Acts 22:25-26

22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, ¹  Paul said to the centurion ²  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ³  without a proper trial?” ⁴  22:26 When the centurion ⁵  heard this, ⁶  he went to the commanding officer ⁷  and reported it, ⁸  saying, “What are you about to do? ⁹  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ¹⁰ 

Acts 16:38-39

16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹¹  were Roman citizens ¹²  16:39 and came ¹³  and apologized to them. After ¹⁴  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ¹⁵  to leave the city.

[22:25]  ¹ tn 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]  ² sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:25]  ³ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:25]  ⁴ tn Or “a Roman citizen and uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[22:26]  ⁵ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:26]  ⁶ tn 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]  ⁷ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:26]  ⁸ tn 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]  ⁹ tn 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]  ¹⁰ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[16:38]  ¹¹ tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:38]  ¹² sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.

[16:39]  ¹³ tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:39]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “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.

[16:39]  ¹⁵ tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.