Acts 13:14-16

13:14 Moving on from ¹  Perga, ²  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ³  and on the Sabbath day they went into ⁴  the synagogue ⁵  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ⁶  the leaders of the synagogue ⁷  sent them a message, ⁸  saying, “Brothers, ⁹  if you have any message ¹⁰  of exhortation ¹¹  for the people, speak it.” ¹²  13:16 So Paul stood up, ¹³  gestured ¹⁴  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ¹⁵  and you Gentiles who fear God, ¹⁶  listen:

[13:14]  ¹ tn Or “Passing by.”

[13:14]  ² sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[13:14]  ³ tn Or “at Antioch in Pisidia.”

[13:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “going into the synagogue they sat down.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:14]  ⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:15]  ⁶ sn After the reading from the law and the prophets. In the 1st century Jewish synagogue, it was customary after the reading of the Torah (law) and prophets for men to give exhortation from the scriptures.

[13:15]  ⁷ tn Normally ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93). Since the term is plural here, however, and it would sound strange to the English reader to speak of “the presidents of the synagogue,” the alternative translation “leaders” is used. “Rulers” would also be acceptable, but does not convey quite the same idea.

[13:15]  ⁸ tn Grk “sent to them”; the word “message” is an understood direct object. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:15]  ⁹ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:15]  ¹⁰ tn Or “word.”

[13:15]  ¹¹ tn Or “encouragement.”

[13:15]  ¹² tn Or “give it.”

[13:16]  ¹³ tn This participle, ἀναστάς (anasta"), and the following one, κατασείσας (kataseisa"), are both translated as adverbial participles of attendant circumstance.

[13:16]  ¹⁴ tn Or “motioned.”

[13:16]  ¹⁵ tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context involving an address to a synagogue gathering, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Paul’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[13:16]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “and those who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44.