translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ACT

label: NET translator note

text: Or “Saul, making dire threats.”


text: The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.


text: Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “ bring someone as prisoner ” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά ( dedemenon agein tina ) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.


text: Grk “As he was going along, it happened that when he was approaching.” The 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.


text: Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω ). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13 .


text: Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί ( kai ) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.


text: The double vocative suggests emotion.


text: Or “But arise.”


text: Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.


text: The Greek term here is ἀνήρ ( anhr ), which is used only rarely in a generic sense of both men and women. In the historical setting here, Paul’s traveling companions were almost certainly all males.


text: That is, unable to speak because of fear or amazement. See BDAG 335 s.v. ἐνεός .


text: Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.


text: Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: 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.


text: The word “anything” 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. The fasting might indicate an initial realization of Luke 5:33-39 . Fasting was usually accompanied by reflective thought.


text: Grk “And the.” 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.


text: Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).


text: The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


text: Grk “to bind.”


text: Or “tool.”


text: Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel ( Rom 1:16-17 ).


text: Or “because of my name.” BDAG 1031 s.v. ὑπέρ 2 lists Acts 9:16 as an example of ὑπέρ ( Juper ) used to indicate “the moving cause or reason, because of, for the sake of, for .”


text: Grk “and placing his hands on Saul, he said.” The participle ἐπιθείς ( epiqei" ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the same reason καί ( kai ) has not been translated before the participle.


text: Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “on the road in which you came,” but the relative clause makes for awkward English style, so it was translated as a temporal clause (“as you came here”).


text: Grk “And immediately.” 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.


text: The comparison to “scales” suggests a crusty covering which peeled away (cf. BDAG 592 s.v. λεπίς 2).


text: Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί ( kai ) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence was started, with “and” placed before the final element of the previous clause as required by English style.


text: Grk “It happened that for several days.” 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.


text: The ὅτι ( Joti ) is understood to introduce direct (“This man is the Son of God”) rather than indirect discourse (“that this man is the Son of God”) because the pronoun οὗτος ( Jouto" ) combined with the present tense verb ἐστιν ( estin ) suggests the contents of what was proclaimed are a direct (albeit summarized) quotation. sn This is the only use of the title Son of God in Acts. The book prefers to allow a variety of descriptions to present Jesus.


text: Grk “And all.” 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.


text: The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse ( οὐχ , ouc ) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.


text: Normally, “destroying,” but compare 4 Macc 4:23; 11:4 and MM 529 s.v. πορθέω for examples from Koine papyri. See also BDAG 853 s.v. πορθέω .


text: Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “ bring someone as prisoner ” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά ( dedemenon agein tina ) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.


text: Grk “was becoming stronger,” but this could be understood in a physical sense, while the text refers to Saul’s growing ability to demonstrate to fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. The translation “to become capable” for ἐνδυναμόω ( endunamow ) is given in L&N 74.7, with this specific verse as an example.


text: Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω ( suncew ) see L&N 25.221.


text: Or “by showing for certain.”


text: Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Note again the variation in the titles used. sn See the note on Christ in 2:31 .


text: The words “against him” are implied, as suggested by L&N 30.71.


text: Or “guarding.” This is a negative term in Luke-Acts ( Luke 6:7; 14:1; 20:20 ).


text: The word πύλη ( pulh ) may refer to a house door or gate, or to the large gates used in a palace, temple, or city wall. Here the context clearly indicates a reference to the latter, so the translation “city gates” is used.


text: The opening in the wall is not specifically mentioned here, but the parallel account in 2 Cor 11:33 mentions a “window” or “opening” ( θυρίς , quris ) in the city wall through which Paul was lowered. One alternative to introducing mention of the opening is to translate Acts 9:25 “they let him down over the wall,” as suggested in L&N 7.61. This option is not employed by many translations, however, because for the English reader it creates an (apparent) contradiction between Acts 9:25 and 2 Cor 11:33 . In reality the account here is simply more general, omitting the detail about the window.


text: On the term for “basket” used here, see BDAG 940 s.v. σπυρίς .


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Or “join.”


text: The participle πιστεύοντες ( pisteuonte" ) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.


text: Grk “taking Saul, brought him.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενος ( epilabomeno" ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.


text: Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “and brought,” but καί ( kai ) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.


text: Grk “and that,” but καί ( kai ) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.


text: On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28 .


text: Grk “he was with them going in and going out in Jerusalem.” The expression “going in and going out” is probably best taken as an idiom for association without hindrance. Some modern translations (NASB, NIV) translate the phrase “moving about freely in Jerusalem,” although the NRSV retains the literal “he went in and out among them in Jerusalem.”


text: Or “arguing.” BDAG 954 s.v. συζητέω 2 gives “ dispute, debate, argue … τινί ‘w. someone’” for συνεζήτει ( sunezhtei ).


text: Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.


text: Or “Therefore.” This verse is another summary text in Acts (cf. 2:41-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 6:7 ).


text: Grk “and Galilee,” but καί ( kai ) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.


text: Grk “had.”


text: Or “Built up.” The participle οἰκοδομουμένη ( oikodomoumenh ) has been translated as a participle of result related to εἶχεν ( eicen ). It could also be understood as adverbial to ἐπληθύνετο ( eplhquneto ): “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace. Strengthened and living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Although some scholars do not regard the participle of result as a legitimate category, it is actually fairly common (see ExSyn 637-39).


text: Grk “And living.” 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.


text: Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: 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.


text: Grk “As Peter was going through all [the places],” which is somewhat awkward in English. The meaning is best expressed by a phrase like “going around from place to place” or “traveling around from place to place.”


text: Since the participle κατακείμενον ( katakeimenon ), an adjectival participle modifying Αἰνέαν ( Ainean ), has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who had been confined to a mattress”), it would be awkward to follow with a second relative clause ( Grk “who was paralyzed”). Furthermore, the relative pronoun here has virtually a causal force, giving the reason for confinement to the mattress, so it is best translated “because.”


text: Grk “And Peter.” 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.


text: ) have “Jesus the Christ” ( ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός ). Although the pedigree of this last reading is relatively weak, it draws strength from the fact that (a) the other readings are much more natural and thus more predictable, and (b) there are several variants for this text. It seems hardly likely that scribes would intentionally change a more common expression into a title that is used nowhere else in the NT (although 1 John 2:22; 5:1 come close with “Jesus is the Christ”), nor would they unintentionally change a frequently used designation into an unusual one. Thus, in spite of the external evidence (which is nevertheless sufficient to argue for authenticity), ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός is the reading that best explains the rise of the others. Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”


text: The translation “make your own bed” for στρῶσον σεαυτῷ ( strwson seautw ) is given by BDAG 949 s.v. στρωννύω 1. Naturally this involves some adaptation, since a pallet or mat would not be ‘made up’ in the sense that a modern bed would be. The idea may be closer to “straighten” or “rearrange,” and the NIV’s “take care of your mat” attempts to reflect this, although this too probably conveys a slightly different idea to the modern English reader.


text: Grk “And all.” 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.


text: Repetition of the pronoun “they” as subject of ἐπέστρεψαν ( epestreyan ) is not strictly necessary in English, but emphasizes slightly the resultative nature of the final clause: They turned to the Lord as a result of seeing Aeneas after he was healed.


text: Grk “which being translated is called.” In English this would normally be expressed “which is translated as” or “which in translation means.” The second option is given by L&N 33.145.


text: Or “and helping the poor.” Grk “She was full of good deeds and acts of charity which she was continually doing.” Since it is somewhat redundant in English to say “she was full of good deeds…which she was continually doing,” the translation has been simplified to “she was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.” The imperfect verb ἐποίει ( epoiei ) has been translated as a progressive imperfect (“was continually doing”).


text: Grk “It happened that in those days.” 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.


text: Grk “becoming sick, she died.” The participle ἀσθενήσασαν ( asqenhsasan ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.


text: The participle λούσαντες ( lousante" ) is taken temporally.


text: Grk “washed her,” but the reference is to her corpse.


text: Grk “Do not delay to come to us.” It is somewhat smoother to say in English, “Come to us without delay.”


text: Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.


text: The participle παραγενόμενον ( paragenomenon ) is taken temporally.


text: Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί ( kai ) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.


text: The word “him” 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.


text: Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment ( χιτών , citwn ) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘ chiton .’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.


text: Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.


text: The verb ἐποίει ( epoiei ) has been translated as a customary imperfect.


text: Grk “Peter, sending them all outside, knelt down.” The participle ἐκβαλών ( ekbalwn ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.


text: Grk “and kneeling down,” but καί ( kai ) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. Instead the “and” is placed before the verb προσηύξατο ( proshuxato , “and prayed”). The participle θείς ( qeis ) is taken as a participle of attendant circumstance.


text: Grk “and turning.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί ( kai ) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.


text: Grk “Giving her his hand, he helped her.” The participle δούς ( dous ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.


text: Grk “Then calling the saints…he presented her.” The participle φωνήσας ( fwnhsa" ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style; it could also be taken temporally (“After he called”).


text: Or “known all over.” BDAG 511 s.v. κατά A.1.c. has “ became known throughout all Joppa ” for γνωστὸν γενέσθαι καθ᾿ ὅλης ᾿Ιόππης ( gnwston genesqai kaq ’ {olh" Iopph" ).


text: Grk “So 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.


text: Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “with a certain Simon.”


text: Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ ( bursei ) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.