Discovery BoxActs 14:16-21 
Context14:16 In 1 past 2 generations he allowed all the nations 3 to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, 4 by giving you rain from heaven 5 and fruitful seasons, satisfying you 6 with food and your hearts with joy.” 7 14:18 Even by saying 8 these things, they scarcely persuaded 9 the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.
14:19 But Jews came from Antioch 10 and Iconium, 11 and after winning 12 the crowds over, they stoned 13 Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead. 14:20 But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back 14 into the city. On 15 the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 16
14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, 17 to Iconium, 18 and to Antioch. 19
1 tn Grk “them, who in.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the pronoun “he” (“In past generations he”) and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the awkwardness of two relative clauses (“who made the heaven” and “who in past generations”) following one another.
2 tn On this term see BDAG 780 s.v. παροίχομαι. The word is a NT hapax legomenon.
3 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same). The plural here alludes to the variety of false religions in the pagan world.
4 tn The participle ἀγαθουργῶν (agaqourgwn) is regarded as indicating means here, parallel to the following participles διδούς (didou") and ἐμπιπλῶν (empiplwn). This is the easiest way to understand the Greek structure. Semantically, the first participle is a general statement, followed by two participles giving specific examples of doing good.
5 tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
6 tn Grk “satisfying [filling] your hearts with food and joy.” This is an idiomatic expression; it strikes the English reader as strange to speak of “filling one’s heart with food.” Thus the additional direct object “you” has been supplied, separating the two expressions somewhat: “satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy.”
7 sn God’s general sovereignty and gracious care in the creation are the way Paul introduces the theme of the goodness of God. He was trying to establish monotheism here. It is an OT theme (Gen 8:22; Ps 4:7; 145:15-16; 147:8-9; Isa 25:6; Jer 5:24) which also appears in the NT (Luke 12:22-34).
8 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is regarded as indicating means.
9 tn BDAG 524 s.v. καταπαύω 2.b gives both “restrain” and “dissuade someone fr. someth.,” but “they scarcely dissuaded the crowds from offering sacrifice,” while accurate, is less common in contemporary English than saying “they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice.” Paganism is portrayed as a powerful reality that is hard to reverse.
10 sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.
map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2; JP4 E2.
11 sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra. Note how Jews from other cities were chasing Paul (2 Cor 11:4-6; Gal 2:4-5; Acts 9:16).
12 tn The participle πείσαντες (peisante") is taken temporally (BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.c).
13 tn Grk “stoning Paul they dragged him.” The participle λιθάσαντες (liqasante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
14 tn Grk “and entered”; the word “back” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
15 tn Grk “And on.” 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.
16 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. This was the easternmost point of the journey.
map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.
17 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) northwest of Derbe.
map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.
18 sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra.
19 sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.
