translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ACT

label: NET translator note

text: The term refers to a professional advocate (BDAG 905 s.v. ῥήτωρ ).


text: Grk “an attorney, a certain Tertullus.”


text: Grk “who” (plural). Because in English the relative pronoun “who” could be understood to refer only to the attorney Tertullus and not to the entire group, it has been replaced with the third person plural pronoun “they.” “And” has been supplied to provide the connection to the preceding clause.


text: BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ ἐ . τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone … Ac 24:1; 25:2 .”


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


text: Or “began to bring charges, saying.”


text: Grk “experienced much peace.”


text: Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).


text: This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon ). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα ).


text: Or “being made for this people.”


text: Grk “in every way and everywhere.”


text: Or “with complete thankfulness.” BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχαριστία 1 has “ μετὰ πάσης εὐ .… with all gratitude Ac 24:3 .” L&N 31.26 has “‘we acknowledge this anywhere and everywhere with complete thankfulness’ Ac 24:3 .”


text: Or “may not weary.” BDAG 274 s.v. ἐγκόπτω states, “ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖόν σε ἐγκόπτω Ac 24:4 is understood by Syr. and Armen. versions to mean in order not to weary you any further ; cp. ἔγκοπος weary Diog. L. 4, 50; LXX; and ἔγκοπον ποιεῖν to weary Job 19:2 ; Is 43:23 . But impose on is also prob.; detain NRSV.”


text: Or “request.”


text: This term is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 976 s.v. συντόμως 2). Tertullus was asking for a brief hearing, and implying to the governor that he would speak briefly and to the point.


text: BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιείκεια has “ τῇ σῇ ἐ . with your (customary) indulgence Ac 24:4 .”


text: Grk “For having found.” The participle εὑρόντες ( Jeurontes ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.


text: L&N 22.6 has “(a figurative extension of meaning of λοιμός ‘plague,’ 23.158) one who causes all sorts of trouble – ‘troublemaker, pest.’ … ‘for we have found this man to be a troublemaker” Ac 24:5 .”


text: Or “dissensions.” While BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3 translates this phrase “ κινεῖν στάσεις (v.l. στάσιν ) τισί create dissension among certain people Ac 24:5 ,” it is better on the basis of the actual results of Paul’s ministry to categorize this usage under section 2, “ uprising, riot, revolt, rebellion ” (cf. the use in Acts 19:40 ).


text: This term is yet another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 894 s.v. πρωτοστάτης ). sn A ringleader. Tertullus’ basic argument was that Paul was a major disturber of the public peace. To ignore this the governor would be shunning his duty to preserve the peace and going against the pattern of his rule. In effect, Tertullus claimed that Paul was seditious (a claim the governor could not afford to ignore).


text: Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.


text: Or “profane” (BDAG 173 s.v. βεβηλόω ). The term was also used of profaning the Sabbath.


text: Or “seized.” Grk “whom also we arrested.” Because of the awkwardness of a relative clause in English at this point, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the pronoun “him” as object of the verb.


text: Or “question.”


text: Grk “From whom when you examine him yourself, you will be able to learn…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun at the beginning of v. 8 in the translation.


text: Grk “about all these things of which we are accusing him.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“of which”) in the translation.


text: Grk “joined in the attack,” but the adjective “verbal” has been supplied to clarify that this was not another physical assault on Paul. The verb is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 969 s.v. συνεπιτίθημι ).


text: Or “asserting” (BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσκω ).


text: Grk “knowing.” The participle ἐπιστάμενος ( epistamenos ) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.


text: BDAG 369 s.v. ἐπιγινώσκω 2.c has “ notice, perceive, learn of, ascertain …Also as legal t.t. ascertain (2 Macc 14:9) τὶ Ac 23:28 ; cp. 24:8 . W. ὅτι foll. Ac 24:11 .” “Verify” is an English synonym for “ascertain.”


text: Grk “it is not more than twelve days from when.” This has been simplified to “not more than twelve days ago.” sn Part of Paul’s defense is that he would not have had time to organize a revolt, since he had arrived in Jerusalem not more than twelve days ago .


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


text: Or “disputing,” “conducting a heated discussion.”


text: BDAG 381 s.v. ἐπίστασις 2 has “ ἐ . ποιεῖν ὄχλου to cause a crowd to gather Ac 24:12 .” Roman authorities would not allow a mob to gather and threaten the peace, and anyone suspected of instigating a mob would certainly be arrested.


text: Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.


text: BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι / παριστάνω 1.f has “ οὐδὲ παραστῆσαι δύνανταί σοι περὶ ὧν νυνὶ κατηγοροῦσίν μου nor can they prove to you the accusations they are now making against me Ac 24:13 .” sn Nor can they prove. This is a formal legal claim that Paul’s opponents lacked proof of any wrongdoing. They had no witness who could justify the arrest at the temple.


text: The words “the things” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.


text: Grk “nor can they prove to you [the things] about which they are now accusing me.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“which”) in the translation.


text: Or “serve.”


text: Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”


text: Grk “having.” The participle ἔχων ( ecwn ) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.


text: Grk “a hope in God (which these [men] themselves accept too).” Because the antecedent of the relative pronoun “which” is somewhat unclear in English, the words “a hope” have been repeated at the beginning of the parenthesis for clarity.


text: Grk “that they”; the referent (these men, Paul’s accusers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “the unjust.” sn This is the only mention of the resurrection of the unrighteous in Acts. The idea parallels the idea of Jesus as the judge of both the living and the dead ( Acts 10:42; 17:31 ).


text: BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 9.a, “ ἐν τούτῳ πιστεύομεν this is the reason why we believe Jn 16:30 ; cp. Ac 24:16 .”


text: BDAG 224 s.v. διά 2.a, “ διὰ παντός … always, continually, constantly … Ac 2:25 (Ps 15:8); 10:2; 24:16 .” However, the positioning of the adverb “always” in the English translation is difficult; the position used is one of the least awkward.


text: BDAG 125 s.v. ἀπρόσκοπος 1 has “ ἀ . συνείδησις a clear conscience Ac 24:16 .”


text: Grk “men,” but this is a generic use (Paul does not have only males in view).


text: BDAG 401 s.v. ἔτος has “ δι᾿ ἐ . πλειόνων after several years 24:17.”


text: Grk “to bring alms,” but the term “alms” is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “gifts for the poor,” is used instead.


text: Or “sacrifices.” BDAG 887 s.v. προσφορά 1 has “ προσφοράς ποιεῖν have sacrifices made Ac 24:17 ,” but this may be overly specific. It is not clear from the immediate context whether the offering of sacrificial animals (so BDAG assumes) or offerings of some other sort (such as financial gifts) are in view. The combination with ἐλεημοσύνας ( elehmosuna" ) in the preceding clause may suggest monetary offerings. Some have suggested this is an allusion to the payments made by Paul on behalf of the four other men mentioned in Acts 21:23-26 , but the text here seems to suggest something Paul had planned to do before he came, while the decision to pay for the expenses of the men in 21:23 ff. was made at the suggestion of the Jerusalem leadership after he arrived. In either case, Paul was portraying himself as a pious worshiper of his God.


text: BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος 3.b has “ μετὰ θορύβου … with a disturbance Ac 24:18 .”


text: 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.


text: BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω ( kathgorew ), “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.’” sn Who should be here…and bring charges. Paul was asking, where were those who brought about his arrest and claimed he broke the law? His accusers were not really present. This subtle point raised the issue of injustice.


text: Grk “these [men] themselves.”


text: Or “unrighteous act.”


text: The words “me guilty of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. L&N 88.23 has “ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι εἰπάτωσαν τί εὗρον ἀδίκημα στάντος μου ‘let these men themselves tell what unrighteous act they found me guilty of’ Ac 24:20 .”


text: Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).


text: BDAG 433 s.v. ἤ 2.c has “ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἤ nothing else than … Ac 17:21 . τί … ἤ what other … than … 24:21 .”


text: Grk “one utterance.”


text: Cf. BDAG 327 s.v. ἐν 1.e, which has “ before, in the presence of, etc.”


text: Grk “the things.”


text: That is, concerning Christianity.


text: BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκριβῶς has “Comp. ἀκριβέστερον more exactly … ἀ . ἐκτίθεσθαι explain more exactly Ac 18:26 , cp. 23:15, 20 ; also more accurately … 24:22 .” Felix knew more about the Christian movement than what the Jewish leaders had told him.


text: L&N 56.18 s.v. ἀναβάλλω has “to adjourn a court proceeding until a later time – ‘to adjourn a hearing, to stop a hearing and put it off until later.’…‘then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned their hearing’ Ac 24:22 .”


text: BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω 2 states, “to make a judicial decision, decide/hear (a case) … τὰ καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς decide your case Ac 24:22 .”


text: Grk “that he was to be guarded.” The passive construction ( τηρεῖσθαι , threisqai ) has been converted to an active one in parallel with the following clauses, and the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: BDAG 77 s.v. ἄνεσις 1 states, “lit. relaxation of custodial control, some liberty , ἀ . ἔχειν have some freedom Ac 24:23 .”


text: Grk “any of his own” (this could also refer to relatives).


text: Grk “from serving him.”


text: The word “speak” is implied; BDAG 32 s.v. ἀκούω 1.c has “ ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς … πίστεως he heard him speak about faith Ac 24:24 .”


text: Or “Messiah Jesus”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”


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


text: Or “speaking about.”


text: Grk “and self-control.” This 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. sn The topic of self-control was appropriate in view of the personal history of both Felix and Drusilla (see the note on “Drusilla” in the previous verse), and might well account for Felix’s anxiety.


text: Grk “becoming.” The participle γενόμενος ( genomenos ) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.


text: Or “when I find time.” BDAG 639 s.v. μεταλαμβάνω 2 has “ καιρὸν μ . have an opportunity = find time … Ac 24:25 .”


text: Grk “he was hoping that money would be given to him by Paul.” To simplify the translation, the passive construction has been converted to an active one. sn Would give him money. That is, would offer him a bribe in exchange for his release. Such practices were fairly common among Roman officials of the period (Josephus, Ant. 2.12.3 [2.272-274]).


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


text: “As often as possible” reflects the comparative form of the adjective πυκνός ( puknos ); see BDAG 897 s.v. πυκνός , which has “Neut. of the comp. πυκνότερον as adv. more often, more frequently and in an elative sense very often, quite frequently …also as often as possible … Ac 24:26 .”


text: On this term, which could mean “conferred with him,” see BDAG 705 s.v. ὁμιλέω .


text: Grk “After a two-year period.”


text: Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.” sn See the note on Felix in 23:26 .


text: Grk “left Paul imprisoned.” sn Felix left Paul in prison. Luke makes the point that politics got in the way of justice here; keeping Paul in prison was a political favor to the Jews.