Acts 16:25

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ¹  and singing hymns to God, ²  and the rest of ³  the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 20:7

20:7 On the first day ⁴  of the week, when we met ⁵  to break bread, Paul began to speak ⁶  to the people, and because he intended ⁷  to leave the next day, he extended ⁸  his message until midnight.

[16:25]  ¹ tn Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:25]  ² sn Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).

[16:25]  ³ tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[20:7]  ⁴ sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

[20:7]  ⁵ tn Or “assembled.”

[20:7]  ⁶ tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[20:7]  ⁷ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:7]  ⁸ tn Or “prolonged.”