Acts 2:5

2:5 Now there were devout Jews ¹  from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. ² 

Acts 11:27

Famine Relief for Judea

11:27 At that time ³  some ⁴  prophets ⁵  came down ⁶  from Jerusalem ⁷  to Antioch. ⁸ 

Acts 21:15

21:15 After these days we got ready ⁹  and started up ¹⁰  to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:17

21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ¹¹ 

[2:5]  ¹ tn Grk “Jews, devout men.” It is possible that only men are in view here in light of OT commands for Jewish men to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem at various times during the year (cf. Exod 23:17, 34:23; Deut 16:16). However, other evidence seems to indicate that both men and women might be in view. Luke 2:41-52 shows that whole families would make the temporary trip to Jerusalem. In addition, it is probable that the audience consisted of families who had taken up permanent residence in Jerusalem. The verb κατοικέω (katoikew) normally means “reside” or “dwell,” and archaeological evidence from tombs in Jerusalem does indicate that many families immigrated to Jerusalem permanently (see B. Witherington, Acts, 135); this would naturally include women. Also, the word ἀνήρ (ajnhr), which usually does mean “male” or “man” (as opposed to woman), sometimes is used generically to mean “a person” (BDAG 79 s.v. 2; cf. Matt 12:41). Given this evidence, then, it is conceivable that the audience in view here is not individual male pilgrims but a mixed group of men and women.

[2:5]  ² tn Grk “Now there were residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.”

[11:27]  ³ tn Grk “In these days,” but the dative generally indicates a specific time.

[11:27]  ⁴ tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text, but is usually used in English when an unspecified number is mentioned.

[11:27]  ⁵ sn Prophets are mentioned only here and in 13:1 and 21:10 in Acts.

[11:27]  ⁶ sn Came down from Jerusalem. Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude).

[11:27]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:27]  ⁸ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[21:15]  ⁵ tn Or “we made preparations.”

[21:15]  ⁶ tn Grk “were going up”; the imperfect verb ἀνεβαίνομεν (anebainomen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:17]  ⁷ tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).