‘Why do the nations 8 rage, 9
and the peoples plot foolish 10 things?
4:26 The kings of the earth stood together, 11
and the rulers assembled together,
against the Lord and against his 12 Christ.’ 13
4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against 14 your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 15
1 tn Or “greatly annoyed,” “provoked.”
2 tn Or “proclaiming.”
3 sn With one mind. Compare Acts 1:14.
4 tn Or “Lord of all.”
sn The use of the title Master of all (δεσπότης, despoths) emphasizes that there is a sovereign God who is directing what is taking place.
5 tn Grk “and the earth, and the sea,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before “the earth” and “the sea” since contemporary English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
6 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
7 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
8 tn Or “Gentiles.”
9 sn The Greek word translated rage includes not only anger but opposition, both verbal and nonverbal. See L&N 88.185.
10 tn Or “futile”; traditionally, “vain.”
11 tn Traditionally, “The kings of the earth took their stand.”
12 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
13 sn A quotation from Ps 2:1-2.
14 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.
15 sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”