‘Why do the nations 6 rage, 7
and the peoples plot foolish 8 things?
4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against 9 your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 10
1 tn Grk “God raising up his servant, sent him.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Some translations (e.g., NIV, NRSV) render this participle as temporal (“when God raised up his servant”).
2 sn The picture of turning is again seen as the appropriate response to the message. See v. 19 above. In v. 19 it was “turning to,” here it is “turning away from.” The direction of the two metaphors is important.
3 tn For the translation of plural πονηρία (ponhria) as “iniquities,” see G. Harder, TDNT 6:565. The plural is important, since for Luke turning to Jesus means turning away from sins, not just the sin of rejecting Jesus.
4 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
5 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
6 tn Or “Gentiles.”
7 sn The Greek word translated rage includes not only anger but opposition, both verbal and nonverbal. See L&N 88.185.
8 tn Or “futile”; traditionally, “vain.”
9 sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.
10 sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”
11 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.