Acts 7:4

7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God ¹  made him move ²  to this country where you now live.

Acts 9:2

9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ³  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ⁴  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ⁵  to Jerusalem. ⁶ 

Acts 19:4

19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, ⁷  that is, in Jesus.”

Acts 21:3

21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ⁸  and left it behind on our port side, ⁹  we sailed on to Syria and put in ¹⁰  at Tyre, ¹¹  because the ship was to unload its cargo there.

Acts 22:5

22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹²  can testify about me. From them ¹³  I also received ¹⁴  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ¹⁵  to make arrests there and bring ¹⁶  the prisoners ¹⁷  to Jerusalem ¹⁸  to be punished.

Acts 23:11

23:11 The following night the Lord ¹⁹  stood near ²⁰  Paul ²¹  and said, “Have courage, ²²  for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, ²³  so you must also testify in Rome.” ²⁴ 

Acts 26:18

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ²⁵  from darkness to light and from the power ²⁶  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ²⁷  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 27:40

27:40 So they slipped ²⁸  the anchors ²⁹  and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage ³⁰  that bound the steering oars ³¹  together. Then they hoisted ³²  the foresail ³³  to the wind and steered toward ³⁴  the beach.

[7:4]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:4]  ² tn The translation “made him move” for the verb μετοικίζω (metoikizw) is given by L&N 85.83. The verb has the idea of “resettling” someone (BDAG 643 s.v.); see v. 43, where it reappears.

[9:2]  ³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:2]  ⁴ sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).

[9:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:2]  ⁶ sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.

[19:4]  ⁵ sn These disciples may have had their contact with John early on in the Baptist’s ministry before Jesus had emerged. This is the fifth time Luke links John the Baptist and Jesus (Acts 1:5; 11:16; 13:25; 18:25).

[21:3]  ⁷ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3]  ⁸ sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.

[21:3]  ⁹ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[21:3]  ¹⁰ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage.

[22:5]  ⁹ tn That is, the whole Sanhedrin. BDAG 861 s.v. πρεσβυτέριον has “an administrative group concerned with the interests of a specific community, council of elders – a. of the highest Judean council in Jerusalem, in our lit. usu. called συνέδριον…ὁ ἀρχιερεύς καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρ. Ac 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “from whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:5]  ¹¹ tn Grk “receiving.” The participle δεξάμενος (dexameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:5]  ¹² tn Grk “letters to the brothers, [and] I was going to Damascus.” Such a translation, however, might be confusing since the term “brother” is frequently used of a fellow Christian. In this context, Paul is speaking about fellow Jews.

[22:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “even there and bring…” or “there and even bring…” The ascensive καί (kai) shows that Paul was fervent in his zeal against Christians, but it is difficult to translate for it really belongs with the entire idea of arresting and bringing back the prisoners.

[22:5]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b has “δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά bring someone as prisoner…Ac 9:2, 21; 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “I was going…to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners that they might be punished.”

[23:11]  ¹¹ sn The presence of the Lord indicated the vindicating presence and direction of God.

[23:11]  ¹² tn Grk “standing near Paul, said.” The participle ἐπιστάς (epistas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:11]  ¹⁴ tn Or “Do not be afraid.”

[23:11]  ¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[23:11]  ¹⁶ sn Like Jesus went to Jerusalem, Paul would now go to Rome. This trip forms the concluding backdrop to Acts. This is the second notice about going to Rome (see Acts 19:21 for the first).

[26:18]  ¹³ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

[26:18]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

[26:18]  ¹⁵ tn Or “and an inheritance.”

[27:40]  ¹⁵ tn That is, released. Grk “slipping…leaving.” The participles περιελόντες (perielonte") and εἴων (eiwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:40]  ¹⁶ tn The term is used of a ship’s anchor. (BDAG 12 s.v. ἄγκυρα a).

[27:40]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “bands”; possibly “ropes.”

[27:40]  ¹⁸ tn Or “rudders.”

[27:40]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “hoisting…they.” The participle ἐπάραντες (eparante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:40]  ²⁰ tn Grk “sail”; probably a reference to the foresail.

[27:40]  ²¹ tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατέχω 7 states, “hold course, nautical t.t., intr….κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν they headed for the beach Ac 27:40.”