Acts 3:12

3:12 When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, ¹  why are you amazed at this? Why ²  do you stare at us as if we had made this man ³  walk by our own power or piety?

Acts 4:13

4:13 When they saw the boldness ⁴  of Peter and John, and discovered ⁵  that they were uneducated ⁶  and ordinary ⁷  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.

Acts 8:13

8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to ⁸  Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. ⁹ 

Acts 9:21

9:21 All ¹⁰  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ¹¹  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ¹²  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ¹³  to the chief priests?”

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¹ tn Or perhaps “People of Israel,” since this was taking place in Solomon’s Portico and women may have been present. The Greek ἄνδρες ᾿Ισραηλῖται (andre" Israhlitai) used in the plural would normally mean “men, gentlemen” (BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).

² tn Grk “or why.”

³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Or “courage.”

⁵ tn Or “and found out.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiwtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.

⁸ tn Or “he kept close company with.”

⁹ sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.

¹⁰ tn Grk “And all.” 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.

¹¹ tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.

¹² tn Normally, “destroying,” but compare 4 Macc 4:23; 11:4 and MM 529 s.v. πορθέω for examples from Koine papyri. See also BDAG 853 s.v. πορθέω.

¹³ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.