Acts 13:2

13:2 While they were serving ¹  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ²  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 23:18

23:18 So the centurion ³  took him and brought him to the commanding officer ⁴  and said, “The prisoner Paul called ⁵  me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

Acts 23:23

23:23 Then ⁶  he summoned ⁷  two of the centurions ⁸  and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea ⁹  along with seventy horsemen ¹⁰  and two hundred spearmen ¹¹  by ¹²  nine o’clock tonight, ¹³ 

[13:2]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Or “Appoint.”

[23:18]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the centurion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “calling.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:23]  ⁵ tn Grk “And.” Since this represents a response to the reported ambush, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[23:23]  ⁶ tn Grk “summoning…he said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:23]  ⁷ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[23:23]  ⁸ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was a journey of about 65 mi (just over 100 km).

[23:23]  ⁹ tn Or “cavalrymen.”

[23:23]  ¹⁰ tn A military technical term of uncertain meaning. BDAG 217 s.v. δεξιολάβος states, “a word of uncertain mng., military t.t., acc. to Joannes Lydus…and Theophyl. Sim., Hist. 4, 1 a light-armed soldier, perh. bowman, slinger; acc. to a scholion in CMatthaei p. 342 body-guard….Spearman Goodspd., NRSV; ‘security officer’, GDKilpatrick, JTS 14, ’63, 393f.”

[23:23]  ¹¹ tn Grk “from.”

[23:23]  ¹² tn Grk “from the third hour of the night.”