Acts 2:12-21

2:12 All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 2:13 But others jeered at the speakers, ¹  saying, “They are drunk on new wine!” ² 

Peter’s Address on the Day of Pentecost

2:14 But Peter stood up ³  with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “You men of Judea ⁴  and all you who live in Jerusalem, ⁵  know this ⁶  and listen carefully to what I say. 2:15 In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, ⁷  for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ⁸  2:16 But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: ⁹ 

2:17 ‘And in the last days ¹⁰  it will be,’ God says,

‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, ¹¹ 

and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

and your young men will see visions,

and your old men will dream dreams.

2:18 Even on my servants, ¹²  both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹³ 

2:19 And I will perform wonders in the sky ¹⁴  above

and miraculous signs ¹⁵  on the earth below,

blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

2:20 The sun will be changed to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the great and glorious ¹⁶  day of the Lord comes.

2:21 And then ¹⁷  everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ¹⁸ 

[2:13]  ¹ tn The words “the speakers” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[2:13]  ² tn Grk “They are full of new wine!”

[2:14]  ³ tn Grk “standing up.” The participle σταθείς (staqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[2:14]  ⁴ tn Or “You Jewish men.” “Judea” is preferred here because it is paired with “Jerusalem,” a location. This suggests locality rather than ethnic background is the primary emphasis in the context. As for “men,” the Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, where “all” who live in Jerusalem are addressed, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Peter’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[2:14]  ⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:14]  ⁶ tn Grk “let this be known to you.” The passive construction has been translated as an active for stylistic reasons.

[2:15]  ⁷ tn Grk “These men are not drunk, as you suppose.”

[2:15]  ⁸ tn Grk “only the third hour.”

[2:16]  ⁹ sn Note how in the quotation that follows all genders, ages, and classes are included. The event is like a hope Moses expressed in Num 11:29.

[2:17]  ¹⁰ sn The phrase in the last days is not quoted from Joel, but represents Peter’s interpretive explanation of the current events as falling “in the last days.”

[2:17]  ¹¹ tn Grk “on all flesh.”

[2:18]  ¹² tn Grk “slaves.” Although this translation frequently renders δοῦλος (doulos) as “slave,” the connotation is often of one who has sold himself into slavery; in a spiritual sense, the idea is that of becoming a slave of God or of Jesus Christ voluntarily. The voluntary notion is not conspicuous here; hence, the translation “servants.” In any case, 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.

[2:18]  ¹³ sn The words and they will prophesy in Acts 2:18 are not quoted from Joel 2:29 at this point but are repeated from earlier in the quotation (Acts 2:17) for emphasis. Tongues speaking is described as prophecy, just like intelligible tongues are described in 1 Cor 14:26-33.

[2:19]  ¹⁴ tn Or “in the heaven.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context. Here, in contrast to “the earth below,” a reference to the sky is more likely.

[2:19]  ¹⁵ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned; this is made explicit in the translation.

[2:20]  ¹⁶ tn Or “and wonderful.”

[2:21]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And it will be that.”

[2:21]  ¹⁸ sn A quotation from Joel 2:28-32.