Discovery BoxActs 4:1-3 
Context4:1 While Peter and John 1 were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander 2 of the temple guard 3 and the Sadducees 4 came up 5 to them, 4:2 angry 6 because they were teaching the people and announcing 7 in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 4:3 So 8 they seized 9 them and put them in jail 10 until the next day (for it was already evening).
Acts 4:26-28
Context4:26 The kings of the earth stood together, 11
and the rulers assembled together,
against the Lord and against his 12 Christ.’ 13
4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against 14 your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 15 4:28 to do as much as your power 16 and your plan 17 had decided beforehand 18 would happen.
1 tn Grk “While they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Or “captain.”
3 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
sn The commander of the temple guard was the title of the officer commanding the Jewish soldiers responsible for guarding and keeping order in the temple courts in Jerusalem.
4 sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 3:7; 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.
5 tn Or “approached.” This verb often denotes a sudden appearing (BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1).
6 tn Or “greatly annoyed,” “provoked.”
7 tn Or “proclaiming.”
8 tn Grk “And” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the logical sequence of events.
9 tn Or “they arrested”; Grk “they laid hands on.”
10 tn Or “prison,” “custody.”
11 tn Traditionally, “The kings of the earth took their stand.”
12 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
13 sn A quotation from Ps 2:1-2.
14 sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.
15 sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”
16 tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.
17 tn Or “purpose,” “will.”
18 tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.
