¹ tn Or “ritually cleansed,” or “atoned for” (NIV).

¹ tn Grk “the first,” in order of approach in the ritual.

¹ tn Heb “defiled; desecrated,” that is, “made ritually unclean and unusable.”

² tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

² tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

¹ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

⁴ sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.

² tn Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.”

¹ tn That is, to conduct the religious rituals directed to the Lord.

¹ tn Heb “an owner of a ritual pit.” See the note at v. 3.

⁴ sn See L. R. Fisher, “New Ritual Calendar from Ugarit,” HTR 63 (1970): 485-501.

² tn Regarding these ritual materials, see the note on v. 4 above.

¹ sn Ritually purified. Paul’s claim here is that he was honoring the holiness of God by being sensitive to issues of ritual purity. Not only was he not guilty of the charges against him, but he was thoroughly devout.

³ sn The issue here is inappropriate associations. Jews were very careful about personal associations and contact as a matter of ritual cleanliness. Their question borders on an accusation that Jesus is ritually unclean.

¹ sn The Lord here uses a metaphor from the realm of ritual purification. For the use of water in ritual cleansing, see Exod 30:19-20; Lev 14:51; Num 19:18; Heb 10:22.

¹ sn See Hebrews 9:10 and Mark 7:4 for other references to the Jewish practice of ritual washings.

⁵ sn The woman was most likely suffering from a vaginal hemorrhage, in which case her bleeding would make her ritually unclean.

¹ sn The figurative language calls for genuine repentance and not merely external ritual that goes through the motions.

² sn The unworked heifer, fresh stream, and uncultivated valley speak of ritual purity—of freedom from human contamination.

² sn Seven is a number with religious significance; it is often required in sacrificial ritual for atonement or for purification.