Acts 2:24-36

Context
2:24 But God raised him up,¹ having released² him from the pains³ of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power.⁴ 2:25 For David says about him,

‘I saw the Lord always in front of me,⁵

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

2:26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;

my body⁶ also will live in hope,

2:27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades,⁷

nor permit your Holy One to experience⁸ decay.

2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of joy with your presence.’⁹

2:29 “Brothers,¹⁰ I can speak confidently¹¹ to you about our forefather¹² David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 2:30 So then, because¹³ he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants¹⁴ on his throne,¹⁵ 2:31 David by foreseeing this¹⁶ spoke about the resurrection of the Christ,¹⁷ that he was neither abandoned to Hades,¹⁸ nor did his body¹⁹ experience²⁰ decay.²¹ 2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it.²² 2:33 So then, exalted²³ to the right hand²⁴ of God, and having received²⁵ the promise of the Holy Spirit²⁶ from the Father, he has poured out²⁷ what you both see and hear. 2:34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my lord,

“Sit²⁸ at my right hand

2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool²⁹ for your feet.”’³⁰

2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt³¹ that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified³² both Lord³³ and Christ.”³⁴

[2:24] ¹tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”

[2:24] ²tn Or “having freed.”

[2:24] ³sn 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] ⁴tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).

[2:25] ⁵tn Or “always before me.”

[2:26] ⁶tn Grk “my flesh.”

[2:27] ⁷tn Or “will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Often “Hades” is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Sheol, the place of the dead.

[2:27] ⁸tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:28] ⁹sn A quotation from Ps 16:8-11.

[2:29] ¹⁰tn Since this represents a continuation of the address beginning in v.14 and continued in v. 22, “brothers” has been used here rather than a generic expression like “brothers and sisters.”

[2:29] ¹¹sn Peter’s certainty is based on well-known facts.

[2:29] ¹²tn Or “about our noted ancestor,” “about the patriarch.”

[2:30] ¹³tn The participles ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) and εἰδώς (eidw") are translated as causal adverbial participles.

[2:30] ¹⁴tn Grk “one from the fruit of his loins.” “Loins” is the traditional translation of ὀσφῦς (osfu"), referring to the male genital organs. A literal rendering like “one who came from his genital organs” would be regarded as too specific and perhaps even vulgar by many contemporary readers. Most modern translations thus render the phrase “one of his descendants.”

[2:30] ¹⁵sn An allusion to Ps 132:11 and 2 Sam 7:12-13, the promise in the Davidic covenant.

[2:31] ¹⁶tn Grk “David foreseeing spoke.” The participle προϊδών (proidwn) is taken as indicating means. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance: “David foresaw [this] and spoke.” The word “this” is supplied in either case as an understood direct object (direct objects in Greek were often omitted, but must be supplied for the modern English reader).

[2:31] ¹⁷tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:31] ¹⁸tn Or “abandoned in the world of the dead.” The translation “world of the dead” for Hades is suggested by L&N 1.19. The phrase is an allusion to Ps 16:10.

[2:31] ¹⁹tn Grk “flesh.” See vv. 26b-27. The reference to “body” in this verse picks up the reference to “body” in v. 26. The Greek term σάρξ (sarx) in both verses literally means “flesh”; however, the translation “body” stresses the lack of decay of his physical body. The point of the verse is not merely the lack of decay of his flesh alone, but the resurrection of his entire person, as indicated by the previous parallel line “he was not abandoned to Hades.”

[2:31] ²⁰tn Grk “see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:31] ²¹sn An allusion to Ps 16:10.

[2:32] ²²tn Or “of him”; Grk “of which [or whom] we are all witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

[2:33] ²³tn The aorist participle ὑψωθείς (Juywqei") could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…” In the translation the more neutral “exalted” (a shorter form of “having been exalted”) was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33] ²⁴sn The expression the right hand of God represents supreme power and authority. Its use here sets up the quotation of Ps 110:1 in v. 34.

[2:33] ²⁵tn The aorist participle λαβών (labwn) could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit.” In the translation the more neutral “having received” was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33] ²⁶tn Here the genitive τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the promise consists of the Holy Spirit.

[2:33] ²⁷sn The use of the verb poured out looks back to 2:17-18, where the same verb occurs twice.

[2:34] ²⁸sn Sit at my right hand. The word “sit” alludes back to the promise of “seating one on his throne” in v. 30.

[2:35] ²⁹sn The metaphor make your enemies a footstool portrays the complete subjugation of the enemies.

[2:35] ³⁰sn A quotation from Ps 110:1, one of the most often-cited OT passages in the NT, pointing to the exaltation of Jesus.

[2:36] ³¹tn Or “know for certain.” This term is in an emphatic position in the clause.

[2:36] ³²tn Grk “has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” The clause has been simplified in the translation by replacing the pronoun “him” with the explanatory clause “this Jesus whom you crucified” which comes at the end of the sentence.

[2:36] ³³sn Lord. This looks back to the quotation of Ps 110:1 and the mention of “calling on the Lord” in 2:21. Peter’s point is that the Lord on whom one calls for salvation is Jesus, because he is the one mediating God’s blessing of the Spirit as a sign of the presence of salvation and the last days.

[2:36] ³⁴tn Or “and Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”