Acts 12:21

12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod ¹  put on his royal robes, ²  sat down on the judgment seat, ³  and made a speech ⁴  to them.

Acts 10:30

10:30 Cornelius ⁵  replied, ⁶  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ⁷  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ⁸  a man in shining clothing stood before me

[12:21]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:21]  ² tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.

[12:21]  ³ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.

[12:21]  ⁴ tn Or “delivered a public address.”

[10:30]  ⁵ tn Grk “And Cornelius.” 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.

[10:30]  ⁶ tn Grk “said.”

[10:30]  ⁷ tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” Again, this is the hour of afternoon prayer.

[10:30]  ⁸ tn Grk “and behold.” The interjection ἰδού (idou) is difficult at times to translate into English. Here it has been translated as “suddenly” to convey the force of Cornelius’ account of the angel’s appearance.