Acts 13:9

13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ¹  filled with the Holy Spirit, ²  stared straight ³  at him

Acts 9:1

The Conversion of Saul

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ⁴  to murder ⁵  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest

Acts 12:25

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ⁶  Jerusalem ⁷  when they had completed ⁸  their mission, ⁹  bringing along with them John Mark. ¹⁰ 

Acts 8:3

8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy ¹¹  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ¹²  both men and women and put them in prison. ¹³ 

Acts 9:8

9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ¹⁴  he could see nothing. ¹⁵  Leading him by the hand, his companions ¹⁶  brought him into Damascus.

Acts 9:22

9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ¹⁷  and was causing consternation ¹⁸  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ¹⁹  that Jesus ²⁰  is the Christ. ²¹ 

Acts 8:1

8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ²²  him.

Saul Begins to Persecute the Church

Now on that day a great ²³  persecution began ²⁴  against the church in Jerusalem, ²⁵  and all ²⁶  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ²⁷  of Judea and Samaria.

Acts 13:1

The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ²⁸  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ²⁹  Lucius the Cyrenian, ³⁰  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ³¹  the tetrarch ³²  from childhood ³³ ) and Saul.

[13:9]  ¹ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:9]  ² sn This qualifying clause in the narrative indicates who represented God in the dispute.

[13:9]  ³ tn Or “gazed intently.”

[9:1]  ⁴ tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”

[9:1]  ⁵ tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.

[12:25]  ⁷ tc There are a number of variants at this point in the text: εἰς (eis, “to”) in א B Ï sa^ms sy^hmg; ἀπό (apo, “from”) in D E Ψ 36 323 453 614 1175 al; ἐξ (ex, “from”) in Ì⁷⁴ A 33 945 1739 al; ἐξ ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν (ex Ierousalhm ei" Antioceian, “from Jerusalem to Antioch”) in {a few later manuscripts and part of the Itala}. A decision on this problem is very difficult, but for several reasons εἰς can be preferred. It is the most difficult reading by far in light of the context, since Paul and Barnabas were going to Jerusalem in 11:30. It is found in better witnesses, א and B being very strong evidence. The other readings, ἐξ and ἀπό, are different from εἰς yet bear essentially the same meaning as each other; this seems to suggest that scribes had problems with εἰς and tried to choose an acceptable revision. If εἰς is the earliest reading, ἀπό may be a clarification of ἐξ, and ἐξ could have arisen through confusion of letters. Or ἐξ and ἀπό could both have independently arisen from εἰς as a more acceptable preposition. Despite such arguments, however, the case for εἰς is not airtight: either ἐξ or ἀπό could be preferred on other lines of reasoning. The reading ἐξ enjoys the earliest support, and εἰς could have arisen through the same confusion of letters mentioned above. The immediate and wider context seems to mitigate against εἰς as the original reading: The aorist participle πληρώσαντες (plhrwsante", “when they had completed”) seems to signal the end of the mission to Jerusalem with the famine relief, so it would make sense in the context for the team to be coming from Jerusalem (to Antioch) rather than to Jerusalem, and 13:1 certainly presents the scene at Antioch. The later addition εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν after ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ in some mss seems to be a clarification in light of 13:1 (notice that some of the mss that read ἐξ add εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν [945 1739], and some that read ἀπό also add εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν [E 323 1175]). Thus, the idea of spatial separation from Jerusalem is strongly implied by the context. This problem is so difficult that some scholars resort to conjectural emendation to determine the original reading. All in all, the reading εἰς should be preferred as original, recognizing that there is a good measure of uncertainty with this solution. For additional discussion, see TCGNT 350-52.

[12:25]  ⁸ sn That is, from Jerusalem to Antioch (see Acts 11:29-30).

[12:25]  ⁹ tn Grk “fulfilled.”

[12:25]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “ministry” or “service.”

[12:25]  ¹¹ tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”

[8:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.

[8:3]  ¹¹ tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:3]  ¹² tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”

[9:8]  ¹³ tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[9:8]  ¹⁴ sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of deafness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.

[9:8]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:22]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “was becoming stronger,” but this could be understood in a physical sense, while the text refers to Saul’s growing ability to demonstrate to fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. The translation “to become capable” for ἐνδυναμόω (endunamow) is given in L&N 74.7, with this specific verse as an example.

[9:22]  ¹⁷ tn Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω (suncew) see L&N 25.221.

[9:22]  ¹⁸ tn Or “by showing for certain.”

[9:22]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:22]  ²⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Note again the variation in the titles used.

[8:1]  ¹⁹ tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).

[8:1]  ²⁰ tn Or “severe.”

[8:1]  ²¹ tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”

[8:1]  ²² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  ²³ sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.

[8:1]  ²⁴ tn Or “countryside.”

[13:1]  ²² sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[13:1]  ²³ sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”

[13:1]  ²⁴ sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.

[13:1]  ²⁵ sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who is mentioned a number of times in the gospels.

[13:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “the governor.”

[13:1]  ²⁷ tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”