Acts 12:18

12:18 At daybreak ¹  there was great consternation ²  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

Acts 16:35

16:35 At daybreak ³  the magistrates ⁴  sent their police officers, ⁵  saying, “Release those men.”

Acts 26:6

26:6 And now I stand here on trial ⁶  because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ⁷ 

Acts 2:6

2:6 When this sound ⁸  occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, ⁹  because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Acts 20:3

20:3 where he stayed ¹⁰  for three months. Because the Jews had made ¹¹  a plot ¹²  against him as he was intending ¹³  to sail ¹⁴  for Syria, he decided ¹⁵  to return through Macedonia. ¹⁶ 

Acts 23:12

The Plot to Kill Paul

23:12 When morning came, ¹⁷  the Jews formed ¹⁸  a conspiracy ¹⁹  and bound themselves with an oath ²⁰  not to eat or drink anything ²¹  until they had killed Paul.

Acts 11:19

Activity in the Church at Antioch

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ²²  went as far as ²³  Phoenicia, ²⁴  Cyprus, ²⁵  and Antioch, ²⁶  speaking the message ²⁷  to no one but Jews.

Acts 15:2

15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ²⁸  with them, the church ²⁹  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ³⁰  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ³¹  about this point of disagreement. ³² 

Acts 21:40

21:40 When the commanding officer ³³  had given him permission, ³⁴  Paul stood ³⁵  on the steps and gestured ³⁶  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ³⁷  he addressed ³⁸  them in Aramaic, ³⁹ 

Acts 25:26

25:26 But I have nothing definite ⁴⁰  to write to my lord ⁴¹  about him. ⁴²  Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, ⁴³  so that after this preliminary hearing ⁴⁴  I may have something to write.

Acts 15:7

15:7 After there had been much debate, ⁴⁵  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ⁴⁶  God chose ⁴⁷  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ⁴⁸  of the gospel ⁴⁹  and believe. ⁵⁰ 

[12:18]  ¹ tn BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a has “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse.

[12:18]  ² tn Grk “no little consternation.” The translation given for τάραχος (taraco") in this verse by BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 1 is “mental agitation.” The situation indicated by the Greek word is described in L&N 25.243 as “a state of acute distress and great anxiety, with the additional possible implications of dismay and confusion – ‘great distress, extreme anxiety.’” The English word “consternation” is preferred here because it conveys precisely such a situation of anxiety mixed with fear. The reason for this anxiety is explained in the following verse.

[16:35]  ³ tn The translation “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.

[16:35]  ⁴ tn On the term translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, strathgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.

[16:35]  ⁵ tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rJabdouco") see BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”

[26:6]  ⁵ tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.a.α has “κρίνεσθαι ἐπί τινι be on trial because of a thing Ac 26:6.”

[26:6]  ⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[2:6]  ⁷ tn Or “this noise.”

[2:6]  ⁸ tn Or “was bewildered.”

[20:3]  ⁹ tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”

[20:3]  ¹⁰ tn The participle βενομένης (benomenh") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 30.71 has “ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ‘because the Jews had made a plot against him’ Ac 20:3.”

[20:3]  ¹¹ sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:20; 20:19; 23:30).

[20:3]  ¹² tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:3]  ¹³ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 gives “put out to sea” here (as a nautical technical term). However, since the English expression “put out to sea” could be understood to mean Paul was already aboard the ship (which is not clear from the context), the simpler expression “sail” is used at this point in the translation.

[20:3]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”

[20:3]  ¹⁵ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[23:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “when it was day.”

[23:12]  ¹² tn Grk “forming a conspiracy, bound.” The participle ποιήσαντες (poihsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:12]  ¹³ tn L&N 30.72 has ‘some Jews formed a conspiracy’ Ac 23:12”; BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 has “Judeans came together in a mob 23:12. But in the last pass. the word may also mean – 2. the product of a clandestine gathering, plot, conspiracy” (see also Amos 7:10; Ps 63:3).

[23:12]  ¹⁴ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” On such oaths see m. Shevi’it 3:1-5. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[23:12]  ¹⁵ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[11:19]  ¹³ sn The phrase over Stephen means in connection with Stephen’s death. See Acts 8:1b-3.

[11:19]  ¹⁴ tn Or “finally reached.” The translations “went as far as” and “finally reached” for διῆλθον (dihlqon) in this verse are given in L&N 15.17.

[11:19]  ¹⁵ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[11:19]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “and Cyprus,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[11:19]  ¹⁷ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). This was probably the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world (Alexandria in Egypt was the second largest, and Rome the largest) and was the seat of government in Syria. Five miles away was a major temple to Artemis, Apollo, and Astarte, major pagan deities.

[11:19]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “word.”

[15:2]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.

[15:2]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  ¹⁹ tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.

[21:40]  ¹⁷ tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[21:40]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Giving him permission.” The participle ἐπιτρέψαντος (epitreyanto") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ²⁰ tn Or “motioned.”

[21:40]  ²¹ tn γενομένης (genomenhs) has been taken temporally. BDAG 922 s.v. σιγή has “πολλῆς σιγῆς γενομένης when a great silence had fallen = when they had become silent Ac 21:40.”

[21:40]  ²² tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[21:40]  ²³ tn Grk “in the Hebrew dialect, saying.” This refers to the Aramaic spoken in Palestine in the 1st century (BDAG 270 s.v. ῾Εβραΐς). The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[25:26]  ¹⁹ sn There is irony here. How can Festus write anything definite about Paul, if he is guilty of nothing.

[25:26]  ²⁰ sn To my lord means “to His Majesty the Emperor.”

[25:26]  ²¹ tn Grk “about whom I have nothing definite…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 26.

[25:26]  ²² sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[25:26]  ²³ tn Or “investigation.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνάκρισις has “a judicial hearing, investigation, hearing, esp. preliminary hearing…τῆς ἀ. γενομένης Ac 25:26.” This is technical legal language.

[15:7]  ²¹ tn Or “discussion.” This term is repeated from v. 2.

[15:7]  ²² tn Or “long ago” (an idiom, literally “from ancient days”). According to L&N 67.26, “this reference to Peter having been chosen by God sometime before to bring the gospel to the Gentiles can hardly be regarded as a reference to ancient times, though some persons understand this to mean that God’s decision was made at the beginning of time. The usage of ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων is probably designed to emphasize the established nature of God’s decision for Peter to take the gospel to the Gentiles beginning with the centurion Cornelius. The fact that this was relatively early in the development of the church may also serve to explain the use of the idiom.”

[15:7]  ²³ sn God chose. The theme of God’s sovereign choice is an important point, because 1st century Jews believed Israel’s unique position and customs were a reflection of God’s choice.

[15:7]  ²⁴ tn Or “word.”

[15:7]  ²⁵ tn Or “of the good news.”

[15:7]  ²⁶ tn Grk “God chose among you from my mouth the Gentiles to hear the message of the gospel and to believe.” The sense of this sentence in Greek is difficult to render in English. The Greek verb ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai, “choose”) normally takes a person or thing as a direct object; in this verse the verb has neither clearly stated. The translation understands the phrase “from my mouth,” referring to Peter, as a description of both who God chose and the task to be done. This coupled with the following statement about Gentiles hearing the message of the gospel leads to the more dynamic rendering in the translation.