Acts 16:25–34

Footnotes

1. 98 Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
2. 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).
3. 100 The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 103 The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.
7. 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).
8. 105 Or “thought.”
9. 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.
10. 107 Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.
11. 108 Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 111 The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.
15. 112 Grk “said.”
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 118 Grk “taking them … he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
22. 119 On this phrase λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”
23. 120 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
24. 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.
25. 122 Or “immediately.”
26. 123 Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27. 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.
28. 125 Or “he was overjoyed.”
29. 126 The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.
30. 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.