Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin 3 – that is, the whole high council 4 of the Israelites 5 – and sent to the jail to have the apostles 6 brought before them. 7
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.
1 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
2 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
3 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
4 tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.
5 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
6 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
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 “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
29 tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
30 tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.
31 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
32 tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
33 tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.
34 tn Grk “But they.”
35 sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.
36 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
37 tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.
38 tn Or “decide.” BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω has “ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ to make a more thorough examination of his case Ac 23:15.”
39 tn Grk “determine the things about him.”
40 tn The expression “more thorough inquiry” reflects the comparative form of ἀκριβέστερον (akribesteron).
41 sn “We are ready to kill him.” Now those Jews involved in the conspiracy, along with the leaders as accomplices, are going to break one of the ten commandments.
42 tn The words “this place” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
43 tn Grk “do not be persuaded by them.” The passive construction μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς (mh peisqh" autoi") has been converted to an active construction in the translation, and the phrase “to do this” supplied to indicate more clearly the object of their persuasion.
44 tn Grk “forty men of them.” In the expression ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες (ex autwn andre") “men” is somewhat redundant and has not been included in the English translation.
45 tn Grk “are lying in wait for him” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνεδρεύω); see also v. 16.
46 tn Grk “for him, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.
47 tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone… ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.”
48 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
49 tn Grk “waiting for your approval,” “waiting for your agreement.” Since it would be possible to misunderstand the literal translation “waiting for your approval” to mean that the Jews were waiting for the commander’s approval to carry out their plot or to kill Paul (as if he were to be an accomplice to their plot), the object of the commander’s approval (their request to bring Paul to the council) has been specified in the translation as “their request.”