15:12 The whole group kept quiet 15 and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs 16 and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
1 sn Proselytes refers to Gentile (i.e., non-Jewish) converts to Judaism.
2 tn Or “God’s mighty works.” Here the genitive τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a subjective genitive.
3 tn This clause is a first class condition. It assumes for the sake of argument that this is what they were being questioned about.
4 tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.
5 tn Or “for an act of kindness.”
6 tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.
7 sn Ananias replied. Past events might have suggested to Ananias that this was not good counsel, but like Peter in Acts 10, Ananias’ intuitions were wrong.
8 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
9 tn Grk “they lifted up their voice” (an idiom).
10 tn Grk “in Lycaonian, saying.” The word “language” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
11 tn So BDAG 707 s.v. ὁμοιόω 1. However, L&N 64.4 takes the participle ὁμοιωθέντες (Jomoiwqente") as an adjectival participle modifying θεοί (qeoi): “the gods resembling men have come down to us.”
sn The gods have come down to us in human form. Greek culture spoke of “divine men.” In this region there was a story of Zeus and Hermes visiting the area (Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.611-725). The locals failed to acknowledge them, so judgment followed. The present crowd was determined not to make the mistake a second time.
12 tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.
13 tn Or “announced.”
14 tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.
15 tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”
16 tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.
17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exhgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
19 tn BDAG 293 s.v. εἷς 5.e has “καθ᾿ ἕν one after the other (hence τὸ καθ᾿ ἕν ‘a detailed list’: PLille 11, 8 [III bc]; PTebt. 47, 34; 332, 16) J 21:25. Also καθ᾿ ἕν ἕκαστον…Ac 21:19.”
20 sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.
21 tn Grk “let those who are influential among you” (i.e., the powerful).
22 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
23 tn Grk “and if there is anything wrong with this man,” but this could be misunderstood in English to mean a moral or physical defect, while the issue in context is the commission of some crime, something legally improper (BDAG 149 s.v. ἄτοπος 2).
24 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.”
25 sn He had done nothing that deserved death. Festus’ opinion of Paul’s guilt is like Pilate’s of Jesus (Luke 23:4, 14, 22).
26 tn The participle ἐπικαλεσαμένου (epikalesamenou) has been taken temporally. It could also be translated as causal: “and because he appealed…”
27 tn A designation of the Roman emperor (in this case, Nero). BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός states, “ὁ Σεβαστός His Majesty the Emperor Ac 25:21, 25 (of Nero).”
28 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.