Acts 5:28
5:28 saying, “We gave 1 you strict orders 2 not to teach in this name. 3 Look, 4 you have filled Jerusalem 5 with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood 6 on us!”
Acts 24:2
24:2 When Paul 7 had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, 8 saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time 9 of peace through your rule, 10 and reforms 11 are being made in this nation 12 through your foresight. 13
1 tc ‡ The majority of mss, including a few important witnesses (א2 D E [Ψ] 1739 Ï sy sa), have the negative particle οὐ (ou) here, effectively turning the high priest’s words into a question: “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name?” But the earliest and most important mss, along with some others (Ì74 א* A B 1175 lat bo), lack the particle, making this a strong statement rather than a question. Scribes may have been tempted to omit the particle to strengthen the contrast between official Judaism and the new faith, but the fact that v. 27 introduces the quotation with ἐπηρώτησεν (ephrwthsen, “he questioned”) may well have prompted scribes to add οὐ to convert the rebuke into a question. Further, that excellent witnesses affirm the shorter reading is sufficient ground for accepting it as most probably authentic. NA27 includes the particle in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
2 tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).
3 sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.
4 tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
5 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
6 sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Or “began to bring charges, saying.”
9 tn Grk “experienced much peace.”
10 tn Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).
11 tn This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα).
12 tn Or “being made for this people.”
13 sn References to peaceful rule, reforms, and the governor’s foresight in the opening address by Tertullus represent an attempt to praise the governor and thus make him favorable to the case. Actual descriptions of his rule portray him as inept (Tacitus, Annals 12.54; Josephus, J. W. 2.13.2-7 [2.253-270]).