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 13:22
Context13:22 After removing him, God 7 raised up 8 David their king. He testified about him: 9 ‘I have found David 10 the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, 11 who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ 12
Acts 14:3
Context14:3 So they stayed there 13 for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified 14 to the message 15 of his grace, granting miraculous signs 16 and wonders to be performed through their hands.
Acts 23:11
Context23:11 The following night the Lord 17 stood near 18 Paul 19 and said, “Have courage, 20 for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, 21 so you must also testify in Rome.” 22
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 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 sn The expression raised up refers here to making someone king. There is a wordplay here: “raising up” refers to bringing someone onto the scene of history, but it echoes with the parallel to Jesus’ resurrection.
9 tn Grk “about whom.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek. The verb εἶπεν (eipen) has not been translated (literally “he said testifying”) because it is redundant when combined with the participle μαρτυρήσας (marturhsa", “testifying”). Instead the construction of verb plus participle has been translated as a single English verb (“testified”).
10 sn A quotation from Ps 89:20.
11 sn A quotation from 1 Sam 13:14.
12 tn Or “who will perform all my will,” “who will carry out all my wishes.”
13 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
14 sn The Lord testified to the message by granting the signs described in the following clause.
15 tn Grk “word.”
16 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
17 sn The presence of the Lord indicated the vindicating presence and direction of God.
18 tn Grk “standing near Paul, said.” The participle ἐπιστάς (epistas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
19 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 tn Or “Do not be afraid.”
21 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
22 sn Like Jesus went to Jerusalem, Paul would now go to Rome. This trip forms the concluding backdrop to Acts. This is the second notice about going to Rome (see Acts 19:21 for the first).
map For location see JP4 A1.
