Acts 9:26-31

Saul Returns to Jerusalem

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, ¹  he attempted to associate ²  with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe ³  that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took ⁴  Saul, ⁵  brought ⁶  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ⁷  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ⁸  in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them ⁹  in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating ¹⁰  with the Greek-speaking Jews, ¹¹  but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea ¹²  and sent him away to Tarsus.

9:31 Then ¹³  the church throughout Judea, Galilee, ¹⁴  and Samaria experienced ¹⁵  peace and thus was strengthened. ¹⁶  Living ¹⁷  in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church ¹⁸  increased in numbers.

[9:26]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:26]  ² tn Or “join.”

[9:26]  ³ tn The participle πιστεύοντες (pisteuonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[9:27]  ⁴ tn Grk “taking Saul, brought him.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενος (epilabomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:27]  ⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ⁶ tn Grk “and brought,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:27]  ⁷ tn Grk “and that,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:27]  ⁸ tn On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28.

[9:28]  ⁹ tn Grk “he was with them going in and going out in Jerusalem.” The expression “going in and going out” is probably best taken as an idiom for association without hindrance. Some modern translations (NASB, NIV) translate the phrase “moving about freely in Jerusalem,” although the NRSV retains the literal “he went in and out among them in Jerusalem.”

[9:29]  ¹⁰ tn Or “arguing.” BDAG 954 s.v. συζητέω 2 gives “dispute, debate, argue…τινί ‘w. someone’” for συνεζήτει (sunezhtei).

[9:29]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[9:30]  ¹² sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine, south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[9:31]  ¹³ tn Or “Therefore.” This verse is another summary text in Acts (cf. 2:41-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 6:7).

[9:31]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “and Galilee,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:31]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “had.”

[9:31]  ¹⁶ tn Or “Built up.” The participle οἰκοδομουμένη (oikodomoumenh) has been translated as a participle of result related to εἶχεν (eicen). It could also be understood as adverbial to ἐπληθύνετο (eplhquneto): “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace. Strengthened and living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Although some scholars do not regard the participle of result as a legitimate category, it is actually fairly common (see ExSyn 637-39).

[9:31]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And living.” 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.

[9:31]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.