Acts 13:32-33

13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ¹  13:33 that this promise ²  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ³  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ⁴  today I have fathered you.’ ⁵ 

Romans 15:8-9

15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised ⁶  on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers, ⁷  15:9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. ⁸  As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” ⁹ 

¹ tn Or “to our forefathers”; Grk “the fathers.”

² tn Grk “that this”; the referent (the promise mentioned in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Or “by resurrecting.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") is taken as instrumental here.

⁴ sn You are my Son. The key to how the quotation is used is the naming of Jesus as “Son” to the Father. The language is that of kingship, as Ps 2 indicates. Here is the promise about what the ultimate Davidic heir would be.

⁵ tn Grk “I have begotten you.” The traditional translation for γεγέννηκα (gegennhka, “begotten”) is misleading to the modern English reader because it is no longer in common use. Today one speaks of “fathering” a child in much the same way speakers of English formerly spoke of “begetting a child.”

⁶ tn Grk “of the circumcision”; that is, the Jews.

⁷ tn Or “to the patriarchs.”

⁸ tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.

⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.