2:37 Now when they heard this, 1 they were acutely distressed 2 and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?”
25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; 11
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. 12
25:9 May he show 13 the humble what is right! 14
May he teach 15 the humble his way!
143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, 16
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, 17
because I long for you. 18
143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord!
I run to you for protection. 19
143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, 20
for you are my God.
May your kind presence 21
lead me 22 into a level land. 23
1 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
2 tn Grk “they were pierced to the heart” (an idiom for acute emotional distress).
3 tn Or “But arise.”
4 tn Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.
5 tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalw" poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).
6 tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enwpion tou qeou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.
7 tn Or “to hear everything.”
8 tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.
9 tn Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
10 tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.
11 tn Heb “good and just.”
12 tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”
13 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.
14 tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.
15 tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).
16 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.
17 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
18 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (na’as nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
19 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nastiy, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of kaf (כ) and nun (נ) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (’el, “to”) is well-attested.
20 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
21 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
22 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
23 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.