Acts 5:26

5:26 Then the commander ¹  of the temple guard ²  went with the officers ³  and brought the apostles ⁴  without the use of force ⁵  (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). ⁶ 

Acts 17:4

17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁷  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁸  of God-fearing Greeks ⁹  and quite a few ¹⁰  prominent women.

[5:26]  ¹ tn Or “captain.”

[5:26]  ² tn Grk “the official [of the temple],” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.

[5:26]  ³ tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants. See the note on the word “officers” in v. 22.

[5:26]  ⁴ tn Grk “brought them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:26]  ⁵ tn Or “without violence.” It is clear, as well, that the apostles did not resist arrest.

[5:26]  ⁶ tn Grk “for they feared lest they be stoned by the people.” The translation uses a less awkward English equivalent. This is an explanatory note by the author.

[17:4]  ⁷ tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ⁸ tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ⁹ tn Or “of devout Greeks,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Luke frequently mentions such people (Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:17; 18:7).

[17:4]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).