Acts 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ¹  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ²  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ³  against the native Hebraic Jews, ⁴  because their widows ⁵  were being overlooked ⁶  in the daily distribution of food. ⁷ 

Acts 26:14

26:14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ⁸  ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ⁹  by kicking against the goads.’ ¹⁰ 

Luke 23:38

23:38 There was also an inscription ¹¹  over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”

John 5:2

5:2 Now there is ¹²  in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate ¹³  a pool called Bethzatha ¹⁴  in Aramaic, ¹⁵  which has five covered walkways. ¹⁶ 

John 19:13

19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat ¹⁷  in the place called “The Stone Pavement” ¹⁸  (Gabbatha in ¹⁹  Aramaic). ²⁰ 

John 19:17

19:17 and carrying his own cross ²¹  he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” ²²  (called in Aramaic ²³  Golgotha). ²⁴ 

John 19:20

19:20 Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem ²⁵  read this notice, ²⁶  because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, ²⁷  Latin, and Greek.

Revelation 9:11

9:11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. ²⁸ 

Revelation 16:16

16:16 Now ²⁹  the spirits ³⁰  gathered the kings and their armies ³¹  to the place that is called Armageddon ³²  in Hebrew.

¹ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

² tn Grk “were multiplying.”

³ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

⁴ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

⁵ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

⁶ tn Or “neglected.”

⁷ tn Grk “in the daily serving.”

⁸ tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See Acts 22:7 and 9:4.

⁹ tn Grk “It is hard for you.”

¹⁰ tn “Goads” are pointed sticks used to direct a draft animal (an idiom for stubborn resistance). See BDAG 539-40 s.v. κέντρον 2.

¹¹ sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.

¹² tn Regarding the use of the present tense ἐστιν (estin) and its implications for the dating of the Gospel of John, see the article by D. B. Wallace, “John 5,2 and the Date of the Fourth Gospel,” Bib 71 (1990): 177-205.

¹³ tn The site of the miracle is also something of a problem: προβατικῇ (probatikh) is usually taken as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple. Some (R. E. Brown and others) would place the word κολυμβήθρα (kolumbhqra) with προβατικῇ to read “in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Pool, there is (another pool) with the Hebrew name.” This would imply that there is reference to two pools in the context rather than only one. This does not seem necessary (although it is a grammatical possibility). The gender of the words does not help since both are feminine (as is the participle ἐπιλεγομένη [epilegomenh]). Note however that Brown’s suggestion would require a feminine word to be supplied (for the participle ἐπιλεγομένη to modify). The traditional understanding of the phrase as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple appears more probably correct.

¹⁴ tc Some mss (א [L] 33 it) read Bethzatha, while others read Bethsaida (Ì^[66],75 B T W^s [Ψ] pc vg); codex D has Belzetha. A lot of controversy has surrounded the name of the pool itself: The reading of the Byzantine (or majority) text (A C Θ 078 Ë^1,13 Ï), Bethesda, has been virtually discarded by scholars in favor of what is thought to be the more primitive Bethzatha, even though many recent translations continue to employ Bethesda, the traditional reading. The latter is attested by Josephus as the name of a quarter of the city near the northeast corner of the temple area. He reports that the Syrian Legate Cestius burned this suburb in his attack on Jerusalem in October a.d. 68 (J. W. 2.19.4 [2.530]). However, there is some new archaeological evidence for this problem. 3Q15 (Copper Scroll) from Qumran seems to indicate that in the general area of the temple, on the eastern hill of Jerusalem, a treasure was buried in Bet áEsdatayin, in the pool at the entrance to the smaller basin. The name of the region or pool itself seems then to have been Bet ᾿Esda, “house of the flowing.” It appears with the dual ending in the scroll because there were two basins. Bethesda seems to be an accurate Greek rendition of the name, while J. T. Milik suggests Bethzatha is a rendition of the Aramaic intensive plural Bet áEsdata (DJDJ 3, 271). As for the text of John 5:2, the fundamental problems with the Bethesda reading are that it looks motivated (with an edifying Semitic etymology, meaning “House of Mercy” [TCGNT 178]), and is minimally attested. Apart from the Copper Scroll, the evidence for Bethesda is almost entirely shut up to the Byzantine text (C being the most notable exception, but it often has Byzantine encroachments). On the one hand, this argues the Byzantine reading here had ancient, semitic roots; on the other hand, since both readings are attested as historically accurate, a decision has to be based on the better witnesses. The fact that there are multiple readings here suggests that the original was not well understood. Which reading best explains the rise of the others? It seems that Bethzatha is the best choice.

¹⁵ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

¹⁶ tn Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.”

¹⁷ tn Or “the judge’s seat.”

¹⁸ sn The precise location of the place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ is still uncertain, although a paved court on the lower level of the Fortress Antonia has been suggested. It is not certain whether it was laid prior to a.d. 135, however.

¹⁹ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

²⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

²¹ tn Or “carrying the cross by himself.”

²² sn Jesus was led out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” where he was to be crucified. It is clear from v. 20 that this was outside the city. The Latin word for the Greek κρανίον (kranion) is calvaria. Thus the English word “Calvary” is a transliteration of the Latin rather than a NT place name (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).

²³ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

²⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

²⁵ tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general. See also the note on the phrase Jewish religious leaders” in v. 7.

²⁶ tn Or “this inscription.”

²⁷ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

²⁸ sn Both the Hebrew Abaddon and the Greek Apollyon mean “Destroyer.”

²⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption and conclusion of the remarks about the pouring out of the sixth bowl.

³⁰ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³¹ tn Grk “gathered them”; the referent (the kings and [implied] their armies, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³² tc There are many variations in the spelling of this name among the Greek mss, although ῾Αρμαγεδών (&armagedwn) has the best support. The usual English spelling is Armageddon, used in the translation.