Acts 9:3

9:3 As he was going along, approaching ¹  Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed ²  around him.

Acts 13:47

13:47 For this ³  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ⁴  you to be a light ⁵  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ⁶  to the ends of the earth.’” ⁷ 

Acts 22:6

22:6 As ⁸  I was en route and near Damascus, ⁹  about noon a very bright ¹⁰  light from heaven ¹¹  suddenly flashed ¹²  around me.

Acts 22:9

22:9 Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand ¹³  the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

Acts 26:13

26:13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty, ¹⁴  I saw a light from heaven, ¹⁵  brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around ¹⁶  me and those traveling with me.

Acts 26:23

26:23 that ¹⁷  the Christ ¹⁸  was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people ¹⁹  and to the Gentiles.” ²⁰ 

Acts 26:18

26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ²¹  from darkness to light and from the power ²²  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ²³  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 12:7

12:7 Suddenly ²⁴  an angel of the Lord ²⁵  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ²⁶  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ²⁷  wrists. ²⁸ 

[9:3]  ¹ tn Grk “As he was going along, it happened that when he was approaching.” The phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:3]  ² tn Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13.

[13:47]  ³ tn Here οὕτως (Joutws) is taken to refer to what follows, the content of the quotation, as given for this verse by BDAG 742 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως 2.

[13:47]  ⁴ tn BDAG 1004 s.v. τίθημι 3.a has “τιθέναι τινὰ εἴς τι place/appoint someone to or for (to function as) someth….Ac 13:47.” This is a double accusative construction of object (“you”) and complement (“a light”).

[13:47]  ⁵ sn Paul alludes here to the language of the Servant in Isaiah, pointing to Isa 42:6; 49:6. He and Barnabas do the work of the Servant in Isaiah.

[13:47]  ⁶ tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”

[13:47]  ⁷ sn An allusion to Isa 42:6 and 49:6. The expression the ends of the earth recalls Luke 3:6 and Acts 1:8. Paul sees himself and Barnabas as carrying out the commission of Luke 24:27. (See 2 Cor 6:2, where servant imagery also appears concerning Paul’s message.)

[22:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “It happened that as.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[22:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “going and nearing Damascus.”

[22:6]  ⁷ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.b has “φῶς a very bright light Ac 22:6.”

[22:6]  ⁸ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[22:6]  ⁹ tn Or “shone.”

[22:9]  ⁷ tn Grk “did not hear” (but see Acts 9:7). BDAG 38 s.v. ἀκούω 7 has “W. acc. τὸν νόμον understand the law Gal 4:21; perh. Ac 22:9; 26:14…belong here.” If the word has this sense here, then a metonymy is present, since the lack of effect is put for a failure to appreciate what was heard.

[26:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “O King.”

[26:13]  ¹⁰ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[26:13]  ¹¹ tn The word “everywhere” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning of περιλάμψαν (perilamyan). Otherwise the modern reader might think that each of the individuals were encircled by lights or halos. See also Acts 9:7; 22:6, 9.

[26:23]  ¹¹ tn BDAG 277-78 s.v. εἰ 2 has “marker of an indirect question as content, that…Sim. also (Procop. Soph., Ep. 123 χάριν ἔχειν εἰ = that) μαρτυρόμενος…εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός testifying…that the Christ was to suffer…Ac 26:23.”

[26:23]  ¹² tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[26:23]  ¹³ tn That is, to the Jewish people. Grk “the people”; the word “our” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[26:23]  ¹⁴ sn Note how the context of Paul’s gospel message about Jesus, resurrection, and light both to Jews and to the Gentiles is rooted in the prophetic message of the OT scriptures. Paul was guilty of following God’s call and preaching the scriptural hope.

[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.”

[12:7]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “And behold.” 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. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ¹⁶ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.