Acts 16–20

Footnotes

1. 1 Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus. For location see ; ; .
2. 2 Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium. For location see ; ; .
3. 3 Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
4. 4 L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”
5. 5 His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23–27; Ezra 9:1–10:44; Mal 2:10–16; . 30:7–17; Qiddushin 3.12; Yevamot 7.5.
6. 6 Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.
7. 7 Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 110 mi (175 km) east of Pisidian Antioch.
8. 8 For this sense of μαρτυρέω (martureō), see 2.b.
9. 9 Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer … who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.
10. 10 Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11. 11 Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15–23).
12. 12 The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.
13. 13 Or “who lived in the area.”
14. 14 The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”). His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the 1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully Jewish because he was not circumcised.
15. 15 Or “cities.”
16. 16 παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”
17. 17 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
18. 18 Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19. 19 Or “observe” or “follow.”
20. 20 ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
21. 21 Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.
22. 22 Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.
23. 23 Or “forbidden.”
24. 24 Or “word.”
25. 25 Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
26. 26 κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.
27. 27 Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
28. 28 Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.
29. 29 Or “permit”; see ἐάω 1.
30. 30 The words “do this” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since English handles ellipses differently than Greek.
31. 31 Although the normal meaning for παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going through rather than around Mysia. παρέρχομαι 6as list some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give that meaning for the usage here.
32. 32 Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
33. 33 Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.
34. 34 Grk “And a.” 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.
35. 35 The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
36. 36 The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
37. 37 Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
38. 38 Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
39. 39 Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40. 40 Grk “sought.”
41. 41 Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
42. 42 Or “summoned.”
43. 43 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.”
44. 44 Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.
45. 45 εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”
46. 46 Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.
47. 47 Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.
48. 48 For location see ; ; ; .
49. 49 Or perhaps, “a city in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85 follow the text of and here: “In Ac 16:12 … the Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation, since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The original text is probably πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prōtē tēs meridos, “first of that district”) as found in 𝔓74 א A C Ψ 33vid 36 81 323 945 1175 1891 . This has traditionally been translated to give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other districts in the province of Macedonia.
50. 50 Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
51. 51 A Roman colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens, since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).
52. 52 Grk “and sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kathisantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
53. 53 The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
54. 54 To the women. Apparently there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men would have been required to have one).
55. 55 The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
56. 56 Grk “And a.” 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.
57. 57 On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see πορφυρόπωλις.
58. 58 Thyatira was a city in the province of Lydia in Asia Minor.
59. 59 The words “to us” 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.
60. 60 Although προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here, this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to respond.” Lydia is one of several significant women in Acts (see 17:4, 12, 34; 18:20).
61. 61 Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
62. 62 This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.
63. 63 Or “faithful to the Lord.” πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ—‘believer, Christian, follower.’ ”
64. 64 Although παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”
65. 65 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.
66. 66 Or “who had a spirit of divination”; Grk “who had a spirit of Python.” According to πύθων, originally Πύθων (Puthōn) was the name of the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. According to Greek mythology, it lived at the foot of Mount Parnassus and was killed by Apollo. From this, the word came to designate a person who was thought to have a spirit of divination. Pagan generals, for example, might consult someone like this. So her presence here suggests a supernatural encounter involving Paul and her “spirit.” W. Foerster, 6:920, connects the term with ventriloquism but states: “We must assume, however, that for this girl, as for those mentioned by Origen …, the art of ventriloquism was inseparably connected with a (supposed or authentic) gift of soothsaying.” It should also be noted that if the girl in question here were only a ventriloquist, the exorcism performed by Paul in v. 18 would not have been effective.
67. 67 Grk “who.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who had a spirit … who brought her owners a great profit”) the relative pronoun here (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“she”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.
68. 68 Or “masters.”
69. 69 On this term see μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.
70. 70 Grk “crying out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
71. 71 Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in . The translation “servants” was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”) than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”
72. 72 Or “a way.” The grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (hodon sōtērias). Neither the head noun nor the genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon (see ). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ); since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned. However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the preferred translation.
73. 73 Proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been understood as Zeus by the audience.
74. 74 Grk “becoming greatly annoyed.” The participle διαπονηθείς (diaponētheis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The aorist has been translated as an ingressive aorist (entry into a state or condition). See διαπονέομαι.
75. 75 Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistrepsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
76. 76 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
77. 77 ὥρα 2.c has “at that very time, at once, instantly” for the usage in this verse.
78. 78 Or “masters.”
79. 79 On this use of ἐργασία (ergasia), see 4. It is often the case that destructive practices and commerce are closely tied together.
80. 80 Grk “was gone, seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
81. 81 On the term ἕλκω (helkō) see 1.
82. 82 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.
83. 83 Grk “having brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and said.”
84. 84 ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.
85. 85 Grk “being Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (huparchontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
86. 86 Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.
87. 87 Or “acknowledge.”
88. 88 Customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was “twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element (Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not their customs).
89. 89 Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
90. 90 L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepestē) in this verse.
91. 91 Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirēxantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).
92. 92 Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
93. 93 The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rhabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists or clubs, ῥαβδίζω).
94. 94 Grk “Having inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epithentes) has been taken temporally. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they had beaten them severely.”
95. 95 Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
96. 96 Or “prison.”
97. 97 L&N 6.21 has “stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (eis to xulon) here, as does ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds” (“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.
98. 98 Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
99. 99 Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).
100. 100 The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
101. 101 Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.
102. 102 L&N 23.75 has “had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style, however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to the first.
103. 103 The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.
104. 104 Was about to kill himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).
105. 105 Or “thought.”
106. 106 Grk “But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying.” The dative phrase μεγάλῃ φωνῇ (megalē phōnē) has been simplified as an English adverb (“loudly”), and the participle λέγων (legōn) has not been translated since it is redundant in English.
107. 107 Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.
108. 108 Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
109. 109 Or “and prostrated himself.” Fell down. The earthquake and the freeing of the prisoners showed that God’s power was present. Such power could only be recognized. The open doors opened the jailer’s heart.
110. 110 Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 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 conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
111. 111 The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.
112. 112 Grk “said.”
113. 113 Here the summary term of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured for the jailer.
114. 114 The majority of add Χριστόν (Christon, “Christ”) here (C D E Ψ 1739 𝔐 sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read simply τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν (ton kurion Iēsoun, “the Lord Jesus”; 𝔓74vid א A B 33 81 bo). The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading. Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.
115. 115 Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.
116. 116 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 (rhēma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logos tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 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.
117. 117 Grk “And at.” 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.
118. 118 Grk “taking them … he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
119. 119 On this phrase λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”
120. 120 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
121. 121 All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.
122. 122 Or “immediately.”
123. 123 Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
124. 124 Grk “placed [food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no preparation.
125. 125 Or “he was overjoyed.”
126. 126 The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.
127. 127 The phrase “together with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in the household believed.
128. 128 The translation “day is breaking” for ῥμέρα γίνεται (hēmera ginetai) in this verse is given by ῥμέρα 1.a.
129. 129 On the term translated “magistrates,” see στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, stratēgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.
130. 130 On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rhabdouchos) see The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”
131. 131 The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.
132. 132 The word “orders” 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.
133. 133 Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
134. 134 Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
135. 135 Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
136. 136 Or “in public, uncondemned.” ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.
137. 137 The participle ὑπάρχοντας (huparchontas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
138. 138 The word “us” 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.
139. 139 L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.
140. 140 Grk “But they.”
141. 141 They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.
142. 142 Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
143. 143 Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.
144. 144 Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
145. 145 Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
146. 146 The verb ἐρώτων (erōtōn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.
147. 147 “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.
148. 1 διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.
149. 2 Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia ( Ἀμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).
150. 3 Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.
151. 4 Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue. For location see ; ; ; .
152. 5 See the note on synagogue in .
153. 6 Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
154. 7 Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk ( 2:94–95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.
155. 8 παρατίθημι 2.b has “demonstrate, point out” here.
156. 9 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in .
157. 10 The Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. These two points (suffering and resurrection) would have been among the more controversial aspects of Paul’s messianic preaching. The term translated “had to” (δεῖ, dei) shows how divine design and scripture corresponded here.
158. 11 The Greek words used here (καὶ ὅτι, kai hoti, “and that”) mark the switch from indirect to direct discourse. Contemporary English requires the use of an introductory verb of speaking or saying to make this transition.
159. 12 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” See the note on Christ in . The identification of the Messiah with Jesus indicates Paul was proclaiming the fulfillment of messianic promise.
160. 13 Or “convinced.”
161. 14 Or “a large crowd.”
162. 15 Or “of devout Greeks,” 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. Luke frequently mentions such people (Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:17; 18:7).
163. 16 Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).
164. 17 Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zēlōsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).
165. 18 Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraios) refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”
166. 19 On this term, which is a NT , see ὀχλοποιέω.
167. 20 θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (ethoruboun) in this verse.
168. 21 The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.
169. 22 Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
170. 23 δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”
171. 24 See σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).
172. 25 L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarchēs) as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit—‘city official’ ” (see also ).
173. 26 Or “rebellion.” ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.
174. 27 Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire ( οἰκουμένη 2.b). Throughout the world. Note how some of those present had knowledge of what had happened elsewhere. Word about Paul and his companions and their message was spreading.
175. 28 Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble … whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.
176. 29 Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
177. 30 Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
178. 31 The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.
179. 32 Acting … saying … Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.
180. 33 Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.
181. 34 L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarchēs) as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit—‘city official.’ ”
182. 35 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.
183. 36 Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
184. 37 That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” ( ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.
185. 38 Berea (alternate spelling in Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) west of Thessalonica. For location see ; ; ; .
186. 39 Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, hoitines) has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally.
187. 40 See the note on synagogue in .
188. 41 Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
189. 42 Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.
190. 43 Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica). For location see ; ; ; .
191. 44 Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”
192. 45 Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.
193. 46 This verb ( ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.
194. 47 ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.
195. 48 Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).
196. 49 Or “respected.”
197. 50 Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).
198. 51 Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.
199. 52 Berea (alternate spelling in Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.
200. 53 σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuontes) in Acts 17:13. Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians.
201. 54 Or “stirring up” ( ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.
202. 55 Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν (heōs epi tēn thalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km).
203. 56 Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
204. 57 For location see ; ; ; .
205. 58 They left. See 1 Thess 3:1–2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.
206. 59 For location see ; ; ; .
207. 60 Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.” His spirit was greatly upset. See Rom 1:18–32 for Paul’s feelings about idolatry. Yet he addressed both Jews and Gentiles with tact and reserve.
208. 61 Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (theōrountos) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal.
209. 62 Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:17. As G. Schrenk ( 2:94–95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.
210. 63 Or “and the devout,” 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, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in .
211. 64 See the note on synagogue in .
212. 65 ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.
213. 66 An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection.
214. 67 A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342–270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence.
215. 68 συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.
216. 69 Grk “saying.”
217. 70 Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologos) is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show—‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’ ” A similar view is given in σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger … Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.”
218. 71 The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniōn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus.
219. 72 This is a parenthetical note by the author.
220. 73 Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
221. 74 Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22. The Areopagus has been traditionally understood as reference to a rocky hill near the Acropolis in Athens, although this place may well have been located in the marketplace at the foot of the hill (L&N 93.412; Ἄρειος πάγος). This term does not refer so much to the place, however, as to the advisory council of Athens known as the Areopagus, which dealt with ethical, cultural, and religious matters, including the supervision of education and controlling the many visiting lecturers. Thus it could be translated the council of the Areopagus. See also the term in v. 22.
222. 75 ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”
223. 76 Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation.
224. 77 The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (ēukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.
225. 78 εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”
226. 79 This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.
227. 80 Grk “standing … said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zēlōsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
228. 81 The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterous) is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” ( δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.
229. 82 κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”
230. 83 Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).
231. 84 Grk “on which was written,” but since it would have been carved in stone, it is more common to speak of an “inscription” in English. To simplify the English the relative construction with a passive verb (“on which was inscribed”) was translated as a prepositional phrase with a substantive (“inscription”).
232. 85 ἀγνοέω 1.b has “ ὅ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε what you worship without knowing it (on the subject matter Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e: all sorts of philosophers ἴσασιν οὐκ ἑκόντες καὶ λέγουσιν ἄκοντες τὸ θεῖον = they know and name God without intending to do so) Ac 17:23.” Paul, in typical Jewish Christian style, informs them of the true God, of whom their idols are an ignorant reflection.
233. 86 Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.
234. 87 Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (huparchōn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (houtos, “who is Lord …”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord …”). Since the participle διδούς (didous) in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context.
235. 88 On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands.
236. 89 L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”
237. 90 Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”
238. 91 The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).
239. 92 Or “mankind.” ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”
240. 93 Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”
241. 94 προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead.