Acts 12:8

Context
12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt¹ and put on your sandals.” Peter² did so. Then the angel³ said to him, “Put on your cloak⁴ and follow me.”

Acts 20:31

Context
20:31 Therefore be alert,⁵ remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning⁶ each one of you with tears.

Acts 21:39

Context
21:39 Paul answered,⁷ “I am a Jew⁸ from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.⁹ Please¹⁰ allow me to speak to the people.”

Acts 23:35

Context
23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing¹¹ when your accusers arrive too.” Then¹² he ordered that Paul¹³ be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.¹⁴

[12:8] ¹tn While ζώννυμι (zwnnumi) sometimes means “to dress,” referring to the fastening of the belt or sash as the final act of getting dressed, in this context it probably does mean “put on your belt” since in the conditions of a prison Peter had probably not changed into a different set of clothes to sleep. More likely he had merely removed his belt or sash, which the angel now told him to replace. The translation “put on your belt” is given by L&N 49.14 for this verse. The archaic English “girdle” for the sash or belt has an entirely different meaning today.

[12:8] ²tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8] ³tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8] ⁴tn Or “outer garment.”

[20:31] ⁵tn Or “be watchful.”

[20:31] ⁶tn Or “admonishing.”

[21:39] ⁹tn Grk “said.”

[21:39] ¹⁰tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39] ¹¹tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

[21:39] ¹²tn Grk “I beg you.”

[23:35] ¹³tn Or “I will hear your case.” BDAG 231 s.v. διακούω has “as legal t.t. give someone an opportunity to be heard in court, give someone (τινός) a hearing Ac 23:35”; L&N 56.13 has “to give a judicial hearing in a legal matter – ‘to hear a case, to provide a legal hearing, to hear a case in court.’”

[23:35] ¹⁴tn Grk “ordering.” The participle κελεύσας (keleusas) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence. “Then” has also been supplied to indicate the logical and temporal sequence.

[23:35] ¹⁵tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:35] ¹⁶sn Herod’s palace (Grk “Herod’s praetorium”) was the palace built in Caesarea by Herod the Great. See Josephus, Ant. 15.9.6 (15.331). These events belong to the period of a.d. 56-57.