Numbers 11:29

11:29 Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for me? ¹  I wish that ²  all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

Acts 26:29

26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ³  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ⁴ 

Acts 26:1

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ⁵  said to Paul, “You have permission ⁶  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ⁷  and began his defense: ⁸ 

Colossians 4:8

4:8 I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing ⁹  and that he may encourage your hearts.

[11:29]  ¹ tn The Piel participle מְקַנֵּא (mÿqanne’) serves as a verb here in this interrogative sentence. The word means “to be jealous; to be envious.” That can be in a good sense, such as with the translation “zeal,” or it can be in a negative sense as here. Joshua’s apparent “zeal” is questioned by Moses – was he zealous/envious for Moses sake, or for some other reason?

[11:29]  ² tn The optative is expressed by the interrogative clause in Hebrew, “who will give….” Moses expresses here the wish that the whole nation would have that portion of the Spirit. The new covenant, of course, would turn Moses’ wish into a certainty.

[26:29]  ³ tn BDAG 703 s.v. ὀλίγος 2.b.β has “καὶ ἐν ὀλ. καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ whether in a short or a long time vs. 29 (cf. B-D-F §195; GWhitaker, The Words of Agrippa to St. Paul: JTS 15, 1914, 82f; AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 14, ’35, 50; Field, Notes 141-43; s. Rob. 653).”

[26:29]  ⁴ sn Except for these chains. The chains represented Paul’s unjust suffering for the sake of the message. His point was, in effect, “I do not care how long it takes. I only hope you and everyone else hearing this would become believers in Christ, but without my unjust suffering.”

[26:1]  ⁵ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ⁷ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ⁸ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[4:8]  ⁹ tn Grk “the things concerning us.”