38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me; 1
those who want to harm me speak destructive words;
all day long they say deceitful things.
38:13 But I am like a deaf man – I hear nothing;
I am like a mute who cannot speak. 2
38:14 I am like a man who cannot hear
and is incapable of arguing his defense. 3
53:7 He was treated harshly and afflicted, 4
but he did not even open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block,
like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not even open his mouth. 5
“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did 9 not open his mouth.
8:33 In humiliation 10 justice was taken from him. 11
Who can describe his posterity? 12
For his life was taken away 13 from the earth.” 14
8:34 Then the eunuch said 15 to Philip, “Please tell me, 16 who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” 17 8:35 So Philip started speaking, 18 and beginning with this scripture 19 proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.
Now on that day a great 21 persecution began 22 against the church in Jerusalem, 23 and all 24 except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions 25 of Judea and Samaria.
1 tn Heb “lay snares.”
2 sn I am like a deaf man…like a mute. The psalmist is like a deaf mute; he is incapable of defending himself and is vulnerable to his enemies’ deception (see v. 14).
3 tn Heb “and there is not in his mouth arguments.”
4 tn The translation assumes the Niphal is passive; another option is take the clause (note the subject + verb pattern) as concessive and the Niphal as reflexive, “though he humbled himself.”
5 sn This verse emphasizes the servant’s silent submission. The comparison to a sheep does not necessarily suggest a sacrificial metaphor. Sheep were slaughtered for food as well as for sacrificial rituals, and טֶבַח (tevakh) need not refer to sacrificial slaughter (see Gen 43:16; Prov 7:22; 9:2; Jer 50:27; note also the use of the related verb in Exod 21:37; Deut 28:31; 1 Sam 25:11).
6 tc In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the atnach from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”
7 tn Aram “to return a word to you.”
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Grk “does.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the first line of the quotation (“he was led like a sheep to slaughter”), which has an aorist passive verb normally translated as a past tense in English.
10 tc ‡ Most later
11 tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”
12 tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.”
13 tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.
14 sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.
15 tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.
16 tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”
17 sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.
18 tn Grk “opening his mouth” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
19 sn Beginning with this scripture. The discussion likely included many of the scriptures Acts has already noted for the reader in earlier speeches. At the least, readers of Acts would know what other scriptures might be meant.
20 tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).
21 tn Or “severe.”
22 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.”
23 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
24 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.
25 tn Or “countryside.”
26 tn Or “you killed.”
27 tn Grk “at the hands of lawless men.” At this point the term ἄνομος (anomo") refers to non-Jews who live outside the Jewish (Mosaic) law, rather than people who broke any or all laws including secular laws. Specifically it is a reference to the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion.