Acts 11:29-30

11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ¹  decided ²  to send relief ³  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ⁴  sending their financial aid ⁵  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 13:1-3

The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ⁶  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ⁷  Lucius the Cyrenian, ⁸  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ⁹  the tetrarch ¹⁰  from childhood ¹¹ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ¹²  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ¹³  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ¹⁴  and ¹⁵  prayed and placed their hands ¹⁶  on them, they sent them off.

[11:29]  ¹ tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.

[11:29]  ² tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”

[11:29]  ³ tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.

[11:30]  ⁴ tn Grk “Judea, which they did.” The relative pronoun was omitted 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.

[11:30]  ⁵ tn The words “their financial aid” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:1]  ⁶ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[13:1]  ⁷ sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”

[13:1]  ⁸ sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.

[13:1]  ⁹ sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who is mentioned a number of times in the gospels.

[13:1]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the governor.”

[13:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”

[13:2]  ¹² tn This term is frequently used in the LXX of the service performed by priests and Levites in the tabernacle (Exod 28:35, 43; 29:30; 30:20; 35:19; 39:26; Num 1:50; 3:6, 31) and the temple (2 Chr 31:2; 35:3; Joel 1:9, 13; 2:17, and many more examples). According to BDAG 591 s.v. λειτουργέω 1.b it is used “of other expression of religious devotion.” Since the previous verse described the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, it is probable that the term here describes two of them (Barnabas and Saul) as they were serving in that capacity. Since they were not in Jerusalem where the temple was located, general religious service is referred to here.

[13:2]  ¹³ tn Or “Appoint.”

[13:3]  ¹⁴ tn The three aorist participles νηστεύσαντες (nhsteusante"), προσευξάμενοι (proseuxamenoi), and ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") are translated as temporal participles. Although they could indicate contemporaneous time when used with an aorist main verb, logically here they are antecedent. On fasting and prayer, see Matt 6:5, 16; Luke 2:37; 5:33; Acts 14:23.

[13:3]  ¹⁵ tn Normally English style, which uses a coordinating conjunction between only the last two elements of a series of three or more, would call for omission of “and” here. However, since the terms “fasting and prayer” are something of a unit, often linked together, the conjunction has been retained here.

[13:3]  ¹⁶ sn The placing of hands on Barnabas and Saul (traditionally known as “the laying on of hands”) refers to an act picturing the commission of God and the church for the task at hand.