Discovery BoxActs 28:22-27 
Context28:22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know 1 that people 2 everywhere speak against 3 it.”
28:23 They set 4 a day to meet with him, 5 and they came to him where he was staying 6 in even greater numbers. 7 From morning until evening he explained things 8 to them, 9 testifying 10 about the kingdom of God 11 and trying to convince 12 them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced 13 by what he said, 14 but others refused 15 to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, 16 unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors 17 through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,
‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, 18 but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, 19 but will never perceive.
28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, 20
and their ears are hard of hearing, 21
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
1 tn Grk “regarding this sect it is known to us.” The passive construction “it is known to us” has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.
2 tn Grk “that everywhere it is spoken against.” To simplify the translation the passive construction “it is spoken against” has been converted to an active one with the subject “people” supplied.
3 tn On the term translated “speak against,” see BDAG 89 s.v. ἀντιλέγω 1.
4 tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
5 tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
6 tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”
7 tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”
8 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
9 tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
10 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”
11 sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.
12 tn Or “persuade.”
13 tn Or “persuaded.”
14 tn Grk “by the things spoken.”
15 sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).
16 tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
17 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
18 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
19 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
20 tn Or “insensitive.”
sn The heart of this people has become dull. The charge from Isaiah is like Stephen’s against the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 7:51-53). They were a hard-hearted and disobedient people.
21 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
22 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
23 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
