Acts 2:18

2:18 Even on my servants, ¹  both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ² 

Acts 5:41

5:41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy ³  to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. ⁴ 

Acts 9:41

9:41 He gave ⁵  her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called ⁶  the saints and widows and presented her alive.

Acts 10:35

10:35 but in every nation ⁷  the person who fears him ⁸  and does what is right ⁹  is welcomed before him.

Acts 13:20

13:20 All this took ¹⁰  about four hundred fifty years. After this ¹¹  he gave them judges until the time of ¹²  Samuel the prophet.

Acts 13:24

13:24 Before ¹³  Jesus ¹⁴  arrived, John ¹⁵  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ¹⁶  to all the people of Israel.

Acts 15:9

15:9 and he made no distinction ¹⁷  between them and us, cleansing ¹⁸  their hearts by faith.

Acts 15:32

15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ¹⁹ 

Acts 16:32

16:32 Then ²⁰  they spoke the word of the Lord ²¹  to him, along with all those who were in his house.

Acts 21:14

21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ²²  we said no more except, ²³  “The Lord’s will be done.” ²⁴ 

Acts 22:12

22:12 A man named Ananias, ²⁵  a devout man according to the law, ²⁶  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ²⁷ 

Acts 24:17

24:17 After several years ²⁸  I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor ²⁹  and to present offerings, ³⁰ 

[2:18]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[5:41]  ³ sn That is, considered worthy by God. They “gloried in their shame” of honoring Jesus with their testimony (Luke 6:22-23; 2 Macc 6:30).

[5:41]  ⁴ sn The name refers to the name of Jesus (cf. 3 John 7).

[9:41]  ⁵ tn Grk “Giving her his hand, he helped her.” The participle δούς (dous) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:41]  ⁶ tn Grk “Then calling the saints…he presented her.” The participle φωνήσας (fwnhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style; it could also be taken temporally (“After he called”).

[10:35]  ⁷ sn See Luke 24:47.

[10:35]  ⁸ tn Or “shows reverence for him.”

[10:35]  ⁹ tn Grk “works righteousness”; the translation “does what is right” for this phrase in this verse is given by L&N 25.85.

[13:20]  ⁹ tn The words “all this took” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete statement in English. There is debate over where this period of 450 years fits and what it includes: (1) It could include the years in Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and the distribution of the land; (2) some connect it with the following period of the judges. This latter approach seems to conflict with 1 Kgs 6:1; see also Josephus, Ant. 8.3.1 (8.61).

[13:20]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And after these things.” 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.

[13:20]  ¹¹ tn The words “the time of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[13:24]  ¹¹ tn Grk “John having already proclaimed before his coming a baptism…,” a genitive absolute construction which is awkward in English. A new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.

[13:24]  ¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the context for clarity, since God is mentioned in the preceding context and John the Baptist in the following clause.

[13:24]  ¹³ sn John refers here to John the Baptist.

[13:24]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “a baptism of repentance”; the genitive has been translated as a genitive of purpose.

[15:9]  ¹³ tn BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “to conclude that there is a difference, make a distinction, differentiate.”

[15:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “purifying.”

[15:32]  ¹⁵ tn Here λόγου (logou) is singular. BDAG 599-600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.β has “in a long speech” for this phrase.

[16:32]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

[16:32]  ¹⁸ 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; 19:10, 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.

[21:14]  ¹⁹ tn The participle πειθομένου (peiqomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[21:14]  ²⁰ tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”

[21:14]  ²¹ sn “The Lord’s will be done.” Since no one knew exactly what would happen, the matter was left in the Lord’s hands.

[22:12]  ²¹ tn Grk “a certain Ananias.”

[22:12]  ²² sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[22:12]  ²³ tn BDAG 534 s.v. κατοικέω 1.a translates this present participle “ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν (sc. ἐκεῖ) κατοικούντων ᾿Ιουδαίων by all the Jews who live there Ac 22:12.”

[24:17]  ²³ tn BDAG 401 s.v. ἔτος has “δι᾿ ἐ. πλειόνων after several years 24:17.”

[24:17]  ²⁴ tn Grk “to bring alms,” but the term “alms” is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “gifts for the poor,” is used instead.

[24:17]  ²⁵ tn Or “sacrifices.” BDAG 887 s.v. προσφορά 1 has “προσφοράς ποιεῖν have sacrifices made Ac 24:17,” but this may be overly specific. It is not clear from the immediate context whether the offering of sacrificial animals (so BDAG assumes) or offerings of some other sort (such as financial gifts) are in view. The combination with ἐλεημοσύνας (elehmosuna") in the preceding clause may suggest monetary offerings. Some have suggested this is an allusion to the payments made by Paul on behalf of the four other men mentioned in Acts 21:23-26, but the text here seems to suggest something Paul had planned to do before he came, while the decision to pay for the expenses of the men in 21:23ff. was made at the suggestion of the Jerusalem leadership after he arrived. In either case, Paul was portraying himself as a pious worshiper of his God.