2:17 ‘And in the last days 1 it will be,’ God says,
‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, 2
and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
and your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
12:20 Now Herod 14 was having an angry quarrel 15 with the people of Tyre 16 and Sidon. 17 So they joined together 18 and presented themselves before him. And after convincing 19 Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, 20 to help them, 21 they asked for peace, 22 because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.
28:17 After three days 28 Paul 29 called the local Jewish leaders 30 together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, 31 although I had done 32 nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, 33 from Jerusalem 34 I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 35
28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, 36
and their ears are hard of hearing, 37
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, 38 and I would heal them.”’ 39
1 sn The phrase in the last days is not quoted from Joel, but represents Peter’s interpretive explanation of the current events as falling “in the last days.”
2 tn Grk “on all flesh.”
3 tn Grk “Remaining to you.”
4 tn The negative interrogative particle οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply to this question and the following one (“And when it was sold, was it not at your disposal?”).
5 tn Grk “it”; the referent of the pronoun (the money generated from the sale of the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Grk “How is it that you have [or Why have you] placed this deed in your heart?” Both of these literal translations differ from the normal way of expressing the thought in English.
7 tn Grk “to men.” If Peter’s remark refers only to the apostles, the translation “to men” would be appropriate. But if (as is likely) the action was taken to impress the entire congregation (who would presumably have witnessed the donation or been aware of it) then the more general “to people” is more appropriate, since the audience would have included both men and women.
8 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
9 tn Grk “So it happened that” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
10 tn Grk “year they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Grk “a significant crowd.”
12 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
13 sn The term Christians appears only here, in Acts 26:28, and 1 Pet 4:16 in the NT.
14 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
15 tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).
16 sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.
map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
17 sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).
map For location see Map1-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3.
18 tn Or “with one accord.”
19 tn Or “persuading.”
20 tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.
21 tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
22 tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.
23 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.
24 tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.
25 sn The term translated mistiness here appears in the writings of the physician Galen as a medical technical description of a person who is blind. The picture of judgment to darkness is symbolic as well. Whatever power Elymas had, it represented darkness. Magic will again be an issue in Acts 19:18-19. This judgment is like that of Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11.
26 tn Grk “fell on.”
27 tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”
28 tn Grk “It happened that after three days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
29 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30 tn L&N 33.309 has “‘after three days, he called the local Jewish leaders together’ Ac 28:17.”
31 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
32 tn The participle ποιήσας (poihsas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
33 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
sn I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. Once again Paul claimed to be faithful to the Jewish people and to the God of Israel.
34 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
35 tn Grk “into the hands of the Romans,” but this is redundant when παρεδόθην (paredoqhn) has been translated “handed over.”
36 tn Or “insensitive.”
sn The heart of this people has become dull. The charge from Isaiah is like Stephen’s against the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 7:51-53). They were a hard-hearted and disobedient people.
37 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
38 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
39 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.