Discovery BoxActs 7:40 
Context7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt 1 – we do not know what has happened to him!’ 2
Acts 7:44
Context7:44 Our ancestors 3 had the tabernacle 4 of testimony in the wilderness, 5 just as God 6 who spoke to Moses ordered him 7 to make it according to the design he had seen.
Acts 19:33
Context19:33 Some of the crowd concluded 8 it was about 9 Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. 10 Alexander, gesturing 11 with his hand, was wanting to make a defense 12 before the public assembly. 13
Acts 23:23
Context23:23 Then 14 he summoned 15 two of the centurions 16 and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea 17 along with seventy horsemen 18 and two hundred spearmen 19 by 20 nine o’clock tonight, 21
Acts 24:10
Context24:10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know 22 that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. 23
Acts 25:16
Context25:16 I answered them 24 that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone 25 before the accused had met his accusers face to face 26 and had been given 27 an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. 28
1 tn Or simply “of Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
2 sn A quotation from Exod 32:1, 23. Doubt (we do not know what has happened to him) expresses itself in unfaithful action. The act is in contrast to God’s promise in Exod 23:20.
3 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
4 tn Or “tent.”
sn The tabernacle was the tent used to house the ark of the covenant before the construction of Solomon’s temple. This is where God was believed to reside, yet the people were still unfaithful.
5 tn Or “desert.”
6 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
8 tn Or “Some of the crowd gave instructions to.”
9 tn The words “it was about” are not in the Greek text but are implied; ᾿Αλέξανδρον (Alexandron) is taken to be an accusative of general reference.
10 tn BDAG 865 s.v. προβάλλω 1 has “to cause to come forward, put forward…τινά someone…push someone forward to speak in the theater…Ac 19:33.”
11 tn Or “motioning.”
12 sn The nature of Alexander’s defense is not clear. It appears he was going to explain, as a Jew, that the problem was not caused by Jews, but by those of “the Way.” However, he never got a chance to speak.
13 tn Or “before the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δ. make a defense before the assembly vs. 33.”
14 tn Grk “And.” Since this represents a response to the reported ambush, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
15 tn Grk “summoning…he said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
16 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
17 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was a journey of about 65 mi (just over 100 km).
map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
18 tn Or “cavalrymen.”
19 tn A military technical term of uncertain meaning. BDAG 217 s.v. δεξιολάβος states, “a word of uncertain mng., military t.t., acc. to Joannes Lydus…and Theophyl. Sim., Hist. 4, 1 a light-armed soldier, perh. bowman, slinger; acc. to a scholion in CMatthaei p. 342 body-guard….Spearman Goodspd., NRSV; ‘security officer’, GDKilpatrick, JTS 14, ’63, 393f.”
sn Two hundred soldiers…along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. The resulting force assembled to guard Paul was almost a full cohort. The Roman commander was taking no chances, but was sending the issue up the chain of command to the procurator to decide.
20 tn Grk “from.”
21 tn Grk “from the third hour of the night.”
22 tn Grk “knowing.” The participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistamenos) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
23 sn “Because…defense.” Paul also paid an indirect compliment to the governor, implying that he would be fair in his judgment.
24 tn Grk “to whom I answered.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 16.
sn “I answered them.” In the answer that follows, Festus is portrayed in a more positive light, being sensitive to justice and Roman law.
25 tn Grk “any man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos).
26 tn Or “has met his accusers in person.”
27 tn Grk “and receives.”
28 tn Or “indictment” (a legal technical term). BDAG 273-74 s.v. ἔγκλημα 1 states, “legal t.t.…ἀπολογία περὶ τοῦ ἐ. defense against the accusation Ac 25:16.” L&N 56.6 defines ἔγκλημα (enklhma) as “(a technical, legal term) a formal indictment or accusation brought against someone – ‘indictment, accusation, case.’ …‘and might receive an opportunity for a defense against the indictment’ Ac 25:16.”
