Acts 20:7

20:7 On the first day ¹  of the week, when we met ²  to break bread, Paul began to speak ³  to the people, and because he intended ⁴  to leave the next day, he extended ⁵  his message until midnight.

Acts 20:13

The Voyage to Miletus

20:13 We went on ahead ⁶  to the ship and put out to sea ⁷  for Assos, ⁸  intending ⁹  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ¹⁰  He ¹¹  himself was intending ¹²  to go there by land. ¹³ 

Acts 21:37

21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, ¹⁴  he said ¹⁵  to the commanding officer, ¹⁶  “May I say ¹⁷  something to you?” The officer ¹⁸  replied, ¹⁹  “Do you know Greek? ²⁰ 

Acts 23:20

23:20 He replied, ²¹  “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council ²²  tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him.

[20:7]  ¹ sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

[20:7]  ² tn Or “assembled.”

[20:7]  ³ tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[20:7]  ⁴ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:7]  ⁵ tn Or “prolonged.”

[20:13]  ⁶ tn Grk “going on ahead.” The participle προελθόντες (proelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:13]  ⁷ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[20:13]  ⁸ sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:13]  ⁹ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “for he told us to do this.” Grk “for having arranged it this way, he.” The participle διατεταγμένος (diatetagmeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 237 s.v. διατάσσω 1 has “οὕτως διατεταγμένος ἦν he had arranged it so Ac 20:13.” L&N 15.224 has “‘he told us to do this.”

[20:13]  ¹¹ tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence; in Greek this is part of the preceding sentence beginning “We went on ahead.”

[20:13]  ¹² tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:13]  ¹³ tn Or “there on foot.”

[21:37]  ¹¹ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[21:37]  ¹² tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

[21:37]  ¹³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers) See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:37]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Is it permitted for me to say” (an idiom).

[21:37]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:37]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “said.”

[21:37]  ¹⁷ sn “Do you know Greek?” Paul as an educated rabbi was bilingual. Paul’s request in Greek allowed the officer to recognize that Paul was not the violent insurrectionist he thought he had arrested (see following verse). The confusion of identities reveals the degree of confusion dominating these events.

[23:20]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “He said.”

[23:20]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).