Discovery BoxActs 14:3-11 
Context14:3 So they stayed there 1 for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified 2 to the message 3 of his grace, granting miraculous signs 4 and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population 5 of the city was divided; some 6 sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made 7 an attempt to mistreat 8 them and stone them, 9 14:6 Paul and Barnabas 10 learned about it 11 and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra 12 and Derbe 13 and the surrounding region. 14:7 There 14 they continued to proclaim 15 the good news.
14:8 In 16 Lystra 17 sat a man who could not use his feet, 18 lame from birth, 19 who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul 20 stared 21 intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” 22 And the man 23 leaped up and began walking. 24 14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted 25 in the Lycaonian language, 26 “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 27
1 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
2 sn The Lord testified to the message by granting the signs described in the following clause.
3 tn Grk “word.”
4 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
5 tn BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ has this translation for πλῆθος (plhqo").
6 tn These clauses are a good example of the contrastive μὲν…δέ (men…de) construction: Some “on the one hand” sided with the Jews, but some “on the other hand” sided with the apostles.
7 tn Grk “So there came about an attempt” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
8 tn On this verb see BDAG 1022 s.v. ὑβρίζω.
9 tn The direct object “them” is repeated after both verbs in the translation for stylistic reasons, although it occurs only after λιθοβολῆσαι (liqobolhsai) in the Greek text.
10 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Grk “learning about it, fled.” The participle συνιδόντες (sunidonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. It could also be taken temporally (“when they learned about it”) as long as opening clause of v. 5 is not translated as a temporal clause too, which results in a redundancy.
12 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium, a Roman colony that was not on the main roads of Lycaonia. Because of its relative isolation, its local character was able to be preserved.
map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.
13 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra.
map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.
14 tn Grk “region, and there.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated and a new sentence begun in the translation.
15 tn The periphrastic construction εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ἦσαν (euangelizomenoi hsan) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
16 tn Grk “And in.” 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.
17 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium.
map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.
18 tn Grk “powerless in his feet,” meaning he was unable to use his feet to walk.
19 tn Grk “lame from his mother’s womb” (an idiom).
sn The description lame from birth makes clear how serious the condition was, and how real it was. This event is very similar to Acts 3:1-10, except here the lame man’s faith is clear from the start.
20 tn Grk “speaking, who.” The relative pronoun has been replaced by the noun “Paul,” and a new sentence begun in the translation because an English relative clause would be very awkward here.
21 tn Or “looked.”
22 tn BDAG 722 s.v. ὀρθός 1.a has “stand upright on your feet.”
23 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn This verb is imperfect tense in contrast to the previous verb, which is aorist. It has been translated ingressively, since the start of a sequence is in view here.
25 tn Grk “they lifted up their voice” (an idiom).
26 tn Grk “in Lycaonian, saying.” The word “language” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
27 tn So BDAG 707 s.v. ὁμοιόω 1. However, L&N 64.4 takes the participle ὁμοιωθέντες (Jomoiwqente") as an adjectival participle modifying θεοί (qeoi): “the gods resembling men have come down to us.”
sn The gods have come down to us in human form. Greek culture spoke of “divine men.” In this region there was a story of Zeus and Hermes visiting the area (Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.611-725). The locals failed to acknowledge them, so judgment followed. The present crowd was determined not to make the mistake a second time.
