Acts 7:9

7:9 The ¹  patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold ²  him into Egypt. But ³  God was with him,

Acts 13:45

13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ⁴  and they began to contradict ⁵  what Paul was saying ⁶  by reviling him. ⁷ 

Acts 17:5

17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ⁸  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ⁹  they formed a mob ¹⁰  and set the city in an uproar. ¹¹  They attacked Jason’s house, ¹²  trying to find Paul and Silas ¹³  to bring them out to the assembly. ¹⁴ 

Acts 17:1

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ¹⁵  Amphipolis ¹⁶  and Apollonia, ¹⁷  they came to Thessalonica, ¹⁸  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ¹⁹ 

Acts 18:12-16

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ²⁰  was proconsul ²¹  of Achaia, ²²  the Jews attacked Paul together ²³  and brought him before the judgment seat, ²⁴  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ²⁵  people to worship God in a way contrary to ²⁶  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ²⁷  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ²⁸  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ²⁹  of you Jews, ³⁰  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ³¹  about words and names and your own law, settle ³²  it yourselves. I will not be ³³  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ³⁴  from the judgment seat. ³⁵ 

Job 5:2

5:2 For ³⁶  wrath kills the foolish person, ³⁷ 

and anger ³⁸  slays the silly one.

Proverbs 14:30

14:30 A tranquil spirit ³⁹  revives the body, ⁴⁰ 

but envy ⁴¹  is rottenness to the bones. ⁴² 

Proverbs 27:4

27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming, ⁴³ 

but who can stand before jealousy? ⁴⁴ 

Ecclesiastes 4:4

Labor Motivated by Envy

4:4 Then I considered ⁴⁵  all the skillful work ⁴⁶  that is done:

Surely it is nothing more than ⁴⁷  competition ⁴⁸  between one person and another. ⁴⁹ 

This also is profitless – like ⁵⁰  chasing the wind.

Matthew 27:18

27:18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.) ⁵¹ 

Galatians 5:21

5:21 envying, ⁵²  murder, ⁵³  drunkenness, carousing, ⁵⁴  and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

James 3:14-16

3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such ⁵⁵  wisdom does not come ⁵⁶  from above but is earthly, natural, ⁵⁷  demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.

James 4:5

4:5 Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, ⁵⁸  “The spirit that God ⁵⁹  caused ⁶⁰  to live within us has an envious yearning”? ⁶¹ 

James 4:1

Passions and Pride

4:1 Where do the conflicts and where ⁶²  do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, ⁶³  from your passions that battle inside you? ⁶⁴ 

James 2:1

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2:1 My brothers and sisters, ⁶⁵  do not show prejudice ⁶⁶  if you possess faith ⁶⁷  in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ⁶⁸ 

[7:9]  ¹ tn Grk “And the.” 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.

[7:9]  ² tn The meaning “sell” for the middle voice of ἀποδίδωμι (apodidwmi) is given by BDAG 110 s.v. 5.a. See Gen 37:12-36, esp. v. 28.

[7:9]  ³ tn Though the Greek term here is καί (kai), in context this remark is clearly contrastive: Despite the malicious act, God was present and protected Joseph.

[13:45]  ⁴ sn They were filled with jealousy. Their foolish response to the gospel is noted again (see Acts 5:17). The same verb is used in Acts 7:9; 17:5.

[13:45]  ⁵ tn The imperfect verb ἀντέλεγον (antelegon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect in the logical sequence of events: After they were filled with jealousy, the Jewish opponents began to contradict what Paul said.

[13:45]  ⁶ tn Grk “the things being said by Paul.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.

[13:45]  ⁷ tn The participle βλασφημοῦντες (blasfhmounte") has been regarded as indicating the means of the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as a finite verb (“and reviled him”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 18:6. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). The modern term “slandering” comes close to what was being done to Paul here.

[17:5]  ⁸ tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5]  ⁹ tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5]  ¹⁰ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ¹¹ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5]  ¹² sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[17:1]  ¹⁵ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ¹⁶ sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).

[17:1]  ¹⁷ sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ¹⁸ sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.

[17:1]  ¹⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:12]  ²⁰ sn Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from a.d. 51-52. This date is one of the firmly established dates in Acts. Lucius Junius Gallio was the son of the rhetorician Seneca and the brother of Seneca the philosopher. The date of Gallio’s rule is established from an inscription (W. Dittenberger, ed., Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum 2.3 no. 8). Thus the event mentioned here is probably to be dated July-October a.d. 51.

[18:12]  ²¹ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ²² sn Achaia was a Roman province created in 146 b.c. that included the most important parts of Greece (Attica, Boeotia, and the Peloponnesus).

[18:12]  ²³ tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ²⁴ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), there is no need for an alternative translation here since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time.

[18:13]  ²⁵ tn Or “inciting.”

[18:13]  ²⁶ tn Grk “worship God contrary to.” BDAG 758 s.v. παρά C.6 has “against, contrary to” for Acts 18:13. The words “in a way” are not in the Greek text, but are a necessary clarification to prevent the misunderstanding in the English translation that worshiping God was in itself contrary to the law. What is under dispute is the manner in which God was being worshiped, that is, whether Gentiles were being required to follow all aspects of the Mosaic law, including male circumcision. There is a hint of creating public chaos or disturbing Jewish custom here since Jews were the ones making the complaint. Luke often portrays the dispute between Christians and Jews as within Judaism.

[18:14]  ²⁷ tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).

[18:14]  ²⁸ tn BDAG 902 s.v. ῥᾳδιούργημα states, “From the sense ‘prank, knavery, roguish trick, slick deed’ it is but a short step to that of a serious misdeed, crime, villainy…a serious piece of villainy Ac 18:14 (w. ἀδίκημα).”

[18:14]  ²⁹ tn According to BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνέχω 3 this is a legal technical term: “Legal t.t. κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν I would have been justified in accepting your complaint Ac 18:14.”

[18:14]  ³⁰ tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”

[18:15]  ³¹ tn Or “dispute.”

[18:15]  ³² tn Grk “see to it” (an idiom).

[18:15]  ³³ tn Or “I am not willing to be.” Gallio would not adjudicate their religious dispute.

[18:16]  ³⁴ tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (aphlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.

[18:16]  ³⁵ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[5:2]  ³⁶ tn One of the reasons that commentators transpose v. 1 is that the כִּי (ki, “for”) here seems to follow 4:21 better. If people die without wisdom, it is folly that kills them. But the verse also makes sense after 5:1. He is saying that complaining against God will not bring deliverance (v. 1), but rather, by such impatience the fool will bring greater calamity on himself.

[5:2]  ³⁷ tn The two words for “foolish person” are common in wisdom literature. The first, אֱוִיל (’evil), is the fool who is a senseless person; the פֹּתֶה (poteh) is the naive and silly person, the simpleton, the one who is easily led astray. The direct object is introduced with the preposition ל (lamed) in this verse (see GKC 366 §117.n).

[5:2]  ³⁸ tn The two parallel nouns are similar; their related verbs are also paralleled in Deut 32:16 with the idea of “vex” and “irritate.” The first word כַּעַשׂ (ka’as) refers to the inner irritation and anger one feels, whereas the second word קִנְאָה (qin’ah) refers to the outward expression of the anger. In Job 6:2, Job will respond “O that my impatience [ka’as] were weighed….”

[14:30]  ³⁹ tn Heb “heart of healing.” The genitive מַרְפֵּא (marpe’, “healing”) functions as an attributive adjective: “a healing heart.” The term לֵב (lev, “heart”) is a metonymy for the emotional state of a person (BDB 660 s.v. 6). A healthy spirit is tranquil, bringing peace to the body (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 158).

[14:30]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “life of the flesh” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NIV “gives life to the body.”

[14:30]  ⁴¹ tn The term קִנְאָה (qin’ah, “envy”) refers to passionate zeal or “jealousy” (so NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT), depending on whether the object is out of bounds or within one’s rights. In the good sense one might be consumed with zeal to defend the institutions of the sanctuary. But as envy or jealousy the word describes an intense and sometimes violent excitement and desire that is never satisfied.

[14:30]  ⁴² tn Heb “rottenness of bones.” The term “bones” may be a synecdoche representing the entire body; it is in contrast with “flesh” of the first colon. One who is consumed with envy finds no tranquility or general sense of health in body or spirit.

[27:4]  ⁴³ tn Heb “fierceness of wrath and outpouring [= flood] of anger.” A number of English versions use “flood” here (e.g., NASB, NCV, NLT).

[27:4]  ⁴⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated “jealousy” here probably has the negative sense of “envy” rather than the positive sense of “zeal.” It is a raging emotion (like “anger” and “wrath,” this word has nuances of heat, intensity) that defies reason at times and can be destructive like a consuming fire (e.g., 6:32-35; Song 8:6-7). The rhetorical question is intended to affirm that no one can survive a jealous rage. (Whether one is the subject who is jealous or the object of the jealousy of someone else is not so clear.)

[4:4]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “saw.”

[4:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “all the toil and all the skill.” This Hebrew clause (אֶת־כָּל־עָמָל וְאֵת כָּל־כִּשְׁרוֹן, ’et-kol-’amal vÿ’et kol-kishron) is a nominal hendiadys (a figurative expression in which two independent phrases are used to connote the same thing). The second functions adverbially, modifying the first, which retains its full nominal function: “all the skillful work.”

[4:4]  ⁴⁷ tn The phrase “nothing more than” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[4:4]  ⁴⁸ tn The noun קִנְאַה (qin’ah, “competition”) has a wide range of meanings: “zeal; jealousy; envy; rivalry; competition; suffering; animosity; anger; wrath” (HALOT 1110 s.v.; BDB 888 s.v.). Here, as in 9:6, it denotes “rivalry” (BDB 888 s.v. 1) or “competitive spirit” (HALOT 1110 s.v. 1.b). The LXX rendered it ζῆλος (zhlos, “envy; jealousy”). The English versions reflect this broad range: “rivalry” (NEB, NAB, NASB), “envy” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, MLB, NIV, NJPS), and “jealousy” (Moffatt).

[4:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “a man and his neighbor.”

[4:4]  ⁵⁰ tn The word “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[27:18]  ⁵¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[5:21]  ⁵² tn This term is plural in Greek (as is “murder” and “carousing”), but for clarity these abstract nouns have been translated as singular.

[5:21]  ⁵³ tc ‡ φόνοι (fonoi, “murders”) is absent in such important mss as Ì⁴⁶ א B 33 81 323 945 pc sa, while the majority of mss (A C D F G Ψ 0122 0278 1739 1881 Ï lat) have the word. Although the pedigree of the mss which lack the term is of the highest degree, homoioteleuton may well explain the shorter reading. The preceding word has merely one letter difference, making it quite possible to overlook this term (φθόνοι φόνοι, fqonoi fonoi).

[5:21]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “revelings,” “orgies” (L&N 88.287).

[3:15]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “This.”

[3:15]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”

[3:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.

[4:5]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “vainly says.”

[4:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:5]  ⁶⁰ tc The Byzantine text and a few other mss (P 33 Ï) have the intransitive κατῴκησεν (katwkhsen) here, which turns τὸ πνεῦμα (to pneuma) into the subject of the verb: “The spirit which lives within us.” But the more reliable and older witnesses (Ì⁷⁴ א B Ψ 049 1241 1739 al) have the causative verb, κατῴκισεν (katwkisen), which implies a different subject and τὸ πνεῦμα as the object: “The spirit that he causes to live within us.” Both because of the absence of an explicit subject and the relative scarcity of the causative κατοικίζω (katoikizw, “cause to dwell”) compared to the intransitive κατοικέω (katoikew, “live, dwell”) in biblical Greek (κατοικίζω does not occur in the NT at all, and occurs one twelfth as frequently as κατοικέω in the LXX), it is easy to see why scribes would replace κατῴκισεν with κατῴκησεν. Thus, on internal and external grounds, κατῴκισεν is the preferred reading.

[4:5]  ⁶¹ tn Interpreters debate the referent of the word “spirit” in this verse: (1) The translation takes “spirit” to be the lustful capacity within people that produces a divided mind (1:8, 14) and inward conflicts regarding God (4:1-4). God has allowed it to be in man since the fall, and he provides his grace (v. 6) and the new birth through the gospel message (1:18-25) to counteract its evil effects. (2) On the other hand the word “spirit” may be taken positively as the Holy Spirit and the sense would be, “God yearns jealously for the Spirit he caused to live within us.” But the word for “envious” or “jealous” is generally negative in biblical usage and the context before and after seems to favor the negative interpretation.

[4:1]  ⁶² tn The word “where” is repeated in Greek for emphasis.

[4:1]  ⁶³ tn Grk “from here.”

[4:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “in your members [i.e., parts of the body].”

[2:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:1]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “partiality.”

[2:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.

[2:1]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.