13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, 1 sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, 2 and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 3 13:5 When 4 they arrived 5 in Salamis, 6 they began to proclaim 7 the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. 8 (Now they also had John 9 as their assistant.) 10
1 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn Seleucia was the port city of Antioch in Syria.
3 sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
4 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.
5 tn The participle γενόμενοι (genomenoi) is taken temporally.
6 sn Salamis was a city on the southeastern coast of the island of Cyprus. This was a commercial center and a center of Judaism.
7 tn The imperfect verb κατήγγελλον (kathngellon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
8 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
9 sn John refers here to John Mark (see Acts 12:25).
10 tn The word ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") usually has the meaning “servant,” but it is doubtful John Mark fulfilled that capacity for Barnabas and Saul. He was more likely an apprentice or assistant to them.
sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
11 tn Or “Passing by.”
12 sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.
13 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.
14 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.
15 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
16 tn The participle ἐκτιναξάμενοι (ektinaxamenoi) is taken temporally. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance (“So they shook…and went”).
17 sn Shaking the dust off their feet was a symbolic gesture commanded by Jesus to his disciples, Matt 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5. It shows a group of people as culpable before God.
18 sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 90 mi (145 km) east southeast of Pisidian Antioch. It was the easternmost city of Phrygia.