Acts 2:24-28

2:24 But God raised him up, ¹  having released ²  him from the pains ³  of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. ⁴  2:25 For David says about him,

‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, ⁵ 

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

2:26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;

my body ⁶  also will live in hope,

2:27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, ⁷ 

nor permit your Holy One to experience ⁸  decay.

2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of joy with your presence.’ ⁹ 

[2:24]  ¹ tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”

[2:24]  ² tn Or “having freed.”

[2:24]  ³ sn The term translated pains is frequently used to describe pains associated with giving birth (see Rev 12:2). So there is irony here in the mixed metaphor.

[2:24]  ⁴ tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).

[2:25]  ⁵ tn Or “always before me.”

[2:26]  ⁶ tn Grk “my flesh.”

[2:27]  ⁷ tn Or “will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Often “Hades” is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Sheol, the place of the dead.

[2:27]  ⁸ tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:28]  ⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 16:8-11.