Genesis 5:1-32

From Adam to Noah

5:1 This is the record ¹  of the family line ²  of Adam.

When God created humankind, ³  he made them ⁴  in the likeness of God. 5:2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” ⁵ 

5:3 When ⁶  Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and he named him Seth. 5:4 The length of time Adam lived ⁷  after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had ⁸  other ⁹  sons and daughters. 5:5 The entire lifetime ¹⁰  of Adam was 930 years, and then he died. ¹¹ 

5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father ¹²  of Enosh. 5:7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had ¹³  other ¹⁴  sons and daughters. 5:8 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died.

5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 5:10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:11 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died.

5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 5:13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:14 The entire lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, and then he died.

5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 5:16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:17 The entire lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, and then he died.

5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 5:19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 5:20 The entire lifetime of Jared was 962 years, and then he died.

5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 5:22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God ¹⁵  for 300 years, ¹⁶  and he had other ¹⁷  sons and daughters. 5:23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared ¹⁸  because God took ¹⁹  him away.

5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 5:26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other ²⁰  sons and daughters. 5:27 The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, and then he died.

5:28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 5:29 He named him Noah, ²¹  saying, “This one will bring us comfort ²²  from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.” 5:30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other ²³  sons and daughters. 5:31 The entire lifetime of Lamech was 777 years, and then he died.

5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he ²⁴  became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 39:7

39:7 Soon after these things, his master’s wife took notice of ²⁵  Joseph and said, “Have sex with me.” ²⁶ 

Jeremiah 38:7-13

An Ethiopian Official Rescues Jeremiah from the Cistern

38:7 An Ethiopian, Ebed Melech, ²⁷  a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put ²⁸  in the cistern. While the king was holding court ²⁹  at the Benjamin Gate, 38:8 Ebed Melech departed the palace and went to speak to the king. He said to him, 38:9 “Your royal Majesty, those men have been very wicked in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah. They have thrown him into a cistern and he is sure to die of starvation there because there is no food left in the city. ³⁰  38:10 Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: “Take thirty ³¹  men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.” 38:11 So Ebed Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasure room in the palace. ³²  He got some worn-out clothes and old rags ³³  from there and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 38:12 Ebed Melech ³⁴  called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits to pad the ropes. ³⁵  Jeremiah did as Ebed Melech instructed. ³⁶  38:13 So they pulled Jeremiah up from the cistern with ropes. Jeremiah, however, still remained confined ³⁷  to the courtyard of the guardhouse.

Jeremiah 39:16-17

39:16 “Go ³⁸  and tell Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, ‘The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will carry out against this city what I promised. It will mean disaster and not good fortune for it. ³⁹  When that disaster happens, you will be there to see it. ⁴⁰  39:17 But I will rescue you when it happens. ⁴¹  I, the Lord, affirm it! ⁴²  You will not be handed over to those whom you fear. ⁴³ 

Daniel 1:3-21

1:3 The king commanded ⁴⁴  Ashpenaz, ⁴⁵  who was in charge of his court officials, ⁴⁶  to choose ⁴⁷  some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent ⁴⁸  – 1:4 young men in whom there was no physical defect and who were handsome, ⁴⁹  well versed in all kinds of wisdom, well educated ⁵⁰  and having keen insight, ⁵¹  and who were capable ⁵²  of entering the king’s royal service ⁵³  – and to teach them the literature and language ⁵⁴  of the Babylonians. ⁵⁵  1:5 So the king assigned them a daily ration ⁵⁶  from his royal delicacies ⁵⁷  and from the wine he himself drank. They were to be trained ⁵⁸  for the next three years. At the end of that time they were to enter the king’s service. ⁵⁹  1:6 As it turned out, ⁶⁰  among these young men ⁶¹  were some from Judah: ⁶²  Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ⁶³  1:7 But the overseer of the court officials renamed them. He gave ⁶⁴  Daniel the name Belteshazzar, Hananiah he named Shadrach, Mishael he named Meshach, and Azariah he named Abednego. ⁶⁵ 

1:8 But Daniel made up his mind ⁶⁶  that he would not defile ⁶⁷  himself with the royal delicacies or the royal wine. ⁶⁸  He therefore asked the overseer of the court officials for permission not to defile himself. 1:9 Then God made the overseer of the court officials sympathetic to Daniel. ⁶⁹  1:10 But he ⁷⁰  responded to Daniel, “I fear my master the king. He is the one who has decided ⁷¹  your food and drink. What would happen if he saw that you looked malnourished in comparison to the other young men your age? ⁷²  If that happened, ⁷³  you would endanger my life ⁷⁴  with the king!” 1:11 Daniel then spoke to the warden ⁷⁵  whom the overseer of the court officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 1:12 “Please test your servants for ten days by providing us with some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance ⁷⁶  with that of ⁷⁷  the young men who are eating the royal delicacies; ⁷⁸  deal with us ⁷⁹  in light of what you see.” 1:14 So the warden ⁸⁰  agreed to their proposal ⁸¹  and tested them for ten ⁸²  days.

1:15 At the end of the ten days their appearance was better and their bodies were healthier ⁸³  than all the young men who had been eating the royal delicacies. 1:16 So the warden removed the delicacies and the wine ⁸⁴  from their diet ⁸⁵  and gave them a diet of vegetables instead. 1:17 Now as for these four young men, God endowed them with knowledge and skill in all sorts of literature and wisdom – and Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

1:18 When the time appointed by the king arrived, ⁸⁶  the overseer of the court officials brought them into Nebuchadnezzar’s presence. 1:19 When the king spoke with them, he did not find among the entire group ⁸⁷  anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, or Azariah. So they entered the king’s service. ⁸⁸  1:20 In every matter of wisdom and ⁸⁹  insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times ⁹⁰  better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire. 1:21 Now Daniel lived on until the first ⁹¹  year of Cyrus the king.

Matthew 19:12-30

19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, ⁹²  and some who were made eunuchs ⁹³  by others, ⁹⁴  and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

Jesus and Little Children

19:13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. ⁹⁵  But the disciples scolded those who brought them. ⁹⁶  19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” ⁹⁷  19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way. ⁹⁸ 

The Rich Young Man

19:16 Now ⁹⁹  someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” 19:17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19:19 honor your father and mother, ¹⁰⁰  and love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰¹  19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed ¹⁰²  all these laws. ¹⁰³  What do I still lack?” 19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ¹⁰⁴  to the poor, and you will have treasure ¹⁰⁵  in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. ¹⁰⁶ 

19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, ¹⁰⁷  it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! 19:24 Again I say, ¹⁰⁸  it is easier for a camel ¹⁰⁹  to go through the eye of a needle ¹¹⁰  than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” 19:25 The ¹¹¹  disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?” ¹¹²  19:26 Jesus ¹¹³  looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, ¹¹⁴  but for God all things are possible.” 19:27 Then Peter said ¹¹⁵  to him, “Look, ¹¹⁶  we have left everything to follow you! ¹¹⁷  What then will there be for us?” 19:28 Jesus ¹¹⁸  said to them, “I tell you the truth: ¹¹⁹  In the age when all things are renewed, ¹²⁰  when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging ¹²¹  the twelve tribes of Israel. 19:29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much ¹²²  and will inherit eternal life. 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Acts 8:26-40

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

8:26 Then an angel of the Lord ¹²³  said to Philip, ¹²⁴  “Get up and go south ¹²⁵  on the road that goes down from Jerusalem ¹²⁶  to Gaza.” (This is a desert ¹²⁷  road.) ¹²⁸  8:27 So ¹²⁹  he got up ¹³⁰  and went. There ¹³¹  he met ¹³²  an Ethiopian eunuch, ¹³³  a court official of Candace, ¹³⁴  queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He ¹³⁵  had come to Jerusalem to worship, ¹³⁶  8:28 and was returning home, sitting ¹³⁷  in his chariot, reading ¹³⁸  the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up ¹³⁹  to it ¹⁴⁰  and heard the man ¹⁴¹  reading Isaiah the prophet. He ¹⁴²  asked him, ¹⁴³  “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man ¹⁴⁴  replied, “How in the world can I, ¹⁴⁵  unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man ¹⁴⁶  was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did ¹⁴⁷  not open his mouth.

8:33 In humiliation ¹⁴⁸  justice was taken from him. ¹⁴⁹ 

Who can describe his posterity? ¹⁵⁰ 

For his life was taken away ¹⁵¹  from the earth.” ¹⁵² 

8:34 Then the eunuch said ¹⁵³  to Philip, “Please tell me, ¹⁵⁴  who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” ¹⁵⁵  8:35 So Philip started speaking, ¹⁵⁶  and beginning with this scripture ¹⁵⁷  proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me ¹⁵⁸  from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] ¹⁵⁹  8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, ¹⁶⁰  and Philip baptized ¹⁶¹  him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but ¹⁶²  went on his way rejoicing. ¹⁶³  8:40 Philip, however, found himself ¹⁶⁴  at Azotus, ¹⁶⁵  and as he passed through the area, ¹⁶⁶  he proclaimed the good news ¹⁶⁷  to all the towns ¹⁶⁸  until he came to Caesarea. ¹⁶⁹ 

[5:1]  ¹ tn Heb “book” or “roll.” Cf. NIV “written account”; NRSV “list.”

[5:1]  ² tn Heb “generations.” See the note on the phrase “this is the account of” in 2:4.

[5:1]  ³ tn The Hebrew text has אָדָם (’adam).

[5:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “him.” The Hebrew text uses the third masculine singular pronominal suffix on the accusative sign. The pronoun agrees grammatically with its antecedent אָדָם (’adam). However, the next verse makes it clear that אָדָם is collective here and refers to “humankind,” so it is preferable to translate the pronoun with the English plural.

[5:2]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew word used here is אָדָם (’adam).

[5:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “and Adam lived 130 years.” In the translation the verb is subordinated to the following verb, “and he fathered,” and rendered as a temporal clause.

[5:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “The days of Adam.”

[5:4]  ⁸ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:4]  ⁹ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “all the days of Adam which he lived”

[5:5]  ¹¹ sn The genealogy traces the line from Adam to Noah and forms a bridge between the earlier accounts and the flood story. Its constant theme of the reign of death in the human race is broken once with the account of Enoch, but the genealogy ends with hope for the future through Noah. See further G. F. Hasel, “The Genealogies of Gen. 5 and 11 and their Alleged Babylonian Background,” AUSS 16 (1978): 361-74; idem, “Genesis 5 and 11,” Origins 7 (1980): 23-37.

[5:6]  ¹² tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “he fathered.”

[5:7]  ¹⁴ tn Here and in vv. 10, 13, 16, 19 the word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:22]  ¹⁵ sn With the seventh panel there is a digression from the pattern. Instead of simply saying that Enoch lived, the text observes that he “walked with God.” The rare expression “walked with” (the Hitpael form of the verb הָלָךְ, halakh, “to walk” collocated with the preposition אֶת, ’et, “with”) is used in 1 Sam 25:15 to describe how David’s men maintained a cordial and cooperative relationship with Nabal’s men as they worked and lived side by side in the fields. In Gen 5:22 the phrase suggests that Enoch and God “got along.” This may imply that Enoch lived in close fellowship with God, leading a life of devotion and piety. An early Jewish tradition, preserved in 1 En. 1:9 and alluded to in Jude 14, says that Enoch preached about the coming judgment. See F. S. Parnham, “Walking with God,” EvQ 46 (1974): 117-18.

[5:22]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and Enoch walked with God, after he became the father of Methuselah, [for] 300 years.”

[5:22]  ¹⁷ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:24]  ¹⁸ tn The Hebrew construction has the negative particle אֵין (’en, “there is not,” “there was not”) with a pronominal suffix, “he was not.” Instead of saying that Enoch died, the text says he no longer was present.

[5:24]  ¹⁹ sn The text simply states that God took Enoch. Similar language is used of Elijah’s departure from this world (see 2 Kgs 2:10). The text implies that God overruled death for this man who walked with him.

[5:26]  ²⁰ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:29]  ²¹ sn The name Noah appears to be related to the Hebrew word נוּחַ (nuakh, “to rest”). There are several wordplays on the name “Noah” in the story of the flood.

[5:29]  ²² tn The Hebrew verb יְנַחֲמֵנוּ (yÿnakhamenu) is from the root נָחָם (nakham), which means “to comfort” in the Piel verbal stem. The letters נ (nun) and ח (heth) pick up the sounds in the name “Noah,” forming a paronomasia on the name. They are not from the same verbal root, and so the connection is only by sound. Lamech’s sentiment reflects the oppression of living under the curse on the ground, but also expresses the hope for relief in some way through the birth of Noah. His words proved to be ironic but prophetic. The relief would come with a new beginning after the flood. See E. G. Kraeling, “The Interpretations of the Name Noah in Genesis 5:29,” JBL 48 (1929): 138-43.

[5:30]  ²³ tn The word “other” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.

[5:32]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Noah.” The pronoun (“he”) has been employed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[39:7]  ²⁵ tn Heb “she lifted up her eyes toward,” an expression that emphasizes her deliberate and careful scrutiny of him.

[39:7]  ²⁶ tn Heb “lie with me.” Here the expression “lie with” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:7]  ²⁷ sn This individual, Ebed Melech, is mentioned only here. Later he will be promised deliverance from destruction when the city falls because he had shown trust in God (see Jer 39:16-18).

[38:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Ebed Melech, the Cushite, a man, an eunuch/official, and he was [= who was; a circumstantial clause] in the house of the king, heard that they had put Jeremiah…” The passive construction “Jeremiah had been put” has been used to avoid the indefinite subject “they” or the addition of “the officials.” For the translation of סָרִיס (saris) as “official” here rather than “eunuch” see the translator’s note on 29:2 and see also the usage in 34:19. For the translation of “Cushite” as Ethiopian see the study note on 13:23.

[38:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “And the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate.” This clause is circumstantial to the following clause; thus “while the king was…” Most commentators agree that the reference to sitting in the gate here likely refers to the same kind of judicial context that has been posited for 26:10 (see the translator’s note there for further references). Hence the translation uses “sitting” with the more technical “holding court” to better reflect the probable situation.

[38:9]  ³⁰ tn Heb “Those men have made evil all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah in that they have thrown him into the cistern and he will die of starvation in the place where he is because there is no more food in the city.” The particle אֵת (’et) before “they have thrown” (אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִיכוּ, ’et ’asher hishlikhu) is explanatory or further definition of “all they have done to” (i.e., the particle is repeated for apposition). The verb form “and he is sure to die” is an unusual use of the vav (ו) consecutive + imperfect that the grammars see as giving a logical consequence without a past nuance (cf. GKC 328 §111.l and IBHS 557-58 §33.3.1f).

[38:10]  ³¹ tc Some modern English versions (e.g., NRSV, REB, TEV) and commentaries read “three” on the basis that thirty men would not be necessary for the task (cf. J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 231). Though the difference in “three” and “thirty” involves minimal emendation (שְׁלֹשָׁה [shÿlosha] for שְׁלֹשִׁים [shÿloshim]) there is no textual or versional evidence for it except for one Hebrew ms. Perhaps the number was large to prevent the officials from hindering Ebed Melech from accomplishing the task.

[38:11]  ³² tn Heb “went into the palace in under the treasury.” Several of the commentaries (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 227; J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 639, n. 6) emend the prepositional phrase “in under” (אֶל־תַּחַת, ’el-takhat) to the noun “wardrobe” plus the preposition “to” (אֶל־מֶלְתַחַת, ’el-meltakhat). This is a plausible emendation which would involve dropping out מֶל (mel) due to its similarity with the אֶל (’el) which precedes it. However, there is no textual or versional evidence for such a reading and the compound preposition is not in itself objectionable (cf. BDB 1066 s.v. תַּחַת III.1.a). The Greek version reads “the part underground” (representing a Hebrew Vorlage of אֶל תַּחַת הָאָרֶץ, ’el takhat ha’arets) in place of אֶל תַּחַת הָאוֹצָר (’el takhat ha’otsar). The translation follows the Hebrew text but adds the word “room” for the sake of English style.

[38:11]  ³³ tn Heb “worn-out clothes and worn-out rags.”

[38:12]  ³⁴ tn Heb “Ebed Melech the Ethiopian.” The words “the Ethiopian” are unnecessary and are not repeated in the translation because he has already been identified as such in vv. 7, 10.

[38:12]  ³⁵ tn Heb “under the joints of your arms under the ropes.” The two uses of “under” have different orientations and are best reflected by “between your armpits and the ropes” or “under your armpits to pad the ropes.”

[38:12]  ³⁶ tn Or “Jeremiah did so.” The alternate translation is what the text reads literally.

[38:13]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Jeremiah remained/stayed in the courtyard of the guardhouse.” The translation is meant to better reflect the situation; i.e., Jeremiah was released from the cistern but still had to stay in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

[39:16]  ³⁸ sn Even though Jeremiah was confined to the courtyard of the guardhouse, he was still free to entertain visitors (32:2, 8). Moreover, Ebed-Melech was an official attached to the royal court and would have had access to the courtyard of the guardhouse (38:7, 13). Jeremiah would not have had to leave the courtyard of the guardhouse to “go and tell” him something.

[39:16]  ³⁹ tn Heb “Behold, I will bring to pass my words against this city for evil/disaster and not for good/good fortune.” For the form of the verb מֵבִי ([mevi] Kethib, מֵבִיא [mevi’] Qere) see GKC 206-7 §74.k, where the same form is noted for the Kethib in 2 Sam 5:2; 1 Kgs 21:21; Jer 19:15 all of which occur before a word beginning with א. For the nuance “carry out” (or “bring to pass”) see BDB 99 s.v. בּוֹא Hiph.2.b.

[39:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “And they [= my words for disaster] will come to pass [= happen] before you on that day [i.e., the day that I bring them to pass/carry them out].”

[39:17]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “But I will rescue you on that day” (referring to the same day mentioned in the preceding verse).

[39:17]  ⁴² tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[39:17]  ⁴³ sn Some commentators see this as a reference to the princes from whose clutches Ebed-Melech delivered Jeremiah (38:7-13). However, it is clear that in this context it refers to those that he would fear when the Lord brings about the threatened disaster, i.e., the Babylonians who are attacking the city.

[1:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “gave orders to.” Heb “said to.”

[1:3]  ⁴⁵ sn It is possible that the word Ashpenaz is not a proper name at all, but a general term for “innkeeper.” See J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermeneia), 127, n. 9. However, the ancient versions understand the term to be a name, and the present translation (along with most English versions) understands the word in this way.

[1:3]  ⁴⁶ sn The word court official (Hebrew saris) need not mean “eunuch” in a technical sense (see Gen 37:36, where the term refers to Potiphar, who had a wife), although in the case of the book of Daniel there was in Jewish literature a common tradition to that effect. On the OT usage of this word see HALOT 769-70 s.v. סָרֹיס.

[1:3]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “bring.”

[1:3]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “and from the seed of royalty and from the nobles.”

[1:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “good of appearance.”

[1:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “knowers of knowledge.”

[1:4]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “understanders of knowledge.”

[1:4]  ⁵² tn Heb “who had strength.”

[1:4]  ⁵³ tn Heb “to stand in the palace of the king.” Cf. vv. 5, 19.

[1:4]  ⁵⁴ sn The language of the Chaldeans referred to here is Akkadian, an East Semitic cuneiform language.

[1:4]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “Chaldeans” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV). This is an ancient name for the Babylonians.

[1:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “a thing of a day in its day.”

[1:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “from the delicacies of the king.”

[1:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “educated.” See HALOT 179 s.v. I גדל.

[1:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “stand before the king.”

[1:6]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “and it happened that.”

[1:6]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “among them”; the referent (the young men taken captive from Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:6]  ⁶² tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”

[1:6]  ⁶³ sn The names reflect a Jewish heritage. In Hebrew Daniel means “God is my judge”; Hananiah means “the Lord is gracious”; Mishael means “who is what God is?”; Azariah means “the Lord has helped.”

[1:7]  ⁶⁴ tc The LXX and Vulgate lack the verb here.

[1:7]  ⁶⁵ sn The meanings of the Babylonian names are more conjectural than is the case with the Hebrew names. The probable etymologies are as follows: Belteshazzar means “protect his life,” although the MT vocalization may suggest “Belti, protect the king” (cf. Dan 4:8); Shadrach perhaps means “command of Aku”; Meshach is of uncertain meaning; Abednego means “servant of Nego.” Assigning Babylonian names to the Hebrew youths may have been an attempt to erase from their memory their Israelite heritage.

[1:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “placed on his heart.”

[1:8]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “would not make himself ceremonially unclean”; TEV “become ritually unclean.”

[1:8]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “with the delicacies of the king and with the wine of his drinking.”

[1:9]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Then God granted Daniel loyal love and compassion before the overseer of the court officials.” The expression “loyal love and compassion” is a hendiadys; the two words combine to express one idea.

[1:10]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “The overseer of the court officials.” The subject has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:10]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “assigned.” See v. 5.

[1:10]  ⁷² tn Heb “Why should he see your faces thin from the young men who are according to your age?” The term translated “thin” occurs only here and in Gen 40:6, where it appears to refer to a dejected facial expression. The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “be weak.” See HALOT 277 s.v. II זעף.

[1:10]  ⁷³ tn The words “if that happened” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[1:10]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “my head.” Presumably this is an implicit reference to capital punishment (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT), although this is not entirely clear.

[1:11]  ⁷⁵ sn Having failed to convince the overseer, Daniel sought the favor of the warden whom the overseer had appointed to care for the young men.

[1:13]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “let our appearance be seen before you.”

[1:13]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “the appearance of.”

[1:13]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “delicacies of the king.” So also in v. 15.

[1:13]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “your servants.”

[1:14]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the warden mentioned in v. 11) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:14]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “listened to them with regard to this matter.”

[1:14]  ⁸² sn The number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number of completeness. Cf. v. 20; Zech 8:23; Rev 2:10.

[1:15]  ⁸³ tn Heb “fat of flesh”; KJV, ASV “fatter in flesh”; NASB, NRSV “fatter” (although this is no longer a sign of health in Western culture).

[1:16]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “the wine of their drinking.”

[1:16]  ⁸⁵ tn The words “from their diet” are not in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[1:18]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “at the end of the days which the king said to bring them.”

[1:19]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “from all of them.”

[1:19]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “stood before the king.”

[1:20]  ⁸⁹ tc The MT lacks the conjunction, reading the first word in the phrase as a construct (“wisdom of insight”). While this reading is not impossible, it seems better to follow Theodotion, the Syriac, the Vulgate, and the Sahidic Coptic, all of which have the conjunction.

[1:20]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “hands.”

[1:21]  ⁹¹ sn The Persian king Cyrus’ first year in control of Babylon was 539 B.C. Daniel actually lived beyond the first year of Cyrus, as is clear from 10:1. The purpose of the statement in 1:21 is merely to say that Daniel’s life spanned the entire period of the neo-Babylonian empire. His life span also included the early years of the Persian control of Babylon. However, by that time his age was quite advanced; he probably died sometime in the 530’s B.C.

[19:12]  ⁹² tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).

[19:12]  ⁹³ tn The verb εὐνουχίζω occurs twice in this verse, translated the first time as “made eunuchs” and the second time as “became eunuchs.” The term literally refers to castration. The second occurrence of the word in this verse is most likely figurative, though, referring to those who willingly maintain a life of celibacy for the furtherance of the kingdom (see W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, Matthew [ICC], 3:23).

[19:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “people.”

[19:13]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “so that he would lay his hands on them and pray.”

[19:13]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “the disciples scolded them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples scolded the children rather than their parents who brought them.

[19:14]  ⁹⁷ sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.

[19:15]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “went from there.”

[19:16]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “And behold one came.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[19:19]  ¹⁰⁰ sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.

[19:19]  ¹⁰¹ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[19:20]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.

[19:20]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:21]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[19:22]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, kthma) is often used for land as a possession.

[19:23]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[19:24]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “I say to you.”

[19:24]  ¹⁰⁹ tc A few late witnesses (579 1424 pc) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamhlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.

[19:24]  ¹¹⁰ sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle. (The gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” was built during the middle ages and was not in existence in Jesus’ day.) Jesus was saying rhetorically that it is impossible for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom, unless God (v. 26) intervenes.

[19:25]  ¹¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[19:25]  ¹¹² sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?

[19:26]  ¹¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[19:26]  ¹¹⁴ tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anqrwpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men, but for God all things are possible”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” in v. 28.

[19:27]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “Then answering, Peter said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

[19:27]  ¹¹⁶ sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice have been noticed.

[19:27]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.

[19:28]  ¹¹⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[19:28]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[19:28]  ¹²⁰ sn The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (παλιγγενεσία, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).

[19:28]  ¹²¹ sn The statement you…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.

[19:29]  ¹²² sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (a hundred times as much) and (2) eternal life will be given.

[8:26]  ¹²³ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[8:26]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[8:26]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “Get up and go about noon.” The phrase κατὰ μεσημβρίαν (kata meshmbrian) can be translated either “about noon” (L&N 67.74) or “toward the south” (L&N 82.4). Since the angel’s command appears to call for immediate action (“Get up”) and would not therefore need a time indicator, a directional reference (“toward the south”) is more likely here.

[8:26]  ¹²⁶ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:26]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “wilderness.”

[8:26]  ¹²⁸ tn The words “This is a desert road” are probably best understood as a comment by the author of Acts, but it is possible they form part of the angel’s speech to Philip, in which case the verse would read: “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza – the desert road.”

[8:27]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “And,” but καί (kai) carries something of a resultative force in this context because what follows describes Philip’s response to the angel’s command.

[8:27]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “So getting up he went.” The aorist participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:27]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “And there.” 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.

[8:27]  ¹³² tn Grk “and behold.” This expression is used to portray Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian in a vivid way. In the English translation this vividness is difficult to convey; it is necessary to supply the words “he met.”

[8:27]  ¹³³ sn The term eunuch normally referred to a man who had been castrated, but this was not always the case (see Gen 39:1 LXX, where Potiphar is called a eunuch). Such castrated individuals were preferred as court officials in the East, although Judaism opposed the practice. The Mosaic law excluded eunuchs from Israel (Deut 23:1), although God certainly accepted them (Isa 56:3-5; Wis 3:14). This individual was a high official, since he was said to be in charge of all her treasury. He may or may not have been a eunuch physically. He appears to be the first fully Gentile convert to Christianity, since the Samaritans mentioned previously (Acts 8:4-25) were regarded as half-breeds.

[8:27]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “the Candace” (the title of the queen of the Ethiopians). The term Κανδάκης (Kandakh") is much more likely a title rather than a proper name (like Pharaoh, which is a title); see L&N 37.77. A few, however, still take the word to be the name of the queen (L&N 93.209). BDAG 507 s.v. Κανδάκη, treats the term as a title and lists classical usage by Strabo (Geography 17.1.54) and others.

[8:27]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “who was over all her treasury, who.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “he” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[8:27]  ¹³⁶ sn Since this man had come to Jerusalem to worship, he may have been a proselyte to Judaism. This event is a precursor to Acts 10.

[8:28]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “and was sitting.” 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.

[8:28]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “and was reading.” 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.

[8:30]  ¹³⁹ tn The participle προσδραμών (prosdramwn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.

[8:30]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:30]  ¹⁴¹ tn Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:30]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[8:30]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “he said”; but since what follows is a question, it is better English style to translate the introduction to the question “he asked him.”

[8:31]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:31]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “How am I able, unless…” The translation is based on the force of the conjunction γάρ (gar) in this context. The translation “How in the world can I?” is given in BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 1.f.

[8:32]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:32]  ¹⁴⁷ 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.

[8:33]  ¹⁴⁸ tc ‡ Most later mss (C E Ψ 33^vid Ï sy) read “In his humiliation,” adding αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after ταπεινώσει (tapeinwsei, “humiliation”), while the earlier and better witnesses lack the pronoun (so Ì⁷⁴ א A B 1739 pc lat). However, the LXX of Isa 53:8 also lacks the pronoun, supplying motivation for scribes to omit it here. At the same time, scribes would also be motivated to add the pronoun both for clarity’s sake (note the similar impulse that led to the addition of δέ [de] by many of the same mss at the beginning of the next line) and to give balance to the lines (the pronoun is indisputably used five other times in vv. 32-33 in quoting Isa 53). On balance, the shorter reading is preferred.

[8:33]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”

[8:33]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.”

[8:33]  ¹⁵¹ tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.

[8:33]  ¹⁵² sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.

[8:34]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.

[8:34]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”

[8:34]  ¹⁵⁵ sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.

[8:35]  ¹⁵⁶ 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.

[8:35]  ¹⁵⁷ 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.

[8:36]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”

[8:37]  ¹⁵⁹ tc A few later mss (E 36 323 453 945 1739 1891 pc) add, with minor variations, 8:37 “He said to him, ‘If you believe with your whole heart, you may.’ He replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” Verse 37 is lacking in {Ì^45,74 א A B C 33 614 vg sy^p,h co}. It is clearly not a part of the original text of Acts. The variant is significant in showing how some in the early church viewed a confession of faith. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[8:38]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Grk “and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch.” Since this is somewhat redundant in English, it was simplified to “and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.”

[8:38]  ¹⁶¹ sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.

[8:39]  ¹⁶² tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).

[8:39]  ¹⁶³ sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).

[8:40]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Or “appeared.”

[8:40]  ¹⁶⁵ sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.

[8:40]  ¹⁶⁶ tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:40]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Or “he preached the gospel.”

[8:40]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Or “cities.”

[8:40]  ¹⁶⁹ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.