Acts 28:2

28:2 The local inhabitants ¹  showed us extraordinary ²  kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain ³  and was cold.

Acts 10:12

10:12 In it ⁴  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ⁵  of the earth and wild birds. ⁶ 

Acts 27:3

27:3 The next day we put in ⁷  at Sidon, ⁸  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ⁹  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ¹⁰ 

Acts 24:4

24:4 But so that I may not delay ¹¹  you any further, I beg ¹²  you to hear us briefly ¹³  with your customary graciousness. ¹⁴ 

Acts 7:49

7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is my resting place? ¹⁵ 

Acts 10:33

10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ¹⁶  So now we are all here in the presence of God ¹⁷  to listen ¹⁸  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ¹⁹ 

Acts 9:36

Peter Raises Dorcas

9:36 Now in Joppa ²⁰  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ²¹  Dorcas). ²²  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ²³ 

Acts 14:17

14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ²⁴  by giving you rain from heaven ²⁵  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ²⁶  with food and your hearts with joy.” ²⁷ 

Acts 4:7

4:7 After ²⁸  making Peter and John ²⁹  stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name ³⁰  did you do this?”

Acts 4:9

4:9 if ³¹  we are being examined ³²  today for a good deed ³³  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ³⁴  –

Acts 4:33

4:33 With ³⁵  great power the apostles were giving testimony ³⁶  to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all.

Acts 25:20

25:20 Because I was at a loss ³⁷  how I could investigate these matters, ³⁸  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ³⁹  there on these charges. ⁴⁰ 

Acts 28:7

28:7 Now in the region around that place ⁴¹  were fields belonging to the chief official ⁴²  of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days.

Acts 13:10

13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ⁴³  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ⁴⁴ 

Acts 20:35

20:35 By all these things, ⁴⁵  I have shown you that by working in this way we must help ⁴⁶  the weak, ⁴⁷  and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ⁴⁸ 

Acts 23:3

23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ⁴⁹  Do ⁵⁰  you sit there judging me according to the law, ⁵¹  and in violation of the law ⁵²  you order me to be struck?”

Acts 20:24

20:24 But I do not consider my life ⁵³  worth anything ⁵⁴  to myself, so that ⁵⁵  I may finish my task ⁵⁶  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ⁵⁷  of God’s grace.

[28:2]  ¹ tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”

[28:2]  ² tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11. Cp. 28:2.”

[28:2]  ³ tn Or “because it was about to rain.” BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 4 states, “διὰ τ. ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα because it had begun to rain Ac 28:2…But the mng. here could also be because it threatened to rain (s. 6).”

[10:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “in which.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.

[10:12]  ⁵ tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. See also Gen 6:20, as well as the law making such creatures unclean food in Lev 11:2-47.

[10:12]  ⁶ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[27:3]  ⁷ tn BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Σιδῶνα Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ⁸ sn Sidon is another seaport 75 mi (120 km) north of Caesarea.

[27:3]  ⁹ tn BDAG 1056 s.v. φιλανθρώπως states, “benevolently, kindly φιλανθρώπως χρῆσθαί (τινι) treat someone in kindly fashion…Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “to go to his friends to be cared for.” The scene is an indication of Christian hospitality.

[24:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “may not weary.” BDAG 274 s.v. ἐγκόπτω states, “ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖόν σε ἐγκόπτω Ac 24:4 is understood by Syr. and Armen. versions to mean in order not to weary you any further; cp. ἔγκοπος weary Diog. L. 4, 50; LXX; and ἔγκοπον ποιεῖν to weary Job 19:2; Is 43:23. But impose on is also prob.; detain NRSV.”

[24:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “request.”

[24:4]  ¹² tn This term is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 976 s.v. συντόμως 2). Tertullus was asking for a brief hearing, and implying to the governor that he would speak briefly and to the point.

[24:4]  ¹³ tn BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιείκεια has “τῇ σῇ ἐ. with your (customary) indulgence Ac 24:4.”

[7:49]  ¹³ sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.

[10:33]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalw" poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).

[10:33]  ¹⁷ tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enwpion tou qeou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.

[10:33]  ¹⁸ tn Or “to hear everything.”

[10:33]  ¹⁹ tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.

[9:36]  ¹⁹ sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa. “Though Joppa never became a major seaport, it was of some importance as a logistical base and an outlet to the Mediterranean” (A. F. Rainey, ISBE 2:1118-19).

[9:36]  ²⁰ tn Grk “which being translated is called.” In English this would normally be expressed “which is translated as” or “which in translation means.” The second option is given by L&N 33.145.

[9:36]  ²¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Dorcas is the Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha. Dorcas in Greek means “gazelle” or “deer.”

[9:36]  ²² tn Or “and helping the poor.” Grk “She was full of good deeds and acts of charity which she was continually doing.” Since it is somewhat redundant in English to say “she was full of good deeds…which she was continually doing,” the translation has been simplified to “she was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.” The imperfect verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a progressive imperfect (“was continually doing”).

[14:17]  ²² tn The participle ἀγαθουργῶν (agaqourgwn) is regarded as indicating means here, parallel to the following participles διδούς (didou") and ἐμπιπλῶν (empiplwn). This is the easiest way to understand the Greek structure. Semantically, the first participle is a general statement, followed by two participles giving specific examples of doing good.

[14:17]  ²³ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[14:17]  ²⁴ tn Grk “satisfying [filling] your hearts with food and joy.” This is an idiomatic expression; it strikes the English reader as strange to speak of “filling one’s heart with food.” Thus the additional direct object “you” has been supplied, separating the two expressions somewhat: “satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy.”

[14:17]  ²⁵ sn God’s general sovereignty and gracious care in the creation are the way Paul introduces the theme of the goodness of God. He was trying to establish monotheism here. It is an OT theme (Gen 8:22; Ps 4:7; 145:15-16; 147:8-9; Isa 25:6; Jer 5:24) which also appears in the NT (Luke 12:22-34).

[4:7]  ²⁵ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new sentence is begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 7.

[4:7]  ²⁶ tn Grk “making them”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:7]  ²⁷ sn By what name. The issue of the “name” comes up again here. This question, meaning “by whose authority,” surfaces an old dispute (see Luke 20:1-8). Who speaks for God about the ancient faith?

[4:9]  ²⁸ tn This clause is a first class condition. It assumes for the sake of argument that this is what they were being questioned about.

[4:9]  ²⁹ tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.

[4:9]  ³⁰ tn Or “for an act of kindness.”

[4:9]  ³¹ tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.

[4:33]  ³¹ tn Grk “And with.” 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.

[4:33]  ³² tn Or “were witnessing.”

[25:20]  ³⁴ tn Or “Because I was undecided.” Grk “Being at a loss.” The participle ἀπορούμενος (aporoumeno") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[25:20]  ³⁵ tn L&N 27.34 states, “ἀπορούμενος δὲ ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ τούτων ζήτησιν ‘I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters’ Ac 25:20. The clause ‘about how I could get information on these matters’ may also be rendered as ‘about how I should try to find out about these matters’ or ‘about how I could learn about these matters.’”

[25:20]  ³⁶ tn Or “stand trial.”

[25:20]  ³⁷ tn Grk “on these things.”

[28:7]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 798 s.v. περί 2.a.γ states, “of nearby places…τὰ περὶ τὸν τὸπον the region around the place Ac 28:7.” The presence of ἐκεῖνον (ekeinon) results in the translation “that place.”

[28:7]  ³⁸ tn That is, the chief Roman official. Several inscriptions have confirmed the use of πρῶτος (prwtos) as an administrative title used on the island of Malta for the highest Roman official. See further BDAG 852 s.v. Πόπλιος.

[13:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “unscrupulousness.”

[13:10]  ⁴¹ sn “You who…paths of the Lord?” This rebuke is like ones from the OT prophets: Jer 5:27; Gen 32:11; Prov 10:7; Hos 14:9. Five separate remarks indicate the magician’s failings. The closing rhetorical question of v. 10 (“will you not stop…?”) shows how opposed he is to the way of God.

[20:35]  ⁴³ sn The expression By all these things means “In everything I did.”

[20:35]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “must assist.”

[20:35]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “the sick.” See Eph 4:28.

[20:35]  ⁴⁶ sn The saying is similar to Matt 10:8. Service and generosity should be abundant. Interestingly, these exact words are not found in the gospels. Paul must have known of this saying from some other source.

[23:3]  ⁴⁶ sn You whitewashed wall. This was an idiom for hypocrisy – just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (L&N 88.234; see also BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). Paul was claiming that the man’s response was two-faced (Ezek 13:10-16; Matt 23:27-28). See also Deut 28:22.

[23:3]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “And do.” 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.

[23:3]  ⁴⁸ tn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[23:3]  ⁴⁹ tn BDAG 769 s.v. παρανομέω has “παρανομῶν κελεύεις in violation of the law you order Ac 23:3.”

[20:24]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

[20:24]  ⁵¹ tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

[20:24]  ⁵² tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

[20:24]  ⁵³ tn Or “to the gospel.”