educated with strictness …” The phrase παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιὴλ (para tous podas Gamaliēl) could be understood with what precedes or with what follows. The punctuation of and , which place a comma after ταύτῃ (tautē), has been followed in the translation. Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here and in Acts 5:34. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as “Gamaliel the Elder” to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the , was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.
14. 14 Or “our forefathers.”
15. 15 Grk “ancestors, being.” The participle ὑπάρχων (huparchōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
16. 16 BDAG 427 ζηλωτής 1.a.α has “of pers.… ζ. τοῦ θεοῦ one who is loyal to God Ac 22:3.”