Acts 16:17

16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ¹  “These men are servants ²  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ³  of salvation.” ⁴ 

Psalms 116:16

116:16 Yes, Lord! I am indeed your servant;

I am your lowest slave. ⁵ 

You saved me from death. ⁶ 

Psalms 143:12

143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, ⁷  destroy my enemies!

Annihilate ⁸  all who threaten my life, ⁹ 

for I am your servant.

Isaiah 44:21

44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob,

O Israel, for you are my servant.

I formed you to be my servant;

O Israel, I will not forget you! ¹⁰ 

Daniel 3:17

3:17 If ¹¹  our God whom we are serving exists, ¹²  he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well.

Daniel 3:26

3:26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out, ¹³  “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire. ¹⁴ 

Daniel 3:28

3:28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ¹⁵  “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel ¹⁶  and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring ¹⁷  the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than ¹⁸  serve or pay homage to any god other than their God!

Daniel 6:16

6:16 So the king gave the order, ¹⁹  and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den ²⁰  of lions. The king consoled ²¹  Daniel by saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!”

Daniel 6:20

6:20 As he approached the den, he called out to Daniel in a worried voice, ²²  “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God whom you continually serve able to rescue you from the lions?”

John 12:26

12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow ²³  me, and where I am, my servant will be too. ²⁴  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Romans 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ²⁵  a slave ²⁶  of Christ Jesus, ²⁷  called to be an apostle, ²⁸  set apart for the gospel of God. ²⁹ 

Romans 1:9

1:9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel ³⁰  of his Son, is my witness that ³¹  I continually remember you

Romans 6:22

6:22 But now, freed ³²  from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit ³³  leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life.

Romans 6:2

6:2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 1:3

1:3 concerning his Son who was a descendant ³⁴  of David with reference to the flesh, ³⁵ 

Romans 2:24

2:24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” ³⁶ 

Titus 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ³⁷  a slave ³⁸  of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith ³⁹  of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,

[16:17]  ¹ tn Grk “crying out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.

[16:17]  ² tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18. The translation “servants” was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”) than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”

[16:17]  ³ tn Or “a way.” The grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (Jodon swthria"). Neither the head noun nor the genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon (see ExSyn 239-40). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ExSyn 250-54); since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned. However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the preferred translation.

[16:17]  ⁴ sn Proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been understood as Zeus by the audience.

[116:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “I am your servant, the son of your female servant.” The phrase “son of a female servant” (see also Ps 86:16) is used of a son born to a secondary wife or concubine (Exod 23:12). In some cases the child’s father is the master of the house (see Gen 21:10, 13; Judg 9:18). The use of the expression here certainly does not imply that the Lord has such a secondary wife or concubine! It is used metaphorically and idiomatically to emphasize the psalmist’s humility before the Lord and his status as the Lord’s servant.

[116:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “you have loosed my bonds.” In this context the imagery refers to deliverance from death (see v. 3).

[143:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”

[143:12]  ⁸ tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.

[143:12]  ⁹ tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

[44:21]  ¹⁰ tc The verb in the Hebrew text is a Niphal imperfect with a pronominal suffix. Although the Niphal ordinarily has the passive sense, it can have a reflexive nuance as well (see above translation). Some have suggested an emendation to a Qal form: “Do not forget me” (all the ancient versions, NEB, REB; see GKC 369 §117.x). “Do not forget me” would make a good parallel with “remember these things” in the first line. Since the MT is the harder reading and fits with Israel’s complaint that God had forgotten her (Isa 40:27), the MT reading should be retained (NASB, NKJV, NRSV, ESV). The passive has been rendered as an active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style (so also NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).

[3:17]  ¹¹ tc The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17.

[3:17]  ¹² tn The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (’itay, “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל (yakhil, “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen, 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ’itay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 45, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15, which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power.

[3:26]  ¹³ tn Aram “answered and said.”

[3:26]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “from the midst of the fire.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.

[3:28]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “answered and said.”

[3:28]  ¹⁶ sn The king identifies the “son of the gods” (v. 25) as an angel. Comparable Hebrew expressions are used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for the members of God’s angelic assembly (see Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:6). An angel later comes to rescue Daniel from the lions (Dan 6:22).

[3:28]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “they changed” or “violated.”

[3:28]  ¹⁸ tn Aram “so that they might not.”

[6:16]  ¹⁹ tn Aram “said.” So also in vv. 24, 25.

[6:16]  ²⁰ sn The den was perhaps a pit below ground level which could be safely observed from above.

[6:16]  ²¹ tn Aram “answered and said [to Daniel].”

[6:20]  ²² tn Aram “The king answered and said to Daniel.” This phrase has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons; it is redundant in English.

[12:26]  ²³ tn As a third person imperative in Greek, ἀκολουθείτω (akolouqeitw) is usually translated “let him follow me.” This could be understood by the modern English reader as merely permissive, however (“he may follow me if he wishes”). In this context there is no permissive sense, but rather a command, so the translation “he must follow me” is preferred.

[12:26]  ²⁴ tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”

[1:1]  ²⁵ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ²⁶ tn Traditionally, “servant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ²⁷ tc Many important mss, as well as several others (̲⁶ א A G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (̹⁰ B 81 pc). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred as slightly more difficult and thus more likely the original (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus,” especially in certain letters such as Romans, Galatians, and Philippians. As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. A decision is difficult, but “Christ Jesus” is slightly preferred.

[1:1]  ²⁸ tn Grk “a called apostle.”

[1:1]  ²⁹ tn The genitive in the phrase εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ (euangelion qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as (1) a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or (2) an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. However, in view of God’s action in v. 2 concerning this gospel, a subjective genitive notion (“the gospel which God brings”) is slightly preferred.

[1:9]  ³⁰ tn Grk “whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel.”

[1:9]  ³¹ tn Grk “as.”

[6:22]  ³² tn The two aorist participles translated “freed” and “enslaved” are causal in force; their full force is something like “But now, since you have become freed from sin and since you have become enslaved to God….”

[6:22]  ³³ tn Grk “fruit.”

[1:3]  ³⁴ tn Grk “born of the seed” (an idiom).

[1:3]  ³⁵ tn Grk “according to the flesh,” indicating Jesus’ earthly life, a reference to its weakness. This phrase implies that Jesus was more than human; otherwise it would have been sufficient to say that he was a descendant of David, cf. L. Morris, Romans, 44.

[2:24]  ³⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 52:5.

[1:1]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ³⁸ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ³⁹ tn Grk “for the faith,” possibly, “in accordance with the faith.”