Genesis 28:1-22 
Context28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman! 1 28:2 Leave immediately 2 for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 28:3 May the sovereign God 3 bless you! May he make you fruitful and give you a multitude of descendants! 4 Then you will become 5 a large nation. 6 28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham 7 so that you may possess the land 8 God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident.” 9 28:5 So Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
28:6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him off to Paddan Aram to find a wife there. 10 As he blessed him, 11 Isaac commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” 12 28:7 Jacob obeyed his father and mother and left for Paddan Aram. 28:8 Then Esau realized 13 that the Canaanite women 14 were displeasing to 15 his father Isaac. 28:9 So Esau went to Ishmael and married 16 Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.
28:10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. 28:11 He reached a certain place 17 where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. 18 He took one of the stones 19 and placed it near his head. 20 Then he fell asleep 21 in that place 28:12 and had a dream. 22 He saw 23 a stairway 24 erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 28:13 and the Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. 25 I will give you and your descendants the ground 26 you are lying on. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, 27 and you will spread out 28 to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another 29 using your name and that of your descendants. 30 28:15 I am with you! 31 I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”
28:16 Then Jacob woke up 32 and thought, 33 “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”
28:18 Early 34 in the morning Jacob 35 took the stone he had placed near his head 36 and set it up as a sacred stone. 37 Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, 38 although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food 39 to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, 40 then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone 41 that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely 42 give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” 43
Matthew 27:1-66
Context27:1 When 44 it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. 27:2 They 45 tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate 46 the governor. 47
27:3 Now when 48 Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus 49 had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” 27:5 So 50 Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. 27:6 The 51 chief priests took the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 27:7 After 52 consulting together they bought the Potter’s Field with it, as a burial place for foreigners. 27:8 For this reason that field has been called the “Field of Blood” to this day. 27:9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah 53 the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel, 54 27:10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” 55
27:11 Then 56 Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, 57 “Are you the king 58 of the Jews?” Jesus 59 said, “You say so.” 60 27:12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond. 27:13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?” 27:14 But he did not answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.
27:15 During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, 61 whomever they wanted. 27:16 At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus 62 Barabbas. 27:17 So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus 63 Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?” 64 27:18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.) 65 27:19 As 66 he was sitting on the judgment seat, 67 his wife sent a message 68 to him: 69 “Have nothing to do with that innocent man; 70 I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream 71 about him today.” 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 27:21 The 72 governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas!” 27:22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” 73 They all said, “Crucify him!” 74 27:23 He asked, “Why? What wrong has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”
27:24 When 75 Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. You take care of it yourselves!” 76 27:25 In 77 reply all the people said, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” 27:26 Then he released Barabbas for them. But after he had Jesus flogged, 78 he handed him over 79 to be crucified. 80 27:27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence 81 and gathered the whole cohort 82 around him. 27:28 They 83 stripped him and put a scarlet robe 84 around him, 27:29 and after braiding 85 a crown of thorns, 86 they put it on his head. They 87 put a staff 88 in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: 89 “Hail, king of the Jews!” 90 27:30 They 91 spat on him and took the staff 92 and struck him repeatedly 93 on the head. 27:31 When 94 they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then 95 they led him away to crucify him.
27:32 As 96 they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced 97 to carry his cross. 98 27:33 They 99 came to a place called Golgotha 100 (which means “Place of the Skull”) 101 27:34 and offered Jesus 102 wine mixed with gall to drink. 103 But after tasting it, he would not drink it. 27:35 When 104 they had crucified 105 him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. 106 27:36 Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. 27:37 Above 107 his head they put the charge against him, 108 which read: 109 “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” 27:38 Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 27:39 Those 110 who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads 27:40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! 111 If you are God’s Son, come down 112 from the cross!” 27:41 In 113 the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law 114 and elders 115 – were mocking him: 116 27:42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down 117 now from the cross, we will believe in him! 27:43 He trusts in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now 118 because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!” 27:44 The 119 robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him. 120
27:45 Now from noon until three, 121 darkness came over all the land. 122 27:46 At 123 about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, 124 “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 125 27:47 When 126 some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 27:48 Immediately 127 one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, 128 put it on a stick, 129 and gave it to him to drink. 27:49 But the rest said, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.” 130 27:50 Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 27:51 Just then 131 the temple curtain 132 was torn in two, from top to bottom. The 133 earth shook and the rocks were split apart. 27:52 And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died 134 were raised. 27:53 (They 135 came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.) 27:54 Now when the centurion 136 and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!” 27:55 Many 137 women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support 138 were also there, watching from a distance. 27:56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
27:57 Now 139 when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 140 27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 141 Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 27:59 Joseph 142 took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 143 27:60 and placed it 144 in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. 145 Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance 146 of the tomb and went away. 27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, opposite the tomb.)
27:62 The 147 next day (which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees 148 assembled before Pilate 27:63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 27:64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body 149 and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 27:65 Pilate said to them, “Take 150 a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can.” 27:66 So 151 they went with the soldiers 152 of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
Esther 4:1-17
Context4:1 Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he 153 tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud 154 and bitter voice. 4:2 But he went no further than the king’s gate, for no one was permitted to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 4:3 Throughout each and every province where the king’s edict and law were announced 155 there was considerable 156 mourning among the Jews, along with fasting, weeping, and sorrow. 157 Sackcloth and ashes were characteristic 158 of many. 4:4 When Esther’s female attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her about Mordecai’s behavior, 159 the queen was overcome with anguish. Although she sent garments for Mordecai to put on so that he could remove his sackcloth, he would not accept them. 4:5 So Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been placed at her service, 160 and instructed him to find out the cause and reason for Mordecai’s behavior. 161 4:6 So Hathach went to Mordecai at the plaza of the city in front of the king’s gate. 4:7 Then Mordecai related to him everything that had happened to him, even the specific amount of money that Haman had offered to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews to be destroyed. 4:8 He also gave him a written copy of the law that had been disseminated 162 in Susa for their destruction so that he could show it to Esther and talk to her about it. He also gave instructions that she should go to the king to implore him and petition him on behalf of her people. 4:9 So Hathach returned and related Mordecai’s instructions 163 to Esther.
4:10 Then Esther replied to Hathach with instructions for Mordecai: 4:11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable 164 to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court – that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. 165 Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days!”
4:12 When Esther’s reply 166 was conveyed to Mordecai, 4:13 he 167 said to take back this answer to Esther: 4:14 “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew 168 who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear 169 from another source, 170 while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be 171 that you have achieved royal status 172 for such a time as this!”
4:15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 4:16 “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I 173 will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. 174 If I perish, I perish!”
4:17 So Mordecai set out to do everything that Esther had instructed him.
Acts 27:1-44
Context27:1 When it was decided we 175 would sail to Italy, 176 they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion 177 of the Augustan Cohort 178 named Julius. 27:2 We went on board 179 a ship from Adramyttium 180 that was about to sail to various ports 181 along the coast of the province of Asia 182 and put out to sea, 183 accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian 184 from Thessalonica. 185 27:3 The next day we put in 186 at Sidon, 187 and Julius, treating Paul kindly, 188 allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. 189 27:4 From there we put out to sea 190 and sailed under the lee 191 of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea 192 off Cilicia and Pamphylia, 193 we put in 194 at Myra 195 in Lycia. 196 27:6 There the centurion 197 found 198 a ship from Alexandria 199 sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 27:7 We sailed slowly 200 for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. 201 Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, 202 we sailed under the lee 203 of Crete off Salmone. 204 27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast 205 of Crete 206 and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea. 207
27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous 208 because the fast 209 was already over, 210 Paul advised them, 211 27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end 212 in disaster 213 and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 214 27:11 But the centurion 215 was more convinced 216 by the captain 217 and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. 218 27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided 219 to put out to sea 220 from there. They hoped that 221 somehow they could reach 222 Phoenix, 223 a harbor of Crete facing 224 southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought 225 they could carry out 226 their purpose, so they weighed anchor 227 and sailed close along the coast 228 of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force 229 wind called the northeaster 230 blew down from the island. 231 27:15 When the ship was caught in it 232 and could not head into 233 the wind, we gave way to it and were driven 234 along. 27:16 As we ran under the lee of 235 a small island called Cauda, 236 we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat 237 under control. 27:17 After the crew 238 had hoisted it aboard, 239 they used supports 240 to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground 241 on the Syrtis, 242 they lowered the sea anchor, 243 thus letting themselves be driven along. 27:18 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, 244 they began throwing the cargo overboard, 245 27:19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear 246 overboard with their own hands. 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent 247 storm continued to batter us, 248 we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. 249
27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, 250 Paul 251 stood up 252 among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me 253 and not put out to sea 254 from Crete, thus avoiding 255 this damage and loss. 27:22 And now I advise 256 you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. 257 27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong 258 and whom I serve 259 came to me 260 27:24 and said, 261 ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before 262 Caesar, 263 and God has graciously granted you the safety 264 of all who are sailing with you.’ 27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God 265 that it will be just as I have been told. 27:26 But we must 266 run aground on some island.”
27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven 267 across the Adriatic Sea, 268 about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. 269 27:28 They took soundings 270 and found the water was twenty fathoms 271 deep; when they had sailed a little farther 272 they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms 273 deep. 27:29 Because they were afraid 274 that we would run aground on the rocky coast, 275 they threw out 276 four anchors from the stern and wished 277 for day to appear. 278 27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending 279 that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, 27:31 Paul said to the centurion 280 and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you 281 cannot be saved.” 27:32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes 282 of the ship’s boat and let it drift away. 283
27:33 As day was about to dawn, 284 Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense 285 and have gone 286 without food; you have eaten nothing. 287 27:34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important 288 for your survival. 289 For not one of you will lose a hair from his head.” 27:35 After he said this, Paul 290 took bread 291 and gave thanks to God in front of them all, 292 broke 293 it, and began to eat. 27:36 So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves. 27:37 (We were in all two hundred seventy-six 294 persons on the ship.) 295 27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, 296 they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat 297 into the sea.
27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed 298 a bay 299 with a beach, 300 where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 27:40 So they slipped 301 the anchors 302 and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage 303 that bound the steering oars 304 together. Then they hoisted 305 the foresail 306 to the wind and steered toward 307 the beach. 27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents 308 and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force 309 of the waves. 27:42 Now the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners 310 so that none of them would escape by swimming away. 311 27:43 But the centurion, 312 wanting to save Paul’s life, 313 prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, 314 27:44 and the rest were to follow, 315 some on planks 316 and some on pieces of the ship. 317 And in this way 318 all were brought safely to land.
1 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
2 tn Heb “Arise! Go!” The first of the two imperatives is adverbial and stresses the immediacy of the departure.
3 tn Heb “El Shaddai.” See the extended note on the phrase “sovereign God” in Gen 17:1.
4 tn Heb “and make you fruitful and multiply you.” See Gen 17:6, 20 for similar terminology.
5 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here indicates consequence. The collocation הָיָה + preposition לְ (hayah + lÿ) means “become.”
6 tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”
7 tn Heb “and may he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you.” The name “Abraham” is an objective genitive here; this refers to the blessing that God gave to Abraham.
8 tn The words “the land” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “the land of your sojournings,” that is, the land where Jacob had been living as a resident alien, as his future descendants would after him.
10 tn Heb “to take for himself from there a wife.”
11 tn The infinitive construct with the preposition and the suffix form a temporal clause.
12 tn Heb “you must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
13 tn Heb “saw.”
14 tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”
15 tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”
16 tn Heb “took for a wife.”
17 tn Heb “the place.” The article may indicate simply that the place is definite in the mind of the narrator. However, as the story unfolds the place is transformed into a holy place. See A. P. Ross, “Jacob’s Vision: The Founding of Bethel,” BSac 142 (1985): 224-37.
18 tn Heb “and he spent the night there because the sun had gone down.”
19 tn Heb “he took from the stones of the place,” which here means Jacob took one of the stones (see v. 18).
20 tn Heb “and he put [it at] the place of his head.” The text does not actually say the stone was placed under his head to serve as a pillow, although most interpreters and translators assume this. It is possible the stone served some other purpose. Jacob does not seem to have been a committed monotheist yet (see v. 20-21) so he may have believed it contained some spiritual power. Note that later in the story he anticipates the stone becoming the residence of God (see v. 22). Many cultures throughout the world view certain types of stones as magical and/or sacred. See J. G. Fraser, Folklore in the Old Testament, 231-37.
21 tn Heb “lay down.”
22 tn Heb “and dreamed.”
23 tn Heb “and look.” The scene which Jacob witnessed is described in three clauses introduced with הִנֵּה (hinneh). In this way the narrator invites the reader to witness the scene through Jacob’s eyes. J. P. Fokkelman points out that the particle goes with a lifted arm and an open mouth: “There, a ladder! Oh, angels! and look, the
24 tn The Hebrew noun סֻלָּם (sullam, “ladder, stairway”) occurs only here in the OT, but there appears to be an Akkadian cognate simmiltu (with metathesis of the second and third consonants and a feminine ending) which has a specialized meaning of “stairway, ramp.” See H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 34. For further discussion see C. Houtman, “What Did Jacob See in His Dream at Bethel? Some Remarks on Genesis 28:10-22,” VT 27 (1977): 337-52; J. G. Griffiths, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 76 (1964/65): 229-30; and A. R. Millard, “The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven,” ExpTim 78 (1966/67): 86-87.
25 tn Heb “the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.” The Hebrew word for “father” can typically be used in a broader sense than the English word, in this case referring to Abraham (who was Jacob’s grandfather). For stylistic reasons and for clarity, the words “your father” are supplied with “Isaac” in the translation.
26 tn The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (’erets) can mean “[the] earth,” “land,” “region,” “piece of ground,” or “ground” depending on the context. Here the term specifically refers to the plot of ground on which Jacob was lying, but at the same time this stands by metonymy for the entire land of Canaan.
27 tn This is the same Hebrew word translated “ground” in the preceding verse.
28 tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew; Jacob is addressed as the representative of his descendants.
29 tn Theoretically the Niphal stem can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Jacob were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in other formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless (i.e., pronounce blessings upon) themselves/one another.” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 28:14 predicts that Jacob will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae (see Gen 12:2 and 18:18 as well, where Abram/Abraham receives this promise). For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.
30 tn Heb “and they will pronounce blessings by you, all the families of the earth, and by your offspring.”
31 tn Heb “Look, I [am] with you.” The clause is a nominal clause; the verb to be supplied could be present (as in the translation) or future, “Look, I [will be] with you” (cf. NEB).
32 tn Heb “woke up from his sleep.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.
33 tn Heb “said.”
34 tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”
35 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.
37 tn Heb “standing stone.”
sn Sacred stone. Such a stone could be used as a boundary marker, a burial stone, or as a shrine. Here the stone is intended to be a reminder of the stairway that was “erected” and on which the
38 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).
map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
39 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
40 tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”
41 tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.
42 tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.
43 tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.
44 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
45 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
46 tc Most
47 sn The Jews most assuredly wanted to put Jesus to death, but they lacked the authority to do so. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate in hopes of securing a death sentence. The Romans kept close control of the death penalty in conquered territories to prevent it from being used to execute Roman sympathizers.
48 tn Grk “Then when.” Here τότε (tote) has been translated as “now” to indicate a somewhat parenthetical interlude in the sequence of events.
49 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
50 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the leaders’ response to Judas.
51 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
52 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
53 tc The problematic citing of Jeremiah for a text which appears to come from Zechariah has prompted certain scribes to alter it. Codex 22 has Ζαχαρίου (Zacariou, “Zechariah”) while Φ 33 omit the prophet’s name altogether. And codex 21 and the Latin ms l change the prophet’s name to “Isaiah,” in accordance with natural scribal proclivities to alter the text toward the most prominent OT prophet. But unquestionably the name Jeremiah is the wording of the original here, because it is supported by virtually all witnesses and because it is the harder reading. See D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” EBC 8:562-63, for a discussion of the textual and especially hermeneutical problem.
54 tn Grk “the sons of Israel,” an idiom referring to the people of Israel as an ethnic entity (L&N 11.58).
55 sn The source of this citation is debated (see the tc note on Jeremiah in v. 9 above for a related discussion). The quotation is most closely related to Zech 11:12-13, but the reference to Jeremiah in v. 9 as the source leads one to look there as well. There is no exact match for this text in Jeremiah, but there are some conceptual parallels: In Jer 18:2-6 the prophet visits a potter, and in Jer 32:6-15 he buys a field. D. A. Carson argues that Jer 19:1-13 is the source of the quotation augmented with various phrases drawn from Zech 11:12-13 (“Matthew,” EBC 8:563). W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison argue that the reference to Jeremiah is not meant to refer to one specific text from that prophet, but instead to signal that his writings as a whole are a source from which the quotation is drawn (Matthew [ICC], 3:568-69). Although the exact source of the citation is uncertain, it is reasonable to see texts from the books of Jeremiah and Zechariah both coming into play here.
56 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
57 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
58 sn “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate was interested in this charge because of its political implications of sedition against Rome.
59 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
60 sn The reply “You say so” is somewhat enigmatic, like Jesus’ earlier reply to the Jewish leadership in 26:64.
61 sn The custom of Pilate to release one prisoner is unknown outside the gospels in Jewish writings, but it was a Roman custom at the time and thus probably used in Palestine as well (cf. Matt 27:15; John 18:39).
62 tc Although the external evidence for the inclusion of “Jesus” before “Barabbas” (in vv. 16 and 17) is rather sparse, being restricted virtually to the Caesarean text (Θ Ë1 700* pc sys), the omission of the Lord’s name in apposition to “Barabbas” is such a strongly motivated reading that it can hardly be original. There is no good explanation for a scribe unintentionally adding ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun) before Βαραββᾶν (Barabban), especially since Barabbas is mentioned first in each verse (thus dittography is ruled out). Further, the addition of τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν (ton legomenon Criston, “who is called Christ”) to ᾿Ιησοῦν in v. 17 makes better sense if Barabbas is also called “Jesus” (otherwise, a mere “Jesus” would have been a sufficient appellation to distinguish the two).
63 tc Again, as in v. 16, the name “Jesus” is supplied before “Barabbas” in Θ Ë1 700* pc sys Ormss (Θ 700* lack the article τόν [ton] before Βαραββᾶν [Barabban]). The same argument for accepting the inclusion of “Jesus” as original in the previous verse applies here as well.
64 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
65 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
66 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
67 tn Or “the judge’s seat.”
sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.
68 tn The word “message” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
69 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
70 tn The Greek particle γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated here.
71 tn Or “suffered greatly in a dream.” See the discussion on the construction κατ᾿ ὄναρ (kat’ onar) in BDAG 710 s.v. ὄναρ.
72 tn Grk “answering, the governor said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
73 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
74 tn Grk “Him – be crucified!” The third person imperative is difficult to translate because English has no corresponding third person form for the imperative. The traditional translation “Let him be crucified” sounds as if the crowd is giving consent or permission. “He must be crucified” is closer, but it is more natural in English to convert the passive to active and simply say “Crucify him.”
sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
75 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
76 sn You take care of it yourselves! Compare the response of the chief priests and elders to Judas in 27:4. The expression is identical except that in 27:4 it is singular and here it is plural.
77 tn Grk “answering, all the people said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
78 tn The Greek term φραγελλόω (fragellow) refers to flogging. BDAG 1064 s.v. states, “flog, scourge, a punishment inflicted on slaves and provincials after a sentence of death had been pronounced on them. So in the case of Jesus before the crucifixion…Mt 27:26; Mk 15:15.”
sn A Roman flogging (traditionally, “scourging”) was an excruciating punishment. The victim was stripped of his clothes and bound to a post with his hands fastened above him (or sometimes he was thrown to the ground). Guards standing on either side of the victim would incessantly beat him with a whip (flagellum) made out of leather with pieces of lead and bone inserted into its ends. While the Jews only allowed 39 lashes, the Romans had no such limit; many people who received such a beating died as a result. See C. Schneider, TDNT, 515-19.
79 tn Or “delivered him up.”
80 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
81 tn Or “into their headquarters”; Grk “into the praetorium.”
sn The governor’s residence (Grk “praetorium”) was the Roman governor’s official residence. The one in Jerusalem may have been Herod’s palace in the western part of the city, or the fortress Antonia northwest of the temple area.
82 sn A Roman cohort was a tenth of a legion, about 500-600 soldiers.
83 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
84 sn The scarlet robe probably refers to a military garment which had the color of royal purple, and thus resembled a king’s robe. The soldiers did this to Jesus as a form of mockery in view of the charges that he was a king.
85 tn Or “weaving.”
86 sn The crown may have been made from palm spines or some other thorny plant common in Israel. In placing the crown of thorns on his head, the soldiers were unwittingly symbolizing God’s curse on humanity (cf. Gen 3:18) being placed on Jesus. Their purpose would have been to mock Jesus’ claim to be a king; the crown of thorns would have represented the “radiant corona” portrayed on the heads of rulers on coins and other artifacts in the 1st century.
87 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
88 tn Or “a reed.” The Greek term can mean either “staff” or “reed.” See BDAG 502 s.v. κάλαμος 2.
89 tn Grk “they mocked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
90 tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”
sn The statement Hail, King of the Jews! is a mockery patterned after the Romans’ cry of Ave, Caesar (“Hail, Caesar!”).
91 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
92 tn Or “the reed.”
93 tn The verb here has been translated as an iterative imperfect.
94 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
95 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
96 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
97 tn Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”
98 sn Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon. Mark 15:21 names him as father of two people apparently known to Mark’s audience.
99 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
100 tn This is an Aramaic name; see John 19:17.
101 sn A place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). This location is north and just outside of Jerusalem. The hill on which it is located protruded much like a skull, giving the place its name. The Latin word for the Greek term κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria, from which the English word “Calvary” is derived (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
102 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
103 sn It is difficult to say for certain who gave Jesus this drink of wine mixed with gall (e.g., the executioner, or perhaps women from Jerusalem). In any case, whoever gave it to him most likely did so in order to relieve his pain, but Jesus was unwilling to take it.
104 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
105 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
106 tn Grk “by throwing the lot” (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, “throwing dice,” was chosen here because of its association with gambling. According to L&N 6.219 a term for “dice” is particularly appropriate.
sn An allusion to Ps 22:18.
107 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
108 sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.
109 tn Grk “was written.”
110 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
111 sn There is rich irony in the statements of those who were passing by, “save yourself!” and “come down from the cross!” In summary, they wanted Jesus to come down from the cross and save his physical life, but it was indeed his staying on the cross and giving his physical life that led to the fact that they could experience a resurrection from death to life.
112 tc ‡ Many important witnesses (א* A D pc it sy[s],p) read καί (kai, here with the force of “then”) before κατάβηθι (katabhqi, “come down”). The shorter reading may well be due to homoioarcton, but judging by the diverse external evidence (א2 B L W Θ 0250 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) it is equally possible that the shorter reading is original (and is so considered for this translation). NA27 puts the καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
113 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
114 tn Or “with the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
115 tn Only “chief priests” is in the nominative case; this sentence structure attempts to capture this emphasis.
116 tn Grk “Mocking him, the chief priests…said.”
117 tn Here the aorist imperative καταβάτω (katabatw) has been translated as a conditional imperative. This fits the pattern of other conditional imperatives (imperative + καί + future indicative) outlined by ExSyn 489.
118 sn An allusion to Ps 22:8.
119 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
120 sn Matthew’s wording suggests that both of the criminals spoke abusively to him. If so, one of them quickly changed his attitude toward Jesus (see Luke 23:40-43).
121 tn Grk “from the sixth hour to the ninth hour.”
122 sn This imagery has parallels to the Day of the Lord: Joel 2:10; Amos 8:9; Zeph 1:15.
123 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
124 tn Grk “with a loud voice, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
125 sn A quotation from Ps 22:1.
126 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
127 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
128 sn Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
129 tn Grk “a reed.”
130 tc Early and important
131 tn Grk “And behold.”
132 tn The referent of this term, καταπέτασμα (katapetasma), is not entirely clear. It could refer to the curtain separating the holy of holies from the holy place (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.5 [5.219]), or it could refer to one at the entrance of the temple court (Josephus, J. W. 5.5.4 [5.212]). Many argue that the inner curtain is meant because another term, κάλυμμα (kalumma), is also used for the outer curtain. Others see a reference to the outer curtain as more likely because of the public nature of this sign. Either way, the symbolism means that access to God has been opened up. It also pictures a judgment that includes the sacrifices.
133 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
134 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
135 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
136 sn See the note on the word centurion in Matt 8:5.
137 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
138 tn Grk “and ministered to him.”
sn Cf. Luke 8:3.
139 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
140 sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.
141 sn Asking for the body of Jesus was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Mark 15:43, Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.
142 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
143 tn The term σινδών (sindwn) can refer to a linen cloth used either for clothing or for burial.
144 tc ‡ αὐτό (auto, “it”) is found after ἔθηκεν (eqhken, “placed”) in the majority of witnesses, including many important ones, though it seems to be motivated by a need for clarification and cannot therefore easily explain the rise of the shorter reading (which is read by א L Θ Ë13 33 892 pc). Regardless of which reading is original (though with a slight preference for the shorter reading), English style requires the pronoun. NA27 includes αὐτό here, no doubt due to the overwhelming external attestation.
145 tn That is, cut or carved into an outcropping of natural rock, resulting in a cave-like structure (see L&N 19.25).
146 tn Or “to the door,” “against the door.”
147 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
148 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
149 tn Grk “him.”
150 tn Grk “You have a guard.”
151 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Pilate’s order.
152 tn Grk “with the guard.” The words “soldiers of the” have been supplied in the translation to prevent “guard” from being misunderstood as a single individual.
153 tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style.
154 tn Heb “great.”
155 tn Heb “reached” (so NAB, NLT); KJV, NASB, NIV “came”; TEV “wherever the king’s proclamation was made known.”
156 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the Jews went into deep mourning.”
157 sn Although prayer is not specifically mentioned here, it is highly unlikely that appeals to God for help were not a part of this reaction to devastating news. As elsewhere in the book of Esther, the writer seems deliberately to keep religious actions in the background.
158 tn Heb “were spread to many”; KJV, NIV “many (+ people NLT) lay in sackcloth and ashes.”
159 tn The words “about Mordecai’s behavior” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in translation for the sake of clarity. Cf. NIV, NLT “about Mordecai”; TEV, CEV “what Mordecai was doing.”
160 tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her”; NASB “whom the king had appointed to attend her.”
161 tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.”
162 tn Heb “given” (so KJV); NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT “issued”; NIV “published”; NAB “promulgated.”
163 tn Heb “the words of Mordecai” (so KJV); NIV, NRSV, CEV “what Mordecai had said”; NLT “with Mordecai’s message.”
164 tn Heb “one is his law”; NASB “he (the king NIV) has but one law”
165 tn Heb “and he will live”; KJV, ASV “that he may live”; NIV “and spare his life.”
166 tn Heb “the words of Esther”; TEV, NLT “Esther’s message.”
167 tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style.
168 tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”
169 tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”
170 tn Heb “place” (so KJV, NIV, NLT); NRSV “from another quarter.” This is probably an oblique reference to help coming from God. D. J. A. Clines disagrees; in his view a contrast between deliverance by Esther and deliverance by God is inappropriate (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther [NCBC], 302). But Clines’ suggestion that perhaps the reference is to deliverance by Jewish officials or by armed Jewish revolt is less attractive than seeing this veiled reference as part of the literary strategy of the book, which deliberately keeps God’s providential dealings entirely in the background.
171 tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.
172 tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”
173 tn Heb “I and my female attendants.” The translation reverses the order for stylistic reasons.
174 tn Heb “which is not according to the law” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “contrary to the law.”
175 sn The last “we” section in Acts begins here and extends to 28:16 (the previous one ended at 21:18).
176 sn Sail to Italy. This voyage with its difficulty serves to show how God protected Paul on his long journey to Rome. From the perspective of someone in Palestine, this may well picture “the end of the earth” quite literally (cf. Acts 1:8).
177 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
178 tn According to BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός, “In σπεῖρα Σεβαστή 27:1 (cp. OGI 421) Σεβαστή is likew. an exact transl. of Lat. Augusta, an honorary title freq. given to auxiliary troops (Ptolem. renders it Σεβαστή in connection w. three legions that bore it: 2, 3, 30; 2, 9, 18; 4, 3, 30) imperial cohort.” According to W. Foerster (TDNT 7:175), “In Ac. 27:1 the σπεῖρα Σεβαστή is an expression also found elsewhere for ‘auxiliary troops.’” In no case would this refer to a special imperial bodyguard, and to translate “imperial regiment” or “imperial cohort” might give this impression. There is some archaeological evidence for a Cohors Augusta I stationed in Syria during the time of Augustus, but whether this is the same unit is very debatable.
sn The Augustan Cohort. A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion. There is considerable debate over the identification of this particular cohort and the meaning of the title Augustan mentioned here. These may well have been auxiliary (provincial) troops given the honorary title.
179 tn Grk “Going on board.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
180 sn Adramyttium was a seaport in Mysia on the western coast of Asia Minor.
181 tn Grk “places.”
182 tn 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.
183 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “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.”
sn Although not explicitly stated, the ship put out to sea from the port of Caesarea (where the previous events had taken place (cf. 25:13) and then sailed along the Asiatic coast (the first stop was Sidon, v. 3).
184 sn A Macedonian. The city of Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was in the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
185 map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.
186 tn BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Σιδῶνα Ac 27:3.”
187 sn Sidon is another seaport 75 mi (120 km) north of Caesarea.
map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
188 tn BDAG 1056 s.v. φιλανθρώπως states, “benevolently, kindly φιλανθρώπως χρῆσθαί (τινι) treat someone in kindly fashion…Ac 27:3.”
sn Treating Paul kindly. Paul’s treatment followed the pattern of the earlier imprisonment (cf. Acts 24:23).
189 tn Grk “to go to his friends to be cared for.” The scene is an indication of Christian hospitality.
190 tn Grk “putting out to sea.” The participle ἀναχθέντες (anacqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “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.”
191 tn BDAG 1040 s.v. ὑποπλέω states, “sail under the lee of an island, i.e. in such a way that the island protects the ship fr. the wind Ac 27:4, 7.” Thus they were east and north of the island.
192 tn Grk “the depths,” the deep area of a sea far enough from land that it is not protected by the coast (L&N 1.73).
193 sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor; it was west of Cilicia (see BDAG 753 s.v. Παμφυλία).
194 tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “Of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’: arrive, put in…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”
195 sn Myra was a city on the southern coast of Lycia in Asia Minor. This journey from Sidon (v. 3) was 440 mi (700 km) and took about 15 days.
196 sn Lycia was the name of a peninsula on the southern coast of Asia Minor between Caria and Pamphylia.
197 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
198 tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
199 sn Alexandria (modern Alexandria) was a great city of northern Egypt which was a center for grain trade to Rome. Therefore this type of travel connection was common at the time. For a winter journey (considered hazardous) there were special bonuses and insurance provided (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18.1-2).
200 tn The participle βραδυπλοοῦντες (braduploounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
201 sn Cnidus was the name of a peninsula on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. This was about 130 mi (210 km) from Myra.
202 tn This genitive absolute construction with προσεῶντος (prosewnto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 13.139 translates the phrase μὴ προσεῶντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἀνέμου (mh prosewnto" Jhma" tou anemou) as “the wind would not let us go any farther.”
203 tn BDAG 1040 s.v. ὑποπλέω states, “sail under the lee of an island, i.e. in such a way that the island protects the ship fr. the wind Ac 27:4, 7.”
204 sn Salmone was the name of a promontory on the northeastern corner of the island of Crete. This was about 100 mi (160 km) farther along.
205 tn Grk “sailing along the coast…we came.” The participle παραλεγόμενοι (paralegomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. L&N 54.8, “παραλέγομαι: (a technical, nautical term) to sail along beside some object – ‘to sail along the coast, to sail along the shore.’ …‘they sailed along the coast of Crete’ Ac 27:13.”
206 tn Grk “it”; the referent (Crete) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
207 sn Lasea was a city on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 60 mi (96 km) farther.
208 tn Or “unsafe” (BDAG 383 s.v. ἐπισφαλής). The term is a NT hapax legomenon.
209 sn The fast refers to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. It was now into October and the dangerous winter winds would soon occur (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18; Josephus, J. W. 1.14.2-3 [1.279-281]).
210 tn The accusative articular infinitive παρεληλυθέναι (parelhluqenai) after the preposition διά (dia) is causal. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 2 has “διὰ τὸ τὴν νηστείαν ἤδη παρεληλυθέναι because the fast was already over Ac 27:9.”
211 tn Grk “Paul advised, saying to them.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated. On the term translated “advised,” see BDAG 764 s.v. παραινέω, which usually refers to recommendations.
sn Paul advised them. A literary theme surfaces here: Though Paul is under arrest, he will be the one to guide them all through the dangers of the storm and shipwreck, showing clearly God’s presence and protection of him. The story is told in great detail. This literary effect of slowing down the passage of time and narrating with many details serves to add a sense of drama to the events described.
212 tn Grk “is going to be with disaster.”
213 tn Or “hardship,” “damage.” BDAG 1022 s.v. ὕβρις 3 states, “fig. hardship, disaster, damage caused by the elements…w. ζημία Ac 27:10.”
214 tn Grk “souls” (here, one’s physical life).
215 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
216 tn Or “persuaded.”
217 tn BDAG 456 s.v. κυβερνήτης 1 has “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster…W. ναύκληρος, the ‘shipowner’…Ac 27:11” See further L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 316-18.
218 tn Grk “than by what was said by Paul.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.
sn More convinced by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. The position taken by the centurion was logical, since he was following “professional” advice. But this was not a normal voyage.
219 tn BDAG 181-82 s.v. βουλή 2.a, “β. τίθεσθαι (Judg 19:30; Ps 12:3) decide 27:12 (w. inf. foll.).”
220 tn BDAG 62 s.v. 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.”
221 tn Grk “from there, if somehow” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation and the introductory phrase “They hoped that” supplied (with the subject, “they,” repeated from the previous clause) to make a complete English sentence.
222 tn Grk “if somehow, reaching Phoenix, they could…” The participle καταντήσαντες (katanthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
223 sn Phoenix was a seaport on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 30 mi (48 km) further west.
224 tn Or “a harbor of Crete open to the southwest and northwest.”
225 tn Grk “thinking.” The participle δόξαντες (doxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
226 tn Or “accomplish.” L&N 68.29, for κρατέω, has “to be able to complete or finish, presumably despite difficulties – ‘to accomplish, to do successfully, to carry out.’ …‘thinking that they could carry out their purpose’ Ac 27:13.”
227 tn Or “departed.”
228 tn L&N 54.8, “παραλέγομαι: (a technical, nautical term) to sail along beside some object – ‘to sail along the coast, to sail along the shore.’…‘they sailed along the coast of Crete’ Ac 27:13.” With the addition of the adverb ἆσσον (asson) this becomes “sailed close along the coast of Crete.”
229 tn Grk “a wind like a typhoon.” That is, a very violent wind like a typhoon or hurricane (BDAG 1021 s.v. τυφωνικός).
230 sn Or called Euraquilo (the actual name of the wind, a sailor’s term which was a combination of Greek and Latin). According to Strabo (Geography 1.2.21), this was a violent northern wind.
231 tn Grk “from it”; the referent (the island) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
232 tn Or “was forced off course.” Grk “The ship being caught in it.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle συναρπασθέντος (sunarpasqento") has been taken temporally; it could also be translated as causal (“Because the ship was caught in it”).
233 tn BDAG 91 s.v. ἀντοφθαλμέω states, “Metaph. of a ship τοῦ πλοίου μὴ δυναμένοι ἀ. τῷ ἀνέμῳ since the ship was not able to face the wind, i.e. with its bow headed against the forces of the waves Ac 27:15.”
234 sn Caught in the violent wind, the ship was driven along. They were now out of control, at the mercy of the wind and sea.
235 tn BDAG 1042 s.v. ὑποτρέχω states, “run or sail under the lee of, nautical t.t.…Ac 27:16.” The participle ὑποδραμόντες (Jupodramonte") has been taken temporally (“as we ran under the lee of”). While this could also be translated as a participle of means (“by running…”) this might suggest the ship was still under a greater degree of control by its crew than it probably was.
236 sn Cauda. This island was located south of Crete, about 23 mi (36 km) from where they began. There are various ways to spell the island’s name (e.g., Clauda, BDAG 546 s.v. Κλαῦδα).
237 sn The ship’s boat was a small rowboat, normally towed behind a ship in good weather rather than stowed on board. It was used for landings, to maneuver the ship for tacking, and to lay anchors (not a lifeboat in the modern sense, although it could have served as a means of escape for some of the sailors; see v. 30). See L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 248f.
238 tn Grk “After hoisting it up, they…”; the referent (the ship’s crew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
239 tn The participle ἄραντες (arantes) has been taken temporally.
240 tn Possibly “ropes” or “cables”; Grk “helps” (a word of uncertain meaning; probably a nautical technical term, BDAG 180 s.v. βοήθεια 2).
241 tn BDAG 308 s.v. ἐκπίπτω 2 states, “drift off course, run aground, nautical term εἴς τι on someth….on the Syrtis 27:17.”
242 tn That is, on the sandbars and shallows of the Syrtis.
sn On the Syrtis. The Syrtis was the name of two gulfs on the North African coast (modern Libya), feared greatly by sailors because of their shifting sandbars and treacherous shallows. The Syrtis here is the so-called Great Syrtis, toward Cyrenaica. It had a horrible reputation as a sailors’ graveyard (Pliny, Natural History 5.26). Josephus (J. W. 2.16.4 [2.381]) says the name alone struck terror in those who heard it. It was near the famous Scylla and Charybdis mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey.
243 tn Or perhaps “mainsail.” The meaning of this word is uncertain. BDAG 927 s.v. σκεῦος 1 has “τὸ σκεῦος Ac 27:17 seems to be the kedge or driving anchor” while C. Maurer (TDNT 7:362) notes, “The meaning in Ac. 27:17: χαλάσαντες τὸ σκεῦος, is uncertain. Prob. the ref. is not so much to taking down the sails as to throwing the draganchor overboard to lessen the speed of the ship.” In spite of this L&N 6.1 states, “In Ac 27:17, for example, the reference of σκεῦος is generally understood to be the mainsail.” A reference to the sail is highly unlikely because in a storm of the force described in Ac 27:14, the sail would have been taken down and reefed immediately, to prevent its being ripped to shreds or torn away by the gale.
244 tn BDAG 980 s.v. σφόδρῶς states, “very much, greatly, violently…σφ. χειμάζεσθαι be violently beaten by a storm Ac 27:18.”
245 tn Or “jettisoning [the cargo]” (a nautical technical term). The words “the cargo” 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.
sn The desperation of the sailors in throwing the cargo overboard is reminiscent of Jonah 1:5. At this point they were only concerned with saving themselves.
246 tn Or “rigging,” “tackle”; Grk “the ship’s things.” Here the more abstract “gear” is preferred to “rigging” or “tackle” as a translation for σκεῦος (skeuos) because in v. 40 the sailors are still able to raise the (fore)sail, which they could not have done if the ship’s rigging or tackle had been jettisoned here.
247 tn Grk “no small storm” = a very great storm.
248 tn Grk “no small storm pressing on us.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐπικειμένου (epikeimenou) has been translated as parallel to the previous genitive absolute construction (which was translated as temporal). BDAG 373 s.v. ἐπίκειμαι 2.b states, “of impersonal force confront χειμῶνος ἐπικειμένου since a storm lay upon us Ac 27:20.” L&N 14.2, “‘the stormy weather did not abate in the least’ or ‘the violent storm continued’ Ac 27:20.” To this last was added the idea of “battering” from the notion of “pressing upon” inherent in ἐπίκειμαι (epikeimai).
249 tn Grk “finally all hope that we would be saved was abandoned.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation. This represents a clearly secular use of the term σῴζω (swzw) in that it refers to deliverance from the storm. At this point those on board the ship gave up hope of survival.
250 tn Or “Since they had no desire to eat for a long time.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ὑπαρχούσης (Juparcoush") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. It could also be translated temporally (“When many of them had no desire to eat”). The translation of πολλῆς (pollhs) as a substantized adjective referring to the people on board the ship (“many of them”) rather than a period of time (“for a long time”; so most modern versions) follows BDAG 143 s.v. ἀσιτία, which has “πολλῆς ἀ. ὑπαρχούσης since almost nobody wanted to eat because of anxiety or seasickness…Ac 27:21.” This detail indicates how turbulent things were on board the ship.
251 tn Here τότε (tote) is redundant (pleonastic) according to BDAG 1012-13 s.v. τότε 2; thus it has not been translated.
252 tn Grk “standing up…said.” The participle σταθείς (staqeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
253 tn L&N 36.12 has “πειθαρχήσαντάς μοι μὴ ἀνάγεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς Κρήτης ‘you should have listened to me and not have sailed from Crete’ Ac 27:21.”
sn By saying “you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete” Paul was not “rubbing it in,” but was reasserting his credibility before giving his next recommendation.
254 tn BDAG 62 s.v. 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.”
255 tn The infinitive κερδῆσαι (kerdhsai) has been translated as resultative.
256 tn The same verb is used for Paul’s original recommendation in Ac 27:9.
257 tn Grk “except the ship.” Here “but” is used to translate the improper preposition πλήν (plhn; see BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 2) since an exception like this, where two different categories of objects are involved (people and a ship), is more naturally expressed in contemporary English with an adversative (“but”). The words “will be lost” are also supplied for clarity.
sn The “prophecy” about the ship serves to underscore Paul’s credibility as an agent of God. Paul addressed his audience carefully and drew attention to the sovereign knowledge of God.
258 tn Grk “of whom I am.” The relative clause with its possessive was translated following L&N 15.86 s.v. παρίσταμαι.
259 tn Or “worship.”
260 tn Or “stood by me.” BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.a.α states, “approach, come τινί (to) someone…Ac 9:39; 27:23.”
261 tn Grk “came to me saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
262 tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.a.α states, “Also as a t.t. of legal usage appear before, come before…Καίσαρι σε δεῖ παραστῆναι you must stand before the Emperor (as judge) Ac 27:24.” See Acts 23:11. Luke uses the verb δεῖ (dei) to describe what must occur.
263 tn Or “before the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
264 tn Grk “God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.” The words “the safety of” have been supplied to clarify the meaning of the verb κεχάρισται (kecaristai) in this context.
sn The safety of all who are sailing with you. In a sense, Paul’s presence protects them all. For Luke, it serves as a picture of what the gospel does through Christ and through the one who brings the message.
265 tn BDAG 817 s.v. πιστεύω 1.c states, “w. pers. and thing added π. τινί τι believe someone with regard to someth….W. dat. of pers. and ὅτι foll…. πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί J 14:11a. Cp. 4:21; Ac 27:25.”
266 tn This is another use of δεῖ (dei) to indicate necessity (see also v. 24). Acts 28:1 shows the fulfillment of this.
267 tn Here “being driven” has been used to translate διαφέρω (diaferw) rather than “drifting,” because it is clear from the attempt to drop anchors in v. 29 that the ship is still being driven by the gale. “Drifting” implies lack of control, but not necessarily rapid movement.
268 sn The Adriatic Sea. They were now somewhere between Crete and Malta.
269 tn Grk “suspected that some land was approaching them.” BDAG 876 s.v. προσάγω 2.a states, “lit. ὑπενόουν προσάγειν τινά αὐτοῖς χώραν they suspected that land was near (lit. ‘approaching them’) Ac 27:27.” Current English idiom would speak of the ship approaching land rather than land approaching the ship.
270 tn Grk “Heaving the lead, they found.” The participle βολίσαντες (bolisante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. See also BDAG 180 s.v. βολίζω. Although the term is used twice in this verse (and thus is technically not a NT hapax legomenon), it occurs nowhere else in the NT.
271 sn A fathom is about 6 feet or just under 2 meters (originally the length of a man’s outstretched arms). This was a nautical technical term for measuring the depth of water. Here it was about 120 ft (36 m).
272 tn L&N 15.12, “βραχὺ δὲ διαστήσαντες ‘when they had gone a little farther’ Ac 27:28.”
273 sn Here the depth was about 90 ft (27 m).
274 tn Grk “fearing.” The participle φοβούμενοι (foboumenoi) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
275 tn Grk “against a rough [rocky] place.” L&N 79.84 has “φοβούμενοί τε μή που κατὰ τραχεῖς τόποις ἐκπέσωμεν ‘we were afraid that we would run aground on the rocky coast’ Ac 27:29.”
276 tn Grk “throwing out…they.” The participle ῥίψαντες (rJiyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
277 tn BDAG 417 s.v. εὔχομαι 2 states, “wish…τὶ for someth.…Foll. by acc. and inf….Ac 27:29.” The other possible meaning for this term, “pray,” is given in BDAG 417 s.v. 1 and employed by a number of translations (NAB, NRSV, NIV). If this meaning is adopted here, then “prayed for day to come” must be understood metaphorically to mean “prayed that they would live to see the day,” or “prayed that it would soon be day.”
278 tn Grk “and wished for day to come about.”
sn And wished for day to appear. The sailors were hoping to hold the ship in place until morning, when they could see what was happening and where they were.
279 tn BDAG 889 s.v. πρόφασις 2 states, “προφάσει ὡς under the pretext that, pretending that…Ac 27:30.” In other words, some of the sailors gave up hope that such efforts would work and instead attempted to escape while pretending to help.
280 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
281 sn The pronoun you is plural in Greek.
282 sn The soldiers cut the ropes. The centurion and the soldiers were now following Paul’s advice by cutting the ropes to prevent the sailors from escaping.
283 tn Or “let it fall away.” According to BDAG 308 s.v. ἐκπίπτω 1 and 2 the meaning of the verb in this verse could be either “fall away” or “drift away.” Either meaning is acceptable, and the choice between them depends almost entirely on how one reconstructs the scene. Since cutting the boat loose would in any case result in it drifting away (whether capsized or not), the meaning “drift away” as a nautical technical term has been used here.
284 tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.b.α has “ἄ. οὗ ἡμέρα ἤμελλεν γίνεσθαι until the day began to dawn 27:33.”
285 tn Or “have waited anxiously.” Grk “waiting anxiously.” The participle προσδοκῶντες (prosdokwnte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
286 tn Or “continued.”
287 tn Grk “having eaten nothing.” The participle προσλαβόμενοι (proslabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb (with subject “you” supplied) due to requirements of contemporary English style.
288 tn Or “necessary.” BDAG 873-74 s.v. πρός 1 has “πρ. τῆς σωτηρίας in the interest of safety Ac 27:34”; L&N 27.18 has “‘therefore, I urge you to take some food, for this is important for your deliverance’ or ‘…for your survival’ Ac 27:34.”
289 tn Or “deliverance” (‘salvation’ in a nontheological sense).
290 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
291 tn Grk “taking bread, gave thanks.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
292 tn Or “before them all,” but here this could be misunderstood to indicate a temporal sequence.
293 tn Grk “and breaking it, he began.” The participle κλάσας (klasas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
294 tc One early ms (B) and an early version (sa) read “about seventy-six.” For discussion of how this variant probably arose, see F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles, 465.
295 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
296 tn Or “When they had eaten their fill.”
297 tn Or “grain.”
298 tn Or “observed,” “saw.”
299 tn Or “gulf” (BDAG 557 s.v. κόλπος 3).
300 sn A beach would refer to a smooth sandy beach suitable for landing.
301 tn That is, released. Grk “slipping…leaving.” The participles περιελόντες (perielonte") and εἴων (eiwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.
302 tn The term is used of a ship’s anchor. (BDAG 12 s.v. ἄγκυρα a).
303 tn Grk “bands”; possibly “ropes.”
304 tn Or “rudders.”
305 tn Grk “hoisting…they.” The participle ἐπάραντες (eparante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
306 tn Grk “sail”; probably a reference to the foresail.
307 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατέχω 7 states, “hold course, nautical t.t., intr….κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν they headed for the beach Ac 27:40.”
308 tn Grk “fell upon a place of two seas.” The most common explanation for this term is that it refers to a reef or sandbar with the sea on both sides, as noted in BDAG 245 s.v. διθάλασσος: the “τόπος δ. Ac 27:41 is a semantic unit signifying a point (of land jutting out with water on both sides).” However, Greek had terms for a “sandbank” (θῖς [qis], ταινία [tainia]), a “reef” (ἑρμα [Jerma]), “strait” (στενόν [stenon]), “promontory” (ἀρωτήρον [arwthron]), and other nautical hazards, none of which are used by the author here. NEB here translates τόπον διθάλασσον (topon diqalasson) as “cross-currents,” a proposal close to that advanced by J. M. Gilchrist, “The Historicity of Paul’s Shipwreck,” JSNT 61 (1996): 29-51, who suggests the meaning is “a patch of cross-seas,” where the waves are set at an angle to the wind, a particular hazard for sailors. Thus the term most likely refers to some sort of adverse sea conditions rather than a topographical feature like a reef or sandbar.
309 tn Or “violence” (BDAG 175 s.v. βία a).
310 sn The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners. The issue here was not cruelty, but that the soldiers would be legally responsible if any prisoners escaped and would suffer punishment themselves. So they were planning to do this as an act of self-preservation. See Acts 16:27 for a similar incident.
311 tn The participle ἐκκολυμβήσας (ekkolumbhsa") has been taken instrumentally.
312 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
313 tn Or “wanting to rescue Paul.”
sn Thanks to the centurion who wanted to save Paul’s life, Paul was once more rescued from a potential human threat.
314 tn BDAG 347 s.v. I. ἔξειμι has “ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν get to land Ac 27:43.”
315 tn The words “were to follow” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. They must be supplied to clarify the sense in contemporary English.
316 tn Or “boards” according to BDAG 913 s.v. σανίς.
317 tn Grk “on pieces from the ship”; that is, pieces of wreckage from the ship.
sn Both the planks and pieces of the ship were for the weak or nonswimmers. The whole scene is a historical metaphor representing how listening to Paul and his message could save people.
318 tn Grk “And in this way 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.
