25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa 7 and Bernice arrived at Caesarea 8 to pay their respects 9 to Festus. 10
16:1 He also came to Derbe 15 and to Lystra. 16 A disciple 17 named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, 18 but whose father was a Greek. 19
18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. 20 He was an eloquent speaker, 21 well-versed 22 in the scriptures.
1 sn Ephesus was an influential city in Asia Minor. It was the location of the famous temple of Artemis. In 334
2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Grk “left them”; the referents (Priscilla and Aquila) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Grk “going”; the participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
5 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
6 tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:19. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.
7 sn King Agrippa was Herod Agrippa II (
8 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.
9 tn BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσπάζομαι 1.b states, “Of official visits pay one’s respects to…Ac 25:13.”
10 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
13 tc A few early
14 sn Rhegium was a city on the southern tip of Italy. It was 80 mi (130 km) from Syracuse.
15 tn Grk “after one day, a south wind springing up, on the second day.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐπιγενομένου (epigenomenou) has been translated as a clause with a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
16 sn Puteoli was a city on the western coast of Italy south of Rome. It was in the Bay of Naples some 220 mi (350 km) to the north of Rhegium. Here the voyage ended; the rest of the journey was by land.
19 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.
20 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.
21 tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
22 tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”
23 sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.
25 map For location see JP1-D2; JP2-D2; JP3-D2; JP4-D2.
26 tn Or “was a learned man.” In this verse λόγιος (logios) can refer to someone who was an attractive and convincing speaker, a rhetorician (L&N 33.32), or it can refer to the person who has acquired a large part of the intellectual heritage of a given culture (“learned” or “cultured,” L&N 27.20, see also BDAG 598 s.v. λόγιος which lists both meanings as possible here). The description of Apollos’ fervent speaking in the following verses, as well as implications from 1 Cor 1-4, where Paul apparently compares his style and speaking ability with that of Apollos, suggests that eloquent speaking ability or formal rhetorical skill are in view here. This clause has been moved from its order in the Greek text (Grk “a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus, who was powerful in the scriptures”) and paired with the last element (“powerful in the scriptures”) due to the demands of clarity and contemporary English style.
27 tn Grk “powerful.” BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b has “in the Scriptures = well-versed 18:24.”
31 tn Grk “setting sail from there.” The participle ἀποπλεύσαντες (apopleusante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
32 tn Or “offshore from Chios.”
33 tn Or “crossed over to,” “arrived at.” L&N 54.12 has “παραβάλλω: (a technical, nautical term) to sail up to or near – ‘to approach, to arrive at, to sail to.’ παρεβάλομεν εἰς Σάμον ‘we approached Samos’ or ‘we arrived at Samos’ Ac 20:15.”
34 sn Samos is an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor.
35 sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 40 mi (70 km) south of Ephesus. From Mitylene to Miletus was about 125 mi (200 km).
37 sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.
38 sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.
43 tn Grk “to which [promise] our twelve tribes…” The antecedent of the relative pronoun (the promise in v. 6) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
44 tn Or “earnestly worship.” The object of this service, God, is omitted but implied: BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω states, “Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7.” Although clear from the context in Greek, “God” must be supplied as the recipient of the service for the modern English reader.
45 tn Grk “I am being accused by the Jews.” The passive construction was simplified by converting it to an active one in the translation.
46 tn Grk “O King!”