Discovery BoxActs 21:24 
Context21:24 take them and purify 1 yourself along with them and pay their expenses, 2 so that they may have their heads shaved. 3 Then 4 everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told 5 about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with 6 the law. 7
Acts 21:26
Context21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day, 8 and after he had purified himself 9 along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice 10 of the completion of the days of purification, 11 when 12 the sacrifice would be offered for each 13 of them.
Acts 22:30
Context22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer 14 wanted to know the true reason 15 Paul 16 was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council 17 to assemble. He then brought 18 Paul down and had him stand before them.
Acts 23:6
Context23:6 Then when Paul noticed 19 that part of them were Sadducees 20 and the others Pharisees, 21 he shouted out in the council, 22 “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection 23 of the dead!”
Acts 25:11
Context25:11 If then I am in the wrong 24 and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, 25 but if not one of their charges against me is true, 26 no one can hand me over to them. 27 I appeal to Caesar!” 28
Acts 25:24
Context25:24 Then Festus 29 said, “King Agrippa, 30 and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace 31 petitioned 32 me both in Jerusalem 33 and here, 34 shouting loudly 35 that he ought not to live any longer.
1 sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).
2 tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”
3 tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”
sn Having their heads shaved probably involved ending a voluntary Nazirite vow (Num 6:14-15).
4 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
5 tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).
6 tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”
7 sn The law refers to the law of Moses.
8 tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 11.b.β has “temporal, to be next, immediately following…τῇ ἐχομένῃ…on the next day Lk 13:33…Ac 20:15; w. ἡμέρᾳ added…21:26.”
9 tn That is, after he had undergone ritual cleansing. The aorist passive participle ἁγνισθείς (Jagnisqei") has been taken temporally of antecedent action.
10 tn Grk “entered the temple, giving notice.” The participle διαγγέλλων (diangellwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
11 sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.
12 tn Grk “until” (BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.β.א), but since in English it is somewhat awkward to say “the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice would be offered,” the temporal clause was translated “when the sacrifice would be offered.” The point is that the sacrifice would be offered when the days were completed. Paul honored the request of the Jewish Christian leadership completely. As the following verse makes clear, the vow was made for seven days.
13 tn Grk “for each one.”
14 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Grk “the certainty, why.” BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2 has “τὸ ἀ. the certainty = the truth (in ref. to ferreting out the facts…ἵνα τὸ ἀ. ἐπιγνῶ) γνῶναι 21:34; 22:30.”
16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Grk “the whole Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
18 tn Grk “and bringing.” The participle καταγαγών (katagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to clarify the logical sequence.
19 tn BDAG 200 s.v. γινώσκω 4 has “to be aware of someth., perceive, notice, realize”; this is further clarified by section 4.c: “w. ὅτι foll….Ac 23:6.”
20 sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.
21 sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.
22 tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
23 tn That is, concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected. Grk “concerning the hope and resurrection.” BDAG 320 s.v. ἐλπίς 1.b.α states, “Of Israel’s messianic hope Ac 23:6 (ἐ. καὶ ἀνάστασις for ἐ. τῆς ἀν. [obj. gen] as 2 Macc 3:29 ἐ. καὶ σωτηρία).” With an objective genitive construction, the resurrection of the dead would be the “object” of the hope.
24 tn BDAG 20 s.v. ἀδικέω 1.b has “intr. be in the wrong (Ex 2:13) εἰ ἀδικῶ Ac 25:11.”
25 tn BDAG 764 s.v. παραιτέομαι 2.b.β, “οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν I am not trying to escape death Ac 25:11 (cp. Jos., Vi. 141).” To avoid redundancy in the translation, the English gerund “dying” is used to translate the Greek infinitive ἀποθανεῖν (apoqanein).
26 tn Or “but if there is nothing to their charges against me.” Both “if” clauses in this verse are first class conditions. Paul stated the options without prejudice, assuming in turn the reality of each for the sake of the argument.
27 sn That is, no one can hand me over to them lawfully. Paul was aware of the dangers of a return to Jerusalem.
28 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
sn The appeal to Caesar was known as the provocatio ad Caesarem. It was a Roman citizen’s right to ask for a direct judgment by the emperor (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96). It was one of the oldest rights of Roman citizens.
29 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
30 sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.
31 tn Probably best understood as rhetorical hyperbole. BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ states, “people, populace, population…τὸ πλῆθος the populace…ἅπαν τὸ πλ. τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων Ac 25:24.” However, the actions of the leadership are seen by Luke as representing the actions of the entire nation, so the remark is not inaccurate.
32 tn Or “appealed to” (BDAG 341 s.v. ἐντυγχάνω 1.a).
33 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
34 sn Here means “here in Caesarea.”
35 tn Or “screaming.”
