Discovery BoxActs 8:25 
Context8:25 So after Peter and John 1 had solemnly testified 2 and spoken the word of the Lord, 3 they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming 4 the good news to many Samaritan villages 5 as they went. 6
Acts 10:22
Context10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, 7 a righteous 8 and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, 9 was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message 10 from you.”
Acts 13:34
Context13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus 11 from the dead, never 12 again to be 13 in a state of decay, God 14 has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you 15 the holy and trustworthy promises 16 made to David.’ 17
Acts 23:9
Context23:9 There was a great commotion, 18 and some experts in the law 19 from the party of the Pharisees stood up 20 and protested strongly, 21 “We find nothing wrong 22 with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
1 tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and could be taken to refer specifically to the warning given to Simon in the preceding verses. However, a more general reference is more likely, referring to parting exhortations from Peter and John to the entire group of believers.
3 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
4 tn Grk “they were returning to Jerusalem and were proclaiming.” The first imperfect is taken ingressively and the second is viewed iteratively (“proclaiming…as they went”).
5 sn By proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages, the apostles now actively share in the broader ministry the Hellenists had started.
6 tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).
7 sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.
8 tn Or “just.”
9 tn The phrase τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (tou eqnou" twn Ioudaiwn) is virtually a technical term for the Jewish nation (1 Macc 10:25; 11:30, 33; Josephus, Ant. 14.10.22 [14.248]). “All the Jewish people,” while another possible translation of the Greek phrase, does not convey the technical sense of a reference to the nation in English.
sn The long introduction of Cornelius by his messengers is an attempt to commend this Gentile to his Jewish counterpart, which would normally be important to do in the culture of the time.
10 tn Grk “hear words.”
11 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Although μηκέτι (mhketi) can mean “no longer” or “no more,” the latter is more appropriate here, since to translate “no longer” in this context could give the reader the impression that Jesus did experience decay before his resurrection. Since the phrase “no more again to be” is somewhat awkward in English, the simpler phrase “never again to be” was used instead.
13 tn The translation “to be in again” for ὑποστρέφω (Jupostrefw) is given in L&N 13.24.
14 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn The pronoun “you” is plural here. The promises of David are offered to the people.
16 tn Or “the trustworthy decrees made by God to David.” The phrase τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά (ta Josia Dauid ta pista) is “compressed,” that is, in a very compact or condensed form. It could be expanded in several different ways. BDAG 728 s.v. ὅσιος 3 understands it to refer to divine decrees: “I will grant you the sure decrees of God relating to David.” BDAG then states that this quotation from Isa 55:3 is intended to show that the following quotation from Ps 16:10 could not refer to David himself, but must refer to his messianic descendant (Jesus). L&N 33.290 render the phrase “I will give to you the divine promises made to David, promises that can be trusted,” although they also note that τὰ ὅσια in Acts 13:34 can mean “divine decrees” or “decrees made by God.” In contemporary English it is less awkward to translate πιστά as an adjective (“trustworthy”). The concept of “divine decrees,” not very understandable to the modern reader, has been replaced by “promises,” and since God is the implied speaker in the context, it is clear that these promises were made by God.
17 sn A quotation from Isa 55:3. The point of this citation is to make clear that the promise of a Davidic line and blessings are made to the people as well.
18 tn Or “clamor” (cf. BDAG 565 s.v. κραυγή 1.a, which has “there arose a loud outcry” here, and Exod 12:30).
19 tn Or “and some scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
20 tn Grk “standing up.” The participle ἀναστάντες (anastante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
21 tn Grk “protested strongly, saying.” L&N 39.27 has “διαμάχομαι: to fight or contend with, involving severity and thoroughness – ‘to protest strongly, to contend with.’…‘some scribes from the party of the Pharisees protested strongly’ Ac 23:9.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
22 sn “We find nothing wrong with this man.” Here is another declaration of innocence. These leaders recognized the possibility that Paul might have the right to make his claim.
