Discovery BoxActs 7:42 
Context7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over 1 to worship the host 2 of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices 3 forty years in the wilderness, was it, 4 house of Israel?
Acts 9:17
Context9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed 5 his hands on Saul 6 and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, 7 has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 8
Acts 17:5
Context17:5 But the Jews became jealous, 9 and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, 10 they formed a mob 11 and set the city in an uproar. 12 They attacked Jason’s house, 13 trying to find Paul and Silas 14 to bring them out to the assembly. 15
1 sn The expression and gave them over suggests similarities to the judgment on the nations described by Paul in Rom 1:18-32.
2 tn Or “stars.”
sn To worship the hosts of heaven. Their action violated Deut 4:19; 17:2-5. See Ps 106:36-43.
3 tn The two terms for sacrifices “semantically reinforce one another and are here combined essentially for emphasis” (L&N 53.20).
4 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “was it?”
5 tn Grk “and placing his hands on Saul, he said.” The participle ἐπιθείς (epiqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the same reason καί (kai) has not been translated before the participle.
6 tn Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Grk “on the road in which you came,” but the relative clause makes for awkward English style, so it was translated as a temporal clause (“as you came here”).
8 sn Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here someone who is not an apostle (Ananias) commissions another person with the Spirit.
9 tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).
10 tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”
11 tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.
12 tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.
13 sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.
14 tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”
