Genesis 12:3

12:3 I will bless those who bless you, ¹ 

but the one who treats you lightly ²  I must curse,

and all the families of the earth will bless one another ³  by your name.”

Psalms 22:27

22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! ⁴ 

Let all the nations ⁵  worship you! ⁶ 

Psalms 67:2-4

67:2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;

all nations will know how you deliver your people. ⁷ 

67:3 Let the nations thank you, O God!

Let all the nations thank you! ⁸ 

67:4 Let foreigners ⁹  rejoice and celebrate!

For you execute justice among the nations,

and govern the people living on earth. ¹⁰  (Selah)

Psalms 67:7

67:7 May God bless us! ¹¹ 

Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves. ¹² 

Psalms 86:9

86:9 All the nations, whom you created,

will come and worship you, ¹³  O Lord.

They will honor your name.

Psalms 98:1-3

Psalm 98 ¹⁴ 

A psalm.

98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, ¹⁵ 

for he performs ¹⁶  amazing deeds!

His right hand and his mighty arm

accomplish deliverance. ¹⁷ 

98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; ¹⁸ 

in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.

98:3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. ¹⁹ 

All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us. ²⁰ 

Psalms 117:1-2

Psalm 117 ²¹ 

117:1 Praise the Lord, all you nations!

Applaud him, all you foreigners! ²² 

117:2 For his loyal love towers ²³  over us,

and the Lord’s faithfulness endures.

Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 2:1-3

The Future Glory of Jerusalem

2:1 Here is the message about Judah and Jerusalem ²⁴  that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz. ²⁵ 

2:2 In the future ²⁶ 

the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure ²⁷ 

as the most important of mountains,

and will be the most prominent of hills. ²⁸ 

All the nations will stream to it,

2:3 many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple of the God of Jacob,

so ²⁹  he can teach us his requirements, ³⁰ 

and ³¹  we can follow his standards.” ³² 

For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; ³³ 

the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. ³⁴ 

Isaiah 11:10

Israel is Reclaimed and Reunited

11:10 At that time ³⁵  a root from Jesse ³⁶  will stand like a signal flag for the nations. Nations will look to him for guidance, ³⁷  and his residence will be majestic.

Isaiah 49:6

49:6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant,

to reestablish the tribes of Jacob,

and restore the remnant ³⁸  of Israel? ³⁹ 

I will make you a light to the nations, ⁴⁰ 

so you can bring ⁴¹  my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.”

Isaiah 49:22

49:22 This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“Look I will raise my hand to the nations;

I will raise my signal flag to the peoples.

They will bring your sons in their arms

and carry your daughters on their shoulders.

Isaiah 52:10

52:10 The Lord reveals ⁴²  his royal power ⁴³ 

in the sight of all the nations;

the entire ⁴⁴  earth sees

our God deliver. ⁴⁵ 

Isaiah 52:15

52:15 his form was so marred he no longer looked human ⁴⁶  –

so now ⁴⁷  he will startle ⁴⁸  many nations.

Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, ⁴⁹ 

for they will witness something unannounced to them,

and they will understand something they had not heard about.

Isaiah 60:1-3

Zion’s Future Splendor

60:1 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!

The splendor ⁵⁰  of the Lord shines on you!

60:2 For, look, darkness covers the earth

and deep darkness covers ⁵¹  the nations,

but the Lord shines on you;

his splendor ⁵²  appears over you.

60:3 Nations come to your light,

kings to your bright light.

Isaiah 66:18-21

66:18 “I hate their deeds and thoughts! So I am coming ⁵³  to gather all the nations and ethnic groups; ⁵⁴  they will come and witness my splendor. 66:19 I will perform a mighty act among them ⁵⁵  and then send some of those who remain to the nations – to Tarshish, Pul, ⁵⁶  Lud ⁵⁷  (known for its archers ⁵⁸ ), Tubal, Javan, ⁵⁹  and to the distant coastlands ⁶⁰  that have not heard about me or seen my splendor. They will tell the nations of my splendor. 66:20 They will bring back all your countrymen ⁶¹  from all the nations as an offering to the Lord. They will bring them ⁶²  on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, and on camels ⁶³  to my holy hill Jerusalem,” says the Lord, “just as the Israelites bring offerings to the Lord’s temple in ritually pure containers. 66:21 And I will choose some of them as priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:34

31:34 “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. ⁶⁴  For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” ⁶⁵  says the Lord. “For ⁶⁶  I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Hosea 2:23

2:23 Then I will plant her as my own ⁶⁷  in the land.

I will have pity on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah).

I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’

And he ⁶⁸  will say, ‘You are ⁶⁹  my God!’”

Micah 4:2

4:2 Many nations will come, saying,

“Come on! Let’s go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple ⁷⁰  of Jacob’s God,

so he can teach us his commands ⁷¹ 

and we can live by his laws.” ⁷² 

For Zion will be the source of instruction;

the Lord’s teachings will proceed from Jerusalem. ⁷³ 

Malachi 1:11

1:11 For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,” ⁷⁴  says the Lord who rules over all.

Matthew 8:10-11

8:10 When ⁷⁵  Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth, ⁷⁶  I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel! 8:11 I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet ⁷⁷  with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ⁷⁸  in the kingdom of heaven,

Acts 10:46-48

10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ⁷⁹  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ⁸⁰  can he?” ⁸¹  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ⁸²  in the name of Jesus Christ. ⁸³  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

Acts 18:5-6

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ⁸⁴  from Macedonia, ⁸⁵  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ⁸⁶  the word, testifying ⁸⁷  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ⁸⁸  18:6 When they opposed him ⁸⁹  and reviled him, ⁹⁰  he protested by shaking out his clothes ⁹¹  and said to them, “Your blood ⁹²  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ⁹³  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!”

Acts 28:28

28:28 “Therefore be advised ⁹⁴  that this salvation from God ⁹⁵  has been sent to the Gentiles; ⁹⁶  they ⁹⁷  will listen!”

Romans 10:12-18

10:12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 10:13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ⁹⁸ 

10:14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them ⁹⁹ ? 10:15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely ¹⁰⁰  is the arrival ¹⁰¹  of those who proclaim the good news.” ¹⁰²  10:16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁰³  10:17 Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word ¹⁰⁴  of Christ. ¹⁰⁵ 

10:18 But I ask, have they ¹⁰⁶  not heard? ¹⁰⁷  Yes, they have: ¹⁰⁸  Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. ¹⁰⁹ 

Romans 15:8-16

15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised ¹¹⁰  on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers, ¹¹¹  15:9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. ¹¹²  As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” ¹¹³  15:10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” ¹¹⁴  15:11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.” ¹¹⁵  15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.” ¹¹⁶  15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, ¹¹⁷  so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s Motivation for Writing the Letter

15:14 But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, ¹¹⁸  that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15:15 But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve ¹¹⁹  the gospel of God ¹²⁰  like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering, ¹²¹  sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:8

3:8 To me – less than the least of all the saints ¹²²  – this grace was given, ¹²³  to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ

Colossians 1:27

1:27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious ¹²⁴  riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[12:3]  ¹ tn The Piel cohortative has as its object a Piel participle, masculine plural. Since the Lord binds himself to Abram by covenant, those who enrich Abram in any way share in the blessings.

[12:3]  ² tn In this part of God’s statement there are two significant changes that often go unnoticed. First, the parallel and contrasting participle מְקַלֶּלְךָ (mÿqallelkha) is now singular and not plural. All the versions and a few Masoretic mss read the plural. But if it had been plural, there would be no reason to change it to the singular and alter the parallelism. On the other hand, if it was indeed singular, it is easy to see why the versions would change it to match the first participle. The MT preserves the original reading: “the one who treats you lightly.” The point would be a contrast with the lavish way that God desires to bless many. The second change is in the vocabulary. The English usually says, “I will curse those who curse you.” But there are two different words for curse here. The first is קָלַל (qalal), which means “to be light” in the Qal, and in the Piel “to treat lightly, to treat with contempt, to curse.” The second verb is אָרַר (’arar), which means “to banish, to remove from the blessing.” The point is simple: Whoever treats Abram and the covenant with contempt as worthless God will banish from the blessing. It is important also to note that the verb is not a cohortative, but a simple imperfect. Since God is binding himself to Abram, this would then be an obligatory imperfect: “but the one who treats you with contempt I must curse.”

[12:3]  ³ tn Theoretically the Niphal can be translated either as passive or reflexive/reciprocal. (The Niphal of “bless” is only used in formulations of the Abrahamic covenant. See Gen 12:2; 18:18; 28:14.) Traditionally the verb is taken as passive here, as if Abram were going to be a channel or source of blessing. But in later formulations of the Abrahamic covenant (see Gen 22:18; 26:4) the Hitpael replaces this Niphal form, suggesting a translation “will bless [i.e., “pronounce blessings on”] themselves [or “one another”].” The Hitpael of “bless” is used with a reflexive/reciprocal sense in Deut 29:18; Ps 72:17; Isa 65:16; Jer 4:2. Gen 12:2 predicts that Abram will be held up as a paradigm of divine blessing and that people will use his name in their blessing formulae. For examples of blessing formulae utilizing an individual as an example of blessing see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11.

[22:27]  ⁴ tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27 are understood as jussives (cf. NEB). Another option (cf. NIV, NRSV) is to take the forms as imperfects and translate, “all the people of the earth will acknowledge and turn…and worship.” See vv. 29-32.

[22:27]  ⁵ tn Heb “families of the nations.”

[22:27]  ⁶ tn Heb “before you.”

[67:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people.

[67:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in vv. 3-4a are understood as jussives in this call to praise.

[67:4]  ⁹ tn Or “peoples.”

[67:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”).

[67:7]  ¹¹ tn The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives.

[67:7]  ¹² tn Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”

[86:9]  ¹³ tn Or “bow down before you.”

[98:1]  ¹⁴ sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.

[98:1]  ¹⁵ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.

[98:1]  ¹⁶ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.

[98:1]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.

[98:2]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “makes known his deliverance.”

[98:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “he remembers his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.”

[98:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the deliverance of our God,” with “God” being a subjective genitive (= God delivers).

[117:1]  ²¹ sn Psalm 117. The psalmist tells the nations to praise the Lord for his loyal love and faithfulness.

[117:1]  ²² tn Or “peoples” (see Ps 108:3).

[117:2]  ²³ tn For this sense of the Hebrew verb גָּבַר (gavar), see Ps 103:11 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.

[2:1]  ²⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “the word which Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.”

[2:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in the end of the days.” This phrase may refer generally to the future, or more technically to the final period of history. See BDB 31 s.v. ַאחֲרִית. The verse begins with a verb that functions as a “discourse particle” and is not translated. In numerous places throughout the OT, the “to be” verb with a prefixed conjunction (וְהָיָה [vÿhayah] and וַיְהִי [vayÿhi]) occurs in this fashion to introduce a circumstantial clause and does not require translation.

[2:2]  ²⁷ tn Or “be established” (KJV, NIV, NRSV).

[2:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “as the chief of the mountains, and will be lifted up above the hills.” The image of Mount Zion being elevated above other mountains and hills pictures the prominence it will attain in the future.

[2:3]  ²⁹ tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).

[2:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.

[2:3]  ³¹ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.

[2:3]  ³² tn Heb “walk in his ways.”

[2:3]  ³³ tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”

[2:3]  ³⁴ tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[11:10]  ³⁵ tn Or “in that day” (KJV). The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

[11:10]  ³⁶ sn See the note at v. 1.

[11:10]  ³⁷ tn Heb “ a root from Jesse, which stands for a signal flag of the nations, of him nations will inquire” [or “seek”].

[49:6]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the protected [or “preserved”] ones.”

[49:6]  ³⁹ sn The question is purely rhetorical; it does not imply that the servant was dissatisfied with his commission or that he minimized the restoration of Israel.

[49:6]  ⁴⁰ tn See the note at 42:6.

[49:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “be” (so KJV, ASV); CEV “you must take.”

[52:10]  ⁴² tn Heb “lays bare”; NLT “will demonstrate.”

[52:10]  ⁴³ tn Heb “his holy arm.” This is a metonymy for his power.

[52:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “the remote regions,” which here stand for the extremities and everything in between.

[52:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “the deliverance of our God.” “God” is a subjective genitive here.

[52:15]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and his form from the sons of men.” The preposition מִן (min) here carries the sense “away from,” i.e., “so as not to be.”

[52:15]  ⁴⁷ tn This statement completes the sentence begun in v. 14a. The introductory כֵּן (ken) answers to the introductory כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka’asher) of v. 14a. Verses 14b-15a are parenthetical, explaining why many were horrified.

[52:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Traditionally the verb יַזֶּה (yazzeh, a Hiphil stem) has been understood as a causative of נָזָה (nazah, “spurt, spatter”) and translated “sprinkle.” In this case the passage pictures the servant as a priest who “sprinkles” (or spiritually cleanses) the nations. Though the verb נָזָה does occur in the Hiphil with the meaning “sprinkle,” the usual interpretation is problematic. In all other instances where the object or person sprinkled is indicated, the verb is combined with a preposition. This is not the case in Isaiah 52:15, unless one takes the following עָלָיו (’alayv, “on him”) with the preceding line. But then one would have to emend the verb to a plural, make the nations the subject of the verb “sprinkle,” and take the servant as the object. Consequently some interpreters doubt the cultic idea of “sprinkling” is present here. Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning “spring, leap,” which in the Hiphil could mean “cause to leap, startle” and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely.

[52:15]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “Because of him kings will shut their mouths,” i.e., be speechless.

[60:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “glory” (so most English versions).

[60:2]  ⁵¹ tn The verb “covers” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

[60:2]  ⁵² tn Or “glory” (so most English versions); TEV “the brightness of his presence.”

[66:18]  ⁵³ tc The Hebrew text reads literally “and I, their deeds and their thoughts, am coming.” The syntax here is very problematic, suggesting that the text may have suffered corruption. Some suggest that the words “their deeds and their thoughts” have been displaced from v. 17. This line presents two primary challenges. In the first place, the personal pronoun “I” has no verb after it. Most translations insert “know” for the sake of clarity (NASB, NRSV, NLT, ESV). The NIV has “I, because of their actions and their imaginations…” Since God’s “knowledge” of Israel’s sin occasions judgment, the verb “hate” is an option as well (see above translation). The feminine form of the next verb (בָּאָה, ba’ah) could be understood in one of two ways. One could provide an implied noun “time” (עֵת, ’et) and render the next line “the time is coming/has come” (NASB, ESV). One could also emend the feminine verb to the masculine בָּא (ba’) and have the “I” at the beginning of the line govern this verb as well (for the Lord is speaking here): “I am coming” (cf. NIV, NCV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[66:18]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “and the tongues”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “and tongues.”

[66:19]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “and I will set a sign among them.” The precise meaning of this statement is unclear. Elsewhere “to set a sign” means “perform a mighty act” (Ps 78:43; Jer 32:20), “make [someone] an object lesson” (Ezek 14:8), and “erect a [literal] standard” (Ps 74:4).

[66:19]  ⁵⁶ tn Some prefer to read “Put” (i.e., Libya).

[66:19]  ⁵⁷ sn That is, Lydia (in Asia Minor).

[66:19]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “drawers of the bow” (KJV and ASV both similar).

[66:19]  ⁵⁹ sn Javan is generally identified today as Greece (so NIV, NCV, NLT).

[66:19]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “islands” (NIV).

[66:20]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “brothers” (so NIV); NCV “fellow Israelites.”

[66:20]  ⁶² tn The words “they will bring them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[66:20]  ⁶³ tn The precise meaning of this word is uncertain. Some suggest it refers to “chariots.” See HALOT 498 s.v. *כִּרְכָּרָה.

[31:34]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “teach…, saying, ‘Know the Lord.’” The indirect quote has been chosen for stylistic reasons, i.e., to better parallel the following line.

[31:34]  ⁶⁵ sn This statement should be understood against the background of Jer 8:8-9 where class distinctions were drawn and certain people were considered to have more awareness and responsibility for knowing the law and also Jer 5:1-5 and 9:3-9 where the sinfulness of Israel was seen to be universal across these class distinctions and no trust was to be placed in friends, neighbors, or relatives because all without distinction had cast off God’s yoke (i.e., refused to submit themselves to his authority).

[31:34]  ⁶⁶ tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) that introduces this clause refers to more than just the preceding clause (i.e., that all will know the Lord) but to all of vv. 31-34a (See BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.c).

[2:23]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “for myself.”

[2:23]  ⁶⁸ tn The Hebrew text, carrying out the reference to the son born in 1:8-9, uses the third person masculine singular pronoun here; some English translations use third person plural (“they,” so KJV, NASB, NIV, CEV) in keeping with the immediate context, which refers to reestablished Israel.

[2:23]  ⁶⁹ tn The words “You are” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but are implied. It is necessary to supply the phrase in the translation to prevent the reader from understanding the predicate “my God” as an exclamation (cf. NAB).

[4:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “house.”

[4:2]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “ways.”

[4:2]  ⁷² tn Heb “and we can walk in his paths.”

[4:2]  ⁷³ tn Heb “instruction [or, “law”] will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[1:11]  ⁷⁴ sn My name will be great among the nations. In what is clearly a strongly ironic shift of thought, the Lord contrasts the unbelief and virtual paganism of the postexilic community with the conversion and obedience of the nations that will one day worship the God of Israel.

[8:10]  ⁷⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:10]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[8:11]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of being among the people of God at the end.

[8:11]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” 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.

[10:46]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “extolling,” “magnifying.”

[10:47]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “just as also we.” The auxiliary verb in English must be supplied. This could be either “have” (NIV, NRSV) or “did” (NASB). “Did” is preferred here because the comparison Peter is making concerns not just the fact of the present possession of the Spirit (“they received the Spirit we now possess”), but the manner in which the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house received the Spirit (“they received the Spirit in the same manner we did [on the day of Pentecost]”).

[10:47]  ⁸¹ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “can he?” The question is rhetorical. Peter was saying these Gentiles should be baptized since God had confirmed they were his.

[10:48]  ⁸² tn The Greek construction (passive infinitive with accusative subject) could be translated either “he ordered them to be baptized” or “he ordered that they be baptized,” but the implication in English in either case is that Peter was giving orders to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house, telling them to get baptized. It is much more likely in the context that Peter was ordering those Jewish Christians who accompanied him to baptize the new Gentile converts. They would doubtless have still had misgivings even after witnessing the outpouring of the Spirit and hearing the tongues. It took Peter’s apostolic authority (“ordered”) to convince them to perform the baptisms.

[10:48]  ⁸³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Jesus’ right to judge as the provider of forgiveness is highlighted here.

[18:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “came down.”

[18:5]  ⁸⁵ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[18:5]  ⁸⁶ tn BDAG 971 s.v. συνέχω 6 states, “συνείχετο τῷ λόγῳ (Paul) was wholly absorbed in preaching Ac 18:5…in contrast to the activity cited in vs. 3.” The imperfect συνείχετο (suneiceto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“became wholly absorbed…”), stressing the change in Paul’s activity once Silas and Timothy arrived. At this point Paul apparently began to work less and preach more.

[18:5]  ⁸⁷ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “testify of, bear witness to solemnly (orig. under oath)…W. acc. and inf. foll. Ac 18:5.”

[18:5]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[18:6]  ⁸⁹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[18:6]  ⁹⁰ tn The participle βλασφημούντων (blasfhmountwn) has been taken temporally. 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 13:45. 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). What they were doing was more like slander or defamation of character.

[18:6]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “shaking out his clothes, he said to them.” L&N 16:8 translates Acts 18:6 “when they opposed him and said evil things about him, he protested by shaking the dust from his clothes.” The addition of the verb “protested by” in the translation is necessary to clarify for the modern reader that this is a symbolic action. It is similar but not identical to the phrase in Acts 13:51, where the dust from the feet is shaken off. The participle ἐκτιναξάμενος (ektinaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:6]  ⁹² sn Your blood be on your own heads! By invoking this epithet Paul declared himself not responsible for their actions in rejecting Jesus whom Paul preached (cf. Ezek 33:4; 3:6-21; Matt 23:35; 27:25).

[18:6]  ⁹³ tn Or “innocent.” BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a has “guiltless Ac 18:6.”

[28:28]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

[28:28]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “of God.”

[28:28]  ⁹⁶ sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).

[28:28]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “they also.”

[10:13]  ⁹⁸ sn A quotation from Joel 2:32.

[10:14]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “preaching”; the words “to them” are supplied for clarification.

[10:15]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The word in this context seems to mean “coming at the right or opportune time” (see BDAG 1103 s.v. ὡραῖος 1); it may also mean “beautiful, attractive, welcome.”

[10:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “the feet.” The metaphorical nuance of “beautiful feet” is that such represent timely news.

[10:15]  ¹⁰² sn A quotation from Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15.

[10:16]  ¹⁰³ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[10:17]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The Greek term here is ῥῆμα (rJhma), which often (but not exclusively) focuses on the spoken word.

[10:17]  ¹⁰⁵ tc Most mss (א¹ A D¹ Ψ 33 1881 Ï sy) have θεοῦ (qeou) here rather than Χριστοῦ (Cristou; found in Ì^46vid א* B C D* 6 81 629 1506 1739 pc lat co). External evidence strongly favors the reading “Christ” here. Internal evidence is also on its side, for the expression ῥῆμα Χριστοῦ (rJhma Cristou) occurs nowhere else in the NT; thus scribes would be prone to change it to a known expression.

[10:18]  ¹⁰⁶ tn That is, Israel (see the following verse).

[10:18]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “they have not ‘not heard,’ have they?” This question is difficult to render in English. The basic question is a negative sentence (“Have they not heard?”), but it is preceded by the particle μή (mh) which expects a negative response. The end result in English is a double negative (“They have not ‘not heard,’ have they?”). This has been changed to a positive question in the translation for clarity. See BDAG 646 s.v. μή 3.a.; D. Moo, Romans (NICNT), 666, fn. 32; and C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans (ICC), 537, for discussion.

[10:18]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Here the particle μενοῦνγε (menounge) is correcting the negative response expected by the particle μή (mh) in the preceding question. Since the question has been translated positively, the translation was changed here to reflect that rendering.

[10:18]  ¹⁰⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 19:4.

[15:8]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “of the circumcision”; that is, the Jews.

[15:8]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “to the patriarchs.”

[15:9]  ¹¹² tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.

[15:9]  ¹¹³ sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.

[15:10]  ¹¹⁴ sn A quotation from Deut 32:43.

[15:11]  ¹¹⁵ sn A quotation from Ps 117:1.

[15:12]  ¹¹⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 11:10.

[15:13]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “in the believing” or “as [you] believe,” with the object “him” supplied from the context. The referent could be God (15:13a) or Christ (15:12).

[15:14]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[15:16]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “serving.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but in keeping with contemporary English style, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[15:16]  ¹²⁰ tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself.

[15:16]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “so that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable.” This could be understood to refer to an offering belonging to the Gentiles (a possessive genitive) or made by the Gentiles (subjective genitive), but more likely the phrase should be understood as an appositive genitive, with the Gentiles themselves consisting of the offering (so J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC 38], 2:860). The latter view is reflected in the translation “so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering.”

[3:8]  ¹²² sn In Pauline writings saints means any true believer. Thus for Paul to view himself as less than the least of all the saints is to view himself as the most unworthy object of Christ’s redemption.

[3:8]  ¹²³ sn The parallel phrases to proclaim and to enlighten which follow indicate why God’s grace was manifested to Paul. Grace was not something just to be received, but to be shared with others (cf. Acts 13:47).

[1:27]  ¹²⁴ tn The genitive noun τῆς δόξης (ths doxhs) is an attributive genitive and has therefore been translated as “glorious riches.”