Discovery BoxActs 13:17-18 
Context13:17 The God of this people Israel 1 chose our ancestors 2 and made the people great 3 during their stay as foreigners 4 in the country 5 of Egypt, and with uplifted arm 6 he led them out of it. 13:18 For 7 a period of about forty years he put up with 8 them in the wilderness. 9
1 tn Or “people of Israel.”
2 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
sn Note how Paul identifies with his audience by referring to our ancestors. He speaks as a Jew. God’s design in history is the theme of the speech. The speech is like Stephen’s, only here the focus is on a promised Son of David.
3 tn That is, in both numbers and in power. The implication of greatness in both numbers and in power is found in BDAG 1046 s.v. ὑψόω 2.
4 tn Or “as resident aliens.”
5 tn Or “land.”
6 sn Here uplifted arm is a metaphor for God’s power by which he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. See Exod 6:1, 6; 32:11; Deut 3:24; 4:34; Ps 136:11-12.
7 tn Grk “And for.” 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.
8 tn For this verb, see BDAG 1017 s.v. τροποφορέω (cf. also Deut 1:31; Exod 16:35; Num 14:34).
9 tn Or “desert.”
