Discovery BoxActs 12:20 
Context12:20 Now Herod 1 was having an angry quarrel 2 with the people of Tyre 3 and Sidon. 4 So they joined together 5 and presented themselves before him. And after convincing 6 Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, 7 to help them, 8 they asked for peace, 9 because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.
Acts 17:5
Context17:5 But the Jews became jealous, 10 and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, 11 they formed a mob 12 and set the city in an uproar. 13 They attacked Jason’s house, 14 trying to find Paul and Silas 15 to bring them out to the assembly. 16
Acts 28:17
Context28:17 After three days 17 Paul 18 called the local Jewish leaders 19 together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, 20 although I had done 21 nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, 22 from Jerusalem 23 I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 24
1 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).
2 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).
3 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.
4 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.
5 tn Or “with one accord.”
6 tn Or “persuading.”
7 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.
8 tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
9 tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.
10 tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).
11 tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”
12 tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.
13 tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.
14 sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.
15 tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”
17 tn Grk “It happened that after three days.” 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.
18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn L&N 33.309 has “‘after three days, he called the local Jewish leaders together’ Ac 28:17.”
20 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
21 tn The participle ποιήσας (poihsas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
22 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
sn I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. Once again Paul claimed to be faithful to the Jewish people and to the God of Israel.
23 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
24 tn Grk “into the hands of the Romans,” but this is redundant when παρεδόθην (paredoqhn) has been translated “handed over.”
