Text -- Acts 1:20-26 (NET)

1:20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his house become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it,’ and ‘Let another take his position of responsibility.’ 1:21 Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us, 1:22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day he was taken up from us– one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.” 1:23 So they proposed two candidates: Joseph called Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. 1:24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know the hearts of all. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 1:25 to assume the task of this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 1:26 Then they cast lots for them, and the one chosen was Matthias; so he was counted with the eleven apostles.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Act 1:20

¹ tn Or “uninhabited” or “empty.”

² sn A quotation from Ps 69:25.

³ tn Or “Let another take his office.”

sn A quotation from Ps 109:8.

NET Notes: Act 1:21

¹ tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, where a successor to Judas is being chosen, only men were under consideration in the original historical context.

² tn Grk “the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.” According to BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β, “ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ ᾧ εἰσῆλθεν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς went in and out among us = associated with us Ac 1:21.”

NET Notes: Act 1:22

¹ tn Here the pronoun “he” refers to Jesus.

NET Notes: Act 1:23

¹ tc Codex Bezae (D) and other Western witnesses have “he proposed,” referring to Peter, thus emphasizing his role above the other apostles. The Western text displays a conscious pattern of elevating Peter in Acts, and thus the singular verb here is a palpably motivated reading.

² tn Grk “So they proposed two.” The word “candidates” was supplied in the text for clarity.

NET Notes: Act 1:24

¹ tn Grk “And praying, they said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

NET Notes: Act 1:25

¹ tn Grk “to take the place.”

² tn Or “of this ministry.”

³ tn Or “the task of this service and apostleship which Judas ceased to perform.”

⁴ sn To go to his own place. This may well be a euphemism for Judas’ judged fate. He separated himself from them, and thus separated he would remain.

NET Notes: Act 1:26

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

² tn Grk “and the lot fell on Matthias.”

³ tn Or “he was counted as one of the apostles along with the eleven.”