Acts 17:11

17:11 These Jews ¹  were more open-minded ²  than those in Thessalonica, ³  for they eagerly ⁴  received ⁵  the message, examining ⁶  the scriptures carefully every day ⁷  to see if these things were so.

Acts 25:20

25:20 Because I was at a loss ⁸  how I could investigate these matters, ⁹  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁰  there on these charges. ¹¹ 

Acts 26:26

26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ¹²  to him, ¹³  because I cannot believe ¹⁴  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ¹⁵  for this was not done in a corner. ¹⁶ 

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¹ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

³ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

map For location see JP1-C1; JP2-C1; JP3-C1; JP4-C1.

⁴ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

⁵ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

⁶ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

⁷ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

⁸ tn Or “Because I was undecided.” Grk “Being at a loss.” The participle ἀπορούμενος (aporoumeno") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

⁹ tn L&N 27.34 states, “ἀπορούμενος δὲ ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ τούτων ζήτησιν ‘I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters’ Ac 25:20. The clause ‘about how I could get information on these matters’ may also be rendered as ‘about how I should try to find out about these matters’ or ‘about how I could learn about these matters.’”

¹⁰ tn Or “stand trial.”

¹¹ tn Grk “on these things.”

¹² tn BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1 states, “speak freely, openly, fearlessly…likew. in the ptc. w. a verb of saying foll.…παρρησιασάμενοι εἶπαν 13:46. – 26:26.” This could refer to boldness in speaking here.

¹³ tn Grk “to whom I am speaking freely.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“him”) to simplify the translation.

¹⁴ tn Grk “I cannot convince myself.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.a states, “οὐ πείθομαι w. acc. and inf. I cannot believe Ac 26:26” (see also BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω).

¹⁵ tn BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω states, “λανθάνειν αὐτὸν τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν I cannot bring myself to believe that any of these things has escaped his notice Ac 26:26.”

¹⁶ tn This term refers to a hidden corner (BDAG 209 s.v. γωνία). Paul’s point is that these events to which he refers were not done in a secret, hidden place, tucked away outside of view. They were done in public for all the world to see.