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Acts 21:1--22:30

Context

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21:1 After¹ we² tore ourselves away³ from them, we put out to sea,⁴ and sailing a straight course,⁵ we came to Cos,⁶ on the next day to Rhodes,⁷ and from there to Patara.⁸ 21:2 We found⁹ a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,¹⁰ went aboard,¹¹ and put out to sea.¹² 21:3 After we sighted Cyprus¹³ and left it behind on our port side,¹⁴ we sailed on to Syria and put in¹⁵ at Tyre,¹⁶ because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located¹⁷ the disciples, we stayed there¹⁸ seven days. They repeatedly told¹⁹ Paul through the Spirit²⁰ not to set foot²¹ in Jerusalem.²² 21:5 When²³ our time was over,²⁴ we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied²⁵ us outside of the city. After²⁶ kneeling down on the beach and praying,²⁷ 21:6 we said farewell²⁸ to one another.²⁹ Then³⁰ we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes.³¹ 21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre³² and arrived at Ptolemais,³³ and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left³⁴ and came to Caesarea,³⁵ and entered³⁶ the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven,³⁷ and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried³⁸ daughters who prophesied.)³⁹

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days,⁴⁰ a prophet named Agabus⁴¹ came down from Judea. 21:11 He came⁴² to us, took⁴³ Paul’s belt,⁴⁴ tied⁴⁵ his own hands and feet with it,⁴⁶ and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over⁴⁷ to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people⁴⁸ begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking⁴⁹ my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up,⁵⁰ but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded,⁵¹ we said no more except,⁵² “The Lord’s will be done.”⁵³

21:15 After these days we got ready⁵⁴ and started up⁵⁵ to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea⁵⁶ came along with us too, and brought us to the house⁵⁷ of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times,⁵⁸ with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.⁵⁹ 21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.⁶⁰ 21:19 When Paul⁶¹ had greeted them, he began to explain⁶² in detail⁶³ what God⁶⁴ had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised⁶⁵ God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews⁶⁶ there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers⁶⁷ of the law.⁶⁸ 21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living⁶⁹ among the Gentiles to abandon⁷⁰ Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children⁷¹ or live⁷² according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt⁷³ hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what⁷⁴ we tell you: We have four men⁷⁵ who have taken⁷⁶ a vow;⁷⁷ 21:24 take them and purify⁷⁸ yourself along with them and pay their expenses,⁷⁹ so that they may have their heads shaved.⁸⁰ Then⁸¹ everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told⁸² about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with⁸³ the law.⁸⁴ 21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided⁸⁵ that they should avoid⁸⁶ meat that has been sacrificed to idols⁸⁷ and blood and what has been strangled⁸⁸ and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day,⁸⁹ and after he had purified himself⁹⁰ along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice⁹¹ of the completion of the days of purification,⁹² when⁹³ the sacrifice would be offered for each⁹⁴ of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over,⁹⁵ the Jews from the province of Asia⁹⁶ who had seen him in the temple area⁹⁷ stirred up the whole crowd⁹⁸ and seized⁹⁹ him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel,¹⁰⁰ help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law,¹⁰¹ and this sanctuary!¹⁰² Furthermore¹⁰³ he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple¹⁰⁴ and made this holy place ritually unclean!”¹⁰⁵ 21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and¹⁰⁶ they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.)¹⁰⁷ 21:30 The whole city was stirred up,¹⁰⁸ and the people rushed together.¹⁰⁹ They seized¹¹⁰ Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts,¹¹¹ and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying¹¹² to kill him, a report¹¹³ was sent up¹¹⁴ to the commanding officer¹¹⁵ of the cohort¹¹⁶ that all Jerusalem was in confusion.¹¹⁷ 21:32 He¹¹⁸ immediately took¹¹⁹ soldiers and centurions¹²⁰ and ran down to the crowd.¹²¹ When they saw¹²² the commanding officer¹²³ and the soldiers, they stopped beating¹²⁴ Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer¹²⁵ came up and arrested¹²⁶ him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains;¹²⁷ he¹²⁸ then asked who he was and what¹²⁹ he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else,¹³⁰ and when the commanding officer¹³¹ was unable¹³² to find out the truth¹³³ because of the disturbance,¹³⁴ he ordered Paul¹³⁵ to be brought into the barracks.¹³⁶ 21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul¹³⁷ had to be carried¹³⁸ by the soldiers because of the violence¹³⁹ of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people¹⁴⁰ followed them,¹⁴¹ screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,¹⁴² he said¹⁴³ to the commanding officer,¹⁴⁴ “May I say¹⁴⁵ something to you?” The officer¹⁴⁶ replied,¹⁴⁷ “Do you know Greek?¹⁴⁸ 21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion¹⁴⁹ and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’¹⁵⁰ into the wilderness¹⁵¹ some time ago?”¹⁵² 21:39 Paul answered,¹⁵³ “I am a Jew¹⁵⁴ from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.¹⁵⁵ Please¹⁵⁶ allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer¹⁵⁷ had given him permission,¹⁵⁸ Paul stood¹⁵⁹ on the steps and gestured¹⁶⁰ to the people with his hand. When they had become silent,¹⁶¹ he addressed¹⁶² them in Aramaic,¹⁶³

Paul’s Defense

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense¹⁶⁴ that I now¹⁶⁵ make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard¹⁶⁶ that he was addressing¹⁶⁷ them in Aramaic,¹⁶⁸ they became even¹⁶⁹ quieter.)¹⁷⁰ Then¹⁷¹ Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew,¹⁷² born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up¹⁷³ in this city, educated with strictness¹⁷⁴ under¹⁷⁵ Gamaliel¹⁷⁶ according to the law of our ancestors,¹⁷⁷ and was¹⁷⁸ zealous¹⁷⁹ for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I¹⁸⁰ persecuted this Way¹⁸¹ even to the point of death,¹⁸² tying up¹⁸³ both men and women and putting¹⁸⁴ them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders¹⁸⁵ can testify about me. From them¹⁸⁶ I also received¹⁸⁷ letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way¹⁸⁸ to make arrests there and bring¹⁸⁹ the prisoners¹⁹⁰ to Jerusalem¹⁹¹ to be punished. 22:6 As¹⁹² I was en route and near Damascus,¹⁹³ about noon a very bright¹⁹⁴ light from heaven¹⁹⁵ suddenly flashed¹⁹⁶ around me. 22:7 Then I¹⁹⁷ fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 22:8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 22:9 Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand¹⁹⁸ the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 22:10 So I asked,¹⁹⁹ ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up²⁰⁰ and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything²⁰¹ that you have been designated²⁰² to do.’ 22:11 Since I could not see because of²⁰³ the brilliance²⁰⁴ of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of²⁰⁵ those who were with me. 22:12 A man named Ananias,²⁰⁶ a devout man according to the law,²⁰⁷ well spoken of by all the Jews who live there,²⁰⁸ 22:13 came²⁰⁹ to me and stood beside me²¹⁰ and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’²¹¹ And at that very moment²¹² I looked up and saw him.²¹³ 22:14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors²¹⁴ has already chosen²¹⁵ you to know his will, to see²¹⁶ the Righteous One,²¹⁷ and to hear a command²¹⁸ from his mouth, 22:15 because you will be his witness²¹⁹ to all people²²⁰ of what you have seen and heard. 22:16 And now what are you waiting for?²²¹ Get up,²²² be baptized, and have your sins washed away,²²³ calling on his name.’²²⁴ 22:17 When²²⁵ I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance²²⁶ 22:18 and saw the Lord²²⁷ saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 22:19 I replied,²²⁸ ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues²²⁹ who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness²³⁰ Stephen was shed,²³¹ I myself was standing nearby, approving,²³² and guarding the cloaks²³³ of those who were killing him.’²³⁴ 22:21 Then²³⁵ he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

The Roman Commander Questions Paul

22:22 The crowd²³⁶ was listening to him until he said this.²³⁷ Then²³⁸ they raised their voices and shouted,²³⁹ “Away with this man²⁴⁰ from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!”²⁴¹ 22:23 While they were screaming²⁴² and throwing off their cloaks²⁴³ and tossing dust²⁴⁴ in the air, 22:24 the commanding officer²⁴⁵ ordered Paul²⁴⁶ to be brought back into the barracks.²⁴⁷ He told them²⁴⁸ to interrogate Paul²⁴⁹ by beating him with a lash²⁵⁰ so that he could find out the reason the crowd²⁵¹ was shouting at Paul²⁵² in this way. 22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash,²⁵³ Paul said to the centurion²⁵⁴ standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen²⁵⁵ without a proper trial?”²⁵⁶ 22:26 When the centurion²⁵⁷ heard this,²⁵⁸ he went to the commanding officer²⁵⁹ and reported it,²⁶⁰ saying, “What are you about to do?²⁶¹ For this man is a Roman citizen.”²⁶² 22:27 So the commanding officer²⁶³ came and asked²⁶⁴ Paul,²⁶⁵ “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”²⁶⁶ He replied,²⁶⁷ “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer²⁶⁸ answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.”²⁶⁹ “But I was even²⁷⁰ born a citizen,”²⁷¹ Paul replied.²⁷² 22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away²⁷³ from him, and the commanding officer²⁷⁴ was frightened when he realized that Paul²⁷⁵ was²⁷⁶ a Roman citizen²⁷⁷ and that he had had him tied up.²⁷⁸

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer²⁷⁹ wanted to know the true reason²⁸⁰ Paul²⁸¹ was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council²⁸² to assemble. He then brought²⁸³ Paul down and had him stand before them.

[21:1] ¹tn Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Since the action described by the participle ἀποσπασθέντας (apospasqenta", “tearing ourselves away”) is prior to the departure of the ship, it has been translated as antecedent action (“after”).

[21:1] ²sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.

[21:1] ³tn BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποσπάω 2.b has “pass. in mid. sense ἀ. ἀπό τινος tear oneself away Ac 21:1”; LSJ 218 gives several illustrations of this verb meaning “to tear or drag away from.”

[21:1] ⁴tn 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.”

[21:1] ⁵tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course”; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”

[21:1] ⁶sn Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea.

[21:1] ⁷sn Rhodes was an island off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.

[21:1] ⁸sn Patara was a city in Lycia on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. The entire journey was about 185 mi (295 km).

[21:2] ⁹tn Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[21:2] ¹⁰sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[21:2] ¹¹tn Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:2] ¹²tn 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.”

[21:3] ¹⁷sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3] ¹⁸sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.

[21:3] ¹⁹tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[21:3] ²⁰sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage.

[21:4] ²⁵tn BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνευρίσκω has “look/search for (w. finding presupposed) τινά…τοὺς μαθητάς Ac 21:4.” The English verb “locate,” when used in reference to persons, has the implication of both looking for and finding someone. The participle ἀνευρόντες (aneuronte") has been taken temporally.

[21:4] ²⁶tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”

[21:4] ²⁷tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.

[21:4] ²⁸sn Although they told this to Paul through the Spirit, it appears Paul had a choice here (see v. 14). Therefore this amounted to a warning: There was risk in going to Jerusalem, so he was urged not to go.

[21:4] ²⁹tn BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω places Ac 21:4 under 1, “go up/upon, mount, board…πλοίῳ…Ac 27:2…Abs. go on board, embark…21:1 D, 2. – So perh. also ἐ. εἰς ᾿Ιεροσόλυμα embark for Jerusalem (i.e. to the seaport of Caesarea) vs. 4.” BDAG notes, however, “But this pass. may also belong to 2. to move to an area and be there, set foot in.” Because the message from the disciples to Paul through the Holy Spirit has the character of a warning, the latter meaning has been adopted for this translation.

[21:4] ³⁰map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:5] ³³tn Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[21:5] ³⁴tn Grk “When our days were over.” L&N 67.71 has “ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἡμᾶς ἐξαρτίσαι τὰς ἡμέρας ‘when we brought that time to an end’ or ‘when our time with them was over’ Ac 21:5.”

[21:5] ³⁵tn Grk “accompanying.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the participle προπεμπόντων (propempontwn) translated as a finite verb.

[21:5] ³⁶tn Grk “city, and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[21:5] ³⁷sn On praying in Acts, see 1:14, 24; 2:47; 4:23; 6:6; 10:2; 12:5, 12; 13:3; 16:25.

[21:6] ⁴¹tn BDAG 98 s.v. ἀπασπάζομαι has “take leave of, say farewell to τινά someone…ἀπησπασάμεθα ἀλλήλους we said farewell to one another Ac 21:6.”

[21:6] ⁴²sn These words are part of v. 5 in the standard critical Greek text.

[21:6] ⁴³tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[21:6] ⁴⁴tn Grk “to their own”; the word “homes” is implied.

[21:7] ⁴⁹sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[21:7] ⁵⁰sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.

[21:8] ⁵⁷tn Grk “On the next day leaving, we came.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8] ⁵⁸sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was another 40 mi (65 km).

[21:8] ⁵⁹tn Grk “and entering…we stayed.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8] ⁶⁰sn Philip was one of the seven deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7).

[21:9] ⁶⁵tn Grk “virgin.” While the term παρθένος (parqeno") can refer to a woman who has never had sexual relations, the emphasis in this context seems to be on the fact that Philip’s daughters were not married (L&N 9.39).

[21:9] ⁶⁶sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Luke again noted women who were gifted in the early church (see Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.31; 3.39).

[21:10] ⁷³tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.α has “ἐπὶ ἡμέρας πλείους for a (large) number of days, for many days…Ac 13:31. – 21:10…24:17; 25:14; 27:20.”

[21:10] ⁷⁴sn Agabus also appeared in Acts 11:28. He was from Jerusalem, so the two churches were still in contact with one another.

[21:11] ⁸¹tn Grk “And coming.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11] ⁸²tn Grk “and taking.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. The participle ἄρας (aras) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11] ⁸³sn The belt was a band or sash used to keep money as well as to gird up the tunic (BDAG 431 s.v. ζώνη).

[21:11] ⁸⁴tn The participle δήσας (dhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11] ⁸⁵tn The words “with it” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[21:11] ⁸⁶tn Grk “and will deliver him over into the hands of” (a Semitic idiom).

[21:12] ⁸⁹tn Or “the people there.”

[21:13] ⁹⁷tn The term translated “breaking” as used by Josephus (Ant. 10.10.4 [10.207]) means to break something into pieces, but in its only NT use (it is a hapax legomenon) it is used figuratively (BDAG 972 s.v. συνθρύπτω).

[21:13] ⁹⁸tn L&N 18.13 has “to tie objects together – ‘to tie, to tie together, to tie up.’” The verb δέω (dew) is sometimes figurative for imprisonment (L&N 37.114), but it is preferable to translate it literally here in light of v. 11 where Agabus tied himself up with Paul’s belt.

[21:14] ¹⁰⁵tn The participle πειθομένου (peiqomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[21:14] ¹⁰⁶tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”

[21:14] ¹⁰⁷sn “The Lord’s will be done.” Since no one knew exactly what would happen, the matter was left in the Lord’s hands.

[21:15] ¹¹³tn Or “we made preparations.”

[21:15] ¹¹⁴tn Grk “were going up”; the imperfect verb ἀνεβαίνομεν (anebainomen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:16] ¹²¹sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[21:16] ¹²²tn Grk “to Mnason…”; the words “the house of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the verb ξενισθῶμεν (xenisqwmen).

[21:16] ¹²³tn Or perhaps, “Mnason of Cyprus, one of the original disciples.” BDAG 137 s.v. ἀρχαῖος 1 has “ἀ. μαθητής a disciple of long standing (perh. original disc.) Ac 21:16.”

[21:17] ¹²⁹tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).

[21:18] ¹³⁷tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγίνομαι 1 has this use under the broad category of meaning “draw near, come, arrive, be present.”

[21:19] ¹⁴⁵tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19] ¹⁴⁶tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exhgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:19] ¹⁴⁷tn BDAG 293 s.v. εἷς 5.e has “καθ᾿ ἕν one after the other (hence τὸ καθ᾿ ἕν ‘a detailed list’: PLille 11, 8 [III bc]; PTebt. 47, 34; 332, 16) J 21:25. Also καθ᾿ ἕν ἕκαστον…Ac 21:19.”

[21:19] ¹⁴⁸sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.

[21:20] ¹⁵³tn Or “glorified.”

[21:20] ¹⁵⁴tn Grk “how many thousands there are among the Jews.”

[21:20] ¹⁵⁵tn Or “are all zealous for the law.” BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.β has “of thing…τοῦ νόμου an ardent observer of the law Ac 21:20.”

[21:20] ¹⁵⁶sn That is, the law of Moses. These Jewish Christians had remained close to their Jewish practices after becoming believers (1 Cor 7:18-19; Acts 16:3).

[21:21] ¹⁶¹tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.a has “τοὺς κ. τὰ ἔθνη ᾿Ιουδαίους the Judeans (dispersed) throughout the nations 21:21.” The Jews in view are not those in Palestine, but those who are scattered throughout the Gentile world.

[21:21] ¹⁶²tn Or “to forsake,” “to rebel against.” BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποστασία has “ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως you teach (Judeans) to abandon Moses Ac 21:21.”

[21:21] ¹⁶³sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.

[21:21] ¹⁶⁴tn Grk “or walk.”

[21:22] ¹⁶⁹tn L&N 71.16 has “pertaining to being in every respect certain – ‘certainly, really, doubtless, no doubt.’…‘they will no doubt hear that you have come’ Ac 21:22.”

[21:23] ¹⁷⁷tn Grk “do this that.”

[21:23] ¹⁷⁸tn Grk “There are four men here.”

[21:23] ¹⁷⁹tn L&N 33.469 has “‘there are four men here who have taken a vow’ or ‘we have four men who…’ Ac 21:23.”

[21:23] ¹⁸⁰tn On the term for “vow,” see BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχή 2.

[21:24] ¹⁸⁵sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).

[21:24] ¹⁸⁶tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”

[21:24] ¹⁸⁷tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”

[21:24] ¹⁸⁸tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[21:24] ¹⁸⁹tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).

[21:24] ¹⁹⁰tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”

[21:24] ¹⁹¹sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:25] ¹⁹³tn L&N 13.154 has “‘having decided that they must keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from an animal that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality’ Ac 21:25.”

[21:25] ¹⁹⁴tn This is a different Greek word than the one used in Acts 15:20, 29. BDAG 1068 s.v. φυλάσσω 3 has “to be on one’s guard against, look out for, avoid…w. acc. of pers. or thing avoided…Ac 21:25.” The Greek word used in Acts 15:20, 29 is ἀπέχω (apecw). The difference in meaning, although slight, has been maintained in the translation.

[21:25] ¹⁹⁵tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem –θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.

[21:25] ¹⁹⁶sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14) Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and blood).

[21:26] ²⁰¹tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 11.b.β has “temporal, to be next, immediately following…τῇ ἐχομένῃ…on the next day Lk 13:33…Ac 20:15; w. ἡμέρᾳ added…21:26.”

[21:26] ²⁰²tn That is, after he had undergone ritual cleansing. The aorist passive participle ἁγνισθείς (Jagnisqei") has been taken temporally of antecedent action.

[21:26] ²⁰³tn Grk “entered the temple, giving notice.” The participle διαγγέλλων (diangellwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:26] ²⁰⁴sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.

[21:26] ²⁰⁵tn Grk “until” (BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.β.א), but since in English it is somewhat awkward to say “the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice would be offered,” the temporal clause was translated “when the sacrifice would be offered.” The point is that the sacrifice would be offered when the days were completed. Paul honored the request of the Jewish Christian leadership completely. As the following verse makes clear, the vow was made for seven days.

[21:26] ²⁰⁶tn Grk “for each one.”

[21:27] ²⁰⁹tn BDAG 975 s.v. συντελέω 4 has “to come to an end of a duration, come to an end, be over…Ac 21:27.”

[21:27] ²¹⁰tn 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.

[21:27] ²¹¹tn Grk “in the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:27] ²¹²tn Or “threw the whole crowd into consternation.” L&N 25.221 has “συνέχεον πάντα τὸν ὄχλον ‘they threw the whole crowd into consternation’ Ac 21:27. It is also possible to render the expression in Ac 21:27 as ‘they stirred up the whole crowd.’”

[21:27] ²¹³tn Grk “and laid hands on.”

[21:28] ²¹⁷tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage since “the whole crowd” is mentioned in v. 27, although it can also be argued that these remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[21:28] ²¹⁸sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:28] ²¹⁹tn Grk “this place.”

[21:28] ²²⁰tn BDAG 400 s.v. ἔτι 2.b has “ἔ. δὲ καί furthermore…al. ἔ. τε καί…Lk 14:26; Ac 21:28.” This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek, but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[21:28] ²²¹tn Grk “into the temple.” The specific reference is to the Court of the Sons of Israel (see the note following the term “unclean” at the end of this verse). To avoid giving the modern reader the impression that they entered the temple building itself, the phrase “the inner courts of the temple” has been used in the translation.

[21:28] ²²²tn Or “and has defiled this holy place.”

[21:29] ²²⁵tn Grk “whom.”

[21:29] ²²⁶tn On the phrase “inner temple courts” see the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:30] ²³³tn On this term see BDAG 545 s.v. κινέω 2.b.

[21:30] ²³⁴tn Or “the people formed a mob.” BDAG 967 s.v. συνδρομή has “formation of a mob by pers. running together, running together…ἐγένετο σ. τοῦ λαοῦ the people rushed together Ac 21:30.”

[21:30] ²³⁵tn Grk “and seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[21:30] ²³⁶tn Grk “out of the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:31] ²⁴¹tn Grk “seeking.”

[21:31] ²⁴²tn Or “information” (originally concerning a crime; BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσις).

[21:31] ²⁴³tn Grk “went up”; this verb is used because the report went up to the Antonia Fortress where the Roman garrison was stationed.

[21:31] ²⁴⁴tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[21:31] ²⁴⁵sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion.

[21:31] ²⁴⁶tn BDAG 953 s.v. συγχέω has “Pass. w. act.force be in confusion…ὅλη συγχύννεται ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ 21:31.”

[21:32] ²⁴⁹tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated as a pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[21:32] ²⁵⁰tn Grk “taking…ran down.” The participle κατέδραμεν (katedramen) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:32] ²⁵¹sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[21:32] ²⁵²tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:32] ²⁵³tn Grk “seeing.” The participle ἰδόντες (idonte") has been taken temporally.

[21:32] ²⁵⁴tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:32] ²⁵⁵sn The mob stopped beating Paul because they feared the Romans would arrest them for disturbing the peace and for mob violence. They would let the Roman officials take care of the matter from this point on.

[21:33] ²⁵⁷tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:33] ²⁵⁸tn Grk “seized.”

[21:33] ²⁵⁹tn The two chains would be something like handcuffs (BDAG 48 s.v. ἅλυσις and compare Acts 28:20).

[21:33] ²⁶⁰tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been replaced with a semicolon. “Then” has been supplied after “he” to clarify the logical sequence.

[21:33] ²⁶¹tn Grk “and what it is”; this has been simplified to “what.”

[21:34] ²⁶⁵tn L&N 33.77 has “ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐπεφώνουν ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ‘some in the crowd shouted one thing; others, something else’ Ac 21:34.”

[21:34] ²⁶⁶tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34] ²⁶⁷tn This genitive absolute construction has been translated temporally; it could also be taken causally: “and since the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth.”

[21:34] ²⁶⁸tn Or “find out what had happened”; Grk “the certainty” (BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2).

[21:34] ²⁶⁹tn Or “clamor,” “uproar” (BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος).

[21:34] ²⁷⁰tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34] ²⁷¹tn 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.”

[21:35] ²⁷³tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:35] ²⁷⁴sn Paul had to be carried. Note how the arrest really ended up protecting Paul. The crowd is portrayed as irrational at this point.

[21:35] ²⁷⁵tn This refers to mob violence (BDAG 175 s.v. βία b).

[21:36] ²⁸¹tn Grk “the multitude of people.” While πλῆθος (plhqo") is articular, it has been translated “a crowd” since it was probably a subset of the larger mob that gathered in v. 30.

[21:36] ²⁸²tn The word “them” 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.

[21:37] ²⁸⁹tn 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] ²⁹⁰tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

[21:37] ²⁹¹tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers) See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:37] ²⁹²tn Grk “Is it permitted for me to say” (an idiom).

[21:37] ²⁹³tn Grk “He”; the referent (the officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:37] ²⁹⁴tn Grk “said.”

[21:37] ²⁹⁵sn “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.

[21:38] ²⁹⁷tn L&N 39.41 has “οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας ‘then you are not that Egyptian who some time ago started a rebellion’ Ac 21:38.”

[21:38] ²⁹⁸tn Grk “of the Sicarii.”

[21:38] ²⁹⁹tn Or “desert.”

[21:38] ³⁰⁰tn Grk “before these days.”

[21:39] ³⁰⁵tn Grk “said.”

[21:39] ³⁰⁶tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39] ³⁰⁷tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

[21:39] ³⁰⁸tn Grk “I beg you.”

[21:40] ³¹³tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[21:40] ³¹⁴tn Grk “Giving him permission.” The participle ἐπιτρέψαντος (epitreyanto") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40] ³¹⁵tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40] ³¹⁶tn Or “motioned.”

[21:40] ³¹⁷tn γενομένης (genomenhs) has been taken temporally. BDAG 922 s.v. σιγή has “πολλῆς σιγῆς γενομένης when a great silence had fallen = when they had become silent Ac 21:40.”

[21:40] ³¹⁸tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[21:40] ³¹⁹tn Grk “in the Hebrew dialect, saying.” This refers to the Aramaic spoken in Palestine in the 1st century (BDAG 270 s.v. ῾Εβραΐς). The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[22:1] ³²¹sn Listen to my defense. This is the first of several speeches Paul would make in his own defense: Acts 24:10ff.; 25:8, 16; and 26:1ff. For the use of such a speech (“apologia”) in Greek, see Josephus, Ag. Ap. 2.15 [2.147]; Wis 6:10.

[22:1] ³²²tn The adverb νυνί (nuni, “now”) is connected with the phrase τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας (th" pro" Juma" nuni apologia") rather than the verb ἀκούσατε (akousate), and the entire construction (prepositional phrase plus adverb) is in first attributive position and thus translated into English by a relative clause.

[22:2] ³²⁹tn ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[22:2] ³³⁰tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[22:2] ³³¹tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See the note on “Aramaic” in 21:40.

[22:2] ³³²tn BDAG 613-14 s.v. μᾶλλον 1 “Abs. μ. can mean to a greater degree (than before), even more, now more than ever Lk 5:15; Jn 5:18; 19:8; Ac 5:14; 22:2; 2 Cor 7:7.”

[22:2] ³³³tn BDAG 440 s.v. ἡσυχία 2 has “παρέχειν ἡσυχίαν quiet down, give a hearing…Ac 22:2.”

[22:2] ³³⁴tn Grk “and.” Since this represents a continuation of the speech begun in v. 1, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[22:3] ³³⁷tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[22:3] ³³⁸tn BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b has “of mental and spiritual nurture bring up, rear, train…ἀνατεθραμμένος ἐν τ. πόλει ταύτῃ 22:3.”

[22:3] ³³⁹tn Or “with precision.” Although often translated “strictly” this can be misunderstood for “solely” in English. BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκρίβεια gives the meaning as “exactness, precision.” To avoid the potential misunderstanding the translation “with strictness” is used, although it is slightly more awkward than “strictly.”

[22:3] ³⁴⁰tn Grk “strictly at the feet of” (an idiom).

[22:3] ³⁴¹tn Or “brought up in this city under Gamaliel, educated with strictness…” The phrase παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιὴλ (para tou" poda" Gamalihl) could be understood with what precedes or with what follows. The punctuation of NA²⁷ and UBS⁴, which place a comma after ταύτῃ (tauth), has been followed in the translation.

[22:3] ³⁴²tn Or “our forefathers.”

[22:3] ³⁴³tn Grk “ancestors, being.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:3] ³⁴⁴tn BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.α has “of pers. …ζ. τοῦ θεοῦ one who is loyal to God Ac 22:3.”

[22:4] ³⁴⁵tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the first person pronoun (“I”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:4] ³⁴⁶sn That is, persecuted the Christian movement (Christianity). The Way is also used as a description of the Christian faith in Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22).

[22:4] ³⁴⁷tn BDAG 442-43 s.v. θάνατος 1.a has “διώκειν ἄχρι θανάτου persecute even to death Ac 22:4.”

[22:4] ³⁴⁸tn Grk “binding.” See Acts 8:3.

[22:4] ³⁴⁹tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “W. local εἰς…εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3; cp. 22:4.”

[22:5] ³⁵³tn That is, the whole Sanhedrin. BDAG 861 s.v. πρεσβυτέριον has “an administrative group concerned with the interests of a specific community, council of elders – a. of the highest Judean council in Jerusalem, in our lit. usu. called συνέδριον…ὁ ἀρχιερεύς καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρ. Ac 22:5.”

[22:5] ³⁵⁴tn Grk “from whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:5] ³⁵⁵tn Grk “receiving.” The participle δεξάμενος (dexameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:5] ³⁵⁶tn Grk “letters to the brothers, [and] I was going to Damascus.” Such a translation, however, might be confusing since the term “brother” is frequently used of a fellow Christian. In this context, Paul is speaking about fellow Jews.

[22:5] ³⁵⁷tn Grk “even there and bring…” or “there and even bring…” The ascensive καί (kai) shows that Paul was fervent in his zeal against Christians, but it is difficult to translate for it really belongs with the entire idea of arresting and bringing back the prisoners.

[22:5] ³⁵⁸tn BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b has “δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά bring someone as prisoner…Ac 9:2, 21; 22:5.”

[22:5] ³⁵⁹tn Grk “I was going…to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners that they might be punished.”

[22:6] ³⁶¹tn Grk “It happened that as.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[22:6] ³⁶²tn Grk “going and nearing Damascus.”

[22:6] ³⁶³tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.b has “φῶς a very bright light Ac 22:6.”

[22:6] ³⁶⁴tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[22:6] ³⁶⁵tn Or “shone.”

[22:7] ³⁶⁹tn This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek using the connective τέ (te), but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence a new sentence was begun in the translation here. To indicate the logical sequence for the modern English reader, τέ was translated as “then.”

[22:9] ³⁷⁷tn Grk “did not hear” (but see Acts 9:7). BDAG 38 s.v. ἀκούω 7 has “W. acc. τὸν νόμον understand the law Gal 4:21; perh. Ac 22:9; 26:14…belong here.” If the word has this sense here, then a metonymy is present, since the lack of effect is put for a failure to appreciate what was heard.

[22:10] ³⁸⁵tn Grk “So I said.”

[22:10] ³⁸⁶tn Grk “Getting up.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") is an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance and has been translated as a finite verb.

[22:10] ³⁸⁷tn Grk “about all things.”

[22:10] ³⁸⁸tn Or “assigned,” “ordered.” BDAG 991 s.v. τάσσω 2.a has “act. and pass., foll. by acc. w. inf.…περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι concerning everything that you have been ordered to do 22:10.” There is an allusion to a divine call and commission here.

[22:11] ³⁹³tn BDAG 106 s.v. ἀπό 5.a has “οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτός I could not see because of the brilliance of the light Ac 22:11.”

[22:11] ³⁹⁴tn Or “brightness”; Grk “glory.”

[22:11] ³⁹⁵tn Grk “by” (ὑπό, Jupo), but this would be too awkward in English following the previous “by.”

[22:12] ⁴⁰¹tn Grk “a certain Ananias.”

[22:12] ⁴⁰²sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[22:12] ⁴⁰³tn BDAG 534 s.v. κατοικέω 1.a translates this present participle “ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν (sc. ἐκεῖ) κατοικούντων ᾿Ιουδαίων by all the Jews who live there Ac 22:12.”

[22:13] ⁴⁰⁹tn Grk “coming.” The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:13] ⁴¹⁰tn Grk “coming to me and standing beside [me] said to me.” The participle ἐπιστάς (epistas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:13] ⁴¹¹tn Grk “Brother Saul, look up” (here an idiom for regaining one’s sight). BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναβλέπω places this usage under 1, “look up Ac 22:13a. W. εἰς αὐτόν to show the direction of the glance…22:13b; but perh. this vs. belongs under 2a.” BDAG 59 s.v. 2.a.α states, “of blind persons, who were formerly able to see, regain sight.” The problem for the translator is deciding between the literal and the idiomatic usage and at the same time attempting to retain the wordplay in Acts 22:13: “[Ananias] said to me, ‘Look up!’ and at that very moment I looked up to him.” The assumption of the command is that the effort to look up will be worth it (through the regaining of sight).

[22:13] ⁴¹²tn Grk “hour,” but ὥρα (Jwra) is often used for indefinite short periods of time (so BDAG 1102-3 s.v. ὥρα 2.c: “αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ at that very time, at once, instantly…Lk 2:38, 24:33; Ac 16:18; 22:13”). A comparison with the account in Acts 9:18 indicates that this is clearly the meaning here.

[22:13] ⁴¹³tn Grk “I looked up to him.”

[22:14] ⁴¹⁷tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[22:14] ⁴¹⁸tn L&N 30.89 has “‘to choose in advance, to select beforehand, to designate in advance’…‘the God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know his will’ Ac 22:14.”

[22:14] ⁴¹⁹tn Grk “and to see.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[22:14] ⁴²⁰sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ (Acts 3:14).

[22:14] ⁴²¹tn Or “a solemn declaration”; Grk “a voice.” BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c states, “that which the voice gives expression to: call, cry, outcry, loud or solemn declaration (… = order, command)…Cp. 22:14; 24:21.”

[22:15] ⁴²⁵tn Or “a witness to him.”

[22:15] ⁴²⁶tn Grk “all men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[22:16] ⁴³³tn L&N 67.121 has “to extend time unduly, with the implication of lack of decision – ‘to wait, to delay.’ νῦν τί μέλλεις… ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι ‘what are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized’ Ac 22:16.”

[22:16] ⁴³⁴tn Grk “getting up.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") is an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance and has been translated as a finite verb.

[22:16] ⁴³⁵sn The expression have your sins washed away means “have your sins purified” (the washing is figurative).

[22:16] ⁴³⁶sn The expression calling on his name describes the confession of the believer: Acts 2:17-38, esp. v. 38; Rom 10:12-13; 1 Cor 1:2.

[22:17] ⁴⁴¹tn Grk “It happened to me that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[22:17] ⁴⁴²tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἔκστασις 2 has “γενέσθαι ἐν ἐκστάσει fall into a trance Ac 22:17.”

[22:18] ⁴⁴⁹tn Or “Jesus”; Grk “him.” The referent (the Lord, cf. v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:19] ⁴⁵⁷tn Grk “And I said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai, in καγώ [kagw]) has not been translated here.

[22:19] ⁴⁵⁸tn For the distributive sense of the expression κατὰ τὰς συναγωγάς (kata ta" sunagwga") BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d has “of places viewed serially, distributive use w. acc.…κατ᾿ οἶκαν from house to house…Ac 2:46b; 5:42…Likew. the pl.…κ. τὰς συναγωγάς 22:19.” See also L&N 37.114.

[22:20] ⁴⁶⁵sn Now Paul referred to Stephen as your witness, and he himself had also become a witness. The reversal was now complete; the opponent had now become a proponent.

[22:20] ⁴⁶⁶sn When the blood of your witness Stephen was shed means “when your witness Stephen was murdered.”

[22:20] ⁴⁶⁷tn Grk “and approving.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[22:20] ⁴⁶⁸tn Or “outer garments.”

[22:20] ⁴⁶⁹tn Or “who were putting him to death.” For the translation of ἀναιρούντων (anairountwn) as “putting to death” see BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω 2.

[22:21] ⁴⁷³tn Grk “And.” Since this represents a response to Paul’s reply in v. 19, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[22:22] ⁴⁸¹tn Grk “They were listening”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:22] ⁴⁸²tn Grk “until this word.”

[22:22] ⁴⁸³tn Grk “And.” To indicate the logical sequence, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” here.

[22:22] ⁴⁸⁴tn Grk “and said.”

[22:22] ⁴⁸⁵tn Grk “this one.”

[22:22] ⁴⁸⁶tn BDAG 491 s.v. καθήκω has “to be appropriate, come/reach to, be proper/fitting…Usu. impers. καθήκει it comes (to someone)…foll. by acc. and inf….οὐ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν he should not be allowed to live Ac 22:22.”

[22:23] ⁴⁸⁹tn The participle κραυγαζόντων (kraugazontwn) has been translated temporally.

[22:23] ⁴⁹⁰tn Or “outer garments.”

[22:23] ⁴⁹¹sn The crowd’s act of tossing dust in the air indicated they had heard something disturbing and offensive. This may have been a symbolic gesture, indicating Paul’s words deserved to be thrown to the wind, or it may have simply resulted from the fact they had nothing else to throw at him at the moment.

[22:24] ⁴⁹⁷tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[22:24] ⁴⁹⁸tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24] ⁴⁹⁹tn 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.”

[22:24] ⁵⁰⁰tn Grk “into the barracks, saying.” This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek using the participle εἴπας (eipas), but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence a new sentence was begun in the translation here. The direct object “them” has been supplied; it is understood in Greek.

[22:24] ⁵⁰¹tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24] ⁵⁰²sn To interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash. Under the Roman legal system it was customary to use physical torture to extract confessions or other information from prisoners who were not Roman citizens and who were charged with various crimes, especially treason or sedition. The lashing would be done with a whip of leather thongs with pieces of metal or bone attached to the ends.

[22:24] ⁵⁰³tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24] ⁵⁰⁴tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:25] ⁵⁰⁵tn Grk “for the thongs” (of which the lash was made). Although often translated as a dative of means (“with thongs”), referring to thongs used to tie the victim to the whipping post, BDAG 474-75 s.v. ἱμάς states that it “is better taken as a dat. of purpose for the thongs, in which case οἱ ἱμάντες = whips (Posidonius: 87 fgm. 5 Jac.; POxy. 1186, 2 τὴν διὰ τῶν ἱμάντων αἰκείαν. – Antiphanes 74, 8, Demosth. 19, 197 and Artem. 1, 70 use the sing. in this way).”

[22:25] ⁵⁰⁶sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:25] ⁵⁰⁷tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:25] ⁵⁰⁸tn Or “a Roman citizen and uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[22:26] ⁵¹³sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:26] ⁵¹⁴tn The word “this” 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.

[22:26] ⁵¹⁵tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:26] ⁵¹⁶tn The word “it” 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.

[22:26] ⁵¹⁷tn Or perhaps, “What do you intend to do?” Although BDAG 627 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.α lists this phrase under the category “be about to, be on the point of,” it is possible it belongs under 1.c.γ, “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν; what do you intend to do?”

[22:26] ⁵¹⁸tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27] ⁵²¹tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:27] ⁵²²tn Grk “and said to.”

[22:27] ⁵²³tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:27] ⁵²⁴tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27] ⁵²⁵tn Grk “He said.”

[22:28] ⁵²⁹tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:28] ⁵³⁰sn Sometimes Roman citizenship was purchased through a bribe (Dio Cassius, Roman History 60.17.4-9). That may well have been the case here.

[22:28] ⁵³¹tn BDAG 495-96 s.v. καί 2.b has “intensive: even…Ac 5:39; 22:28.”

[22:28] ⁵³²tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:28] ⁵³³tn Grk “Paul said.” This phrase has been placed at the end of the sentence in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:29] ⁵³⁷tn BDAG 158 s.v. ἀφίστημι 2.b has “keep away…ἀπό τινος… Lk 4:13; Ac 5:38; 2 Cor 12:8…cp. Ac 22:29.” In context, the point would seem to be not that the interrogators departed or withdrew, but that they held back from continuing the flogging.

[22:29] ⁵³⁸tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:29] ⁵³⁹tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:29] ⁵⁴⁰tn This is a present tense (ἐστιν, estin) retained in indirect discourse. It must be translated as a past tense in contemporary English.

[22:29] ⁵⁴¹tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:29] ⁵⁴²sn Had him tied up. Perhaps a reference to the chains in Acts 21:33, or the preparations for the lashing in Acts 22:25. A trial would now be needed to resolve the matter. The Roman authorities’ hesitation to render a judgment in the case occurs repeatedly: Acts 22:30; 23:28-29; 24:22; 25:20, 26-27. The legal process begun here would take the rest of Acts and will be unresolved at the end. The process itself took four years of Paul’s life.

[22:30] ⁵⁴⁵tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[22:30] ⁵⁴⁶tn Grk “the certainty, why.” BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2 has “τὸ ἀ. the certainty = the truth (in ref. to ferreting out the facts…ἵνα τὸ ἀ. ἐπιγνῶ) γνῶναι 21:34; 22:30.”

[22:30] ⁵⁴⁷tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:30] ⁵⁴⁸tn Grk “the whole Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[22:30] ⁵⁴⁹tn Grk “and bringing.” The participle καταγαγών (katagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to clarify the logical sequence.