Proverbs 15:22

15:22 Plans fail ¹  when there is no counsel,

but with abundant advisers they are established. ² 

Proverbs 16:22

16:22 Insight ³  is like ⁴  a life-giving fountain ⁵  to the one who possesses it,

but folly leads to the discipline of fools. ⁶ 

Proverbs 24:6

24:6 for with guidance you wage your war,

and with numerous advisers there is victory. ⁷ 

Proverbs 24:1

24:1 Do not envy evil people, ⁸ 

do not desire ⁹  to be with them;

Proverbs 12:1-19

12:1 The one who loves discipline loves knowledge, ¹⁰ 

but the one who hates reproof is stupid. ¹¹ 

12:2 A good person obtains favor from the Lord,

but the Lord ¹²  condemns a person with wicked schemes. ¹³ 

12:3 No one ¹⁴  can be established ¹⁵  through wickedness,

but a righteous root ¹⁶  cannot be moved.

12:4 A noble wife ¹⁷  is the crown ¹⁸  of her husband,

but the wife ¹⁹  who acts shamefully is like rottenness in his bones. ²⁰ 

12:5 The plans ²¹  of the righteous are just;

the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. ²² 

12:6 The words of the wicked lie in wait ²³  to shed innocent blood, ²⁴ 

but the words ²⁵  of the upright will deliver them.

12:7 The wicked are overthrown ²⁶  and perish, ²⁷ 

but the righteous household ²⁸  will stand.

12:8 A person ²⁹  is praised in accordance with ³⁰  his wisdom,

but the one who has a twisted mind ³¹  is despised.

12:9 Better is a person of humble standing ³²  who nevertheless has a servant, ³³ 

than one who pretends to be somebody important ³⁴  yet has no food.

12:10 A righteous person cares for ³⁵  the life of his animal,

but even the most compassionate acts ³⁶  of the wicked are cruel.

12:11 The one who works ³⁷  his field will have plenty ³⁸  of food,

but whoever chases daydreams ³⁹  lacks wisdom. ⁴⁰ 

12:12 The wicked person desires a stronghold, ⁴¹ 

but the righteous root ⁴²  endures. ⁴³ 

12:13 The evil person is ensnared ⁴⁴  by the transgression of his speech, ⁴⁵ 

but the righteous person escapes out of trouble. ⁴⁶ 

12:14 A person will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words, ⁴⁷ 

and the work of his hands ⁴⁸  will be rendered to ⁴⁹  him.

12:15 The way of a fool ⁵⁰  is right ⁵¹  in his own opinion, ⁵² 

but the one who listens to advice is wise. ⁵³ 

12:16 A fool’s annoyance ⁵⁴  is known at once, ⁵⁵ 

but the prudent ⁵⁶  overlooks ⁵⁷  an insult.

12:17 The faithful witness ⁵⁸  tells what is right, ⁵⁹ 

but a false witness ⁶⁰  speaks ⁶¹  deceit.

12:18 Speaking recklessly ⁶²  is like the thrusts of a sword,

but the words ⁶³  of the wise bring ⁶⁴  healing. ⁶⁵ 

12:19 The one who tells the truth ⁶⁶  will endure forever,

but the one who lies ⁶⁷  will last only for a moment. ⁶⁸ 

Isaiah 19:11-14

19:11 The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; ⁶⁹ 

Pharaoh’s wise advisers give stupid advice.

How dare you say to Pharaoh,

“I am one of the sages,

one well-versed in the writings of the ancient kings?” ⁷⁰ 

19:12 But where, oh where, are your wise men? ⁷¹ 

Let them tell you, let them find out

what the Lord who commands armies has planned for Egypt.

19:13 The officials of Zoan are fools,

the officials of Memphis ⁷²  are misled;

the rulers ⁷³  of her tribes lead Egypt astray.

19:14 The Lord has made them undiscerning; ⁷⁴ 

they lead Egypt astray in all she does,

so that she is like a drunk sliding around in his own vomit. ⁷⁵ 

Acts 15:6-21

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ⁷⁶  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ⁷⁷  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ⁷⁸  God chose ⁷⁹  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ⁸⁰  of the gospel ⁸¹  and believe. ⁸²  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ⁸³  has testified ⁸⁴  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁸⁵  15:9 and he made no distinction ⁸⁶  between them and us, cleansing ⁸⁷  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ⁸⁸  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ⁸⁹  that neither our ancestors ⁹⁰  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ⁹¹  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ⁹² 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ⁹³  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ⁹⁴  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ⁹⁵  James replied, ⁹⁶  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ⁹⁷  has explained ⁹⁸  how God first concerned himself ⁹⁹  to select ¹⁰⁰  from among the Gentiles ¹⁰¹  a people for his name. 15:15 The ¹⁰²  words of the prophets agree ¹⁰³  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ¹⁰⁴  I ¹⁰⁵  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ¹⁰⁶  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ¹⁰⁷  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ¹⁰⁸  may seek the Lord,

namely, ¹⁰⁹  all the Gentiles ¹¹⁰  I have called to be my own,’ ¹¹¹  says the Lord, ¹¹²  who makes these things 15:18 known ¹¹³  from long ago. ¹¹⁴ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ¹¹⁵  that we should not cause extra difficulty ¹¹⁶  for those among the Gentiles ¹¹⁷  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ¹¹⁸  telling them to abstain ¹¹⁹  from things defiled ¹²⁰  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ¹²¹  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ¹²²  because he is read aloud ¹²³  in the synagogues ¹²⁴  every Sabbath.”

[15:22]  ¹ tn Heb “go wrong” (so NRSV, NLT). The verb is the Hiphil infinitive absolute from פָּרַר, parar, which means “to break; to frustrate; to go wrong” (HALOT 975 s.v. I פרר 2). The plans are made ineffectual or are frustrated when there is insufficient counsel.

[15:22]  ² sn The proverb says essentially the same thing as 11:14, but differently.

[16:22]  ³ tn The Hebrew noun שֵׂכֵל (sekhel, “prudence; insight”; cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “understanding”; NAB, CEV “good sense”) is related to the verb that means “to have insight; to give attention to; to act circumspectly [or, prudently],” as well as “to prosper; to have success.” These words all describe the kind of wise action that will be successful.

[16:22]  ⁴ tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

[16:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “fountain of life.” The point of the metaphor is that like a fountain this wisdom will be a constant provision for living in this world.

[16:22]  ⁶ tn Heb “the discipline of fools [is] folly.” The “discipline” (מוּסָר, musar) in this proverb is essentially a requital for sin (hence “punishment,” so NIV, NCV, NRSV); discipline which is intended to correct is normally rejected and despised by fools. So the line is saying that there is very little that can be done for or with the fool (cf. NLT “discipline is wasted on fools”).

[24:6]  ⁷ sn The point of the saying is that wise counsel is necessary in war. Victory, strategy, and counsel are more important than mere military strength – many great armies have been destroyed because of their unwise leaders. See on this theme 11:14; 20:18; and 21:22.

[24:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.

[24:1]  ⁹ tn The Hitpael jussive is from the verb that means “to crave; to desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.

[12:1]  ¹⁰ sn Those who wish to improve themselves must learn to accept correction; the fool hates/rejects any correction.

[12:1]  ¹¹ sn The word בָּעַר (ba’ar, “brutish; stupid”) normally describes dumb animals that lack intellectual sense. Here, it describes the moral fool who is not willing to learn from correction. He is like a dumb animal (so the term here functions as a hypocatastasis: implied comparison).

[12:2]  ¹² tn Heb “but he condemns”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “a man of wicked plans.” The noun מְזִמּוֹת (mÿzimmot, “evil plans”) functions as an attributive genitive: “an evil-scheming man.” Cf. NASB “a man who devises evil”; NAB “the schemer.”

[12:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a man cannot be.”

[12:3]  ¹⁵ tn The Niphal imperfect of כּוּן (cun, “to be established”) refers to finding permanent “security” (so NRSV, TEV, CEV) before God. Only righteousness can do that.

[12:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “a root of righteousness.” The genitive צַדִּיקִים (tsadiqim, “righteousness”) functions as an attributive adjective. The figure “root” (שֹׁרֶשׁ, shoresh) stresses the security of the righteous; they are firmly planted and cannot be uprooted (cf. NLT “the godly have deep roots”). The righteous are often compared to a tree (e.g., 11:30; Ps 1:3; 92:13).

[12:4]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “a wife of virtue”; NAB, NLT “a worthy wife.” This noble woman (אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל, ’shet-khayil) is the subject of Prov 31. She is a “virtuous woman” (cf. KJV), a capable woman of noble character. She is contrasted with the woman who is disgraceful (מְבִישָׁה, mÿvishah; “one who causes shame”) or who lowers his standing in the community.

[12:4]  ¹⁸ sn The metaphor of the “crown” emphasizes that such a wife is a symbol of honor and glory.

[12:4]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “she”; the referent (the wife) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:4]  ²⁰ sn The simile means that the shameful acts of such a woman will eat away her husband’s strength and influence and destroy his happiness.

[12:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “thoughts.” This term refers not just to random thoughts, however, but to what is planned or devised.

[12:5]  ²² sn The plans of good people are directed toward what is right. Advice from the wicked, however, is deceitful and can only lead to trouble.

[12:6]  ²³ tn The infinitive construct אֱרָב (’erav, “to lie in wait”) expresses the purpose of their conversations. The idea of “lying in wait for blood” is an implied comparison (hypocatastasis): Their words are like an ambush intended to destroy (cf. NAB, NRSV “are a deadly ambush”). The words of the wicked are here personified.

[12:6]  ²⁴ tn Heb “for blood.” The term “blood” is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the person that they will attack and whose blood they will shed. After the construct “blood” is also an objective genitive.

[12:6]  ²⁵ tn Heb “mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) is a metonymy of cause, signifying what the righteous say. The righteous can make a skillful defense against false accusations that are intended to destroy. The righteous, who have gained wisdom, can escape the traps set by the words of the wicked.

[12:7]  ²⁶ sn This proverb is about the stability of the righteous in times of trouble. The term “overthrown” might allude to Gen 19:21.

[12:7]  ²⁷ tn Heb “and they are not.”

[12:7]  ²⁸ tn Heb “the house of the righteous.” The genitive צַדִּיקִים (tsadiqim) functions as an attributive adjective: “righteous house.” The noun בֵּית (bet, “house”) functions as a synecdoche of container (= house) for the contents (= family, household; perhaps household possessions). Cf. NCV “a good person’s family”; NLT “the children of the godly.”

[12:8]  ²⁹ tn Heb “a man.”

[12:8]  ³⁰ tn Heb “to the mouth of.” This idiom means “according to” (BDB 805 s.v. פֶּה 6.b.(b); cf. KJV, NAB, NIV). The point is that praise is proportionate to wisdom.

[12:8]  ³¹ tn Heb “crooked of heart”; cf. NAB, NLT “a warped mind” (NIV similar). The noun לֵב (lev, “heart”) is an attributive genitive. It functions as a metonymy of association for “mind; thoughts” (BDB 524 s.v. 3) and “will; volition” (BDB 524 s.v. 4). He does not perceive things as they are, so he makes all the wrong choices. His thinking is all wrong.

[12:9]  ³² tn Heb “one who is lightly regarded.” The verb קָלָה (qalah) means “to be lightly esteemed; to be dishonored; to be degraded” (BDB 885 s.v.).

[12:9]  ³³ tn The meaning of the phrase וְעֶבֶד לוֹ (vÿ’eved lo) is ambiguous; the preposition is either possessive (“has a servant”) or a reflexive indirect object (“is a servant for himself”; cf. NAB, TEV). Several versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read “and yet has a servant.”

[12:9]  ³⁴ tn Heb “who feigns importance.” The term מְתַכַּבֵּד (mÿtakkabed, from כָּבֵד, caved, “to be weighty; to be honored; to be important”) is an example of the so-called “Hollywood” Hitpael which describes a person putting on an act (BDB 458 s.v. כָּבֵד Hitp.2).

[12:10]  ³⁵ tn Heb “knows”; NLT “concerned for the welfare of.” The righteous take care of animals, not just people.

[12:10]  ³⁶ tn Heb “but the mercies.” The additional words appear in the translation for the sake of clarification. The line can be interpreted in two ways: (1) when the wicked exhibit a kind act, they do it in a cruel way, or (2) even the kindest of their acts is cruel by all assessments, e.g., stuffing animals with food to fatten them for market – their “kindness” is driven by ulterior motives (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 129).

[12:11]  ³⁷ sn In the biblical period agriculture was the most common occupation for the people; so “working a field” describes a substantial occupation, but also represents working in general. Diligent work, not get-rich-quick schemes, is the key to ensuring income.

[12:11]  ³⁸ tn Heb “will have his fill of” or “will be satisfied with.”

[12:11]  ³⁹ tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things.” The term רֵיקִים (reqim) refers to worthless pursuits in an effort to make money. The fact that the participle used is “chase after” shows how elusive these are. Cf. NIV “fantasies”; NCV “empty dreams”; TEV “useless projects.”

[12:11]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “heart.” The term לֵב (lev, “heart”) functions as a metonymy of association for wisdom (BDB 524 s.v. 3).

[12:12]  ⁴¹ tn This line is difficult to interpret. BDB connects the term מְצוֹד (mÿtsod) to II מָצוֹד which means (1) “snare; hunting-net” and (2) what is caught: “prey” (BDB 844-45 s.v. II מָצוֹד). This would function as a metonymy of cause for what the net catches: the prey. Or it may be saying that the wicked get caught in their own net, that is, reap the consequences of their own sins. On the other hand, HALOT 622 connects מְצוֹד (mÿtsod) to II מְצוּדָה (mÿtsudah, “mountain stronghold”; cf. NAB “the stronghold of evil men will be demolished”). The LXX translated it as: “The desires of the wicked are evil.” The Syriac has: “The wicked desire to do evil.” The Latin expands it: “The desire of the wicked is a defense of the worst [things, or persons].” C. H. Toy suggests emending the text to read “wickedness is the net of bad men” (Proverbs [ICC], 250).

[12:12]  ⁴² tn Heb “the root of righteousness.” The genitive צַדִּיקִים (tsadiqim, “righteousness”) functions as an attributive adjective. The wicked want what belongs to others, but the righteous continue to flourish.

[12:12]  ⁴³ tc The MT reads יִתֵּן (yitten, “gives,” from נָתַן [natan, “to give”]), and yields an awkward meaning: “the root of the righteous gives.” The LXX reads “the root of the righteous endures” (cf. NAB). This suggests a Hebrew Vorlage of אֵיתָן (’etan, “constant; continual”; HALOT 44-45 s.v. I אֵיתָן 2) which would involve the omission of א (alef) in the MT. The metaphor “root” (שֹׁרֶשׁ, shoresh) is often used in Proverbs for that which endures; so internal evidence supports the alternate tradition.

[12:13]  ⁴⁴ tc MT reads the noun מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “bait; lure”). The LXX, Syriac and Tg. Prov 12:13 took it as a passive participle (“is ensnared”). The MT is the more difficult reading and so is preferred. The versions appear to be trying to clarify a difficult reading.

[12:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “transgression of the lips.” The noun “lips” is a genitive of specification and it functions as a metonymy of cause for speech: sinful talk or sinning by talking. J. H. Greenstone suggests that this refers to litigation; the wicked attempt to involve the innocent (Proverbs, 131).

[12:13]  ⁴⁶ sn J. H. Greenstone suggests that when the wicked become involved in contradictions of testimony, the innocent is freed from the trouble. Another meaning would be that the wicked get themselves trapped by what they say, but the righteous avoid that (Proverbs, 131).

[12:14]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “fruit of the lips.” The term “fruit” is the implied comparison, meaning what is produced; and “lips” is the metonymy of cause, referring to speech. Proper speech will result in good things.

[12:14]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the work of the hands of a man.”

[12:14]  ⁴⁹ tc The Kethib has the Qal imperfect, “will return” to him (cf. NASB); the Qere preserves a Hiphil imperfect, “he/one will restore/render” to him (cf. KJV, ASV). The Qere seems to suggest that someone (God or people) will reward him in kind. Since there is no expressed subject, it may be translated as a passive voice.

[12:15]  ⁵⁰ sn The way of a fool describes a headlong course of actions (“way” is an idiom for conduct) that is not abandoned even when wise advice is offered.

[12:15]  ⁵¹ sn The fool believes that his own plans and ideas are perfect or “right” (יָשָׁר, yashar); he is satisfied with his own opinion.

[12:15]  ⁵² tn Heb “in his own eyes.”

[12:15]  ⁵³ tn Or “a wise person listens to advice” (cf. NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[12:16]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “The fool, at once his vexation is known.” This rhetorically emphatic construction uses an independent nominative absolute, which is then followed by the formal subject with a suffix. The construction focuses attention on “the fool,” then states what is to be said about him.

[12:16]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “on the day” or “the same day.”

[12:16]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “shrewd.”

[12:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “covers.” The verb כָּסָה (casah) means “covers” in the sense of ignores or bides his time. The point is not that he does not respond at all, but that he is shrewd enough to handle the criticism or insult in the best way – not instinctively and irrationally.

[12:17]  ⁵⁸ tn The text has “he pours out faithfully”; the word rendered “faithfully” or “reliably” (אֱמוּנָה, ’emunah) is used frequently for giving testimony in court, and so here the subject matter is the reliable witness.

[12:17]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “righteousness.”

[12:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “witness of falsehoods.” The genitive noun functions attributively, and the plural form depicts habitual action or moral characteristic. This describes a person who habitually lies. A false witness cannot be counted on to help the cause of justice.

[12:17]  ⁶¹ tn The term “speaks” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

[12:18]  ⁶² tn The term בּוֹטֶה (boteh) means “to speak rashly [or, thoughtlessly]” (e.g., Lev 5:4; Num 30:7).

[12:18]  ⁶³ tn Heb “the tongue” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The term לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a metonymy of cause for what is said.

[12:18]  ⁶⁴ tn The term “brings” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.

[12:18]  ⁶⁵ sn Healing is a metonymy of effect. Healing words are the opposite of the cutting, irresponsible words. What the wise say is faithful and true, gentle and kind, uplifting and encouraging; so their words bring healing.

[12:19]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “a lip of truth.” The genitive אֱמֶת (’emet, “truth”) functions as an attributive adjective: “truthful lip.” The term שְׂפַת (sÿfat, “lip”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= lip) for the whole (= person): “truthful person.” The contrast is between “the lip of truth” and the “tongue of lying.”

[12:19]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “a tongue of deceit.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “deceit”) functions as an attributive genitive. The noun לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole (= person): “lying person.”

[12:19]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “while I would twinkle.” This expression is an idiom meaning “only for a moment.” The twinkling of the eye, the slightest movement, signals the brevity of the life of a lie (hyperbole). But truth will be established (תִּכּוֹן, tikon), that is, be made firm and endure.

[19:11]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “certainly the officials of Zoan are fools.” אַךְ (’akh) can carry the sense, “only, nothing but,” or “certainly, surely.”

[19:11]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “A son of wise men am I, a son of ancient kings.” The term בֶּן (ben, “son of”) could refer to literal descent, but many understand the word, at least in the first line, in its idiomatic sense of “member [of a guild].” See HALOT 138 s.v. בֶּן and J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:371. If this is the case, then one can take the word in a figurative sense in the second line as well, the “son of ancient kings” being one devoted to their memory as preserved in their literature.

[19:12]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “Where are they? Where are your wise men?” The juxtaposition of the interrogative pronouns is emphatic. See HALOT 38 s.v. אֶי.

[19:13]  ⁷² tn Heb “Noph” (so KJV); most recent English versions substitute the more familiar “Memphis.”

[19:13]  ⁷³ tn Heb “the cornerstone.” The singular form should be emended to a plural.

[19:14]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “the Lord has mixed into her midst a spirit of blindness.”

[19:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “like the going astray of a drunkard in his vomit.”

[15:6]  ⁷⁶ tn The translation for ἰδεῖν (idein) in this verse is given by BDAG 279-80 s.v. εἶδον 3 as “deliberate concerning this matter.” A contemporary idiom would be to “look into” a matter.

[15:7]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “discussion.” This term is repeated from v. 2.

[15:7]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “long ago” (an idiom, literally “from ancient days”). According to L&N 67.26, “this reference to Peter having been chosen by God sometime before to bring the gospel to the Gentiles can hardly be regarded as a reference to ancient times, though some persons understand this to mean that God’s decision was made at the beginning of time. The usage of ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων is probably designed to emphasize the established nature of God’s decision for Peter to take the gospel to the Gentiles beginning with the centurion Cornelius. The fact that this was relatively early in the development of the church may also serve to explain the use of the idiom.”

[15:7]  ⁷⁹ sn God chose. The theme of God’s sovereign choice is an important point, because 1st century Jews believed Israel’s unique position and customs were a reflection of God’s choice.

[15:7]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “word.”

[15:7]  ⁸¹ tn Or “of the good news.”

[15:7]  ⁸² tn Grk “God chose among you from my mouth the Gentiles to hear the message of the gospel and to believe.” The sense of this sentence in Greek is difficult to render in English. The Greek verb ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai, “choose”) normally takes a person or thing as a direct object; in this verse the verb has neither clearly stated. The translation understands the phrase “from my mouth,” referring to Peter, as a description of both who God chose and the task to be done. This coupled with the following statement about Gentiles hearing the message of the gospel leads to the more dynamic rendering in the translation.

[15:8]  ⁸³ sn The expression who knows the heart means “who knows what people think.”

[15:8]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “has borne witness.”

[15:8]  ⁸⁵ sn By giving them…just as he did to us. The allusion is to the events of Acts 10-11, esp. 10:44-48 and Peter’s remarks in 11:15-18.

[15:9]  ⁸⁶ tn BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “to conclude that there is a difference, make a distinction, differentiate.”

[15:9]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “purifying.”

[15:10]  ⁸⁸ tn According to BDAG 793 s.v. πειράζω 2.c, “In Ac 15:10 the πειράζειν τὸν θεόν consists in the fact that after God’s will has been clearly made known through granting of the Spirit to the Gentiles (v. 8), some doubt and make trial to see whether God’s will really becomes operative.” All testing of God in Luke is negative: Luke 4:2; 11:16.

[15:10]  ⁸⁹ sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restriction that some in the early church wanted to place on Gentile converts to Christianity of observing the law of Moses and having males circumcised. The yoke is a decidedly negative image: Matt 23:4, but cf. Matt 11:29-30.

[15:10]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[15:11]  ⁹¹ tn Or “by.”

[15:11]  ⁹² tn Or “Jesus, just as they are.” BDAG 1016-17 s.v. τρόπος 1 translates καθ᾿ ὃν τρόπον (kaq’ Jon tropon) here as “in the same way as.”

[15:12]  ⁹³ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”

[15:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.

[15:13]  ⁹⁵ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “stop speaking, become silent.”

[15:13]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “answered, saying”; the redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[15:14]  ⁹⁷ sn Simeon is a form of the apostle Peter’s Aramaic name. James uses Peter’s “Jewish” name here.

[15:14]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “reported,” “described.”

[15:14]  ⁹⁹ tn BDAG 378 s.v. ἐπισκέπτομαι 3 translates this phrase in Acts 15:14, “God concerned himself about winning a people fr. among the nations.”

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “to take,” but in the sense of selecting or choosing (accompanied by the preposition ἐκ [ek] plus a genitive specifying the group selected from) see Heb 5:1; also BDAG 584 s.v. λαμβάνω 6.

[15:14]  ¹⁰¹ sn In the Greek text the expression “from among the Gentiles” is in emphatic position.

[15:15]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “And the.” 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.

[15:15]  ¹⁰³ sn The term agree means “match” or “harmonize with.” James’ point in the introduction argues that many of the OT prophets taught this. He gives one example (which follows).

[15:16]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “After these things.”

[15:16]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The first person pronoun I refers to God and his activity. It is God who is doing this.

[15:16]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or more generally, “dwelling”; perhaps, “royal tent.” According to BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή the word can mean “tent” or “hut,” or more generally “lodging” or “dwelling.” In this verse (a quotation from Amos 9:11) BDAG refers this to David’s ruined kingdom; it is possibly an allusion to a king’s tent (a royal tent). God is at work to reestablish David’s line (Acts 2:30-36; 13:32-39).

[15:16]  ¹⁰⁷ tn BDAG 86 s.v. ἀνορθόω places this verb under the meaning “to build someth. up again after it has fallen, rebuild, restore,” but since ἀνοικοδομέω (anoikodomew, “rebuild”) has occurred twice in this verse already, “restore” is used here.

[15:17]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “so that all other people.” The use of this term follows Amos 9:11 LXX.

[15:17]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Here καί (kai) introduces an explanatory clause that explains the preceding phrase “the rest of humanity.” The clause introduced by καί (kai) could also be punctuated in English as a parenthesis.

[15:17]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “all the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:17]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “all the Gentiles on whom my name has been called.” Based on well-attested OT usage, the passive of ἐπικαλέω (epikalew) here indicates God’s ownership (“all the Gentiles who belong to me”) or calling (“all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own”). See L&N 11.28.

[15:17]  ¹¹² sn A quotation from Amos 9:11-12 LXX. James demonstrated a high degree of cultural sensitivity when he cited a version of the text (the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament) that Gentiles would use.

[15:18]  ¹¹³ sn Who makes these things known. The remark emphasizes how God’s design of these things reaches back to the time he declared them.

[15:18]  ¹¹⁴ sn An allusion to Isa 45:21.

[15:19]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “I have decided,” “I think.” The verb κρίνω (krinw) has a far broader range of meaning than the often-used English verb “judge.” BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 3 places this use in Acts 15:19 in the category “judge, think, consider, look upon” followed by double accusative of object and predicate. However, many modern translations give the impression that a binding decision is being handed down by James: “it is my judgment” (NASB, NIV); “I have reached the decision” (NRSV). L&N 22.25, on the other hand, translate the phrase here “I think that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles.” This gives more the impression of an opinion than a binding decision. The resolution of this lies not so much in the lexical data as in how one conceives James’ role in the leadership of the Jerusalem church, plus the dynamics of the specific situation where the issue of Gentile inclusion in the church was being discussed. The major possibilities are: (1) James is handing down a binding decision to the rest of the church as the one who has ultimate authority to decide this matter; (2) James is offering his own personal opinion in the matter, which is not binding on the church; (3) James is voicing a consensus opinion of all the apostles and elders, although phrasing it as if it were his own; (4) James is making a suggestion to the rest of the leadership as to what course they should follow. In light of the difficulty in reconstructing the historical situation in detail, it is best to use a translation which maintains as many of the various options as possible. For this reason the translation “Therefore I conclude” has been used, leaving open the question whether in reaching this conclusion James is speaking only for himself or for the rest of the leadership.

[15:19]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “trouble.” This term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 775 s.v. παρενοχλέω).

[15:19]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:20]  ¹¹⁸ tn The translation “to write a letter, to send a letter to” for ἐπιστέλλω (epistellw) is given in L&N 33.49.

[15:20]  ¹¹⁹ tn Three of the four prohibitions deal with food (the first, third and fourth) while one prohibition deals with behavior (the second, refraining from sexual immorality). Since these occur in the order they do, the translation “abstain from” is used to cover both sorts of activity (eating food items, immoral behavior).

[15:20]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “polluted.”

[15:20]  ¹²¹ sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14), Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the following provision in Acts 15:20, and from blood).

[15:21]  ¹²² tn Grk “from generations of old”; the translation “fr. ancient times” is given by BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 3.b.

[15:21]  ¹²³ tn The translation “read aloud” is used to indicate the actual practice; translating as “read” could be misunderstood to mean private, silent reading.

[15:21]  ¹²⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.