Discovery BoxActs 21:23-24 
Context21:23 So do what 1 we tell you: We have four men 2 who have taken 3 a vow; 4 21:24 take them and purify 5 yourself along with them and pay their expenses, 6 so that they may have their heads shaved. 7 Then 8 everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told 9 about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with 10 the law. 11
1 tn Grk “do this that.”
2 tn Grk “There are four men here.”
3 tn L&N 33.469 has “‘there are four men here who have taken a vow’ or ‘we have four men who…’ Ac 21:23.”
4 tn On the term for “vow,” see BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχή 2.
5 sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).
6 tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”
7 tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”
sn Having their heads shaved probably involved ending a voluntary Nazirite vow (Num 6:14-15).
8 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
9 tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).
10 tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”
11 sn The law refers to the law of Moses.
