4:13 When they saw the boldness 3 of Peter and John, and discovered 4 that they were uneducated 5 and ordinary 6 men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.
1 tn Grk “alms,” but this term is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “donations,” is used instead. The idea is that of a donation to charity.
2 sn Amazement is a frequent response to miracles of Jesus or the apostles. These took the ancients by as much surprise as they would people today. But in terms of response to what God is doing, amazement does not equal faith (Luke 4:36; 5:9, 26; 7:16).
3 tn Or “courage.”
4 tn Or “and found out.”
5 sn Uneducated does not mean “illiterate,” that is, unable to read or write. Among Jews in NT times there was almost universal literacy, especially as the result of widespread synagogue schools. The term refers to the fact that Peter and John had no formal rabbinic training and thus, in the view of their accusers, were not qualified to expound the law or teach publicly. The objection is like Acts 2:7.
6 tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiwtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.
7 tn Or “informed.”
8 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.