13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: 4 Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, 5 Lucius the Cyrenian, 6 Manaen (a close friend of Herod 7 the tetrarch 8 from childhood 9 ) and Saul.
2:18 Even on my servants, 10 both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 11
3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time 12 for prayer, 13 at three o’clock in the afternoon. 14
99:6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel was one of those who prayed to him. 19
They 20 prayed to the Lord and he answered them.
15:1 Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for 21 these people, I would not feel pity for them! 22 Get them away from me! Tell them to go away! 23
1 tn The words “all this took” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete statement in English. There is debate over where this period of 450 years fits and what it includes: (1) It could include the years in Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and the distribution of the land; (2) some connect it with the following period of the judges. This latter approach seems to conflict with 1 Kgs 6:1; see also Josephus, Ant. 8.3.1 (8.61).
2 tn Grk “And after these things.” 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.
3 tn The words “the time of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
4 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).
5 sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”
6 sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.
7 sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4
8 tn Or “the governor.”
9 tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”
10 tn Grk “slaves.” Although this translation frequently renders δοῦλος (doulos) as “slave,” the connotation is often of one who has sold himself into slavery; in a spiritual sense, the idea is that of becoming a slave of God or of Jesus Christ voluntarily. The voluntary notion is not conspicuous here; hence, the translation “servants.” In any case, the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
11 sn The words and they will prophesy in Acts 2:18 are not quoted from Joel 2:29 at this point but are repeated from earlier in the quotation (Acts 2:17) for emphasis. Tongues speaking is described as prophecy, just like intelligible tongues are described in 1 Cor 14:26-33.
12 tn Grk “hour.”
13 sn Going up to the temple at the time for prayer. The earliest Christians, being of Jewish roots, were still participating in the institutions of Judaism at this point. Their faith in Christ did not make them non-Jewish in their practices.
14 tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” This is calculated from sunrise (Josephus, Ant. 14.4.3 [14.65]; Dan 9:21).
15 tn Or “relief.”
16 tn The words “so that…Lord” are traditionally placed in v. 19 by most English translations, but in the present translation the verse division follows the standard critical editions of the Greek text (NA27, UBS4).
17 tn Or “the Christ”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
18 tn Or “designated in advance.”
19 tn Heb “among those who called on his name.”
20 tn Heb “those who.” The participle is in apposition to the phrase “those who called on his name” in the preceding line.
21 tn The words “pleading for” have been supplied in the translation to explain the idiom (a metonymy). For parallel usage see BDB 763 s.v. עָמַד Qal.1.a and compare usage in Gen 19:27, Deut 4:10.
22 tn Heb “my soul would not be toward them.” For the usage of “soul” presupposed here see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 6 in the light of the complaints and petitions in Jeremiah’s prayer in 14:19, 21.
23 tn Heb “Send them away from my presence and let them go away.”