Acts 5:28

5:28 saying, “We gave ¹  you strict orders ²  not to teach in this name. ³  Look, ⁴  you have filled Jerusalem ⁵  with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood ⁶  on us!”

Acts 7:52

7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ⁷  not persecute? ⁸  They ⁹  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ¹⁰  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ¹¹ 

Acts 9:21

9:21 All ¹²  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ¹³  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ¹⁴  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ¹⁵  to the chief priests?”

Acts 17:5

17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ¹⁶  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ¹⁷  they formed a mob ¹⁸  and set the city in an uproar. ¹⁹  They attacked Jason’s house, ²⁰  trying to find Paul and Silas ²¹  to bring them out to the assembly. ²² 

Acts 25:11

25:11 If then I am in the wrong ²³  and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, ²⁴  but if not one of their charges against me is true, ²⁵  no one can hand me over to them. ²⁶  I appeal to Caesar!” ²⁷ 

¹ tc ‡ The majority of mss, including a few important witnesses (א² D E [Ψ] 1739 Ï sy sa), have the negative particle οὐ (ou) here, effectively turning the high priest’s words into a question: “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name?” But the earliest and most important mss, along with some others (Ì⁷⁴ א* A B 1175 lat bo), lack the particle, making this a strong statement rather than a question. Scribes may have been tempted to omit the particle to strengthen the contrast between official Judaism and the new faith, but the fact that v. 27 introduces the quotation with ἐπηρώτησεν (ephrwthsen, “he questioned”) may well have prompted scribes to add οὐ to convert the rebuke into a question. Further, that excellent witnesses affirm the shorter reading is sufficient ground for accepting it as most probably authentic. NA²⁷ includes the particle in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

² tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).

³ sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.

⁴ tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶ sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”

⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

⁸ sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.

⁹ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

¹⁰ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.

¹¹ sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).

¹³ tn Grk “And all.” 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.

¹⁴ tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.

¹⁵ tn Normally, “destroying,” but compare 4 Macc 4:23; 11:4 and MM 529 s.v. πορθέω for examples from Koine papyri. See also BDAG 853 s.v. πορθέω.

¹⁶ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

¹⁹ tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

²⁰ tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

²¹ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

²² tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

²³ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

²⁴ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁵ tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

²⁵ tn BDAG 20 s.v. ἀδικέω 1.b has “intr. be in the wrong (Ex 2:13) εἰ ἀδικῶ Ac 25:11.”

²⁶ tn BDAG 764 s.v. παραιτέομαι 2.b.β, “οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν I am not trying to escape death Ac 25:11 (cp. Jos., Vi. 141).” To avoid redundancy in the translation, the English gerund “dying” is used to translate the Greek infinitive ἀποθανεῖν (apoqanein).

²⁷ tn Or “but if there is nothing to their charges against me.” Both “if” clauses in this verse are first class conditions. Paul stated the options without prejudice, assuming in turn the reality of each for the sake of the argument.

²⁸ sn That is, no one can hand me over to them lawfully. Paul was aware of the dangers of a return to Jerusalem.

²⁹ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).