27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies, 3
for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me. 4
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves, 5
and falsely accuse me. 6
24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias 17 came down with some elders and an attorney 18 named 19 Tertullus, and they 20 brought formal charges 21 against Paul to the governor. 24:2 When Paul 22 had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, 23 saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time 24 of peace through your rule, 25 and reforms 26 are being made in this nation 27 through your foresight. 28 24:3 Most excellent Felix, 29 we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way 30 with all gratitude. 31 24:4 But so that I may not delay 32 you any further, I beg 33 you to hear us briefly 34 with your customary graciousness. 35 24:5 For we have found 36 this man to be a troublemaker, 37 one who stirs up riots 38 among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader 39 of the sect of the Nazarenes. 40 24:6 He 41 even tried to desecrate 42 the temple, so we arrested 43 him. 24:7 [[EMPTY]] 44 24:8 When you examine 45 him yourself, you will be able to learn from him 46 about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” 47 24:9 The Jews also joined in the verbal attack, 48 claiming 49 that these things were true.
24:10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know 50 that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. 51 24:11 As you can verify 52 for yourself, not more than twelve days ago 53 I went up to Jerusalem 54 to worship. 24:12 They did not find me arguing 55 with anyone or stirring up a crowd 56 in the temple courts 57 or in the synagogues 58 or throughout the city, 59 24:13 nor can they prove 60 to you the things 61 they are accusing me of doing. 62
1 tn Heb “led him.”
2 tn Heb “and they stoned him with stones and he died.”
3 tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”
4 tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.
5 tn Heb “witnesses of violence rise up.”
6 tn Heb “[that] which I do not know they ask me.”
7 tn Grk “Now the.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
9 tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.
10 tn Grk “heard him”; but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”
11 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
12 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
13 tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.
15 sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.
16 sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.
17 sn Ananias was in office from
18 tn The term refers to a professional advocate (BDAG 905 s.v. ῥήτωρ).
19 tn Grk “an attorney, a certain Tertullus.”
20 tn Grk “who” (plural). Because in English the relative pronoun “who” could be understood to refer only to the attorney Tertullus and not to the entire group, it has been replaced with the third person plural pronoun “they.” “And” has been supplied to provide the connection to the preceding clause.
21 tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ἐ. τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone…Ac 24:1; 25:2.”
22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Or “began to bring charges, saying.”
24 tn Grk “experienced much peace.”
25 tn Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).
26 tn This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα).
27 tn Or “being made for this people.”
28 sn References to peaceful rule, reforms, and the governor’s foresight in the opening address by Tertullus represent an attempt to praise the governor and thus make him favorable to the case. Actual descriptions of his rule portray him as inept (Tacitus, Annals 12.54; Josephus, J. W. 2.13.2-7 [2.253-270]).
29 sn Most excellent Felix. See the note on Felix in 23:24.
30 tn Grk “in every way and everywhere.”
31 tn Or “with complete thankfulness.” BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχαριστία 1 has “μετὰ πάσης εὐ.…with all gratitude Ac 24:3.” L&N 31.26 has “‘we acknowledge this anywhere and everywhere with complete thankfulness’ Ac 24:3.”
32 tn Or “may not weary.” BDAG 274 s.v. ἐγκόπτω states, “ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖόν σε ἐγκόπτω Ac 24:4 is understood by Syr. and Armen. versions to mean in order not to weary you any further; cp. ἔγκοπος weary Diog. L. 4, 50; LXX; and ἔγκοπον ποιεῖν to weary Job 19:2; Is 43:23. But impose on is also prob.; detain NRSV.”
33 tn Or “request.”
34 tn This term is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 976 s.v. συντόμως 2). Tertullus was asking for a brief hearing, and implying to the governor that he would speak briefly and to the point.
35 tn BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιείκεια has “τῇ σῇ ἐ. with your (customary) indulgence Ac 24:4.”
36 tn Grk “For having found.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeurontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
37 tn L&N 22.6 has “(a figurative extension of meaning of λοιμός ‘plague,’ 23.158) one who causes all sorts of trouble – ‘troublemaker, pest.’ … ‘for we have found this man to be a troublemaker” Ac 24:5.”
38 tn Or “dissensions.” While BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3 translates this phrase “κινεῖν στάσεις (v.l. στάσιν) τισί create dissension among certain people Ac 24:5,” it is better on the basis of the actual results of Paul’s ministry to categorize this usage under section 2, “uprising, riot, revolt, rebellion” (cf. the use in Acts 19:40).
39 tn This term is yet another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 894 s.v. πρωτοστάτης).
40 sn The sect of the Nazarenes is a designation for followers of Jesus the Nazarene, that is, Christians.
41 tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.
42 tn Or “profane” (BDAG 173 s.v. βεβηλόω). The term was also used of profaning the Sabbath.
43 tn Or “seized.” Grk “whom also we arrested.” Because of the awkwardness of a relative clause in English at this point, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the pronoun “him” as object of the verb.
44 tc Some later
45 tn Or “question.”
46 tn Grk “From whom when you examine him yourself, you will be able to learn…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun at the beginning of v. 8 in the translation.
47 tn Grk “about all these things of which we are accusing him.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“of which”) in the translation.
48 tn Grk “joined in the attack,” but the adjective “verbal” has been supplied to clarify that this was not another physical assault on Paul. The verb is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 969 s.v. συνεπιτίθημι).
49 tn Or “asserting” (BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσκω).
50 tn Grk “knowing.” The participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistamenos) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
51 sn “Because…defense.” Paul also paid an indirect compliment to the governor, implying that he would be fair in his judgment.
52 tn BDAG 369 s.v. ἐπιγινώσκω 2.c has “notice, perceive, learn of, ascertain…Also as legal t.t. ascertain (2 Macc 14:9) τὶ Ac 23:28; cp. 24:8. W. ὅτι foll. Ac 24:11.” “Verify” is an English synonym for “ascertain.”
53 tn Grk “it is not more than twelve days from when.” This has been simplified to “not more than twelve days ago.”
54 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
55 tn Or “disputing,” “conducting a heated discussion.”
56 tn BDAG 381 s.v. ἐπίστασις 2 has “ἐ. ποιεῖν ὄχλου to cause a crowd to gather Ac 24:12.” Roman authorities would not allow a mob to gather and threaten the peace, and anyone suspected of instigating a mob would certainly be arrested.
57 tn Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
58 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
59 sn A second part of Paul’s defense is that he did nothing while he was in Jerusalem to cause unrest, neither arguing nor stirring up a crowd in the temple courts or in the synagogues or throughout the city.
60 tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 1.f has “οὐδὲ παραστῆσαι δύνανταί σοι περὶ ὧν νυνὶ κατηγοροῦσίν μου nor can they prove to you the accusations they are now making against me Ac 24:13.”
61 tn The words “the things” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
62 tn Grk “nor can they prove to you [the things] about which they are now accusing me.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“which”) in the translation.