Acts 4:31

4:31 When ¹  they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, ²  and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak ³  the word of God ⁴  courageously. ⁵ 

Acts 16:3

16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ⁶  to accompany him, and he took ⁷  him and circumcised ⁸  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ⁹  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ¹⁰ 

[4:31]  ¹ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[4:31]  ² sn The place where they were assembled…was shaken. This signifies that God is in their midst. See Acts 16:26; Exod 19:18; Ps 114:7; Isa 6:4.

[4:31]  ³ tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to speak”). Logical sequencing suggests that their speaking began after they were filled with the Spirit. The prayer was answered immediately.

[4:31]  ⁴ tn Or “speak God’s message.”

[4:31]  ⁵ tn Or “with boldness.”

[16:3]  ⁶ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).

[16:3]  ⁸ tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.

[16:3]  ⁹ tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ¹⁰ tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).