Acts 2:24

2:24 But God raised him up, ¹  having released ²  him from the pains ³  of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. ⁴ 

Acts 25:25

25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, ⁵  and when he appealed ⁶  to His Majesty the Emperor, ⁷  I decided to send him. ⁸ 

[2:24]  ¹ tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”

[2:24]  ² tn Or “having freed.”

[2:24]  ³ sn The term translated pains is frequently used to describe pains associated with giving birth (see Rev 12:2). So there is irony here in the mixed metaphor.

[2:24]  ⁴ tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).

[25:25]  ⁵ sn He had done nothing that deserved death. Festus’ opinion of Paul’s guilt is like Pilate’s of Jesus (Luke 23:4, 14, 22).

[25:25]  ⁶ tn The participle ἐπικαλεσαμένου (epikalesamenou) has been taken temporally. It could also be translated as causal: “and because he appealed…”

[25:25]  ⁷ tn A designation of the Roman emperor (in this case, Nero). BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός states, “ὁ Σεβαστός His Majesty the Emperor Ac 25:21, 25 (of Nero).”

[25:25]  ⁸ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.