Acts 10:25-26

10:25 So when ¹  Peter came in, Cornelius met ²  him, fell ³  at his feet, and worshiped ⁴  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ⁵  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ⁶ 

Acts 14:14-15

14:14 But when the apostles ⁷  Barnabas and Paul heard about ⁸  it, they tore ⁹  their clothes and rushed out ¹⁰  into the crowd, shouting, ¹¹  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ¹²  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ¹³  from these worthless ¹⁴  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ¹⁵  the sea, and everything that is in them.

Exodus 9:17

9:17 You are still exalting ¹⁶  yourself against my people by ¹⁷  not releasing them.

Exodus 10:3

10:3 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and told him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: ‘How long do you refuse ¹⁸  to humble yourself before me? ¹⁹  Release my people so that they may serve me!

Psalms 115:1

Psalm 115 ²⁰ 

115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us!

But to your name bring honor, ²¹ 

for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. ²² 

Isaiah 37:23

37:23 Whom have you taunted and hurled insults at?

At whom have you shouted

and looked so arrogantly? ²³ 

At the Holy One of Israel! ²⁴ 

Ezekiel 28:2

28:2 “Son of man, say to the prince ²⁵  of Tyre, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Your heart is proud ²⁶  and you said, “I am a god; ²⁷ 

I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas” –

yet you are a man and not a god,

though you think you are godlike. ²⁸ 

Ezekiel 28:9

28:9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you –

though you are a man and not a god –

when you are in the power of those who wound you?

Daniel 4:30-37

4:30 The king uttered these words: “Is this not the great Babylon that I have built for a royal residence ²⁹  by my own mighty strength ³⁰  and for my majestic honor?” 4:31 While these words were still on the king’s lips, ³¹  a voice came down from heaven: “It is hereby announced to you, ³²  King Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom has been removed from you! 4:32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before ³³  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

4:33 Now in that very moment ³⁴  this pronouncement about ³⁵  Nebuchadnezzar came true. ³⁶  He was driven from human society, he ate grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until his hair became long like an eagle’s feathers, and his nails like a bird’s claws. ³⁷ 

4:34 But at the end of the appointed time ³⁸  I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up ³⁹  toward heaven, and my sanity returned to me.

I extolled the Most High,

and I praised and glorified the one who lives forever.

For his authority is an everlasting authority,

and his kingdom extends from one generation to the next.

4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. ⁴⁰ 

He does as he wishes with the army of heaven

and with those who inhabit the earth.

No one slaps ⁴¹  his hand

and says to him, ‘What have you done?’

4:36 At that time my sanity returned to me. I was restored ⁴²  to the honor of my kingdom, and my splendor returned to me. My ministers and my nobles were seeking me out, and I was reinstated ⁴³  over my kingdom. I became even greater than before. 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all his deeds are right and his ways are just. He is able to bring down those who live ⁴⁴  in pride.

Daniel 5:18-24

5:18 As for you, O king, the most high God bestowed on your father Nebuchadnezzar a kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty. ⁴⁵  5:19 Due to the greatness that he bestowed on him, all peoples, nations, and language groups were trembling with fear ⁴⁶  before him. He killed whom he wished, he spared ⁴⁷  whom he wished, he exalted whom he wished, and he brought low whom he wished. 5:20 And when his mind ⁴⁸  became arrogant ⁴⁹  and his spirit filled with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and his honor was removed from him. 5:21 He was driven from human society, his mind ⁵⁰  was changed to that of an animal, he lived ⁵¹  with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky, until he came to understand that the most high God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.

5:22 “But you, his son ⁵²  Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, ⁵³  although you knew all this. 5:23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You brought before you the vessels from his temple, and you and your nobles, together with your wives and concubines, drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods ⁵⁴  that cannot see or hear or comprehend! But you have not glorified the God who has in his control ⁵⁵  your very breath and all your ways! 5:24 Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.

Luke 12:47-48

12:47 That ⁵⁶  servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked ⁵⁷  will receive a severe beating. 12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will ⁵⁸  and did things worthy of punishment ⁵⁹  will receive a light beating. ⁶⁰  From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, ⁶¹  and from the one who has been entrusted with much, ⁶²  even more will be asked. ⁶³ 

Luke 12:2

12:2 Nothing is hidden ⁶⁴  that will not be revealed, ⁶⁵  and nothing is secret that will not be made known.

Luke 2:4

2:4 So ⁶⁶  Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth ⁶⁷  in Galilee to Judea, to the city ⁶⁸  of David called Bethlehem, ⁶⁹  because he was of the house ⁷⁰  and family line ⁷¹  of David.

[10:25]  ¹ tn Grk “So it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[10:25]  ² tn Grk “meeting him.” The participle συναντήσας (sunanthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25]  ³ tn Grk “falling at his feet, worshiped.” The participle πεσών (peswn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25]  ⁴ sn When Cornelius worshiped Peter, it showed his piety and his respect for Peter, but it was an act based on ignorance, as Peter’s remark in v. 26 indicates.

[10:26]  ⁵ tn BDAG 271 s.v. ἐγείρω 3 has “raise, help to rise….Stretched out Ac 10:26.”

[10:26]  ⁶ tn Although it is certainly true that Peter was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") has been translated as “mere mortal” because the emphasis in context is not on Peter’s maleness, but his humanity. Contrary to what Cornelius thought, Peter was not a god or an angelic being, but a mere mortal.

[14:14]  ⁷ sn The apostles Barnabas and Paul. This is one of only two places where Luke calls Paul an apostle, and the description here is shared with Barnabas. This is a nontechnical use here, referring to a commissioned messenger.

[14:14]  ⁸ tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is taken temporally.

[14:14]  ⁹ tn Grk “tearing their clothes they rushed out.” The participle διαρρήξαντες (diarrhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This action is a Jewish response to blasphemy (m. Sanhedrin 7.5; Jdt 14:16-17).

[14:14]  ¹⁰ tn So BDAG 307 s.v. ἐκπηδάω 1, “rush (lit. ‘leap’) out…εἰς τὸν ὄχλον into the crowd Ac 14:14.”

[14:14]  ¹¹ tn Grk “shouting and saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes, in v. 15) has not been translated because it is redundant.

[14:15]  ¹² tn Grk “with the same kinds of feelings,” L&N 25.32. BDAG 706 s.v. ὁμοιοπαθής translates the phrase “with the same nature τινί as someone.” In the immediate context, the contrast is between human and divine nature, and the point is that Paul and Barnabas are mere mortals, not gods.

[14:15]  ¹³ tn Grk “in order that you should turn,” with ἐπιστρέφειν (epistrefein) as an infinitive of purpose, but this is somewhat awkward contemporary English. To translate the infinitive construction “proclaim the good news, that you should turn,” which is much smoother English, could give the impression that the infinitive clause is actually the content of the good news, which it is not. The somewhat less formal “to get you to turn” would work, but might convey to some readers manipulativeness on the part of the apostles. Thus “proclaim the good news, so that you should turn,” is used, to convey that the purpose of the proclamation of good news is the response by the hearers. The emphasis here is like 1 Thess 1:9-10.

[14:15]  ¹⁴ tn Or “useless,” “futile.” The reference is to idols and idolatry, worshiping the creation over the Creator (Rom 1:18-32). See also 1 Kgs 16:2, 13, 26; 2 Kgs 17:15; Jer 2:5; 8:19; 3 Macc 6:11.

[14:15]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “and the earth, and the sea,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before “the earth” and “the sea” since contemporary English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:17]  ¹⁶ tn מִסְתּוֹלֵל (mistolel) is a Hitpael participle, from a root that means “raise up, obstruct.” So in the Hitpael it means to “raise oneself up,” “elevate oneself,” or “be an obstructionist.” See W. C. Kaiser, Jr., “Exodus,” EBC 2:363; U. Cassuto, Exodus, 116.

[9:17]  ¹⁷ tn The infinitive construct with lamed here is epexegetical; it explains how Pharaoh has exalted himself – “by not releasing the people.”

[10:3]  ¹⁸ tn The verb is מֵאַנְתָּ (me’anta), a Piel perfect. After “how long,” the form may be classified as present perfect (“how long have you refused), for it describes actions begun previously but with the effects continuing. (See GKC 311 §106.g-h). The use of a verb describing a state or condition may also call for a present translation (“how long do you refuse”) that includes past, present, and potentially future, in keeping with the question “how long.”

[10:3]  ¹⁹ tn The clause is built on the use of the infinitive construct to express the direct object of the verb – it answers the question of what Pharaoh was refusing to do. The Niphal infinitive construct (note the elision of the ה [hey] prefix after the preposition [see GKC 139 §51.l]) is from the verb עָנָה (’anah). The verb in this stem would mean “humble oneself.” The question is somewhat rhetorical, since God was not yet through humbling Pharaoh, who would not humble himself. The issue between Yahweh and Pharaoh is deeper than simply whether or not Pharaoh will let the Israelites leave Egypt.

[115:1]  ²⁰ sn Psalm 115. The psalmist affirms that Israel’s God is superior to pagan idols and urges Israel to place their confidence in him.

[115:1]  ²¹ tn Or “give glory.”

[115:1]  ²² sn The psalmist asks the Lord to demonstrate his loyal love and faithfulness, not simply so Israel may benefit, but primarily so that the Lord will receive honor among the nations, who will recognize, contrary to their present view (see v. 2), that Israel’s God is committed to his people.

[37:23]  ²³ tn Heb “and lifted your eyes on high?” Cf. NIV “lifted your eyes in pride”; NRSV “haughtily lifted your eyes.”

[37:23]  ²⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.

[28:2]  ²⁵ tn Or “ruler” (NIV, NCV).

[28:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “lifted up.”

[28:2]  ²⁷ tn Or “I am divine.”

[28:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and you made your heart (mind) like the heart (mind) of gods.”

[4:30]  ²⁹ tn Aram “house.”

[4:30]  ³⁰ tn Aram “by the might of my strength.”

[4:31]  ³¹ tn Aram “in the mouth of the king.”

[4:31]  ³² tn Aram “to you they say.”

[4:32]  ³³ tn Aram “until.”

[4:33]  ³⁴ tn Aram “hour.”

[4:33]  ³⁵ tn Or “on.”

[4:33]  ³⁶ tn Aram “was fulfilled.”

[4:33]  ³⁷ tn The words “feathers” and “claws” are not present in the Aramaic text, but have been added in the translation for clarity.

[4:34]  ³⁸ tn Aram “days.”

[4:34]  ³⁹ tn Aram “lifted up my eyes.”

[4:35]  ⁴⁰ tc The present translation reads כְּלָא (kÿla’), with many medieval Hebrew MSS, rather than כְּלָה (kÿlah) of BHS.

[4:35]  ⁴¹ tn Aram “strikes against.”

[4:36]  ⁴² tc The translation reads הַדְרֵת (hadret, “I returned”) rather than the MT הַדְרִי (hadri, “my honor”); cf. Theodotion.

[4:36]  ⁴³ tc The translation reads הָתְקְנֵת (hotqÿnet, “I was established”) rather than the MT הָתְקְנַת (hotqÿnat, “it was established”). As it stands, the MT makes no sense here.

[4:37]  ⁴⁴ tn Aram “walk.”

[5:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “royal greatness and majestic honor,” if the four terms are understood as a double hendiadys.

[5:19]  ⁴⁶ tn Aram “were trembling and fearing.” This can be treated as a hendiadys, “were trembling with fear.”

[5:19]  ⁴⁷ tn Aram “let live.” This Aramaic form is the aphel participle of חַיָה(khayah, “to live”). Theodotion and the Vulgate mistakenly take the form to be from מְחָא (mÿkha’, “to smite”).

[5:20]  ⁴⁸ tn Aram “heart.”

[5:20]  ⁴⁹ sn The point of describing Nebuchadnezzar as arrogant is that he had usurped divine prerogatives, and because of his immense arrogance God had dealt decisively with him.

[5:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Aram “heart.”

[5:21]  ⁵¹ tn Aram “his dwelling.”

[5:22]  ⁵² tn Or “descendant”; or “successor.”

[5:22]  ⁵³ tn Aram “your heart.”

[5:23]  ⁵⁴ tn Aram “which.”

[5:23]  ⁵⁵ tn Aram “in whose hand [are].”

[12:47]  ⁵⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:47]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “or do according to his will”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This example deals with the slave who knew what the command was and yet failed to complete it.

[12:48]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “did not know”; the phrase “his master’s will” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the contemporary English reader.

[12:48]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “blows.”

[12:48]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “will receive few (blows).”

[12:48]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “required from him”; but the words “from him” are redundant in English and have not been translated.

[12:48]  ⁶² sn Entrusted with much. To be gifted with precious responsibility is something that requires faithfulness.

[12:48]  ⁶³ tn Grk “they will ask even more.”

[12:2]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “concealed.”

[12:2]  ⁶⁵ sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice verbs here (“be revealed,” be made known”) see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known, though the stress with the images of darkness and what is hidden in vv. 2-3 is on the attempt to conceal.

[2:4]  ⁶⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

[2:4]  ⁶⁷ sn On Nazareth see Luke 1:26.

[2:4]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “town.” The translation “city” is used here because of its collocation with “of David,” suggesting its importance, though not its size.

[2:4]  ⁶⁹ sn The journey from Nazareth to the city of David called Bethlehem was a journey of about 90 mi (150 km). Bethlehem was a small village located about 7 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem.

[2:4]  ⁷⁰ sn Luke’s use of the term “house” probably alludes to the original promise made to David outlined in the Nathan oracle of 2 Sam 7:12-16, especially in light of earlier connections between Jesus and David made in Luke 1:32. Further, the mention of Bethlehem reminds one of the promise of Mic 5:2, namely, that a great king would emerge from Bethlehem to rule over God’s people.

[2:4]  ⁷¹ tn Or “family,” “lineage.”