Acts 23:7-10

23:7 When he said this, ¹  an argument ²  began ³  between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 23:8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) ⁴  23:9 There was a great commotion, ⁵  and some experts in the law ⁶  from the party of the Pharisees stood up ⁷  and protested strongly, ⁸  “We find nothing wrong ⁹  with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became ¹⁰  so great the commanding officer ¹¹  feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, ¹²  he ordered the detachment ¹³  to go down, take him away from them by force, ¹⁴  and bring him into the barracks. ¹⁵ 

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¹ tn The participle εἰπόντος (eiponto") has been translated temporally.

² tn Or “a dispute” (BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3).

³ tn Grk “there came about an argument.” This has been simplified to “an argument began”

⁴ tn BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμφότεροι 2 has “all, even when more than two are involved…Φαρισαῖοι ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀ. believe in them all 23:8.” On this belief see Josephus, J. W. 2.8.14 (2.163); Ant. 18.1.3 (18.14).

sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

⁵ tn Or “clamor” (cf. BDAG 565 s.v. κραυγή 1.a, which has “there arose a loud outcry” here, and Exod 12:30).

⁶ tn Or “and some scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.

⁷ tn Grk “standing up.” The participle ἀναστάντες (anastante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁸ tn Grk “protested strongly, saying.” L&N 39.27 has “διαμάχομαι: to fight or contend with, involving severity and thoroughness – ‘to protest strongly, to contend with.’…‘some scribes from the party of the Pharisees protested strongly’ Ac 23:9.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

⁹ sn “We find nothing wrong with this man.” Here is another declaration of innocence. These leaders recognized the possibility that Paul might have the right to make his claim.

¹⁰ tn This genitive absolute construction with the participle γινομένης (ginomenhs) has been taken temporally (it could also be translated as causal).

¹¹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

¹² tn Grk “that Paul would be torn to pieces by them.” BDAG 236 s.v. διασπάω has “of an angry mob μὴ διασπασθῇ ὁ Παῦλος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν that Paul would be torn in pieces by them Ac 23:10.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been converted to an equivalent active construction in the translation.

¹³ tn Normally this term means “army,” but according to BDAG 947 s.v. στράτευμα, “Of a smaller detachment of soldiers, sing. Ac 23:10, 27.” In the plural it can be translated “troops,” but it is singular here.

¹⁴ tn Or “to go down, grab him out of their midst.”

¹⁵ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”