Discovery BoxActs 2:16-21 
Context2:16 But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: 1
2:17 ‘And in the last days 2 it will be,’ God says,
‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, 3
and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
and your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
2:18 Even on my servants, 4 both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 5
2:19 And I will perform wonders in the sky 6 above
and miraculous signs 7 on the earth below,
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
2:20 The sun will be changed to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the great and glorious 8 day of the Lord comes.
2:21 And then 9 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 10
1 sn Note how in the quotation that follows all genders, ages, and classes are included. The event is like a hope Moses expressed in Num 11:29.
2 sn The phrase in the last days is not quoted from Joel, but represents Peter’s interpretive explanation of the current events as falling “in the last days.”
3 tn Grk “on all flesh.”
4 tn Grk “slaves.” Although this translation frequently renders δοῦλος (doulos) as “slave,” the connotation is often of one who has sold himself into slavery; in a spiritual sense, the idea is that of becoming a slave of God or of Jesus Christ voluntarily. The voluntary notion is not conspicuous here; hence, the translation “servants.” In any case, the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
5 sn The words and they will prophesy in Acts 2:18 are not quoted from Joel 2:29 at this point but are repeated from earlier in the quotation (Acts 2:17) for emphasis. Tongues speaking is described as prophecy, just like intelligible tongues are described in 1 Cor 14:26-33.
6 tn Or “in the heaven.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context. Here, in contrast to “the earth below,” a reference to the sky is more likely.
7 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned; this is made explicit in the translation.
8 tn Or “and wonderful.”
9 tn Grk “And it will be that.”
10 sn A quotation from Joel 2:28-32.
