Acts 3:26

3:26 God raised up ¹  his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning ²  each one of you from your iniquities.” ³ 

Acts 4:25

4:25 who said by the Holy Spirit through ⁴  your servant David our forefather, ⁵ 

‘Why do the nations ⁶  rage, ⁷ 

and the peoples plot foolish ⁸  things?

Acts 4:30

4:30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs ⁹  and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

[3:26]  ¹ tn Grk “God raising up his servant, sent him.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Some translations (e.g., NIV, NRSV) render this participle as temporal (“when God raised up his servant”).

[3:26]  ² sn The picture of turning is again seen as the appropriate response to the message. See v. 19 above. In v. 19 it was “turning to,” here it is “turning away from.” The direction of the two metaphors is important.

[3:26]  ³ tn For the translation of plural πονηρία (ponhria) as “iniquities,” see G. Harder, TDNT 6:565. The plural is important, since for Luke turning to Jesus means turning away from sins, not just the sin of rejecting Jesus.

[4:25]  ⁴ tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).

[4:25]  ⁵ tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”

[4:25]  ⁶ tn Or “Gentiles.”

[4:25]  ⁷ sn The Greek word translated rage includes not only anger but opposition, both verbal and nonverbal. See L&N 88.185.

[4:25]  ⁸ tn Or “futile”; traditionally, “vain.”

[4:30]  ⁷ tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.