Acts 9:31
Context9:31 Then 1 the church throughout Judea, Galilee, 2 and Samaria experienced 3 peace and thus was strengthened. 4 Living 5 in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church 6 increased in numbers.
Acts 12:20
Context12:20 Now Herod 7 was having an angry quarrel 8 with the people of Tyre 9 and Sidon. 10 So they joined together 11 and presented themselves before him. And after convincing 12 Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, 13 to help them, 14 they asked for peace, 15 because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.


[9:31] 1 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] 2 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] 4 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] 5 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] 6 tn Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:20] 7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:20] 8 tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).
[12:20] 9 sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.
[12:20] 10 sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).
[12:20] 11 tn Or “with one accord.”
[12:20] 12 tn Or “persuading.”
[12:20] 13 tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.
[12:20] 14 tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[12:20] 15 tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.