Acts 17:26

17:26 From one man ¹  he made every nation of the human race ²  to inhabit the entire earth, ³  determining their set times ⁴  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ⁵ 

Numbers 23:19

23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a human being, ⁶  that he should change his mind.

Has he said, and will he not do it?

Or has he spoken, and will he not make it happen? ⁷ 

Isaiah 41:22-23

41:22 “Let them produce evidence! Let them tell us what will happen!

Tell us about your earlier predictive oracles, ⁸ 

so we may examine them ⁹  and see how they were fulfilled. ¹⁰ 

Or decree for us some future events!

41:23 Predict how future events will turn out, ¹¹ 

so we might know you are gods.

Yes, do something good or bad,

so we might be frightened and in awe. ¹² 

Isaiah 44:7

44:7 Who is like me? Let him make his claim! ¹³ 

Let him announce it and explain it to me –

since I established an ancient people – ¹⁴ 

let them announce future events! ¹⁵ 

Isaiah 46:9-10

46:9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity! ¹⁶ 

Truly I am God, I have no peer; ¹⁷ 

I am God, and there is none like me,

46:10 who announces the end from the beginning

and reveals beforehand ¹⁸  what has not yet occurred,

who says, ‘My plan will be realized,

I will accomplish what I desire,’

Matthew 13:35

13:35 This fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet: ¹⁹ 

“I will open my mouth in parables,

I will announce what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” ²⁰ 

Matthew 25:34

25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:4

1:4 For ²¹  he chose us in Christ ²²  before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished ²³  in his sight ²⁴  in love. ²⁵ 

Ephesians 1:11

1:11 In Christ ²⁶  we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, ²⁷  since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will

Ephesians 3:9

3:9 and to enlighten ²⁸  everyone about God’s secret plan ²⁹  – a secret that has been hidden for ages ³⁰  in God ³¹  who has created all things.

Ephesians 3:2

3:2 if indeed ³²  you have heard of the stewardship ³³  of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

Ephesians 2:13

2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ³⁴ 

Ephesians 2:1

New Life Individually

2:1 And although you were ³⁵  dead ³⁶  in your transgressions and sins,

Ephesians 1:20

1:20 This power ³⁷  he exercised ³⁸  in Christ when he raised him ³⁹  from the dead and seated him ⁴⁰  at his right hand in the heavenly realms ⁴¹ 

Revelation 13:8

13:8 and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, ⁴²  everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world ⁴³  in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. ⁴⁴ 

Revelation 17:8

17:8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss ⁴⁵  and then go to destruction. The ⁴⁶  inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that ⁴⁷  the beast was, and is not, but is to come.

[17:26]  ¹ sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).

[17:26]  ² tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”

[17:26]  ³ tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”

[17:26]  ⁴ tn BDAG 884-85 s.v. προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead.

[17:26]  ⁵ tn Grk “the boundaries of their habitation.” L&N 80.5 has “fixed limits of the places where they would live” for this phrase.

[23:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “son of man.”

[23:19]  ⁷ tn The verb is the Hiphil of קוּם (qum, “to cause to rise; to make stand”). The meaning here is more of the sense of fulfilling the promises made.

[41:22]  ⁸ tn Heb “As for the former things, tell us what they are!”

[41:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “so we might set [them to] our heart.”

[41:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and might know their outcome.”

[41:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “Declare the coming things, with respect to the end.”

[41:23]  ¹² tc The translation assumes the Qere (וְנִרְאֶה [vÿnir’eh], from יָרֵא [yare’], “be afraid”).

[44:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “let him call” or “let him proclaim” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “Let him stand up and speak.”

[44:7]  ¹⁴ tc The Hebrew text reads, “from (the time) I established an ancient people, and the coming things.” Various emendations have been proposed. One of the options assumes the reading מַשְׁמִיעִים מֵעוֹלָם אוֹתִיּוֹת (mashmi’im me’olam ’otiyyot); This literally reads “the ones causing to hear from antiquity coming things,” but more idiomatically would read “as for those who predict from antiquity what will happen” (cf. NAB, NEB, REB). The emendation directs the attention of the reader to those who claim to be able to predict the future, challenging them to actually do what they claim they can do. The MT presents Yahweh as an example to whom these alleged “predictors of the future” can compare themselves. Since the ancient versions are unanimous in their support of the MT, the emendations should be set aside.

[44:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb and those things which are coming let them declare for themselves.”

[46:9]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”

[46:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[46:10]  ¹⁸ tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”

[13:35]  ¹⁹ tc A few important mss (א* Θ Ë^1,13 33) identify the prophet as Isaiah, a reading that is significantly harder than the generic “prophet” because the source of this prophecy is not Isaiah but Asaph in Ps 78. Jerome mentioned some mss that had “Asaph” here, though none are known to exist today. This problem is difficult because of the temptation for scribes to delete the reference to Isaiah in order to clear up a discrepancy. Indeed, the vast majority of witnesses have only “the prophet” here (א¹ B C D L W 0233 0242 Ï lat sy co). However, as B. M. Metzger points out, “if no prophet were originally named, more than one scribe might have been prompted to insert the name of the best known prophet – something which has, in fact, happened elsewhere more than once” (TCGNT 27). In light of the paucity of evidence for the reading ᾿Ησαΐου, as well as the proclivity of scribes to add his name, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic.

[13:35]  ²⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 78:2.

[1:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “just as.” Eph 1:3-14 are one long sentence in Greek that must be broken up in English translation. Verse 4 expresses the reason why God the Father is blessed (cf. BDAG 494 s.v. καθώς 3).

[1:4]  ²² tn Grk “in him.”

[1:4]  ²³ sn The Greek word translated unblemished (ἀμώμους, amwmous) is often used of an acceptable paschal lamb. Christ, as our paschal lamb, is also said to be unblemished (Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19). Since believers are in Christ, God views them positionally and will make them ultimately without blemish as well (Jude 24; Eph 5:27; Col 1:22).

[1:4]  ²⁴ tn Grk “before him.”

[1:4]  ²⁵ tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ἀγάπῃ (en agaph, “in love”) may modify one of three words or phrases: (1) “chose,” (2) “holy and unblemished,” both in v. 4, or (3) “by predestining” in v. 5. If it modifies “chose,” it refers to God’s motivation in that election, but this option is unlikely because of the placement of the prepositional phrase far away from the verb. The other two options are more likely. If it modifies “holy and unblemished,” it specifies that our holiness cannot be divorced from love. This view is in keeping with the author’s use of ἀγάπη to refer often to human love in Ephesians, but the placement of the prepositional phrase not immediately following the words it modifies would be slightly awkward. If it modifies “by predestining” (v. 5), again the motivation of God’s choice is love. This would fit the focus of the passage on God’s gracious actions toward believers, but it could be considered slightly redundant in that God’s predestination itself proves his love.

[1:11]  ²⁶ tn Grk “in whom,” as a continuation of the previous verse.

[1:11]  ²⁷ tn Grk “we were appointed by lot.” The notion of the verb κληρόω (klhrow) in the OT was to “appoint a portion by lot” (the more frequent cognate verb κληρονομέω [klhronomew] meant “obtain a portion by lot”). In the passive, as here, the idea is that “we were appointed [as a portion] by lot” (BDAG 548 s.v. κληρόω 1). The words “God’s own” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this sense of the verb. An alternative interpretation is that believers receive a portion as an inheritance: “In Christ we too have been appointed a portion of the inheritance.” See H. W. Hoehner, Ephesians, 226-27, for discussion on this interpretive issue.

[3:9]  ²⁸ tn There is a possible causative nuance in the Greek verb, but this is difficult to convey in the translation.

[3:9]  ²⁹ tn Grk “what is the plan of the divine secret.” Earlier the author had used οἰκονομία (oikonomia; here “plan”) to refer to his own “stewardship” (v. 2). But now he is speaking about the content of this secret, not his own activity in relation to it.

[3:9]  ³⁰ tn Or “for eternity,” or perhaps “from the Aeons.” Cf. 2:2, 7.

[3:9]  ³¹ tn Or “by God.” It is possible that ἐν (en) plus the dative here indicates agency, that is, that God has performed the action of hiding the secret. However, this usage of the preposition ἐν is quite rare in the NT, and even though here it does follow a perfect passive verb as in the Classical idiom, it is more likely that a different nuance is intended.

[3:2]  ³² sn If indeed. The author is not doubting whether his audience has heard, but is rather using provocative language (if indeed) to engage his audience in thinking about the magnificence of God’s grace. However, in English translation, the apodosis (“then”-clause) does not come until v. 13, leaving the protasis (“if”-clause) dangling. Eph 3:2-7 constitute one sentence in Greek.

[3:2]  ³³ tn Or “administration,” “dispensation,” “commission.”

[2:13]  ³⁴ tn Or “have come near in the blood of Christ.”

[2:1]  ³⁵ tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.

[2:1]  ³⁶ sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.

[1:20]  ³⁷ tn Grk “which” (v. 20 is a subordinate clause to v. 19).

[1:20]  ³⁸ tn The verb “exercised” (the aorist of ἐνεργέω, energew) has its nominal cognate in “exercise” in v. 19 (ἐνέργεια, energeia).

[1:20]  ³⁹ tn Or “This power he exercised in Christ by raising him”; Grk “raising him.” The adverbial participle ἐγείρας (egeiras) could be understood as temporal (“when he raised [him]”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “he exercised” earlier in the verse, or as means (“by raising [him]”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.

[1:20]  ⁴⁰ tc The majority of mss, especially the Western and Byzantine mss (D F G Ψ Ï b r Ambst), have the indicative ἐκάθισεν (ekaqisen, “he seated”) for καθίσας (kaqisa", “when he seated, by seating”). The indicative is thus coordinate with ἐνήργησεν (enhrghsen, “he exercised”) and provides an additional statement to “he exercised his power.” The participle (found in Ì^92vid א A B 0278 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 2464 al), on the other hand, is coordinate with ἐγείρας (egeiras) and as such provides evidence of God’s power: He exercised his power by raising Christ from the dead and by seating him at his right hand. As intriguing as the indicative reading is, it is most likely an intentional alteration of the original wording, accomplished by an early “Western” scribe, which made its way in the Byzantine text.

[1:20]  ⁴¹ sn Eph 1:19-20. The point made in these verses is that the power required to live a life pleasing to God is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. For a similar thought, cf. John 15:1-11.

[13:8]  ⁴² tn Grk “it”; the referent (the beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:8]  ⁴³ tn The prepositional phrase “since the foundation of the world” is traditionally translated as a modifier of the immediately preceding phrase in the Greek text, “the Lamb who was killed” (so also G. B. Caird, Revelation [HNTC], 168), but it is more likely that the phrase “since the foundation of the world” modifies the verb “written” (as translated above). Confirmation of this can be found in Rev 17:8 where the phrase “written in the book of life since the foundation of the world” occurs with no ambiguity.

[13:8]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”

[17:8]  ⁴⁵ tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11…φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”

[17:8]  ⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Some translations take the ὅτι (Joti) here as causal: “because he was, and is not, but is to come” (so NIV, NRSV), but it is much more likely that the subject of the ὅτι clause has been assimilated into the main clause: “when they see the beast, that he was…” = “when they see that the beast was” (so BDAG 732 s.v. ὅτι 1.f, where Rev 17:8 is listed).