Discovery BoxActs 13:17 
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.
Acts 13:23
Context13:23 From the descendants 7 of this man 8 God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. 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 Or “From the offspring”; Grk “From the seed.”
sn From the descendants (Grk “seed”). On the importance of the seed promise involving Abraham, see Gal 3:6-29.
8 sn The phrase this man is in emphatic position in the Greek text.
9 tn Grk “according to [his] promise.” The comparative clause “just as he promised” is less awkward in English.
sn Just as he promised. Note how Paul describes Israel’s history carefully to David and then leaps forward immediately to Jesus. Paul is expounding the initial realization of Davidic promise as it was delivered in Jesus.
