Acts 18:4

18:4 He addressed ¹  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ²  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ³  them.

Acts 26:3

26:3 because you are especially ⁴  familiar with all the customs and controversial issues ⁵  of the Jews. Therefore I ask ⁶  you to listen to me patiently.

Acts 9:22

9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ⁷  and was causing consternation ⁸  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ⁹  that Jesus ¹⁰  is the Christ. ¹¹ 

Acts 19:10

19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ¹²  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ¹³ 

Acts 16:3

16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ¹⁴  to accompany him, and he took ¹⁵  him and circumcised ¹⁶  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ¹⁷  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ¹⁸ 

Acts 18:2

18:2 There he ¹⁹  found ²⁰  a Jew named Aquila, ²¹  a native of Pontus, ²²  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ²³  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ²⁴  Rome. ²⁵  Paul approached ²⁶  them,

Acts 18:14

18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ²⁷  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ²⁸  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ²⁹  of you Jews, ³⁰ 

Acts 21:21

21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living ³¹  among the Gentiles to abandon ³²  Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children ³³  or live ³⁴  according to our customs.

Acts 25:10

25:10 Paul replied, ³⁵  “I am standing before Caesar’s ³⁶  judgment seat, ³⁷  where I should be tried. ³⁸  I have done nothing wrong ³⁹  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ⁴⁰ 

[18:4]  ¹ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:4. 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.

[18:4]  ² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ³ tn Grk “Addressing in the synagogue every Sabbath, he was attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks.” Because in English the verb “address” is not used absolutely but normally has an object specified, the direct objects of the verb ἔπειθεν (epeiqen) have been moved forward as the objects of the English verb “addressed,” and the pronoun “them” repeated in the translation as the object of ἔπειθεν. The verb ἔπειθεν has been translated as a conative imperfect.

[26:3]  ⁴ tn BDAG 613 s.v. μάλιστα 1 states, “μ. γνώστην ὄντα σε since you are outstandingly familiar Ac 26:3.”

[26:3]  ⁵ tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”

[26:3]  ⁶ tn BDAG 218 s.v. δέομαι states, “In our lit. only w. the mng. to ask for something pleadingly, ask, request,” and then in section a.α states, “w. inf. foll.…Ac 26:3.”

[9:22]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω (suncew) see L&N 25.221.

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

[9:22]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:22]  ¹¹ 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.

[19:10]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[19:10]  ¹¹ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[16:3]  ¹³ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).

[16:3]  ¹⁵ tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.

[16:3]  ¹⁶ tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ¹⁷ tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).

[18:2]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:2]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ¹⁸ sn On Aquila and his wife Priscilla see also Acts 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. This author uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[18:2]  ¹⁹ sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ²⁰ sn Claudius refers to the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. The edict expelling the Jews from Rome was issued in a.d. 49 (Suetonius, Claudius 25.4).

[18:2]  ²¹ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ²² map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ²³ tn Or “went to.”

[18:14]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).

[18:14]  ²⁰ tn BDAG 902 s.v. ῥᾳδιούργημα states, “From the sense ‘prank, knavery, roguish trick, slick deed’ it is but a short step to that of a serious misdeed, crime, villainy…a serious piece of villainy Ac 18:14 (w. ἀδίκημα).”

[18:14]  ²¹ tn According to BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνέχω 3 this is a legal technical term: “Legal t.t. κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν I would have been justified in accepting your complaint Ac 18:14.”

[18:14]  ²² tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”

[21:21]  ²² tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.a has “τοὺς κ. τὰ ἔθνη ᾿Ιουδαίους the Judeans (dispersed) throughout the nations 21:21.” The Jews in view are not those in Palestine, but those who are scattered throughout the Gentile world.

[21:21]  ²³ tn Or “to forsake,” “to rebel against.” BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποστασία has “ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως you teach (Judeans) to abandon Moses Ac 21:21.”

[21:21]  ²⁴ sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.

[21:21]  ²⁵ tn Grk “or walk.”

[25:10]  ²⁵ tn Grk “said.”

[25:10]  ²⁶ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:10]  ²⁷ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.

[25:10]  ²⁸ tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

[25:10]  ²⁹ sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.

[25:10]  ³⁰ tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”