17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 6
from the murderers of this world! 7
They enjoy prosperity; 8
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 9
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 10
8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit 17 was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power 18 too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Now on that day a great 20 persecution began 21 against the church in Jerusalem, 22 and all 23 except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions 24 of Judea and Samaria.
1 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“out of the evil”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
2 sn Mention of the heart shows that Jesus is not interested in what is done, but why. Motives are more important than actions for him.
3 tn The word “treasury” is not repeated in the Greek text at this point, but is implied.
4 sn What one utters from one’s mouth is especially singled out as the example of this principle. James seems to have known this teaching (Jas 1:26; 3:1-12).
5 tn Grk “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
6 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
7 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
8 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
9 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
10 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
11 tn Heb “as people come.” Apparently this is an idiom indicating that they come in crowds. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:264.
12 tn The word “as” is supplied in the translation.
13 tn Heb “do.”
14 tn Heb “They do lust with their mouths.”
15 tn Heb “goes after.”
16 tn The present translation understands the term often used for “unjust gain” in a wider sense, following M. Greenberg, who also notes that the LXX uses a term which can describe either sexual or ritual pollution. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:687.
17 tc Most witnesses (Ì45,74 A* C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt sy bo) here read “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, to pneuma to {agion), while a few key
18 tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”
19 tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).
20 tn Or “severe.”
21 tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”
22 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
23 sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.
24 tn Or “countryside.”
25 tn Grk “And the.” 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.
26 tn The translation “so” has been used to indicate the logical sequence in English.
27 tn “With” is smoother English style for an addition like this. Because of differences between Greek and English style, καί (kai), which occurs between each name in the list, has not been translated except preceding the last element.
28 sn Philip. Note how many of the names in this list are Greek. This suggests that Hellenists were chosen to solve the problem they had been so sensitive about fixing (cf. 6:1).
29 tn Or “a proselyte.”
30 map For location see JP1-F2; JP2-F2; JP3-F2; JP4-F2.