Genesis 5:1-32 
Context5:1 This is the record 1 of the family line 2 of Adam.
When God created humankind, 3 he made them 4 in the likeness of God. 5:2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” 5
5:3 When 6 Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth. 5:4 The length of time Adam lived 7 after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had 8 other 9 sons and daughters. 5:5 The entire lifetime 10 of Adam was 930 years, and then he died. 11
5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father 12 of Enosh. 5:7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had 13 other 14 sons and daughters. 5:8 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died.
5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 5:10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:11 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died.
5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 5:13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:14 The entire lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, and then he died.
5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 5:16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:17 The entire lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, and then he died.
5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 5:19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:20 The entire lifetime of Jared was 962 years, and then he died.
5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 5:22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 15 for 300 years, 16 and he had other 17 sons and daughters. 5:23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared 18 because God took 19 him away.
5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 5:26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other 20 sons and daughters. 5:27 The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, and then he died.
5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 5:29 He named him Noah, 21 saying, “This one will bring us comfort 22 from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.” 5:30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other 23 sons and daughters. 5:31 The entire lifetime of Lamech was 777 years, and then he died.
5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he 24 became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Matthew 5:1-48
Context5:1 When 25 he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. 26 After he sat down his disciples came to him. 5:2 Then 27 he began to teach 28 them by saying:
5:3 “Blessed 29 are the poor in spirit, 30 for the kingdom of heaven belongs 31 to them.
5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 32
5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger 33 and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children 34 of God.
5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
5:11 “Blessed are you when people 35 insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely 36 on account of me. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
5:13 “You are the salt 37 of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, 38 how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 5:15 People 39 do not light a lamp and put it under a basket 40 but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.
5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. 41 5:18 I 42 tell you the truth, 43 until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter 44 will pass from the law until everything takes place. 5:19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others 45 to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law 46 and the Pharisees, 47 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
5:21 “You have heard that it was said to an older generation, 48 ‘Do not murder,’ 49 and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 5:22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother 50 will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults 51 a brother will be brought before 52 the council, 53 and whoever says ‘Fool’ 54 will be sent 55 to fiery hell. 56 5:23 So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. 5:25 Reach agreement 57 quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, 58 or he 59 may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 5:26 I tell you the truth, 60 you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny! 61
5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 62 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 63 5:30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
5:31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ 64 5:32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
5:33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, 65 ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 66 5:34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all – not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 5:35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, 67 because it is the city of the great King. 5:36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 5:37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one. 68
5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 69 5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. 70 But whoever strikes you on the 71 right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, 72 give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, 73 go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, 74 and do not reject 75 the one who wants to borrow from you.
5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ 76 and ‘hate your enemy.’ 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemy and 77 pray for those who persecute you, 5:45 so that you may be like 78 your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors 79 do the same, don’t they? 5:47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? 5:48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 80
Ezra 5:1-17
Context5:1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son 81 of Iddo 82 prophesied concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem 83 in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began 84 to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
5:3 At that time Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and their colleagues came to them and asked, “Who gave you authority 85 to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?” 86 5:4 They 87 also asked them, “What are the names of the men who are building this edifice?” 5:5 But God was watching over 88 the elders of Judah, and they were not stopped 89 until a report could be dispatched 90 to Darius and a letter could be sent back concerning this.
5:6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and his colleagues who were the officials of Trans-Euphrates sent to King Darius. 5:7 The report they sent to him was written as follows: 91
“To King Darius: All greetings! 92 5:8 Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, 93 and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands. 5:9 We inquired of those elders, asking them, ‘Who gave you the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?’ 5:10 We also inquired of their names in order to inform you, so that we might write the names of the men who were their leaders. 5:11 They responded to us in the following way: ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king 94 of Israel built it and completed it. 5:12 But after our ancestors 95 angered the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands 96 of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon. 97 5:13 But in the first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, 98 King Cyrus enacted a decree to rebuild this temple of God. 5:14 Even the gold and silver vessels of the temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and had brought to the palace 99 of Babylon – even those things King Cyrus brought from the palace of Babylon and presented 100 to a man by the name of Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed as governor. 5:15 He said to him, “Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location.” 101 5:16 Then this Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. From that time to the present moment 102 it has been in the process of being rebuilt, although it is not yet finished.’
5:17 “Now if the king is so inclined, 103 let a search be conducted in the royal archives 104 there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter.”
Acts 5:1-42
Context5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He 105 kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought 106 only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled 107 your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of 108 the land? 5:4 Before it was sold, 109 did it not 110 belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money 111 not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? 112 You have not lied to people 113 but to God!”
5:5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped 114 all who heard about it. 5:6 So the young men came, 115 wrapped him up, 116 carried him out, and buried 117 him. 5:7 After an interval of about three hours, 118 his wife came in, but she did not know 119 what had happened. 5:8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you 120 paid this amount 121 for the land?” Sapphira 122 said, “Yes, that much.” 5:9 Peter then told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” 5:10 At once 123 she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 5:11 Great 124 fear gripped 125 the whole church 126 and all who heard about these things.
5:12 Now many miraculous signs 127 and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By 128 common consent 129 they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. 130 5:13 None of the rest dared to join them, 131 but the people held them in high honor. 132 5:14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, 133 crowds of both men and women. 5:15 Thus 134 they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 5:16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem 135 also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. 136 They 137 were all 138 being healed.
5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees 139 ), 140 and they were filled with jealousy. 141 5:18 They 142 laid hands on 143 the apostles and put them in a public jail. 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord 144 opened 145 the doors of the prison, 146 led them out, 147 and said, 5:20 “Go and stand in the temple courts 148 and proclaim 149 to the people all the words of this life.” 5:21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts 150 at daybreak and began teaching. 151
Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin 152 – that is, the whole high council 153 of the Israelites 154 – and sent to the jail to have the apostles 155 brought before them. 156 5:22 But the officers 157 who came for them 158 did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 159 5:23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, 160 we found no one inside.” 5:24 Now when the commander 161 of the temple guard 162 and the chief priests heard this report, 163 they were greatly puzzled concerning it, 164 wondering what this could 165 be. 5:25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts 166 and teaching 167 the people!” 5:26 Then the commander 168 of the temple guard 169 went with the officers 170 and brought the apostles 171 without the use of force 172 (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). 173
5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, 174 and the high priest questioned 175 them, 5:28 saying, “We gave 176 you strict orders 177 not to teach in this name. 178 Look, 179 you have filled Jerusalem 180 with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood 181 on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, 182 “We must obey 183 God rather than people. 184 5:30 The God of our forefathers 185 raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. 186 5:31 God exalted him 187 to his right hand as Leader 188 and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 189 5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, 190 and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey 191 him.”
5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious 192 and wanted to execute them. 193 5:34 But a Pharisee 194 whose name was Gamaliel, 195 a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up 196 in the council 197 and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 5:35 Then he said to the council, 198 “Men of Israel, 199 pay close attention to 200 what you are about to do to these men. 5:36 For some time ago 201 Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He 202 was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. 203 5:37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, 204 and incited people to follow him in revolt. 205 He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 5:38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, 206 it will come to nothing, 207 5:39 but if 208 it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found 209 fighting against God.” He convinced them, 210 5:40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. 211 Then 212 they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 5:41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy 213 to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 214 5:42 And every day both in the temple courts 215 and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news 216 that Jesus was the Christ. 217
1 tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”
2 tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.
3 tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).
4 tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.
5 tn The Hebrew word used here is אָדָם (’adam).
6 tn Heb “and Adam lived 130 years.” In the translation the verb is subordinated to the following verb, “and he fathered,” and rendered as a temporal clause.
7 tn Heb “The days of Adam.”
8 tn Heb “he fathered.”
9 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Heb “all the days of Adam which he lived”
11 sn The genealogy traces the line from Adam to Noah and forms a bridge between the earlier accounts and the flood story. Its constant theme of the reign of death in the human race is broken once with the account of Enoch, but the genealogy ends with hope for the future through Noah. See further G. F. Hasel, “The Genealogies of Gen. 5 and 11 and their Alleged Babylonian Background,” AUSS 16 (1978): 361-74; idem, “Genesis 5 and 11,” Origins 7 (1980): 23-37.
12 tn Heb “he fathered.”
13 tn Heb “he fathered.”
14 tn Here and in vv. 10, 13, 16, 19 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
15 sn With the seventh panel there is a digression from the pattern. Instead of simply saying that Enoch lived, the text observes that he “walked with God.” The rare expression “walked with” (the Hitpael form of the verb הָלָךְ, halakh, “to walk” collocated with the preposition אֶת, ’et, “with”) is used in 1 Sam 25:15 to describe how David’s men maintained a cordial and cooperative relationship with Nabal’s men as they worked and lived side by side in the fields. In Gen 5:22 the phrase suggests that Enoch and God “got along.” This may imply that Enoch lived in close fellowship with God, leading a life of devotion and piety. An early Jewish tradition, preserved in 1 En. 1:9 and alluded to in Jude 14, says that Enoch preached about the coming judgment. See F. S. Parnham, “Walking with God,” EvQ 46 (1974): 117-18.
16 tn Heb “and Enoch walked with God, after he became the father of Methuselah, [for] 300 years.”
17 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
18 tn The Hebrew construction has the negative particle אֵין (’en, “there is not,” “there was not”) with a pronominal suffix, “he was not.” Instead of saying that Enoch died, the text says he no longer was present.
19 sn The text simply states that God took Enoch. Similar language is used of Elijah’s departure from this world (see 2 Kgs 2:10). The text implies that God overruled death for this man who walked with him.
20 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
21 sn The name Noah appears to be related to the Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). There are several wordplays on the name “Noah” in the story of the flood.
22 tn The Hebrew verb יְנַחֲמֵנוּ (yÿnakhamenu) is from the root נָחָם (nakham), which means “to comfort” in the Piel verbal stem. The letters נ (nun) and ח (heth) pick up the sounds in the name “Noah,” forming a paronomasia on the name. They are not from the same verbal root, and so the connection is only by sound. Lamech’s sentiment reflects the oppression of living under the curse on the ground, but also expresses the hope for relief in some way through the birth of Noah. His words proved to be ironic but prophetic. The relief would come with a new beginning after the flood. See E. G. Kraeling, “The Interpretations of the Name Noah in Genesis 5:29,” JBL 48 (1929): 138-43.
23 tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
24 tn Heb “Noah.” The pronoun (“he”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.
25 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
26 tn Or “up a mountain” (εἰς τὸ ὄρος, eis to oro").
sn The expression up the mountain here may be idiomatic or generic, much like the English “he went to the hospital” (cf. 15:29), or even intentionally reminiscent of Exod 24:12 (LXX), since the genre of the Sermon on the Mount seems to be that of a new Moses giving a new law.
27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
28 tn Grk “And opening his mouth he taught them, saying.” The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) has been translated ingressively.
29 sn The term Blessed introduces the first of several beatitudes promising blessing to those whom God cares for. They serve as an invitation to come into the grace God offers.
30 sn The poor in spirit is a reference to the “pious poor” for whom God especially cares. See Ps 14:6; 22:24; 25:16; 34:6; 40:17; 69:29.
31 sn The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized.
32 sn The promise they will be comforted is the first of several “reversals” noted in these promises. The beatitudes and the reversals that accompany them serve in the sermon as an invitation to enter into God’s care, because one can know God cares for those who turn to him.
33 sn Those who hunger are people like the poor Jesus has already mentioned. The term has OT roots both in conjunction with the poor (Isa 32:6-7; 58:6-7, 9-10; Ezek 18:7, 16) or by itself (Ps 37:16-19; 107:9).
34 tn Grk “sons,” though traditionally English versions have taken this as a generic reference to both males and females, hence “children” (cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV, NLT).
35 tn Grk “when they insult you.” The third person pronoun (here implied in the verb ὀνειδίσωσιν [ojneidiswsin]) has no specific referent, but refers to people in general.
36 tc Although ψευδόμενοι (yeudomenoi, “bearing witness falsely”) could be a motivated reading, clarifying that the disciples are unjustly persecuted, its lack in only D it sys Tert does not help its case. Since the Western text is known for numerous free alterations, without corroborative evidence the shorter reading must be judged as secondary.
37 sn Salt was used as seasoning or fertilizer (BDAG 41 s.v. ἅλας a), or as a preservative. If salt ceased to be useful, it was thrown away. With this illustration Jesus warned about a disciple who ceased to follow him.
38 sn The difficulty of this saying is understanding how salt could lose its flavor since its chemical properties cannot change. It is thus often assumed that Jesus was referring to chemically impure salt, perhaps a natural salt which, when exposed to the elements, had all the genuine salt leached out, leaving only the sediment or impurities behind. Others have suggested that the background of the saying is the use of salt blocks by Arab bakers to line the floor of their ovens; under the intense heat these blocks would eventually crystallize and undergo a change in chemical composition, finally being thrown out as unserviceable. A saying in the Talmud (b. Bekhorot 8b) attributed to R. Joshua ben Chananja (ca.
39 tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.
40 tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).
41 tn Grk “not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Direct objects (“these things,” “them”) were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but have been supplied here to conform to contemporary English style.
42 tn Grk “For I tell.” Here an explanatory γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
43 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
44 tn Grk “Not one iota or one serif.”
sn The smallest letter refers to the smallest Hebrew letter (yod) and the stroke of a letter to a serif (a hook or projection on a Hebrew letter).
45 tn Grk “teaches men” ( in a generic sense, people).
46 tn Or “that of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
47 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
48 tn Grk “to the ancient ones.”
49 sn A quotation from Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.
50 tc The majority of
51 tn Grk “whoever says to his brother ‘Raca,’” an Aramaic word of contempt or abuse meaning “fool” or “empty head.”
52 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
53 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin.”
54 tn The meaning of the term μωρός (mwros) is somewhat disputed. Most take it to mean, following the Syriac versions, “you fool,” although some have argued that it represents a transliteration into Greek of the Hebrew term מוֹרֵה (moreh) “rebel” (Deut 21:18, 20; cf. BDAG 663 s.v. μωρός c).
55 tn Grk “subjected,” “guilty,” “liable.”
56 tn Grk “the Gehenna of fire.”
sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
57 tn Grk “Make friends.”
58 tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
59 tn Grk “the accuser.”
60 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
61 tn Here the English word “penny” is used as opposed to the parallel in Luke 12:59 where “cent” appears since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.
sn The penny here was a quadrans, a Roman copper coin worth 1/64 of a denarius (L&N 6.78). The parallel passage in Luke 12:59 mentions the lepton, equal to one-half of a quadrans and thus the smallest coin available.
62 sn A quotation from Exod 20:14; Deut 5:17.
63 sn On this word here and in the following verse, see the note on the word hell in 5:22.
64 sn A quotation from Deut 24:1.
65 tn Grk “the ancient ones.”
66 sn A quotation from Lev 19:12.
67 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
68 tn The term πονηροῦ (ponhrou) may be understood as specific and personified, referring to the devil, or possibly as a general reference to evil. It is most likely personified, however, since it is articular (τοῦ πονηροῦ, tou ponhrou). Cf. also “the evildoer” in v. 39, which is the same construction.
69 sn A quotation from Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20.
70 tn The articular πονηρός (ponhro", “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).
71 tc ‡ Many
72 tn Or “shirt” (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.
73 sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them.
74 sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).
75 tn Grk “do not turn away from.”
76 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
77 tc Most
78 tn Grk “be sons of your Father in heaven.” Here, however, the focus is not on attaining a relationship (becoming a child of God) but rather on being the kind of person who shares the characteristics of God himself (a frequent meaning of the Semitic idiom “son of”). See L&N 58.26.
79 sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked.
80 sn This remark echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”
81 tn Aram “son.” According to Zech 1:1 he was actually the grandson of Iddo.
82 tn Aram “and Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo the prophet.”
83 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
84 tn Aram “arose and began.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.
85 tn Aram “who placed to you a command?” So also v. 9.
86 tn The exact meaning of the Aramaic word אֻשַּׁרְנָא (’ussarna’) here and in v. 9 is uncertain (BDB 1083 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it to mean “wall.” Here it is used in collocation with בַּיְתָא (bayta’, “house” as the temple of God), while in 5:3, 9 it is used in parallelism with this term. It might be related to the Assyrian noun ashurru (“wall”) or ashru (“sanctuary”; so BDB). F. Rosenthal, who translates the word “furnishings,” thinks that it probably enters Aramaic from Persian (Grammar, 62-63, §189).
87 tc The translation reads with one medieval Hebrew
88 tn Aram “the eye of their God was on.” The idiom describes the attentive care that one exercises in behalf of the object of his concern.
89 tn Aram “they did not stop them.”
90 tn Aram “[could] go.” On this form see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 58, §169.
91 tn Aram “and it was written in its midst.”
92 tn Aram “all peace.”
93 tn Aram “stones of rolling.” The reference is apparently to stones too large to carry.
94 sn This great king of Israel would, of course, be Solomon.
95 tn Aram “fathers.”
96 tn Aram “hand” (singular).
97 sn A reference to the catastrophic events of 586
98 sn Cyrus was actually a Persian king, but when he conquered Babylon in 539
99 tn Or “temple.”
100 tn Aram “they were given.”
101 tn Aram “upon its place.”
102 tn Aram “from then and until now.”
103 tn Aram “if upon the king it is good.”
104 tn Aram “the house of the treasures of the king.”
105 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
106 tn The participle ἐνέγκας (enenka") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
107 sn This is a good example of the Greek verb fill (πληρόω, plhrow) meaning “to exercise control over someone’s thought and action” (cf. Eph 5:18).
108 tn The words “from the sale of” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the meaning, since the phrase “proceeds from the land” could possibly be understood as crops rather than money from the sale.
109 tn Grk “Remaining to you.”
110 tn The negative interrogative particle οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply to this question and the following one (“And when it was sold, was it not at your disposal?”).
111 tn Grk “it”; the referent of the pronoun (the money generated from the sale of the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
112 tn Grk “How is it that you have [or Why have you] placed this deed in your heart?” Both of these literal translations differ from the normal way of expressing the thought in English.
113 tn Grk “to men.” If Peter’s remark refers only to the apostles, the translation “to men” would be appropriate. But if (as is likely) the action was taken to impress the entire congregation (who would presumably have witnessed the donation or been aware of it) then the more general “to people” is more appropriate, since the audience would have included both men and women.
114 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
115 tn Or “arose.”
116 tn The translation “wrapped up” for συνέστειλαν (sunesteilan) is suggested by L&N 79.119, but another interpretation is possible. The same verb could also be translated “removed” (see L&N 15.200), although that sense appears somewhat redundant and out of sequence with the following verb and participle (“carried him out and buried him”).
117 sn Buried. Same day burial was a custom in the Jewish world of the first century (cf. also Deut 21:23).
118 tn Grk “It happened that after an interval of about three hours.” 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.
119 tn Grk “came in, not knowing.” The participle has been translated with concessive or adversative force: “although she did not know.” In English, the adversative conjunction (“but”) conveys this nuance more smoothly.
120 tn The words “the two of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate that the verb (ἀπέδοσθε, apedosqe) is plural and thus refers to both Ananias and Sapphira.
121 tn Grk “so much,” “as much as this.”
122 tn Grk “She”; the referent (Sapphira) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
123 tn Grk “And at once.” 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.
124 tn Grk “And great.” 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.
125 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
126 sn This is the first occurrence of the term church (ἐκκλησία, ekklhsia) in Acts. It refers to an assembly of people.
127 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
128 tn Grk “And by.” 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.
129 tn Or “With one mind.”
130 tn Or “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”
sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. Located beside the Court of the Gentiles, it was a very public area.
131 tn Or “to associate with them.” The group was beginning to have a controversial separate identity. People were cautious about joining them. The next verse suggests that the phrase “none of the rest” in this verse is rhetorical hyperbole.
132 tn Or “the people thought very highly of them.”
133 tn Or “More and more believers were added to the Lord.”
134 tn This is a continuation of the preceding sentence in Greek, but because this would produce an awkward sentence in English, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
135 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
136 sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
137 tn Literally a relative pronoun, “who.” In English, however, a relative clause (“bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, who were all being healed”) could be understood to refer only to the second group (meaning only those troubled by unclean spirits were being healed) or even that the unclean spirits were being healed. To avoid this ambiguity the pronoun “they” was used to begin a new English sentence.
138 sn They were all being healed. Note how the healings that the apostles provided were comprehensive in their consistency.
139 sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.
140 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
141 sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zhlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.
142 tn Grk “jealousy, and they.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but a new sentence has been started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
143 tn Or “they arrested.”
144 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
145 tn Grk “opening the doors of the prison.” The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.
146 tn Greek φυλακῆς (fulakh"), a different word from the one in v. 18 (τήρησις, thrhsi", “jail”).
147 tn Or “brought them out.” Grk “and leading them out, said.” The participle ἐξαγαγών (exagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
sn Led them out. The action by God served to vindicate the apostles. It showed that whatever court the Jewish leaders represented, they did not represent God.
148 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
149 tn Or “speak.”
150 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
151 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
152 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
153 tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.
154 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
155 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
156 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
157 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants, like attendants to a king, the officers of the Sanhedrin (as here), assistants to magistrates, and (especially in the Gospel of John) Jewish guards in the Jerusalem temple (see L&N 35.20).
158 tn The words “for them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
159 tn Grk “reported, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
160 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
161 tn Or “captain.”
162 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
163 tn Grk “heard these words.”
164 tn Grk “concerning them,” agreeing with the plural antecedent “these words.” Since the phrase “these words” was translated as the singular “this report,” the singular “concerning it” is used here.
165 tn The optative verb here expresses confused uncertainty.
166 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
167 sn Obeying God (see v. 29), the apostles were teaching again (4:18-20; 5:20). They did so despite the risk.
168 tn Or “captain.”
169 tn Grk “the official [of the temple],” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
170 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants. See the note on the word “officers” in v. 22.
171 tn Grk “brought them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
172 tn Or “without violence.” It is clear, as well, that the apostles did not resist arrest.
173 tn Grk “for they feared lest they be stoned by the people.” The translation uses a less awkward English equivalent. This is an explanatory note by the author.
174 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
175 tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”
176 tc ‡ The majority of
177 tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).
178 sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.
179 tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
180 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
181 sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
182 tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”
183 sn Obey. See 4:19. This response has Jewish roots (Dan 3:16-18; 2 Macc 7:2; Josephus, Ant. 17.6.3 [17.159].
184 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
185 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
186 tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the first century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
187 tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).
188 tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).
189 tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
190 tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.
191 sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.
192 sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.
193 sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).
194 sn A Pharisee was a member of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
195 sn Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here in v. 34 and in Acts 22:3. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as “Gamaliel the Elder” to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the Mishnah, was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.
196 tn Grk “standing up in the council, ordered.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
197 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
198 tn Grk “said to them”; the referent (the council) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
199 tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is highly unlikely that this is a generic usage, since Gamaliel was addressing the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council, which would have been exclusively male.
200 tn Or “men, be careful.”
201 tn Grk “For before these days.”
202 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.
203 tn Grk “and they came to nothing.” Gamaliel’s argument is that these two insurrectionists were taken care of by natural events.
204 tn Or “registration.”
205 tn The verb ἀφίστημι (afisthmi) as a transitive means “cause to revolt” as used in Josephus, Ant. 8.7.5 (8.198), 20.5.2 (20.102); see BDAG 157 s.v. 1.
206 tn Here ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
207 tn Or “it will be put to an end.”
208 tn This is expressed in a first class condition, in contrast to the condition in v. 38b, which is third class. As such, v. 39 is rhetorically presented as the more likely option.
209 tn According to L&N 39.32, the verb εὑρεθῆτε (Jeureqhte, an aorist passive subjunctive) may also be translated “find yourselves” – “lest you find yourselves fighting against God.” The Jewish leader Gamaliel is shown contemplating the other possible alternative about what is occurring.
210 tn Grk “They were convinced by him.” This passive construction was converted to an active one (“He convinced them”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The phrase “He convinced them” is traditionally placed in Acts 5:40 by most English translations; the standard Greek critical text (represented by NA27 and UBS4) places it at the end of v. 39.
211 sn Had them beaten. The punishment was the “forty lashes minus one,” see also Acts 22:19; 2 Cor 11:24; Mark 13:9. The apostles had disobeyed the religious authorities and took their punishment for their “disobedience” (Deut 25:2-3; m. Makkot 3:10-14). In Acts 4:18 they were warned. Now they are beaten. The hostility is rising as the narrative unfolds.
212 tn The word “Then” is supplied as the beginning of a new sentence in the translation. The construction in Greek has so many clauses (most of them made up of participles) that a continuous English sentence would be very awkward.
213 sn That is, considered worthy by God. They “gloried in their shame” of honoring Jesus with their testimony (Luke 6:22-23; 2 Macc 6:30).
214 sn The name refers to the name of Jesus (cf. 3 John 7).
215 tn Grk “temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper and has been translated accordingly.
216 tn Grk “teaching and evangelizing.” They were still obeying God, not men (see 4:18-20; 5:29).
217 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
