Acts 2:7-11

Context
2:7 Completely baffled, they said,¹ “Aren’t² all these who are speaking Galileans? 2:8 And how is it that each one of us hears them³ in our own native language?⁴ 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia,⁵ 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene,⁶ and visitors from Rome,⁷ 2:11 both Jews and proselytes,⁸ Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!”⁹

[2:7] ¹tn Grk “They were astounded and amazed, saying.” The two imperfect verbs, ἐξίσταντο (existanto) and ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon), show both the surprise and the confusion on the part of the hearers. The verb ἐξίσταντο (from ἐξίστημι, existhmi) often implies an illogical perception or response (BDAG 350 s.v. ἐξίστημι): “to be so astonished as to almost fail to comprehend what one has experienced” (L&N 25.218).

[2:7] ²tn Grk “Behold, aren’t all these.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[2:8] ³tn Grk “we hear them, each one of us.”

[2:8] ⁴tn Grk “in our own language in which we were born.”

[2:9] ⁵tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[2:10] ⁶tn According to BDAG 595 s.v. Λιβύη, the western part of Libya, Libya Cyrenaica, is referred to here (see also Josephus, Ant. 16.6.1 [16.160] for a similar phrase).

[2:10] ⁷map For location see JP4 A1.

[2:11] ⁸sn Proselytes refers to Gentile (i.e., non-Jewish) converts to Judaism.

[2:11] ⁹tn Or “God’s mighty works.” Here the genitive τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a subjective genitive.