Genesis 7:1-24 
Context7:1 The Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. 1 7:2 You must take with you seven 2 of every kind of clean animal, 3 the male and its mate, 4 two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate, 7:3 and also seven 5 of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, 6 to preserve their offspring 7 on the face of the earth. 7:4 For in seven days 8 I will cause it to rain 9 on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the ground every living thing that I have made.”
7:5 And Noah did all 10 that the Lord commanded him.
7:6 Noah 11 was 600 years old when the floodwaters engulfed 12 the earth. 7:7 Noah entered the ark along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives because 13 of the floodwaters. 7:8 Pairs 14 of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground, 7:9 male and female, came into the ark to Noah, 15 just as God had commanded him. 16 7:10 And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth. 17
7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month – on that day all the fountains of the great deep 18 burst open and the floodgates of the heavens 19 were opened. 7:12 And the rain fell 20 on the earth forty days and forty nights.
7:13 On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives. 21 7:14 They entered, 22 along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings. 23 7:15 Pairs 24 of all creatures 25 that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. 7:16 Those that entered were male and female, 26 just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.
7:17 The flood engulfed the earth for forty days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth. 7:18 The waters completely overwhelmed 27 the earth, and the ark floated 28 on the surface of the waters. 7:19 The waters completely inundated 29 the earth so that even 30 all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. 7:20 The waters rose more than twenty feet 31 above the mountains. 32 7:21 And all living things 33 that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all humankind. 7:22 Everything on dry land that had the breath of life 34 in its nostrils died. 7:23 So the Lord 35 destroyed 36 every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky. 37 They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived. 38 7:24 The waters prevailed over 39 the earth for 150 days.
Matthew 7:1-29
Context7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 40 7:2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 41 7:3 Why 42 do you see the speck 43 in your brother’s eye, but fail to see 44 the beam of wood 45 in your own? 7:4 Or how can you say 46 to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? 7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 7:6 Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs; otherwise they will trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces. 47
7:7 “Ask 48 and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door 49 will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks 50 receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 7:9 Is 51 there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 52 7:11 If you then, although you are evil, 53 know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts 54 to those who ask him! 7:12 In 55 everything, treat others as you would want them 56 to treat you, 57 for this fulfills 58 the law and the prophets.
7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 59 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 60 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 61 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 62 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 63 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do 64 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 65
7:24 “Everyone 66 who hears these words of mine and does them is like 67 a wise man 68 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood 69 came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 70
7:28 When 71 Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 7:29 because he taught them like one who had authority, 72 not like their experts in the law. 73
Ezra 7:1-28
Context7:1 Now after these things had happened, during the reign of King Artaxerxes 74 of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. 75 Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah, 7:2 who was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub, 7:3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth, 7:4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki, 7:5 who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron the chief priest. 7:6 This Ezra is the one who came up from Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7:7 In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought 76 up to Jerusalem 77 some of the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants. 7:8 He entered Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 7:9 On the first day of the first month he had determined to make 78 the ascent from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, 79 for the good hand of his God was on him. 7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself 80 to the study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching 81 its statutes and judgments in Israel.
7:11 What follows 82 is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. 83 Ezra was 84 a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:
7:12 85 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven: 7:13 I have now issued a decree 86 that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel – even the priests and Levites – who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem. 87 7:14 You are authorized 88 by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession, 89 7:15 and to bring silver and gold which the king and his advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in Jerusalem, 7:16 along with all the silver and gold that you may collect 90 throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem. 7:17 With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate 91 meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem. 7:18 You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues 92 with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God. 7:19 Deliver to 93 the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God. 7:20 The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have to supply, 94 you may do so from the royal treasury.
7:21 “I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of 95 Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you – 7:22 up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of olive oil, 96 and unlimited 97 salt. 7:23 Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath 98 against the empire of the king and his sons? 7:24 Furthermore, be aware of the fact 99 that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God.
7:25 “Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, 100 appoint judges 101 and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught. 7:26 Everyone who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king will be completely 102 liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison.”
7:27 103 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who so moved in the heart of the king to so honor the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem! 7:28 He has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Acts 7:1-60
Context7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” 104 7:2 So he replied, 105 “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather 106 Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 7:3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ 107 7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God 108 made him move 109 to this country where you now live. 7:5 He 110 did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, 111 not even a foot of ground, 112 yet God 113 promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, 114 even though Abraham 115 as yet had no child. 7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your 116 descendants will be foreigners 117 in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. 118 7:7 But I will punish 119 the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there 120 and worship 121 me in this place.’ 122 7:8 Then God 123 gave Abraham 124 the covenant 125 of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, 126 and Isaac became the father of 127 Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 128 7:9 The 129 patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold 130 him into Egypt. But 131 God was with him, 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made 132 him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 7:11 Then a famine occurred throughout 133 Egypt and Canaan, causing 134 great suffering, and our 135 ancestors 136 could not find food. 7:12 So when Jacob heard that there was grain 137 in Egypt, he sent our ancestors 138 there 139 the first time. 7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family 140 became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message 141 and invited 142 his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people 143 in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, 144 along with our ancestors, 145 7:16 and their bones 146 were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money 147 from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
7:17 “But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, 148 the people increased greatly in number 149 in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about 150 Joseph ruled 151 over Egypt. 152 7:19 This was the one who exploited 153 our people 154 and was cruel to our ancestors, 155 forcing them to abandon 156 their infants so they would die. 157 7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful 158 to God. For 159 three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, 160 Pharaoh’s daughter adopted 161 him and brought him up 162 as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained 163 in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful 164 in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind 165 to visit his fellow countrymen 166 the Israelites. 167 7:24 When 168 he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, 169 Moses 170 came to his defense 171 and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people 172 would understand that God was delivering them 173 through him, 174 but they did not understand. 175 7:26 The next day Moses 176 saw two men 177 fighting, and tried to make peace between 178 them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed 179 Moses 180 aside, saying, ‘Who made 181 you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 You don’t want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 182 7:29 When the man said this, 183 Moses fled and became a foreigner 184 in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
7:30 “After 185 forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert 186 of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 187 7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, 188 the God of Abraham, Isaac, 189 and Jacob.’ 190 Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. 191 7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 192 7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering 193 of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. 194 Now 195 come, I will send you to Egypt.’ 196 7:35 This same 197 Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ 198 God sent as both ruler and deliverer 199 through the hand of the angel 200 who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs 201 in the land of Egypt, 202 at 203 the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 204 for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 205 ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 206 7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation 207 in the wilderness 208 with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, 209 and he 210 received living oracles 211 to give to you. 212 7:39 Our 213 ancestors 214 were unwilling to obey 215 him, but pushed him aside 216 and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt 217 – we do not know what has happened to him!’ 218 7:41 At 219 that time 220 they made an idol in the form of a calf, 221 brought 222 a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing 223 in the works of their hands. 224 7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over 225 to worship the host 226 of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices 227 forty years in the wilderness, was it, 228 house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle 229 of Moloch 230 and the star of the 231 god Rephan, 232 the images you made to worship, but I will deport 233 you beyond Babylon.’ 234 7:44 Our ancestors 235 had the tabernacle 236 of testimony in the wilderness, 237 just as God 238 who spoke to Moses ordered him 239 to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our 240 ancestors 241 received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, 242 until the time 243 of David. 7:46 He 244 found favor 245 with 246 God and asked that he could 247 find a dwelling place 248 for the house 249 of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house 250 for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High 251 does not live in houses made by human hands, 252 as the prophet says,
7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
and earth is the footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is my resting place? 253
7:50 Did my hand 254 not make all these things?’ 255
7:51 “You stubborn 256 people, with uncircumcised 257 hearts and ears! 258 You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors 259 did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors 260 not persecute? 261 They 262 killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, 263 whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! 264 7:53 You 265 received the law by decrees given by angels, 266 but you did not obey 267 it.” 268
7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious 269 and ground their teeth 270 at him. 7:55 But Stephen, 271 full 272 of the Holy Spirit, looked intently 273 toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 274 at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. 275 “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, 276 shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When 277 they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, 278 and the witnesses laid their cloaks 279 at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They 280 continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell 281 to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” 282 When 283 he had said this, he died. 284
1 tn Heb “for you I see [as] godly before me in this generation.” The direct object (“you”) is placed first in the clause to give it prominence. The verb “to see” here signifies God’s evaluative discernment.
2 tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).
3 sn For a study of the Levitical terminology of “clean” and “unclean,” see L. E. Toombs, IDB 1:643.
4 tn Heb “a male and his female” (also a second time at the end of this verse). The terms used here for male and female animals (אִישׁ, ’ish) and אִשָּׁה, ’ishah) normally refer to humans.
5 tn Or “seven pairs” (cf. NRSV).
6 tn Here (and in v. 9) the Hebrew text uses the normal generic terms for “male and female” (זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה, zakhar unÿqevah).
7 tn Heb “to keep alive offspring.”
8 tn Heb “for seven days yet,” meaning “after [or “in”] seven days.”
9 tn The Hiphil participle מַמְטִיר (mamtir, “cause to rain”) here expresses the certainty of the act in the imminent future.
10 tn Heb “according to all.”
11 tn Heb “Now Noah was.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + predicate nominative after implied “to be” verb) provides background information. The age of Noah receives prominence.
12 tn Heb “and the flood was water upon.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial/temporal in relation to the preceding clause. The verb הָיָה (hayah) here carries the nuance “to come” (BDB 225 s.v. הָיָה). In this context the phrase “come upon” means “to engulf.”
13 tn The preposition מִן (min) is causal here, explaining why Noah and his family entered the ark.
14 tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”
15 tn The Hebrew text of vv. 8-9a reads, “From the clean animal[s] and from the animal[s] which are not clean and from the bird[s] and everything that creeps on the ground, two two they came to Noah to the ark, male and female.”
16 tn Heb “Noah”; the pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
17 tn Heb “came upon.”
18 tn The Hebrew term תְּהוֹם (tÿhom, “deep”) refers to the watery deep, the salty ocean – especially the primeval ocean that surrounds and underlies the earth (see Gen 1:2).
sn The watery deep. The same Hebrew term used to describe the watery deep in Gen 1:2 (תְּהוֹם, tihom) appears here. The text seems to picture here subterranean waters coming from under the earth and contributing to the rapid rise of water. The significance seems to be, among other things, that in this judgment God was returning the world to its earlier condition of being enveloped with water – a judgment involving the reversal of creation. On Gen 7:11 see G. F. Hasel, “The Fountains of the Great Deep,” Origins 1 (1974): 67-72; idem, “The Biblical View of the Extent of the Flood,” Origins 2 (1975): 77-95.
19 sn On the prescientific view of the sky reflected here, see L. I. J. Stadelmann, The Hebrew Conception of the World (AnBib), 46.
20 tn Heb “was.”
21 tn Heb “On that very day Noah entered, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and the wife of Noah, and the three wives of his sons with him into the ark.”
22 tn The verb “entered” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23 tn Heb “every bird, every wing.”
24 tn Heb “two two” meaning “in twos.”
25 tn Heb “flesh.”
26 tn Heb “Those that went in, male and female from all flesh they went in.”
27 tn Heb “and the waters were great and multiplied exceedingly.” The first verb in the sequence is וַיִּגְבְּרוּ (vayyigbÿru, from גָּבַר, gavar), meaning “to become great, mighty.” The waters did not merely rise; they “prevailed” over the earth, overwhelming it.
28 tn Heb “went.”
29 tn Heb “and the waters were great exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters.
30 tn Heb “and.”
31 tn Heb “rose fifteen cubits.” Since a cubit is considered by most authorities to be about eighteen inches, this would make the depth 22.5 feet. This figure might give the modern reader a false impression of exactness, however, so in the translation the phrase “fifteen cubits” has been rendered “more than twenty feet.”
32 tn Heb “the waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward and they covered the mountains.” Obviously, a flood of twenty feet did not cover the mountains; the statement must mean the flood rose about twenty feet above the highest mountain.
33 tn Heb “flesh.”
34 tn Heb “everything which [has] the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils from all which is in the dry land.”
35 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the
36 tn Heb “wiped away” (cf. NRSV “blotted out”).
37 tn Heb “from man to animal to creeping thing and to the bird of the sky.”
38 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁאָר (sha’ar) means “to be left over; to survive” in the Niphal verb stem. It is the word used in later biblical texts for the remnant that escapes judgment. See G. F. Hasel, “Semantic Values of Derivatives of the Hebrew Root só’r,” AUSS 11 (1973): 152-69.
39 sn The Hebrew verb translated “prevailed over” suggests that the waters were stronger than the earth. The earth and everything in it were no match for the return of the chaotic deep.
40 sn The point of the statement do not judge so that you will not be judged is that the standards we apply to others God applies to us. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.
41 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured to you.”
42 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
43 sn The term translated speck refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw; see L&N 3.66.
44 tn Or “do not notice.”
45 sn The term beam of wood refers to a very big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (L&N 7.78).
46 tn Grk “how will you say?”
47 tn Or “otherwise the latter will trample them under their feet and the former will turn around and tear you to pieces.” This verse is sometimes understood as a chiasm of the pattern a-b-b-a, in which the first and last clauses belong together (“dogs…turn around and tear you to pieces”) and the second and third clauses belong together (“pigs…trample them under their feet”).
48 sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.
49 tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.
50 sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.
51 tn Grk “Or is there.”
52 sn The two questions of vv. 9-10 expect the answer, “No parent would do this!”
53 tn The participle ὄντες (ontes) has been translated concessively.
54 sn The provision of the good gifts is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. The teaching as a whole stresses not that we get everything we want, but that God gives the good that we need.
55 tn Grk “Therefore in.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
56 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
57 sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others as you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but here it is stated in its most emphatic, selfless form.
58 tn Grk “is.”
59 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
60 tn Grk “They do not gather.” This has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.
61 sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
62 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
63 sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.
64 tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
65 tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
66 tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
67 tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
68 tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.
69 tn Grk “the rivers.”
70 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
71 tn Grk “And it happened when.” The introductory phrase καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
72 sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim; he taught with authority. A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.
73 tn Or “their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
74 sn If the Artaxerxes of Ezra 7:1 is Artaxerxes I Longimanus (ca. 464–423
75 tn The words “came up from Babylon” do not appear in the Hebrew text until v. 6. They have been supplied here for the sake of clarity.
76 tc The translation reads the Hiphil singular וַיַּעֲל (vayya’al, “he [Ezra] brought up”) rather than the Qal plural וַיַּעַלוּ (vayya’alu, “they came up”) of the MT.
tn Heb “he brought”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
77 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
78 tc The translation reads יִסַּד (yissad, “he appointed” [= determined]) rather than the reading יְסֻד (yÿsud, “foundation”) of the MT. (The words “to make” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.)
79 sn Apparently it took the caravan almost four months to make the five hundred mile journey.
80 tn Heb “established his heart.”
81 tn Heb “to do and to teach.” The expression may be a hendiadys, in which case it would have the sense of “effectively teaching.”
82 tn Heb “this.”
83 tn Heb “the priest, the scribe.” So also in v. 21.
84 tn The words “Ezra was” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.
85 sn Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew.
86 tn Heb “from me is placed a decree.” So also in v. 21.
87 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
88 tn Aram “sent.”
89 tn Aram “in your hand.”
90 tn Aram “find.”
91 tn Aram “their meal offerings and their libations.”
92 tn Aram “brothers.”
93 tn Or “before.”
94 tn Aram “may fall to you to give.”
95 tn Aram “who are in.”
96 tc The translation reads מְשַׁח בַּתִּין (mÿshakh battin) rather than מְשַׁח בַּתִּין (battin mÿshakh) of the MT.
97 tn Aram “he did not write.”
98 tn The Aramaic word used here for “wrath” (קְצַף, qÿtsaf; cf. Heb קָצַף, qatsaf) is usually used in the Hebrew Bible for God’s anger as opposed to human anger (but contra Eccl 5:17 [MT 5:16]; Esth 1:18; 2 Kgs 3:27). The fact that this word is used in v. 23 may have theological significance, pointing to the possibility of divine judgment if the responsible parties should fail to make available these provisions for the temple.
99 tn Aram “we are making known to you.”
100 tn Aram “in your hand.”
101 tc For the MT reading שָׁפְטִין (shoftim, “judges”) the LXX uses the noun γραμματεῖς (grammatei", “scribes”).
102 tn On the meaning of this word see HALOT 1820-21 s.v. אָסְפַּרְנָא; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 14.
103 sn At this point the language of the book reverts from Aramaic (7:12-26) back to Hebrew.
104 tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).
105 tn Grk “said.”
106 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
107 sn A quotation from Gen 12:1.
108 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
109 tn The translation “made him move” for the verb μετοικίζω (metoikizw) is given by L&N 85.83. The verb has the idea of “resettling” someone (BDAG 643 s.v.); see v. 43, where it reappears.
110 tn Grk “And he.” 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.
111 tn Grk “He did not give him an inheritance in it.” This could be understood to mean that God did not give something else to Abraham as an inheritance while he was living there. The point of the text is that God did not give any of the land to him as an inheritance, and the translation makes this clear.
112 tn Grk “a step of a foot” (cf. Deut 2:5).
113 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
114 sn An allusion to Gen 12:7; 13:15; 15:2, 18; 17:8; 24:7; 48:4. On the theological importance of the promise and to his descendants after him, see Rom 4 and Gal 3.
115 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
116 tn Grk “that his”; the discourse switches from indirect to direct with the following verbs. For consistency the entire quotation is treated as second person direct discourse in the translation.
117 tn Or “will be strangers,” that is, one who lives as a noncitizen of a foreign country.
118 sn A quotation from Gen 15:13. Exod 12:40 specifies the sojourn as 430 years.
119 tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α states, “Oft. the emphasis is unmistakably laid upon that which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict, upon the condemnation or punishment: condemn, punish …Ac 7:7 (Gen 15:14).”
120 tn The words “of there” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
sn A quotation from Gen 15:14.
121 tn Or “and serve,” but with religious/cultic overtones (BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω).
122 sn An allusion to Exod 3:12.
123 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
124 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
125 sn God gave…the covenant. Note how the covenant of promise came before Abraham’s entry into the land and before the building of the temple.
126 tn Grk “circumcised him on the eighth day,” but many modern readers will not understand that this procedure was done on the eighth day after birth. The temporal clause “when he was eight days old” conveys this idea more clearly. See Gen 17:11-12.
127 tn The words “became the father of” are not in the Greek text due to an ellipsis, but must be supplied for the English translation. The ellipsis picks up the verb from the previous clause describing how Abraham fathered Isaac.
128 sn The twelve patriarchs refers to the twelve sons of Jacob, the famous ancestors of the Jewish race (see Gen 35:23-26).
129 tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
130 tn The meaning “sell” for the middle voice of ἀποδίδωμι (apodidwmi) is given by BDAG 110 s.v. 5.a. See Gen 37:12-36, esp. v. 28.
131 tn Though the Greek term here is καί (kai), in context this remark is clearly contrastive: Despite the malicious act, God was present and protected Joseph.
132 tn Or “appointed.” See Gen 41:41-43.
133 tn Grk “came upon all Egypt.”
134 tn Grk “and,” but logically causal.
135 sn Our. Stephen spoke of “our” ancestors (Grk “fathers”) in an inclusive sense throughout the speech until his rebuke in v. 51, where the nation does what “your” ancestors did, at which point an exclusive pronoun is used. This serves to emphasize the rebuke.
136 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
137 tn Or possibly “food,” since in a number of extrabiblical contexts the phrase σιτία καὶ ποτά (sitia kai pota) means “food and drink,” where solid food is contrasted with liquid nourishment (L&N 3.42).
138 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
139 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
140 tn BDAG 194 s.v. γένος 2. gives “family, relatives” here; another alternative is “race” (see v. 19).
141 tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
142 tn Or “Joseph had his father summoned” (BDAG 121 s.v. ἀποστέλλω 2.b).
143 tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).
144 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
145 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
146 tn “and they.”
147 sn See Gen 49:29-32.
148 tn Grk “But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near that God had declared to Abraham.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to improve English style. See vv. 6-7 above.
149 tn Grk “the people increased and multiplied.”
150 tn Or simply “did not know.” However, in this context the point is that the new king knew nothing about Joseph, not whether he had known him personally (which is the way “did not know Joseph” could be understood).
151 tn Grk “arose,” but in this context it clearly refers to a king assuming power.
152 sn A quotation from Exod 1:8.
153 tn According to L&N 88.147 it is also possible to translate κατασοφισάμενος (katasofisameno") as “took advantage by clever words” or “persuaded by sweet talk.”
154 tn Or “race.”
155 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
156 tn Or “expose” (BDAG 303 s.v. ἔκθετος).
157 tn Grk “so that they could not be kept alive,” but in this context the phrase may be translated either “so that they would not continue to live,” or “so that they would die” (L&N 23.89).
158 tn Or “was well-formed before God,” or “was well-pleasing to God” (BDAG 145 s.v. ἀστεῖος suggests the meaning is more like “well-bred” as far as God was concerned; see Exod 2:2).
159 tn Grk “who was brought up for three months.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation by changing the relative pronoun to a regular pronoun (“he”).
160 tn Or “exposed” (see v. 19).
161 tn Grk “Pharaoh’s daughter took him up for herself.” According to BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω, “The pap. exx. involve exposed children taken up and reared as slaves…The rendering ‘adopt’ lacks philological precision and can be used only in a loose sense (as NRSV), esp. when Gr-Rom. terminology relating to adoption procedures is taken into account.” In this instance both the immediate context and the OT account (Exod 2:3-10) do support the normal sense of the English word “adopt,” although it should not be understood to refer to a technical, legal event.
162 tn Or “and reared him” (BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b).
163 tn Or “instructed.”
164 tn Or “was able” (BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b.α).
165 tn Grk “heart.”
166 tn Grk “brothers.” The translation “compatriot” is given by BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.
167 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”
168 tn Grk “And when.” 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.
169 tn “Hurt unfairly” conveys a better sense of the seriousness of the offense against the Israelite than “treated unfairly,” which can sometimes refer to slight offenses, or “wronged,” which can refer to offenses that do not involve personal violence, as this one probably did.
170 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
171 tn Or “he defended,” “he retaliated” (BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμύνομαι).
172 tn Grk “his brothers.”
173 tn Grk “was granting them deliverance.” The narrator explains that this act pictured what Moses could do for his people.
174 tn Grk “by his hand,” where the hand is a metaphor for the entire person.
175 sn They did not understand. Here is the theme of the speech. The people did not understand what God was doing through those he chose. They made the same mistake with Joseph at first. See Acts 3:17; 13:27. There is good precedent for this kind of challenging review of history in the ancient scriptures: Ps 106:6-46; Ezek 20; and Neh 9:6-38.
176 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
177 tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).
178 tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).
179 tn Or “repudiated Moses,” “rejected Moses” (BDAG 126-27 s.v. ἀπωθέω 2).
180 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
181 tn Or “appointed.”
182 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do you?”
sn A quotation from Exod 2:14. Even though a negative reply was expected, the question still frightened Moses enough to flee, because he knew his deed had become known. This understanding is based on the Greek text, not the Hebrew of the original setting. Yet the negative here expresses the fact that Moses did not want to kill the other man. Once again the people have badly misunderstood the situation.
183 tn Grk “At this word,” which could be translated either “when the man said this” or “when Moses heard this.” Since λόγος (logos) refers to the remark made by the Israelite, this translation has followed the first option.
184 tn Or “resident alien.” Traditionally πάροικος (paroiko") has been translated “stranger” or “alien,” but the level of specificity employed with “foreigner” or “resident alien” is now necessary in contemporary English because a “stranger” is a person not acquainted with someone, while an “alien” can suggest science fiction imagery.
185 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and contemporary English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
186 tn Or “wilderness.”
187 sn An allusion to Exod 3:2.
188 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
189 tn Grk “and Isaac,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
190 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6. The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation.
191 tn Or “to investigate,” “to contemplate” (BDAG 522 s.v. κατανοέω 2).
192 sn A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.
193 tn Or “mistreatment.”
194 tn Or “to set them free.”
195 tn Grk “And now.” 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.
196 sn A quotation from Exod 3:7-8, 10.
197 sn This same. The reference to “this one” occurs five times in this speech. It is the way the other speeches in Acts refer to Jesus (e.g., Acts 2:23).
198 sn A quotation from Exod 2:14 (see Acts 7:27). God saw Moses very differently than the people of the nation did. The reference to a ruler and a judge suggests that Stephen set up a comparison between Moses and Jesus, but he never finished his speech to make the point. The reader of Acts, however, knowing the other sermons in the book, recognizes that the rejection of Jesus is the counterpoint.
199 tn Or “liberator.” The meaning “liberator” for λυτρωτήν (lutrwthn) is given in L&N 37.129: “a person who liberates or releases others.”
200 tn Or simply “through the angel.” Here the “hand” could be understood as a figure for the person or the power of the angel himself. The remark about the angel appearing fits the first century Jewish view that God appears to no one (John 1:14-18; Gal 3:19; Deut 33:2 LXX).
201 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
sn Performing wonders and miraculous signs. Again Moses acted like Jesus. The phrase appears 9 times in Acts (2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12).
202 tn Or simply “in Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
203 tn Grk “and at,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
204 tn Or “desert.”
205 tn Grk “to the sons of Israel.”
206 sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. This quotation sets up Jesus as the “leader-prophet” like Moses (Acts 3:22; Luke 9:35).
207 tn This term, ἐκκλησία (ekklhsia), is a secular use of the term that came to mean “church” in the epistles. Here a reference to an assembly is all that is intended.
208 tn Or “desert.”
209 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
210 tn Grk “fathers, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new clause introduced by “and” was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
211 tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.
212 tc ‡ The first person pronoun ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “to us”) is read by A C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy, while the second person pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”) is read by Ì74 א B 36 453 al co. The second person pronoun thus has significantly better external support. As well, ὑμῖν is a harder reading in this context, both because it is surrounded by first person pronouns and because Stephen perhaps “does not wish to disassociate himself from those who received God’s revelation in the past, but only from those who misinterpreted and disobeyed that revelation” (TCGNT 307). At the same time, Stephen does associate himself to some degree with his disobedient ancestors in v. 39, suggesting that the decisive break does not really come until v. 51 (where both his present audience and their ancestors are viewed as rebellious). Thus, both externally and internally ὑμῖν is the preferred reading.
213 tn Grk “whom our.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.
214 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
215 sn To obey. Again the theme of the speech is noted. The nation disobeyed the way of God and opted for Egypt over the promised land.
216 sn Pushed him aside. This is the second time Moses is “pushed aside” in Stephen’s account (see v. 27).
217 tn Or simply “of Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
218 sn A quotation from Exod 32:1, 23. Doubt (we do not know what has happened to him) expresses itself in unfaithful action. The act is in contrast to God’s promise in Exod 23:20.
219 tn Grk “And.” 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.
220 tn Grk “In those days.”
221 tn Or “a bull calf” (see Exod 32:4-6). The term μοσχοποιέω (moscopoiew) occurs only in Christian writings according to BDAG 660 s.v.
222 tn Grk “and brought,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
223 tn The imperfect verb εὐφραίνοντο (eufrainonto) has been translated ingressively. See BDAG 414-15 s.v. εὐφραίνω 2.
224 tn Or “in what they had done.”
225 sn The expression and gave them over suggests similarities to the judgment on the nations described by Paul in Rom 1:18-32.
226 tn Or “stars.”
sn To worship the hosts of heaven. Their action violated Deut 4:19; 17:2-5. See Ps 106:36-43.
227 tn The two terms for sacrifices “semantically reinforce one another and are here combined essentially for emphasis” (L&N 53.20).
228 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “was it?”
229 tn Or “tent.”
sn A tabernacle was a tent used to house religious objects or a shrine (i.e., a portable sanctuary).
230 sn Moloch was a Canaanite deity who was believed to be the god of the sky and the sun.
231 tc ‡ Most
232 sn Rephan (῾Ραιφάν, RJaifan) was a pagan deity. The term was a name for Saturn. It was variously spelled in the
233 tn Or “I will make you move.”
234 sn A quotation from Amos 5:25-27. This constituted a prediction of the exile.
235 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
236 tn Or “tent.”
sn The tabernacle was the tent used to house the ark of the covenant before the construction of Solomon’s temple. This is where God was believed to reside, yet the people were still unfaithful.
237 tn Or “desert.”
238 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
239 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
240 tn Grk “And.” 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.
241 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
242 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
sn Before our ancestors. Stephen has backtracked here to point out how faithful God had been before the constant move to idolatry just noted.
243 tn Grk “In those days.”
244 tn Grk “David, who” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
245 tn Or “grace.”
246 tn Grk “before,” “in the presence of.”
247 tn The words “that he could” are not in the Greek text, but are implied as the (understood) subject of the infinitive εὑρεῖν (Jeurein). This understands David’s request as asking that he might find the dwelling place. The other possibility would be to supply “that God” as the subject of the infinitive: “and asked that God find a dwelling place.” Unfortunately this problem is complicated by the extremely difficult problem with the Greek text in the following phrase (“house of Jacob” vs. “God of Jacob”).
248 tn On this term see BDAG 929 s.v. σκήνωμα a (Ps 132:5).
249 tc Some
250 sn See 1 Kgs 8:1-21.
251 sn The title the Most High points to God’s majesty (Heb 7:1; Luke 1:32, 35; Acts 16:7).
252 sn The phrase made by human hands is negative in the NT: Mark 14:58; Acts 17:24; Eph 2:11; Heb 9:11, 24. It suggests “man-made” or “impermanent.” The rebuke is like parts of the Hebrew scripture where the rebuke is not of the temple, but for making too much of it (1 Kgs 8:27; Isa 57:15; 1 Chr 6:8; Jer 7:1-34).
253 sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.
254 tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.
255 tn The question in Greek introduced with οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply.
sn A quotation from Isa 66:1-2. If God made the heavens, how can a human building contain him?
256 sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
257 tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
258 tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
259 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
260 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
261 sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.
262 tn Grk “And they.” 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.
263 sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.
264 sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).
265 tn Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
266 tn Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so BDAG 291 s.v. εἰς 9, BDF §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees.
sn Decrees given by angels. According to Jewish traditions in the first century, the law of Moses was mediated through angels. See also the note on “angel” in 7:35.
267 tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.
268 tn Or “did not obey it.”
269 tn This verb, which also occurs in Acts 5:33, means “cut to the quick” or “deeply infuriated” (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπρίω).
270 tn Or “they gnashed their teeth.” This idiom is a picture of violent rage (BDAG 184 s.v. βρύχω). See also Ps 35:16.
271 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
272 tn Grk “being full,” but the participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has not been translated since it would be redundant in English.
273 tn Grk “looking intently toward heaven, saw.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
274 sn The picture of Jesus standing (rather than seated) probably indicates his rising to receive his child. By announcing his vision, Stephen thoroughly offended his audience, who believed no one could share God’s place in heaven. The phrase is a variation on Ps 110:1.
275 tn Grk “And he said, ‘Look!’” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.
276 sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.
277 tn Grk “And when.” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.
278 sn They began to stone him. The irony of the scene is that the people do exactly what the speech complains about in v. 52.
279 tn Or “outer garments.”
sn Laid their cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (in this case for throwing stones).
280 tn Grk “And they.” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.
281 tn Grk “Then falling to his knees he cried out.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
282 sn The remarks Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and Lord, do not hold this sin against them recall statements Jesus made on the cross (Luke 23:34, 46).
283 tn Grk “And when.” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.
284 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.
