Acts 13:34

13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ¹  from the dead, never ²  again to be ³  in a state of decay, God ⁴  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ⁵  the holy and trustworthy promises ⁶  made to David.’ ⁷ 

Acts 16:4

16:4 As they went through the towns, ⁸  they passed on ⁹  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ¹⁰  for the Gentile believers ¹¹  to obey. ¹² 

Acts 16:26

16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ¹³  of all the prisoners came loose.

Acts 24:22

24:22 Then Felix, ¹⁴  who understood the facts ¹⁵  concerning the Way ¹⁶  more accurately, ¹⁷  adjourned their hearing, ¹⁸  saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” ¹⁹ 

[13:34]  ¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ² tn Although μηκέτι (mhketi) can mean “no longer” or “no more,” the latter is more appropriate here, since to translate “no longer” in this context could give the reader the impression that Jesus did experience decay before his resurrection. Since the phrase “no more again to be” is somewhat awkward in English, the simpler phrase “never again to be” was used instead.

[13:34]  ³ tn The translation “to be in again” for ὑποστρέφω (Jupostrefw) is given in L&N 13.24.

[13:34]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ⁵ tn The pronoun “you” is plural here. The promises of David are offered to the people.

[13:34]  ⁶ tn Or “the trustworthy decrees made by God to David.” The phrase τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά (ta Josia Dauid ta pista) is “compressed,” that is, in a very compact or condensed form. It could be expanded in several different ways. BDAG 728 s.v. ὅσιος 3 understands it to refer to divine decrees: “I will grant you the sure decrees of God relating to David.” BDAG then states that this quotation from Isa 55:3 is intended to show that the following quotation from Ps 16:10 could not refer to David himself, but must refer to his messianic descendant (Jesus). L&N 33.290 render the phrase “I will give to you the divine promises made to David, promises that can be trusted,” although they also note that τὰ ὅσια in Acts 13:34 can mean “divine decrees” or “decrees made by God.” In contemporary English it is less awkward to translate πιστά as an adjective (“trustworthy”). The concept of “divine decrees,” not very understandable to the modern reader, has been replaced by “promises,” and since God is the implied speaker in the context, it is clear that these promises were made by God.

[13:34]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 55:3. The point of this citation is to make clear that the promise of a Davidic line and blessings are made to the people as well.

[16:4]  ⁸ tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  ⁹ tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ¹² tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[16:26]  ¹⁵ tn Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.

[24:22]  ²² sn See the note on Antonius Felix in 23:24.

[24:22]  ²³ tn Grk “the things.”

[24:22]  ²⁴ tn That is, concerning Christianity.

[24:22]  ²⁵ tn BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκριβῶς has “Comp. ἀκριβέστερον more exactly…ἀ. ἐκτίθεσθαι explain more exactly Ac 18:26, cp. 23:15, 20; also more accurately…24:22.” Felix knew more about the Christian movement than what the Jewish leaders had told him.

[24:22]  ²⁶ tn L&N 56.18 s.v. ἀναβάλλω has “to adjourn a court proceeding until a later time – ‘to adjourn a hearing, to stop a hearing and put it off until later.’…‘then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned their hearing’ Ac 24:22.”

[24:22]  ²⁷ tn BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω 2 states, “to make a judicial decision, decide/hear (a case)…τὰ καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς decide your case Ac 24:22.”