‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, 14 but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, 15 but will never perceive.
1 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
2 tn Grk “sons”
3 tn Or “race.”
4 tn Grk “and those among you who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Note how Paul includes God-fearing Gentiles as recipients of this promise.
5 tn Grk “word.”
6 tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 2 has “to set upon, attack, lay a hand on” here, but “assault” is a contemporary English equivalent very close to the meaning of the original.
7 tn Or “injure.”
11 tn Or “be watchful.”
12 tn Or “admonishing.”
16 sn He had done nothing that deserved death. Festus’ opinion of Paul’s guilt is like Pilate’s of Jesus (Luke 23:4, 14, 22).
17 tn The participle ἐπικαλεσαμένου (epikalesamenou) has been taken temporally. It could also be translated as causal: “and because he appealed…”
18 tn A designation of the Roman emperor (in this case, Nero). BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός states, “ὁ Σεβαστός His Majesty the Emperor Ac 25:21, 25 (of Nero).”
19 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
21 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
22 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).