Discovery BoxActs 13:11 
Context13:11 Now 1 look, the hand of the Lord is against 2 you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness 3 and darkness came over 4 him, and he went around seeking people 5 to lead him by the hand.
Acts 21:24
Context21:24 take them and purify 6 yourself along with them and pay their expenses, 7 so that they may have their heads shaved. 8 Then 9 everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told 10 about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with 11 the law. 12
Acts 23:21
Context23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, 13 because more than forty of them 14 are lying in ambush 15 for him. They 16 have bound themselves with an oath 17 not to eat or drink anything 18 until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” 19
Acts 25:24
Context25:24 Then Festus 20 said, “King Agrippa, 21 and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace 22 petitioned 23 me both in Jerusalem 24 and here, 25 shouting loudly 26 that he ought not to live any longer.
1 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.
2 tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.
3 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.
4 tn Grk “fell on.”
5 tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”
6 sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).
7 tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”
8 tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”
sn Having their heads shaved probably involved ending a voluntary Nazirite vow (Num 6:14-15).
9 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
10 tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).
11 tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”
12 sn The law refers to the law of Moses.
13 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.
14 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.
15 tn Grk “are lying in wait for him” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνεδρεύω); see also v. 16.
16 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.
17 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.”
18 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.
19 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.”
20 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
21 sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.
22 tn Probably best understood as rhetorical hyperbole. BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ states, “people, populace, population…τὸ πλῆθος the populace…ἅπαν τὸ πλ. τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων Ac 25:24.” However, the actions of the leadership are seen by Luke as representing the actions of the entire nation, so the remark is not inaccurate.
23 tn Or “appealed to” (BDAG 341 s.v. ἐντυγχάνω 1.a).
24 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
25 sn Here means “here in Caesarea.”
26 tn Or “screaming.”
