Nehemia 1:1-11
Konteks1:1 1 These are the words of Nehemiah 2 son of Hacaliah:
It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, 3 I was in Susa 4 the citadel. 1:2 Hanani, who was one of my relatives, 5 along with some of the men from Judah, came to me, 6 and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem. 7
1:3 They said to me, “The remnant that remains from the exile there in the province are experiencing considerable 8 adversity and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!” 9
1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, 10 crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 1:5 Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant 11 with those who love him and obey 12 his commandments, 1:6 may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed 13 against you – both I myself and my family 14 have sinned. 1:7 We have behaved corruptly against you, not obeying the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments that you commanded your servant Moses. 1:8 Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: ‘If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations. 15 1:9 But if you repent 16 and obey 17 my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed people are in the most remote location, 18 I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.’ 1:10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your mighty strength and by your powerful hand. 1:11 Please, 19 O Lord, listen attentively 20 to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect 21 to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me 22 in the presence of this man.”
Now 23 I was cupbearer for the king.
Hakim-hakim 6:1-40
Konteks6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, 24 so the Lord turned them over to 25 Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites 26 overwhelmed Israel. 27 Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters 28 for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, 29 the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. 30 6:4 They invaded the land 31 and devoured 32 its crops 33 all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, 34 and they took away 35 the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded 36 with their cattle and tents, they were as thick 37 as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. 38 They came to devour 39 the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he 40 sent a prophet 41 to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt 42 and took you out of that place of slavery. 43 6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power 44 and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship 45 the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” 46
6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger 47 came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon 48 was threshing 49 wheat in a winepress 50 so he could hide it from the Midianites. 51 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, 52 but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster 53 overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, 54 ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself 55 turned to him and said, “You have the strength. 56 Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! 57 Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon 58 said to him, “But Lord, 59 how 60 can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 61 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but 62 I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” 63 6:17 Gideon 64 said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, 65 then give me 66 a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back 67 with a gift 68 and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.”
6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, 69 along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food 70 to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, 71 and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. 72 6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff. 73 Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared. 74
6:22 When Gideon realized 75 that it was the Lord’s messenger, he 76 said, “Oh no! 77 Master, Lord! 78 I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! 79 Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” 80 To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. 81 Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. 82 Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants 83 and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family 84 and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 85
6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw 86 the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another, 87 “Who did this?” 88 They investigated the matter thoroughly 89 and concluded 90 that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! 91 He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, 92 “Must you fight Baal’s battles? 93 Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause 94 will die by morning! 95 If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! 96 After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” 97 6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, 98 because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east 99 assembled. They crossed the Jordan River 100 and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of 101 Gideon. He blew a trumpet, 102 summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 103 6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. 104 He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him.
6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, 105 as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. 106 6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it 107 is dry, then I will be sure 108 that you will use me to deliver Israel, 109 as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked. 110 When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. 111 6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. 112 Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” 113 6:40 That night God did as he asked. 114 Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.
Kisah Para Rasul 2:22-47
Konteks2:22 “Men of Israel, 115 listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, 116 wonders, and miraculous signs 117 that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know – 2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed 118 by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. 119 2:24 But God raised him up, 120 having released 121 him from the pains 122 of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. 123 2:25 For David says about him,
‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, 124
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.
2:26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;
my body 125 also will live in hope,
2:27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, 126
nor permit your Holy One to experience 127 decay.
2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of joy with your presence.’ 128
2:29 “Brothers, 129 I can speak confidently 130 to you about our forefather 131 David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 2:30 So then, because 132 he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants 133 on his throne, 134 2:31 David by foreseeing this 135 spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, 136 that he was neither abandoned to Hades, 137 nor did his body 138 experience 139 decay. 140 2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. 141 2:33 So then, exalted 142 to the right hand 143 of God, and having received 144 the promise of the Holy Spirit 145 from the Father, he has poured out 146 what you both see and hear. 2:34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,
‘The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit 147 at my right hand
2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool 148 for your feet.”’ 149
2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt 150 that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified 151 both Lord 152 and Christ.” 153
2:37 Now when they heard this, 154 they were acutely distressed 155 and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized 156 in the name of Jesus Christ 157 for 158 the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 159 2:39 For the promise 160 is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 2:40 With many other words he testified 161 and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse 162 generation!” 2:41 So those who accepted 163 his message 164 were baptized, and that day about three thousand people 165 were added. 166
2:42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, 167 to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 168 2:43 Reverential awe 169 came over everyone, 170 and many wonders and miraculous signs 171 came about by the apostles. 2:44 All who believed were together and held 172 everything in common, 2:45 and they began selling 173 their property 174 and possessions and distributing the proceeds 175 to everyone, as anyone had need. 2:46 Every day 176 they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, 177 breaking bread from 178 house to house, sharing their food with glad 179 and humble hearts, 180 2:47 praising God and having the good will 181 of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day 182 those who were being saved.
[1:1] 1 sn In ancient Judaism Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as a single book with dual authorship. According to the Talmud, “Ezra wrote his book” (b. Bava Batra 15a). The Gemara then asks and answers, “And who finished it? Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.” Accordingly, the two are joined in the Leningrad Codex (ca.
[1:1] 2 sn The name Nehemiah in Hebrew (נְחֶמְיָה, nÿkhemyah) means “the
[1:1] 3 tn That is, the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign (cf. 2:1).
[1:2] 6 tn The Hebrew text does not include the words “to me”; these words were supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[1:2] 7 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[1:3] 9 tn Heb “have been burned with fire” (so also in Neh 2:17). The expression “burned with fire” is redundant in contemporary English; the translation uses “burned down” for stylistic reasons.
[1:4] 10 tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.
[1:5] 11 tn Heb “the covenant and loyal love.” The phrase is a hendiadys: the first noun retains its full nominal sense, while the second noun functions adjectivally (“loyal love” = loving). Alternately, the first might function adjectivally and the second noun function as the noun: “covenant and loyal love” = covenant fidelity (see Neh 9:32).
[1:5] 12 tn Heb “keep.” The Hebrew verb שָׁמַר (shamar, “to observe; to keep”) is often used as an idiom that means “to obey” the commandments of God (e.g., Exod 20:6; Deut 5:16; 23:24; 29:8; Judg 2:22; 1 Kgs 2:43; 11:11; Ps 119:8, 17, 34; Jer 35:18; Ezek 17:14; Amos 2:4). See BDB 1036 s.v. 3.c.
[1:6] 13 tn Heb “have sinned.” For stylistic reasons – to avoid redundancy in English – this was translated as “committed.”
[1:6] 14 tn Heb “the house of my father.”
[1:9] 17 tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.
[1:9] 18 tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”
[1:11] 19 tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).
[1:11] 20 tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”
[1:11] 22 tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.
[1:11] 23 tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.
[6:1] 24 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[6:1] 25 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
[6:2] 26 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
[6:2] 27 tn Heb “The hand of Midian was strong against Israel.”
[6:2] 28 tn Or possibly “secret storage places.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible.
[6:3] 29 tn Heb “Whenever Israel sowed seed.”
[6:3] 30 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east would go up, they would go up against him.” The translation assumes that וְעָלוּ (vÿ’alu) is dittographic (note the following עָלָיו, ’alayv).
[6:4] 31 tn Heb “They encamped against them.”
[6:4] 33 tn Heb “the crops of the land.”
[6:4] 34 tn Heb “They left no sustenance in Israel.”
[6:4] 35 tn The words “they took away” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:5] 38 tn Heb “To them and to their camels there was no number.”
[6:5] 39 tn Heb “destroy.” The translation “devour” carries through the imagery of a locust plague earlier in this verse.
[6:8] 40 tn Heb “the
[6:8] 41 tn Heb “a man, a prophet.” Hebrew idiom sometimes puts a generic term before a more specific designation.
[6:8] 42 tc Some ancient witnesses read “from the land of Egypt.” מֵאֶרֶץ (me’erets, “from the land [of]”) could have been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton (note the following מִמִּצְרַיִם [mimmitsrayim, “from Egypt”]).
[6:8] 43 tn Heb “of the house of slavery.”
[6:9] 44 tn Heb “hand” (also a second time later in this verse).
[6:10] 45 tn Heb “Do not fear.”
[6:10] 46 tn Heb “you have not listened to my voice.”
[6:11] 47 tn The adjective “angelic” is interpretive.
[6:11] sn The
[6:11] 48 tn Heb “Now Gideon his son…” The Hebrew circumstantial clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + predicate) breaks the narrative sequence and indicates that the angel’s arrival coincided with Gideon’s threshing.
[6:11] 49 tn Heb “beating out.”
[6:11] 50 sn Threshing wheat in a winepress. One would normally thresh wheat at the threshing floor outside the city. Animals and a threshing sledge would be employed. Because of the Midianite threat, Gideon was forced to thresh with a stick in a winepress inside the city. For further discussion see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
[6:13] 52 tn Heb “But my lord.”
[6:14] 55 sn Some interpreters equate the
[6:14] 56 tn Heb “Go in this strength of yours.”
[6:14] 57 tn Heb “the hand of Midian.”
[6:15] 58 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:15] 59 tn Note the switch to אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Lord”). Gideon seems aware that he is speaking to someone other than, and superior to, the messenger, whom he addressed as אֲדֹנִי (’adoniy, “my lord”) in v. 13.
[6:15] 61 tn Heb “in my father’s house.”
[6:16] 63 tn Heb “You will strike down Midian as one man.” The idiom “as one man” emphasizes the collective unity of a group (see Judg 20:8, 11). Here it may carry the force, “as if they were just one man.”
[6:17] 64 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Gideon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:17] 65 tn Heb “If I have found favor in your eyes.”
[6:17] 66 tn Heb “perform for me.”
[6:18] 67 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:18] 68 tn Heb “and I will bring out my gift.” The precise nuance of the Hebrew word מִנְחָה (minkhah, “gift”) is uncertain in this context. It may refer to a gift offered as a sign of goodwill or submission. In some cases it is used of a gift offered to appease someone whom the offerer has offended. The word can also carry a sacrificial connotation.
[6:19] 69 tn Heb “a kid from among the goats.”
[6:19] 70 tn The words “the food” are not in the Hebrew text (an implied direct object). They are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[6:20] 71 tn Heb “Take the meat…and put [it] on this rock.”
[6:20] 72 tn Heb “and he did so.”
[6:21] 73 tn Heb “extended the tip of the staff which was in his hand and touched the meat and unleavened bread.”
[6:21] 74 tn Heb “went from his eyes.”
[6:22] 76 tn Heb “Gideon.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[6:22] 78 tn The Hebrew text reads אֲדֹנַי יְהוִה (’adonay yÿhvih, “Lord [the same title used in v. 15],
[6:23] 79 tn Heb “Peace to you.” For a similar use of this idiom to introduce a reassuring word, see Gen 43:23.
[6:24] 80 tn Heb “The
[6:25] 81 tn Or “Take a bull from your father’s herd, the second one, the one seven years old.” Apparently Gideon would need the bulls to pull down the altar.
[6:26] 82 tn Possibly “in a row” or “in a layer,” perhaps referring to the arrangement of the stones used in the altar’s construction.
[6:27] 83 tn Heb “men from among his servants.”
[6:27] 85 tn Heb “so he did it at night.”
[6:28] 86 tn Heb “look!” The narrator uses this word to invite his audience/readers to view the scene through the eyes of the men.
[6:29] 87 tn Heb “each one to his neighbor.”
[6:29] 88 tn Heb “this thing.”
[6:29] 89 tn Heb “they inquired and searched.” The synonyms are joined to emphasize the care with which they conducted their inquiry.
[6:29] 90 tn Heb “and said.” Perhaps the plural subject is indefinite. If so, it could be translated, “they were told.”
[6:30] 91 tn Heb “and let him die.” The jussive form with vav after the imperative is best translated as a purpose clause.
[6:31] 92 tn Heb “to all who stood against him.”
[6:31] 93 tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”
[6:31] 94 tn Heb “fights for him.”
[6:31] 95 sn Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning. This may be a warning to the crowd that Joash intends to defend his son and to kill anyone who tries to execute Gideon. Then again, it may be a sarcastic statement about Baal’s apparent inability to defend his own honor. Anyone who takes up Baal’s cause may end up dead, perhaps by the same hand that pulled down the pagan god’s altar.
[6:31] 96 tn Heb “fight for himself.”
[6:31] 97 tn Heb “for he pulled down his altar.” The subject of the verb, if not Gideon, is indefinite (in which case a passive translation is permissible).
[6:32] 98 tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub-Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight!”
[6:33] 99 tn Heb “Midian, Amalek, and the sons of the east.”
[6:33] 100 tn The words “the Jordan River” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:34] 102 tn That is, “mustered an army.”
[6:34] 103 tn Heb “Abiezer was summoned after him.”
[6:35] 104 tn Heb “and he also was summoned after him.”
[6:36] 105 tn More literally, “you are about to deliver Israel by my hand.”
[6:36] 106 tn The words “then give me a sign as proof” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[6:37] 107 tn Heb “all the ground.”
[6:37] 109 tn Heb “you will deliver Israel by my hand.”
[6:38] 110 tn Heb “And it was so.”
[6:38] 111 tn Heb “dew dripped from the fleece – a bowl full of water.”
[6:39] 112 tn Heb “Let your anger not rage at me, so that I might speak only this once.”
[6:39] 113 tn Heb “let the fleece alone be dry, while dew is on all the ground.”
[6:40] 114 tn Heb “God did so that night.”
[2:22] 115 tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Peter’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.
[2:22] 116 tn Or “miraculous deeds.”
[2:22] 117 tn Again, the context indicates the miraculous nature of these signs, and this is specified in the translation.
[2:23] 118 tn Or “you killed.”
[2:23] 119 tn Grk “at the hands of lawless men.” At this point the term ἄνομος (anomo") refers to non-Jews who live outside the Jewish (Mosaic) law, rather than people who broke any or all laws including secular laws. Specifically it is a reference to the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion.
[2:24] 120 tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”
[2:24] 121 tn Or “having freed.”
[2:24] 122 sn The term translated pains is frequently used to describe pains associated with giving birth (see Rev 12:2). So there is irony here in the mixed metaphor.
[2:24] 123 tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).
[2:25] 124 tn Or “always before me.”
[2:27] 126 tn Or “will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Often “Hades” is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Sheol, the place of the dead.
[2:27] 127 tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”
[2:28] 128 sn A quotation from Ps 16:8-11.
[2:29] 129 tn Since this represents a continuation of the address beginning in v.14 and continued in v. 22, “brothers” has been used here rather than a generic expression like “brothers and sisters.”
[2:29] 130 sn Peter’s certainty is based on well-known facts.
[2:29] 131 tn Or “about our noted ancestor,” “about the patriarch.”
[2:30] 132 tn The participles ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) and εἰδώς (eidw") are translated as causal adverbial participles.
[2:30] 133 tn Grk “one from the fruit of his loins.” “Loins” is the traditional translation of ὀσφῦς (osfu"), referring to the male genital organs. A literal rendering like “one who came from his genital organs” would be regarded as too specific and perhaps even vulgar by many contemporary readers. Most modern translations thus render the phrase “one of his descendants.”
[2:30] 134 sn An allusion to Ps 132:11 and 2 Sam 7:12-13, the promise in the Davidic covenant.
[2:31] 135 tn Grk “David foreseeing spoke.” The participle προϊδών (proidwn) is taken as indicating means. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance: “David foresaw [this] and spoke.” The word “this” is supplied in either case as an understood direct object (direct objects in Greek were often omitted, but must be supplied for the modern English reader).
[2:31] 136 tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[2:31] sn The term χριστός (cristos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul’s letters to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.
[2:31] 137 tn Or “abandoned in the world of the dead.” The translation “world of the dead” for Hades is suggested by L&N 1.19. The phrase is an allusion to Ps 16:10.
[2:31] 138 tn Grk “flesh.” See vv. 26b-27. The reference to “body” in this verse picks up the reference to “body” in v. 26. The Greek term σάρξ (sarx) in both verses literally means “flesh”; however, the translation “body” stresses the lack of decay of his physical body. The point of the verse is not merely the lack of decay of his flesh alone, but the resurrection of his entire person, as indicated by the previous parallel line “he was not abandoned to Hades.”
[2:31] 139 tn Grk “see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”
[2:31] 140 sn An allusion to Ps 16:10.
[2:32] 141 tn Or “of him”; Grk “of which [or whom] we are all witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
[2:33] 142 tn The aorist participle ὑψωθείς (Juywqei") could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…” In the translation the more neutral “exalted” (a shorter form of “having been exalted”) was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.
[2:33] 143 sn The expression the right hand of God represents supreme power and authority. Its use here sets up the quotation of Ps 110:1 in v. 34.
[2:33] 144 tn The aorist participle λαβών (labwn) could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit.” In the translation the more neutral “having received” was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.
[2:33] 145 tn Here the genitive τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the promise consists of the Holy Spirit.
[2:33] 146 sn The use of the verb poured out looks back to 2:17-18, where the same verb occurs twice.
[2:34] 147 sn Sit at my right hand. The word “sit” alludes back to the promise of “seating one on his throne” in v. 30.
[2:35] 148 sn The metaphor make your enemies a footstool portrays the complete subjugation of the enemies.
[2:35] 149 sn A quotation from Ps 110:1, one of the most often-cited OT passages in the NT, pointing to the exaltation of Jesus.
[2:36] 150 tn Or “know for certain.” This term is in an emphatic position in the clause.
[2:36] 151 tn Grk “has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” The clause has been simplified in the translation by replacing the pronoun “him” with the explanatory clause “this Jesus whom you crucified” which comes at the end of the sentence.
[2:36] 152 sn Lord. This looks back to the quotation of Ps 110:1 and the mention of “calling on the Lord” in 2:21. Peter’s point is that the Lord on whom one calls for salvation is Jesus, because he is the one mediating God’s blessing of the Spirit as a sign of the presence of salvation and the last days.
[2:36] 153 tn Or “and Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[2:36] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[2:37] 154 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[2:37] 155 tn Grk “they were pierced to the heart” (an idiom for acute emotional distress).
[2:38] 156 tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.
[2:38] 157 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[2:38] sn In the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism in Messiah Jesus’ name shows how much authority he possesses.
[2:38] 158 tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, “for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins”). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of “for” or “unto.” Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of “baptism” in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, “Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…” Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, “Acts,” EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.
[2:38] 159 tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.
[2:39] 160 sn The promise refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus received from the Father in 2:33 and which he now pours out on others. The promise consists of the Holy Spirit (see note in 2:33). Jesus is the active mediator of God’s blessing.
[2:40] 162 tn Or “crooked” (in a moral or ethical sense). See Luke 3:5.
[2:41] 163 tn Or “who acknowledged the truth of.”
[2:41] 165 tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).
[2:41] 166 tn Or “were won over.”
[2:42] 167 sn Fellowship refers here to close association involving mutual involvement and relationships.
[2:42] 168 tn Grk “prayers.” This word was translated as a collective singular in keeping with English style.
[2:43] 170 tn Grk “on every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).
[2:43] 171 tn In this context the miraculous nature of these signs is implied. Cf. BDAG 920 s.v. σημεῖον 2.a.
[2:45] 173 tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive (“began…”). Since in context this is a description of the beginning of the community of believers, it is more likely that these statements refer to the start of various activities and practices that the early church continued for some time.
[2:45] 174 tn It is possible that the first term for property (κτήματα, kthmata) refers to real estate (as later usage seems to indicate) while the second term (ὑπάρξεις, Juparxeis) refers to possessions in general, but it may also be that the two terms are used together for emphasis, simply indicating that all kinds of possessions were being sold. However, if the first term is more specifically a reference to real estate, it foreshadows the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.
[2:45] 175 tn Grk “distributing them” (αὐτά, auta). The referent (the proceeds of the sales) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:46] 176 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
[2:46] 177 tn Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
[2:46] 178 tn Here κατά (kata) is used as a distributive (BDAG 512 s.v. B.1.d).
[2:46] 179 sn The term glad (Grk “gladness”) often refers to joy brought about by God’s saving acts (Luke 1:14, 44; also the related verb in 1:47; 10:21).
[2:46] 180 tn Grk “with gladness and humbleness of hearts.” It is best to understand καρδίας (kardias) as an attributed genitive, with the two nouns it modifies actually listing attributes of the genitive noun which is related to them.
[2:47] 182 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
