1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem 1 from the mountain 2 called the Mount of Olives 3 (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey 4 away).
13:42 As Paul and Barnabas 10 were going out, 11 the people 12 were urging 13 them to speak about these things 14 on the next Sabbath.
1 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
2 tn Or “from the hill.” The Greek term ὄρος (oros) refers to a relatively high elevation of land in contrast with βουνός (bounos, “hill”).
3 sn The Mount of Olives is the traditional name for this mountain, also called Olivet. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 100 ft (30 m) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
4 sn The phrase a Sabbath day’s journey refers to the distance the rabbis permitted a person to travel on the Sabbath without breaking the Sabbath, specified in tractate Sotah 5:3 of the Mishnah as 2,000 cubits (a cubit was about 18 inches). In this case the distance was about half a mile (1 km).
5 tn Or “Passing by.”
6 sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.
7 tn Or “at Antioch in Pisidia.”
sn Pisidian Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 100 mi (160 km) north of Perga. It was both a Roman colony and the seat of military and civil authority in S. Galatia. One had to trek over the Taurus Mountains to get there, since the city was 3,600 ft (1,100 m) above sea level.
map For location see JP1-E2; JP2-E2; JP3-E2; JP4-E2.
8 tn Grk “going into the synagogue they sat down.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
9 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
10 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Or “were leaving.” The participle ἐξιόντων (exiontwn) is taken temporally.
12 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Or “begging,” “inviting.”
14 tn Or “matters.”
15 tn Grk “from generations of old”; the translation “fr. ancient times” is given by BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 3.b.
16 tn The translation “read aloud” is used to indicate the actual practice; translating as “read” could be misunderstood to mean private, silent reading.
17 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
18 tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.