Discovery BoxActs 7:57--8:1 
Context7:57 But they covered their ears, 1 shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When 2 they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, 3 and the witnesses laid their cloaks 4 at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They 5 continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell 6 to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” 7 When 8 he had said this, he died. 9 8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing 10 him.
Now on that day a great 11 persecution began 12 against the church in Jerusalem, 13 and all 14 except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions 15 of Judea and Samaria.
1 sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.
2 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
3 sn They began to stone him. The irony of the scene is that the people do exactly what the speech complains about in v. 52.
4 tn Or “outer garments.”
sn Laid their cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (in this case for throwing stones).
5 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
6 tn Grk “Then falling to his knees he cried out.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
7 sn The remarks Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and Lord, do not hold this sin against them recall statements Jesus made on the cross (Luke 23:34, 46).
8 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
9 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
10 tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).
11 tn Or “severe.”
12 tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”
13 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
14 sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.
15 tn Or “countryside.”
