Discovery BoxMatthew 12:41-42
Context12:41 The people 1 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 2 – and now, 3 something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South 4 will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 5 something greater than Solomon is here!
Ezekiel 3:6-7
Context3:6 not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand 6 – surely if 7 I had sent you to them, they would listen to you! 3:7 But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you, 8 because they are not willing to listen to me, 9 for the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. 10
Acts 13:44-48
Context13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. 11 13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, 12 and they began to contradict 13 what Paul was saying 14 by reviling him. 15 13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, 16 “It was necessary to speak the word of God 17 to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy 18 of eternal life, we 19 are turning to the Gentiles. 20 13:47 For this 21 is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed 22 you to be a light 23 for the Gentiles, to bring salvation 24 to the ends of the earth.’” 25 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice 26 and praise 27 the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life 28 believed.
Acts 28:25-28
Context28:25 So they began to leave, 29 unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors 30 through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,
‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, 31 but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, 32 but will never perceive.
28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, 33
and their ears are hard of hearing, 34
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, 35 and I would heal them.”’ 36
28:28 “Therefore be advised 37 that this salvation from God 38 has been sent to the Gentiles; 39 they 40 will listen!”
[12:41] 1 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[12:41] 2 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[12:42] 4 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
[3:6] 7 tc The MT reads “if not” but most ancient versions translate only “if.” The expression occurs with this sense in Isa 5:9; 14:24. See also Ezek 34:8; 36:5; 38:19.
[3:7] 8 sn Moses (Exod 3:19) and Isaiah (Isa 6:9-10) were also told that their messages would not be received.
[3:7] 9 sn A similar description of Israel’s disobedience is given in 1 Sam 8:7.
[3:7] 10 tn Heb “hard of forehead and stiff of heart.”
[13:44] 11 tc Most
[13:45] 12 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] 13 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] 14 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] 15 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.
[13:46] 16 tn Grk “Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out courageously and said.” The redundancy is removed in the translation and the verb “replied” is used in keeping with the logical sequence of events. The theme of boldness reappears: Acts 4:24-30; 9:27-28.
[13:46] 17 tn Grk “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.
[13:46] 18 tn Or “and consider yourselves unworthy.”
[13:46] 19 tn Grk “behold, we.” In this context ἰδού (idou) is not easily translated into English.
[13:46] 20 sn This turning to the Gentiles would be a shocking rebuke to 1st century Jews who thought they alone were the recipients of the promise.
[13:47] 21 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] 22 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] 23 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] 24 tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”
[13:47] 25 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.)
[13:48] 26 tn The imperfect verb ἔχαιρον (ecairon) and the following ἐδόξαζον (edoxazon) are translated as ingressive imperfects.
[13:48] 27 tn Or “glorify.” Although “honor” is given by BDAG 258 s.v. δοξάζω as a translation, it would be misleading here, because the meaning is “to honor in the sense of attributing worth to something,” while in contemporary English usage one speaks of “honoring” a contract in the sense of keeping its stipulations. It is not a synonym for “obey” in this context (“obey the word of the Lord”), but that is how many English readers would understand it.
[13:48] 28 sn Note the contrast to v. 46 in regard to eternal life.
[28:25] 29 tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[28:25] 30 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[28:26] 31 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
[28:26] 32 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
[28:27] 33 tn Or “insensitive.”
[28:27] 34 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
[28:27] 35 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
[28:27] 36 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
[28:28] 37 tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
[28:28] 39 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).
