Acts 12:21

On a day determined in advance, Herod ¹  put on his royal robes, ²  sat down on the judgment seat, ³  and made a speech ⁴  to them.

On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.

On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.

and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.

On the day set for their meeting, Herod, robed in pomposity, took his place on the throne and regaled them with a lot of hot air.

And on the day which had been fixed, Herod, dressed in his robes and seated in his place, made a public statement to them.

On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them.

So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

On a day determined in advance, Herod ¹  put on his royal robes, ²  sat down on the judgment seat, ³  and made a speech ⁴  to them.

¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

² tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.

³ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.

sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.

⁴ tn Or “delivered a public address.”