Genesis 25:1-34

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ¹  another ²  wife, named Keturah. 25:2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 25:3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. ³  The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 25:4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants ⁴  of Keturah.

25:5 Everything he owned Abraham left to his son Isaac. 25:6 But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines ⁵  and sent them off to the east, away from his son Isaac. ⁶ 

25:7 Abraham lived a total of ⁷  175 years. 25:8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man who had lived a full life. ⁸  He joined his ancestors. ⁹  25:9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah ¹⁰  near Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar, the Hethite. 25:10 This was the field Abraham had purchased from the sons of Heth. ¹¹  There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 25:11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed ¹²  his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi. ¹³ 

The Sons of Ishmael

25:12 This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, ¹⁴  whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham.

25:13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names according to their records: ¹⁵  Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 25:14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 25:15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 25:16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their settlements and their camps – twelve princes ¹⁶  according to their clans.

25:17 Ishmael lived a total of ¹⁷  137 years. He breathed his last and died; then he joined his ancestors. ¹⁸  25:18 His descendants ¹⁹  settled from Havilah to Shur, which runs next ²⁰  to Egypt all the way ²¹  to Asshur. ²²  They settled ²³  away from all their relatives. ²⁴ 

Jacob and Esau

25:19 This is the account of Isaac, ²⁵  the son of Abraham.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 25:20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, ²⁶  the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. ²⁷ 

25:21 Isaac prayed to ²⁸  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ²⁹  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ³⁰  So she asked the Lord, ³¹  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ³²  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ³³  there were ³⁴  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ³⁵  all over, ³⁶  like a hairy ³⁷  garment, so they named him Esau. ³⁸  25:26 When his brother came out with ³⁹  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ⁴⁰  Isaac was sixty years old ⁴¹  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ⁴²  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ⁴³  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ⁴⁴  but Rebekah loved ⁴⁵  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ⁴⁶  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ⁴⁷  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ⁴⁸  Edom.) ⁴⁹ 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ⁵⁰  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ⁵¹  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ⁵²  So Esau ⁵³  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ⁵⁴  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ⁵⁵  So Esau despised his birthright. ⁵⁶ 

Genesis 6:22

6:22 And Noah did all ⁵⁷  that God commanded him – he did indeed. ⁵⁸ 

Genesis 6:1

God’s Grief over Humankind’s Wickedness

6:1 When humankind ⁵⁹  began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born ⁶⁰  to them, ⁶¹ 

Genesis 19:15-16

19:15 At dawn ⁶²  the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, ⁶³  or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” ⁶⁴  19:16 When Lot ⁶⁵  hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. ⁶⁶  They led them away and placed them ⁶⁷  outside the city.

Genesis 19:2

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night ⁶⁸  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ⁶⁹  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ⁷⁰ 

Genesis 32:21

32:21 So the gifts were sent on ahead of him ⁷¹  while he spent that night in the camp. ⁷² 

Psalms 34:7-8

34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around

the Lord’s ⁷³  loyal followers ⁷⁴  and delivers them. ⁷⁵ 

34:8 Taste ⁷⁶  and see that the Lord is good!

How blessed ⁷⁷  is the one ⁷⁸  who takes shelter in him! ⁷⁹ 

Psalms 103:20

103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his,

you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees

and obey his orders! ⁸⁰ 

Isaiah 37:36

37:36 The Lord’s messenger ⁸¹  went out and killed 185,000 troops ⁸²  in the Assyrian camp. When they ⁸³  got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses! ⁸⁴ 

Acts 5:19

5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord ⁸⁵  opened ⁸⁶  the doors of the prison, ⁸⁷  led them out, ⁸⁸  and said,

Acts 12:7-11

12:7 Suddenly ⁸⁹  an angel of the Lord ⁹⁰  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ⁹¹  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ⁹²  wrists. ⁹³  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ⁹⁴  and put on your sandals.” Peter ⁹⁵  did so. Then the angel ⁹⁶  said to him, “Put on your cloak ⁹⁷  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ⁹⁸  went out ⁹⁹  and followed him; ¹⁰⁰  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ¹⁰¹  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ¹⁰²  they came to the iron ¹⁰³  gate leading into the city. It ¹⁰⁴  opened for them by itself, ¹⁰⁵  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ¹⁰⁶  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ¹⁰⁷  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ¹⁰⁸  me from the hand ¹⁰⁹  of Herod ¹¹⁰  and from everything the Jewish people ¹¹¹  were expecting to happen.”

Hebrews 1:14

1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those ¹¹²  who will inherit salvation?

[25:1]  ¹ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ² tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”

[25:3]  ³ sn The names Sheba and Dedan appear in Gen 10:7 as descendants of Ham through Cush and Raamah. Since these two names are usually interpreted to be place names, one plausible suggestion is that some of Abraham’s descendants lived in those regions and took names linked with it.

[25:4]  ⁴ tn Or “sons.”

[25:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “the sons of the concubines who [belonged] to Abraham.”

[25:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “And he sent them away from upon Isaac his son, while he was still living, eastward to the land of the east.”

[25:7]  ⁷ tn Heb “and these are the days of the years of the lifetime of Abraham that he lived.” The normal genealogical formula is expanded here due to the importance of the life of Abraham.

[25:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “old and full.”

[25:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:9]  ¹⁰ sn The cave of Machpelah was the place Abraham had purchased as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Gen 23:17-18).

[25:10]  ¹¹ tn See the note on the phrase “sons of Heth” in Gen 23:3.

[25:11]  ¹² sn God blessed Isaac. The Hebrew verb “bless” in this passage must include all the gifts that God granted to Isaac. But fertility was not one of them, at least not for twenty years, because Rebekah was barren as well (see v. 21).

[25:11]  ¹³ sn Beer Lahai Roi. See the note on this place name in Gen 24:62.

[25:12]  ¹⁴ sn This is the account of Ishmael. The Book of Genesis tends to tidy up the family records at every turning point. Here, before proceeding with the story of Isaac’s family, the narrative traces Ishmael’s family line. Later, before discussing Jacob’s family, the narrative traces Esau’s family line (see Gen 36).

[25:13]  ¹⁵ tn The meaning of this line is not easily understood. The sons of Ishmael are listed here “by their names” and “according to their descendants.”

[25:16]  ¹⁶ tn Or “tribal chieftains.”

[25:17]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “And these are the days of the years of Ishmael.”

[25:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “And he was gathered to his people.” In the ancient Israelite view he joined his deceased ancestors in Sheol, the land of the dead.

[25:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Ishmael’s descendants) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:18]  ²⁰ tn Heb “which is by the face of,” or near the border. The territory ran along the border of Egypt.

[25:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “as you go.”

[25:18]  ²² sn The name Asshur refers here to a tribal area in the Sinai.

[25:18]  ²³ tn Heb “he fell.”

[25:18]  ²⁴ tn Heb “upon the face of all his brothers.” This last expression, obviously alluding to the earlier oracle about Ishmael (Gen 16:12), could mean that the descendants of Ishmael lived in hostility to others or that they lived in a territory that was opposite the lands of their relatives. While there is some ambiguity about the meaning, the line probably does give a hint of the Ishmaelite-Israelite conflicts to come.

[25:19]  ²⁵ sn This is the account of Isaac. What follows for several chapters is not the account of Isaac, except briefly, but the account of Jacob and Esau. The next chapters tell what became of Isaac and his family.

[25:20]  ²⁶ tn Heb “And Isaac was the son of forty years when he took Rebekah.”

[25:20]  ²⁷ sn Some valuable information is provided here. We learn here that Isaac married thirty-five years before Abraham died, that Rebekah was barren for twenty years, and that Abraham would have lived to see Jacob and Esau begin to grow up. The death of Abraham was recorded in the first part of the chapter as a “tidying up” of one generation before beginning the account of the next.

[25:21]  ²⁸ tn The Hebrew verb עָתַר (’atar), translated “prayed [to]” here, appears in the story of God’s judgment on Egypt in which Moses asked the Lord to remove the plagues. The cognate word in Arabic means “to slaughter for sacrifice,” and the word is used in Zeph 3:10 to describe worshipers who bring offerings. Perhaps some ritual accompanied Isaac’s prayer here.

[25:22]  ²⁹ tn The Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary.

[25:22]  ³⁰ tn Heb “If [it is] so, why [am] I this [way]?” Rebekah wanted to know what was happening to her, but the question itself reflects a growing despair over the struggle of the unborn children.

[25:22]  ³¹ sn Asked the Lord. In other passages (e.g., 1 Sam 9:9) this expression refers to inquiring of a prophet, but no details are provided here.

[25:23]  ³² sn By metonymy the two children in her womb are described as two nations of which the two children, Jacob and Esau, would become the fathers. The language suggests there would be a struggle between these nations, with one being stronger than the other. The oracle reveals that all of Jacob’s scheming was unnecessary in the final analysis. He would have become the dominant nation without using deception to steal his brother’s blessing.

[25:24]  ³³ tn Heb “And her days were filled to give birth.”

[25:24]  ³⁴ tn Heb “look!” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the audience to view the scene as if they were actually present at the birth.

[25:25]  ³⁵ sn Reddish. The Hebrew word translated “reddish” is אַדְמוֹנִי (’admoni), which forms a wordplay on the Edomites, Esau’s descendants. The writer sees in Esau’s appearance at birth a sign of what was to come. After all, the reader has already been made aware of the “nations” that were being born.

[25:25]  ³⁶ tn Heb “all of him.”

[25:25]  ³⁷ sn Hairy. Here is another wordplay involving the descendants of Esau. The Hebrew word translated “hairy” is שֵׂעָר (se’ar); the Edomites will later live in Mount Seir, perhaps named for its wooded nature.

[25:25]  ³⁸ tn Heb “And they called his name Esau.” The name “Esau” (עֵשָׂו, ’esav) is not etymologically related to שֵׂעָר (se’ar), but it draws on some of the sounds.

[25:26]  ³⁹ tn The disjunctive clause describes an important circumstance accompanying the birth. Whereas Esau was passive at birth, Jacob was active.

[25:26]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “And he called his name Jacob.” Some ancient witnesses read “they called his name Jacob” (see v. 25). In either case the subject is indefinite.

[25:26]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “the son of sixty years.”

[25:27]  ⁴² tn Heb “knowing.”

[25:27]  ⁴³ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Jacob with Esau and draws attention to the striking contrasts. In contrast to Esau, a man of the field, Jacob was civilized, as the phrase “living in tents” signifies. Whereas Esau was a skillful hunter, Jacob was calm and even-tempered (תָּם, tam), which normally has the idea of “blameless.”

[25:28]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the taste of game was in his mouth.” The word for “game,” “venison” is here the same Hebrew word as “hunter” in the last verse. Here it is a metonymy, referring to that which the hunter kills.

[25:28]  ⁴⁵ tn The disjunctive clause juxtaposes Rebekah with Jacob and draws attention to the contrast. The verb here is a participle, drawing attention to Rebekah’s continuing, enduring love for her son.

[25:29]  ⁴⁶ sn Jacob cooked some stew. There are some significant words and wordplays in this story that help clarify the points of the story. The verb “cook” is זִיד (zid), which sounds like the word for “hunter” (צַיִד, tsayid). This is deliberate, for the hunter becomes the hunted in this story. The word זִיד means “to cook, to boil,” but by the sound play with צַיִד it comes to mean “set a trap by cooking.” The usage of the word shows that it can also have the connotation of acting presumptuously (as in boiling over). This too may be a comment on the scene. For further discussion of the rhetorical devices in the Jacob narratives, see J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis (SSN).

[25:30]  ⁴⁷ tn The rare term לָעַט (la’at), translated “feed,” is used in later Hebrew for feeding animals (see Jastrow, 714). If this nuance was attached to the word in the biblical period, then it may depict Esau in a negative light, comparing him to a hungry animal. Famished Esau comes in from the hunt, only to enter the trap. He can only point at the red stew and ask Jacob to feed him.

[25:30]  ⁴⁸ tn The verb has no expressed subject and so is given a passive translation.

[25:30]  ⁴⁹ sn Esau’s descendants would eventually be called Edom. Edom was the place where they lived, so-named probably because of the reddish nature of the hills. The writer can use the word “red” to describe the stew that Esau gasped for to convey the nature of Esau and his descendants. They were a lusty, passionate, and profane people who lived for the moment. Again, the wordplay is meant to capture the “omen in the nomen.”

[25:31]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “today.”

[25:32]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “And what is this to me, a birthright?”

[25:33]  ⁵² tn Heb “Swear to me today.”

[25:33]  ⁵³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:33]  ⁵⁴ sn And sold his birthright. There is evidence from Hurrian culture that rights of inheritance were occasionally sold or transferred. Here Esau is portrayed as a profane person who would at the moment rather have a meal than the right to inherit. He will soon forget this trade and seek his father’s blessing in spite of it.

[25:34]  ⁵⁵ sn The style here is typical of Hebrew narrative; after the tension is resolved with the dialogue, the working out of it is recorded in a rapid sequence of verbs (“gave”; “ate”; “drank”; “got up”; “went out”). See also Gen 3:1-7 for another example.

[25:34]  ⁵⁶ sn So Esau despised his birthright. This clause, which concludes the episode, is a summary statement which reveals the underlying significance of Esau’s actions. “To despise” means to treat something as worthless or with contempt. Esau’s willingness to sell his birthright was evidence that he considered it to be unimportant.

[6:22]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “according to all.”

[6:22]  ⁵⁸ tn The last clause seems redundant: “and thus (כֵּן, ken) he did.” It underscores the obedience of Noah to all that God had said.

[6:1]  ⁵⁹ tn The Hebrew text has the article prefixed to the noun. Here the article indicates the generic use of the word אָדָם (’adam): “humankind.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁰ tn This disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is circumstantial to the initial temporal clause. It could be rendered, “with daughters being born to them.” For another example of such a disjunctive clause following the construction וַיְהִיכִּי (vayÿhiki, “and it came to pass when”), see 2 Sam 7:1.

[6:1]  ⁶¹ tn The pronominal suffix is third masculine plural, indicating that the antecedent “humankind” is collective.

[19:15]  ⁶² tn Heb “When dawn came up.”

[19:15]  ⁶³ tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.

[19:15]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[19:16]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”

[19:16]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).

[19:2]  ⁶⁸ tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ⁶⁹ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ⁷⁰ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[32:21]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “and the gift passed over upon his face.”

[32:21]  ⁷² tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial/temporal.

[34:7]  ⁷³ tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[34:7]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[34:7]  ⁷⁵ tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive here carries the same generalizing force as the active participle in the first line. See GKC 329 §111.u.

[34:8]  ⁷⁶ tn This verb is normally used of tasting or savoring food. The metaphor here appears to compare the Lord to a tasty meal.

[34:8]  ⁷⁷ tn The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15).

[34:8]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “man.” The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, we translate the gender and age specific “man” with the more neutral “one.”

[34:8]  ⁷⁹ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 2:12; 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[103:20]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”

[37:36]  ⁸¹ tn Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

[37:36]  ⁸² tn The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.

[37:36]  ⁸³ tn This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.

[37:36]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; NLT “they found corpses everywhere.”

[5:19]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[5:19]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “opening the doors of the prison.” The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.

[5:19]  ⁸⁷ tn Greek φυλακῆς (fulakh"), a different word from the one in v. 18 (τήρησις, thrhsi", “jail”).

[5:19]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “brought them out.” Grk “and leading them out, said.” The participle ἐξαγαγών (exagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “And behold.” 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. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ⁹² tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ⁹³ tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[12:8]  ⁹⁴ tn While ζώννυμι (zwnnumi) sometimes means “to dress,” referring to the fastening of the belt or sash as the final act of getting dressed, in this context it probably does mean “put on your belt” since in the conditions of a prison Peter had probably not changed into a different set of clothes to sleep. More likely he had merely removed his belt or sash, which the angel now told him to replace. The translation “put on your belt” is given by L&N 49.14 for this verse. The archaic English “girdle” for the sash or belt has an entirely different meaning today.

[12:8]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “outer garment.”

[12:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “And going out he followed.”

[12:9]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “Peter going out followed him.” The participle ἐξελθών (exelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:9]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:9]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “what was done through the angel was a reality” (see BDAG 43 s.v. ἀληθής 3).

[12:10]  ¹⁰² tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”

[12:10]  ¹⁰³ sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).

[12:10]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[12:10]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).

[12:10]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).

[12:11]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[12:11]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “delivered.”

[12:11]  ¹⁰⁹ sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.

[12:11]  ¹¹⁰ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:11]  ¹¹¹ sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).

[1:14]  ¹¹² tn Grk “sent for service for the sake of those.”