Discovery BoxActs 13:26 
Context13:26 Brothers, 1 descendants 2 of Abraham’s family, 3 and those Gentiles among you who fear God, 4 the message 5 of this salvation has been sent to us.
Acts 13:46-47
Context13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, 6 “It was necessary to speak the word of God 7 to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy 8 of eternal life, we 9 are turning to the Gentiles. 10 13:47 For this 11 is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed 12 you to be a light 13 for the Gentiles, to bring salvation 14 to the ends of the earth.’” 15
1 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
2 tn Grk “sons”
3 tn Or “race.”
4 tn Grk “and those among you who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Note how Paul includes God-fearing Gentiles as recipients of this promise.
5 tn Grk “word.”
6 tn Grk “Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out courageously and said.” The redundancy is removed in the translation and the verb “replied” is used in keeping with the logical sequence of events. The theme of boldness reappears: Acts 4:24-30; 9:27-28.
7 tn Grk “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.
8 tn Or “and consider yourselves unworthy.”
9 tn Grk “behold, we.” In this context ἰδού (idou) is not easily translated into English.
10 sn This turning to the Gentiles would be a shocking rebuke to 1st century Jews who thought they alone were the recipients of the promise.
11 tn Here οὕτως (Joutws) is taken to refer to what follows, the content of the quotation, as given for this verse by BDAG 742 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως 2.
12 tn BDAG 1004 s.v. τίθημι 3.a has “τιθέναι τινὰ εἴς τι place/appoint someone to or for (to function as) someth….Ac 13:47.” This is a double accusative construction of object (“you”) and complement (“a light”).
13 sn Paul alludes here to the language of the Servant in Isaiah, pointing to Isa 42:6; 49:6. He and Barnabas do the work of the Servant in Isaiah.
14 tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”
15 sn An allusion to Isa 42:6 and 49:6. The expression the ends of the earth recalls Luke 3:6 and Acts 1:8. Paul sees himself and Barnabas as carrying out the commission of Luke 24:27. (See 2 Cor 6:2, where servant imagery also appears concerning Paul’s message.)
