Ayub 25:1--27:23
Konteks25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
25:2 “Dominion 2 and awesome might 3 belong to 4 God;
he establishes peace in his heights. 5
25:3 Can his armies be numbered? 6
On whom does his light 7 not rise?
25:4 How then can a human being be righteous before God?
How can one born of a woman be pure? 8
25:5 If even the moon is not bright,
and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned, 9
25:6 how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot 10 –
a son of man, who is only a worm!”
26:1 Then Job replied:
26:2 “How you have helped 12 the powerless! 13
How you have saved the person who has no strength! 14
26:3 How you have advised the one without wisdom,
and abundantly 15 revealed your insight!
26:4 To whom 16 did you utter these words?
And whose spirit has come forth from your mouth? 17
26:5 “The dead 19 tremble 20 –
those beneath the waters
and all that live in them. 21
26:6 The underworld 22 is naked before God; 23
the place of destruction lies uncovered. 24
26:7 He spreads out the northern skies 25 over empty space; 26
he suspends the earth on nothing. 27
26:8 He locks the waters in his clouds,
and the clouds do not burst with the weight of them.
26:9 He conceals 28 the face of the full moon, 29
shrouding it with his clouds.
26:10 He marks out the horizon 30 on the surface of the waters
as a boundary between light and darkness.
26:11 The pillars 31 of the heavens tremble
and are amazed at his rebuke. 32
26:12 By his power he stills 33 the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab the great sea monster 34 to pieces. 35
26:13 By his breath 36 the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. 37
26:14 Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! 38
How faint is the whisper 39 we hear of him!
But who can understand the thunder of his power?”
27:1 And Job took up his discourse again: 40
27:2 “As surely as God lives, 41 who has denied me justice, 42
the Almighty, who has made my life bitter 43 –
27:3 for while 44 my spirit 45 is still in me,
and the breath from God is in my nostrils,
27:4 my 46 lips will not speak wickedness,
and my tongue will whisper 47 no deceit.
27:5 I will never 48 declare that you three 49 are in the right;
until I die, I will not set aside my integrity!
27:6 I will maintain my righteousness
and never let it go;
my conscience 50 will not reproach me
for as long as I live. 51
27:7 “May my enemy be like the wicked, 52
my adversary 53 like the unrighteous. 54
27:8 For what hope does the godless have when he is cut off, 55
when God takes away his life? 56
27:9 Does God listen to his cry
when distress overtakes him?
27:10 Will he find delight 57 in the Almighty?
Will he call out to God at all times?
27:11 I will teach you 58 about the power 59 of God;
What is on the Almighty’s mind 60 I will not conceal.
27:12 If you yourselves have all seen this,
Why in the world 61 do you continue this meaningless talk? 62
27:13 This is the portion of the wicked man
allotted by God, 63
the inheritance that evildoers receive
from the Almighty.
27:14 If his children increase – it is for the sword! 64
His offspring never have enough to eat. 65
27:15 Those who survive him are buried by the plague, 66
and their 67 widows do not mourn for them.
27:16 If he piles up silver like dust
and stores up clothing like mounds of clay,
27:17 what he stores up 68 a righteous man will wear,
and an innocent man will inherit his silver.
27:18 The house he builds is as fragile as a moth’s cocoon, 69
like a hut 70 that a watchman has made.
27:19 He goes to bed wealthy, but will do so no more. 71
When he opens his eyes, it is all gone. 72
27:20 Terrors overwhelm him like a flood; 73
at night a whirlwind carries him off.
27:21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
27:22 It hurls itself against him without pity 74
as he flees headlong from its power.
27:23 It claps 75 its hands at him in derision
and hisses him away from his place. 76
Kisah Para Rasul 12:1-25
Konteks12:1 About that time King Herod 77 laid hands on 78 some from the church to harm them. 79 12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. 80 12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, 81 he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) 82 12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads 83 of soldiers to guard him. Herod 84 planned 85 to bring him out for public trial 86 after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly 87 praying to God for him. 88 12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, 89 Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while 90 guards in front of the door were keeping watch 91 over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly 92 an angel of the Lord 93 appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck 94 Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s 95 wrists. 96 12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt 97 and put on your sandals.” Peter 98 did so. Then the angel 99 said to him, “Put on your cloak 100 and follow me.” 12:9 Peter 101 went out 102 and followed him; 103 he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, 104 but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, 105 they came to the iron 106 gate leading into the city. It 107 opened for them by itself, 108 and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, 109 when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When 110 Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued 111 me from the hand 112 of Herod 113 and from everything the Jewish people 114 were expecting to happen.”
12:12 When Peter 115 realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, 116 where many people had gathered together and were praying. 12:13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. 117 12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told 118 them 119 that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” 120 But she kept insisting that it was Peter, 121 and they kept saying, 122 “It is his angel!” 123 12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door 124 and saw him, they were greatly astonished. 125 12:17 He motioned to them 126 with his hand to be quiet and then related 127 how the Lord had brought 128 him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. 129
12:18 At daybreak 130 there was great consternation 131 among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod 132 had searched 133 for him and did not find him, he questioned 134 the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. 135 Then 136 Herod 137 went down from Judea to Caesarea 138 and stayed there.
12:20 Now Herod 139 was having an angry quarrel 140 with the people of Tyre 141 and Sidon. 142 So they joined together 143 and presented themselves before him. And after convincing 144 Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, 145 to help them, 146 they asked for peace, 147 because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod 148 put on his royal robes, 149 sat down on the judgment seat, 150 and made a speech 151 to them. 12:22 But the crowd 152 began to shout, 153 “The voice of a god, 154 and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord 155 struck 156 Herod 157 down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. 158 12:24 But the word of God 159 kept on increasing 160 and multiplying.
12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to 161 Jerusalem 162 when they had completed 163 their mission, 164 bringing along with them John Mark. 165
[25:1] 1 sn The third speech of Bildad takes up Job 25, a short section of six verses. It is followed by two speeches from Job; and Zophar does not return with his third. Does this mean that the friends have run out of arguments, and that Job is just getting going? Many scholars note that in chs. 26 and 27 there is material that does not fit Job’s argument. Many have rearranged the material to show that there was a complete cycle of three speeches. In that light, 26:5-14 is viewed as part of Bildad’s speech. Some, however, take Bildad’s speech to be only ch. 25, and make 26:5-14 an interpolated hymn. For all the arguments and suggestions, one should see the introductions and the commentaries.
[25:2] 2 tn The word הַמְשֵׁל (hamshel) is a Hiphil infinitive absolute used as a noun. It describes the rulership or dominion that God has, that which gives power and authority.
[25:2] 3 tn The word פָּחַד (pakhad) literally means “fear; dread,” but in the sense of what causes the fear or the dread.
[25:2] 4 tn Heb “[are] with him.”
[25:2] 5 sn The line says that God “makes peace in his heights.” The “heights” are usually interpreted to mean the highest heaven. There may be a reference here to combat in the spiritual world between angels and Satan. The context will show that God has a heavenly host at his disposal, and nothing in heaven or on earth can shatter his peace. “Peace” here could also signify the whole order he establishes.
[25:3] 6 tn Heb “Is there a number to his troops?” The question is rhetorical: there is no number to them!
[25:3] 7 tc In place of “light” here the LXX has “his ambush,” perhaps reading אֹרְבוֹ (’orÿvo) instead of אוֹרֵהוּ (’orehu, “his light”). But while that captures the idea of troops and warfare, the change should be rejected because the armies are linked with stars and light. The expression is poetic; the LXX interpretation tried to make it concrete.
[25:4] 8 sn Bildad here does not come up with new expressions; rather, he simply uses what Eliphaz had said (see Job 4:17-19 and 15:14-16).
[25:5] 9 tn Heb “not pure in his eyes.”
[25:6] 10 tn The text just has “maggot” and in the second half “worm.” Something has to be added to make it a bit clearer. The terms “maggot” and “worm” describe man in his lowest and most ignominious shape.
[26:1] 11 sn These two chapters will be taken together under this title, although most commentators would assign Job 26:5-14 to Bildad and Job 27:7-23 to Zophar. Those sections will be noted as they emerge. For the sake of outlining, the following sections will be marked off: Job’s scorn for Bildad (26:2-4); a better picture of God’s greatness (26:5-14); Job’s protestation of innocence (27:2-6); and a picture of the condition of the wicked (27:7-23).
[26:2] 12 tn The interrogative clause is used here as an exclamation, and sarcastic at that. Job is saying “you have in no way helped the powerless.” The verb uses the singular form, for Job is replying to Bildad.
[26:2] 13 tn The “powerless” is expressed here by the negative before the word for “strength; power” – “him who has no power” (see GKC 482 §152.u, v).
[26:2] 14 tn Heb “the arm [with] no strength.” Here too the negative expression is serving as a relative clause to modify “arm,” the symbol of strength and power, which by metonymy stands for the whole person. “Man of arm” denoted the strong in 22:8.
[26:3] 15 tc The phrase לָרֹב (larov) means “to abundance” or “in a large quantity.” It is also used ironically like all these expressions. This makes very good sense, but some wish to see a closer parallel and so offer emendations. Reiske and Kissane thought “to the tender” for the word. But the timid are not the same as the ignorant and unwise. So Graetz supplied “to the boorish” by reading לְבָעַר (lÿba’ar). G. R. Driver did the same with less of a change: לַבּוֹר (labbor; HTR 29 [1936]: 172).
[26:4] 16 tn The verse begins with the preposition and the interrogative: אֶת־מִי (’et-mi, “with who[se help]?”). Others take it as the accusative particle introducing the indirect object: “for whom did you utter…” (see GKC 371 §117.gg). Both are possible.
[26:4] 17 tn Heb “has gone out from you.”
[26:5] 18 sn This is the section, Job 26:5-14, that many conclude makes better sense coming from the friend. But if it is attributed to Job, then he is showing he can surpass them in his treatise of the greatness of God.
[26:5] 19 tn The text has הָרְפָאִים (harÿfa’im, “the shades”), referring to the “dead,” or the elite among the dead (see Isa 14:9; 26:14; Ps 88:10 [11]). For further discussion, start with A. R. Johnson, The Vitality of the Individual, 88ff.
[26:5] 20 tn The verb is a Polal from חִיל (khil) which means “to tremble.” It shows that even these spirits cannot escape the terror.
[26:5] 21 tc Most commentators wish to lengthen the verse and make it more parallel, but nothing is gained by doing this.
[26:6] 23 tn Heb “before him.”
[26:6] 24 tn The line has “and there is no covering for destruction.” “Destruction” here is another name for Sheol: אֲבַדּוֹן (’avaddon, “Abaddon”).
[26:7] 25 sn The Hebrew word is צָפוֹן (tsafon). Some see here a reference to Mount Zaphon of the Ugaritic texts, the mountain that Baal made his home. The Hebrew writers often equate and contrast Mount Zion with this proud mountain of the north. Of course, the word just means north, and so in addition to any connotations for pagan mythology, it may just represent the northern skies – the stars. Since the parallel line speaks of the earth, that is probably all that was intended in this particular context.
[26:7] 26 sn There is an allusion to the creation account, for this word is תֹּהוּ (tohu), translated “without form” in Gen 1:2.
[26:7] 27 sn Buttenwieser suggests that Job had outgrown the idea of the earth on pillars, and was beginning to see it was suspended in space. But in v. 11 he will still refer to the pillars.
[26:9] 28 tn The verb means “to hold; to seize,” here in the sense of shutting up, enshrouding, or concealing.
[26:9] 29 tc The MT has כִסֵּה (khisseh), which is a problematic vocalization. Most certainly כֵּסֶה (keseh), alternative for כֶּסֶא (kese’, “full moon”) is intended here. The MT is close to the form of “throne,” which would be כִּסֵּא (kisse’, cf. NLT “he shrouds his throne with his clouds”). But here God is covering the face of the moon by hiding it behind clouds.
[26:10] 30 tn The expression חֹק־חָג (khoq-khag) means “he has drawn a limit as a circle.” According to some the form should have been חָק־חוּג (khaq-khug, “He has traced a circle”). But others argues that the text is acceptable as is, and can be interpreted as “a limit he has circled.” The Hebrew verbal roots are חָקַק (khaqaq, “to engrave; to sketch out; to trace”) and חוּג (khug, “describe a circle”) respectively.
[26:11] 31 sn H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 173) says these are the great mountains, perceived to hold up the sky.
[26:11] 32 sn The idea here is that when the earth quakes, or when there is thunder in the heavens, these all represent God’s rebuke, for they create terror.
[26:12] 33 tn The verb רָגַע (raga’) has developed a Semitic polarity, i.e., having totally opposite meanings. It can mean “to disturb; to stir up” or “to calm; to still.” Gordis thinks both meanings have been invoked here. But it seems more likely that “calm” fits the context better.
[26:12] 34 tn Heb “Rahab” (רָהַב), the mythical sea monster that represents the forces of chaos in ancient Near Eastern literature. In the translation the words “the great sea monster” have been supplied appositionally in order to clarify “Rahab.”
[26:12] 35 sn Here again there are possible mythological allusions or polemics. The god Yam, “Sea,” was important in Ugaritic as a god of chaos. And Rahab is another name for the monster of the deep (see Job 9:13).
[26:13] 36 tn Or “wind”; or perhaps “Spirit.” The same Hebrew word, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context.
[26:13] 37 sn Here too is a reference to pagan views indirectly. The fleeing serpent was a designation for Leviathan, whom the book will simply describe as an animal, but the pagans thought to be a monster of the deep. God’s power over nature is associated with defeat of pagan gods (see further W. F. Albright, Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan; idem, BASOR 53 [1941]: 39).
[26:14] 38 tn Heb “the ends of his ways,” meaning “the fringes.”
[26:14] 39 tn Heb “how little is the word.” Here “little” means a “fraction” or an “echo.”
[27:1] 40 tn The Hebrew word מָשָׁל (mashal) is characteristically “proverb; by-word.” It normally refers to a brief saying, but can be used for a discourse (see A. R. Johnson, “MasŒal,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 162ff.).
[27:2] 41 tn The expression חַי־אֵל (khay-’el) is the oath formula: “as God lives.” In other words, the speaker is staking God’s life on the credibility of the words. It is like saying, “As truly as God is alive.”
[27:2] 42 tn “My judgment” would here, as before, be “my right.” God has taken this away by afflicting Job unjustly (A. B. Davidson, Job, 187).
[27:2] 43 tn The verb הֵמַר (hemar) is the Hiphil perfect from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”) and hence, “to make bitter.” The object of the verb is “my soul,” which is better translated as “me” or “my life.”
[27:3] 44 tn The adverb עוֹד (’od) was originally a noun, and so here it could be rendered “all the existence of my spirit.” The word comes between the noun in construct and its actual genitive (see GKC 415 §128.e).
[27:3] 45 tn The word נְשָׁמָה (nÿshamah) is the “breath” that was breathed into Adam in Gen 2:7. Its usage includes the animating breath, the spiritual understanding, and the functioning conscience – so the whole spirit of the person. The other word in this verse, רוּחַ (ruakh), may be translated as “wind,” “breath,” or “spirit/Spirit” depending on the context. Here, since it talks about the nostrils, it should be translated “breath.”
[27:4] 46 tn The verse begins with אִם (’im), the formula used for the content of the oath (“God lives…if I do/do not…”). Thus, the content of the oath proper is here in v. 4.
[27:4] 47 tn The verb means “to utter; to mumble; to meditate.” The implication is that he will not communicate deceitful things, no matter how quiet or subtle.
[27:5] 48 tn The text uses חָלִילָה לִּי (khalilah li) meaning “far be it from me,” or more strongly, something akin to “sacrilege.”
[27:5] 49 tn In the Hebrew text “you” is plural – a reference to Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad. To make this clear, “three” is supplied in the translation.
[27:6] 51 tn The prepositional phrase “from my days” probably means “from the days of my birth,” or “all my life.”
[27:7] 52 sn Of course, he means like his enemy when he is judged, not when he is thriving in prosperity and luxury.
[27:7] 53 tn The form is the Hitpolel participle from קוּם (qum): “those who are rising up against me,” or “my adversary.”
[27:7] 54 tc The LXX made a free paraphrase: “No, but let my enemies be as the overthrow of the ungodly, and they that rise up against me as the destruction of transgressors.”
[27:8] 55 tn The verb יִבְצָע (yivtsa’) means “to cut off.” It could be translated transitively or intransitively – the latter is better here (“when he is cut off”). Since the next line speaks of prayer, some have thought this verse should be about prayer. Mandelkern, in his concordance (p. 228b), suggested the verb should be “when he prays” (reading יִפְגַּע [yifga’] in place of יִבְצָע [yivtsa’]).
[27:8] 56 tn The verb יֵשֶׁל (yeshel) is found only here. It has been related spoils [or sheaves]”); שָׁאַל (sha’al, “to ask”); נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift up” [i.e., pray]); and a host of others.
[27:10] 57 tn See the note on 22:26 where the same verb is employed.
[27:11] 58 tn The object suffix is in the plural, which gives some support to the idea Job is speaking to them.
[27:11] 59 tn Heb “the hand of.”
[27:11] 60 tn Heb “[what is] with Shaddai.”
[27:12] 61 tn The interrogative uses the demonstrative pronoun in its emphatic position: “Why in the world…?” (IBHS 312-13 §17.4.3c).
[27:12] 62 tn The text has the noun “vain thing; breath; vapor,” and then a denominative verb from the same root: “to become vain with a vain thing,” or “to do in vain a vain thing.” This is an example of the internal object, or a cognate accusative (see GKC 367 §117.q). The LXX has “you all know that you are adding vanity to vanity.”
[27:13] 63 tn The expression “allotted by God” interprets the simple prepositional phrase in the text: “with/from God.”
[27:14] 64 tn R. Gordis (Job, 294) identifies this as a breviloquence. Compare Ps 92:8 where the last two words also constitute the apodosis.
[27:14] 65 tn Heb “will not be satisfied with bread/food.”
[27:15] 66 tn The text says “will be buried in/by death.” A number of passages in the Bible use “death” to mean the plague that kills (see Jer 15:2; Isa 28:3; and BDB 89 s.v. בְּ 2.a). In this sense it is like the English expression for the plague, “the Black Death.”
[27:15] 67 tc The LXX has “their widows” to match the plural, and most commentators harmonize in the same way.
[27:17] 68 tn The text simply repeats the verb from the last clause. It could be treated as a separate short clause: “He may store it up, but the righteous will wear it. But it also could be understood as the object of the following verb, “[what] he stores up the righteous will wear.” The LXX simply has, “All these things shall the righteous gain.”
[27:18] 69 tn Heb כָעָשׁ (kha’ash, “like a moth”), but this leaves room for clarification. Some commentators wanted to change it to “bird’s nest” or just “nest” (cf. NRSV) to make the parallelism; see Job 4:14. But the word is not found. The LXX has a double expression, “as moths, as a spider.” So several take it as the spider’s web, which is certainly unsubstantial (cf. NAB, NASB, NLT; see Job 8:14).
[27:18] 70 tn The Hebrew word is the word for “booth,” as in the Feast of Booths. The word describes something that is flimsy; it is not substantial at all.
[27:19] 71 tc The verb is the Niphal יֵאָסֵף (ye’asef), from אָסַף (’asaf, “to gather”). So, “he lies down rich, but he is not gathered.” This does not make much sense. It would mean “he will not be gathered for burial,” but that does not belong here. Many commentators accept the variant יֹאסִף (yo’sif) stood for יוֹסִיף (yosif, “will [not] add”). This is what the LXX and the Syriac have. This leads to the interpretive translation that “he will do so no longer.”
[27:19] 72 tn Heb “and he is not.” One view is that this must mean that he dies, not that his wealth is gone. R. Gordis (Job, 295) says the first part should be made impersonal: “when one opens one’s eyes, the wicked is no longer there.” E. Dhorme (Job, 396) has it more simply: “He has opened his eyes, and it is for the last time.” But the other view is that the wealth goes overnight. In support of this is the introduction into the verse of the wealthy. The RSV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT take it that “wealth is gone.”
[27:20] 73 tn Many commentators want a word parallel to “in the night.” And so we are offered בַּיּוֹם (bayyom, “in the day”) for כַמַּיִם (khammayim, “like waters”) as well as a number of others. But “waters” sometimes stand for major calamities, and so may be retained here. Besides, not all parallel structures are synonymous.
[27:22] 74 tn The verb is once again functioning in an adverbial sense. The text has “it hurls itself against him and shows no mercy.”
[27:23] 75 tn If the same subject is to be carried through here, it is the wind. That would make this a bold personification, perhaps suggesting the force of the wind. Others argue that it is unlikely that the wind claps its hands. They suggest taking the verb with an indefinite subject: “he claps” means “one claps. The idea is that of people rejoicing when the wicked are gone. But the parallelism is against this unless the second line is changed as well. R. Gordis (Job, 296) has “men will clap their hands…men will whistle upon him.”
[27:23] 76 tn Or “hisses at him from its place” (ESV).
[12:1] 77 sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great). His mediocre career is summarized in Josephus, Ant. 18-19. This event took place in
[12:1] 78 tn Or “King Herod had some from the church arrested.”
[12:1] 79 tn Or “to cause them injury.”
[12:2] 80 sn The expression executed with a sword probably refers to a beheading. James was the first known apostolic martyr (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-3). On James, not the Lord’s brother, see Luke 5:10; 6:14. This death ended a short period of peace noted in Acts 9:31 after the persecution mentioned in 8:1-3.
[12:3] 81 tn This could be a reference to the Jewish people (so CEV) or to the Jewish leaders (so NLT). The statement in v. 4 that Herod intended to bring Peter “out to the people” (i.e., for a public trial) may suggest the former is somewhat more likely.
[12:3] 82 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:4] 83 sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.
[12:4] 84 tn Grk “guard him, planning to bring him out.” The Greek construction continues with a participle (βουλόμενος, boulomeno") and an infinitive (ἀναγαγεῖν, anagagein), but this creates an awkward and lengthy sentence in English. Thus a reference to Herod was introduced as subject and the participle translated as a finite verb (“Herod planned”).
[12:4] 85 tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”
[12:4] 86 tn Grk “to bring him out to the people,” but in this context a public trial (with certain condemnation as the result) is doubtless what Herod planned. L&N 15.176 translates this phrase “planning to bring him up for a public trial after the Passover.”
[12:5] 87 tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.
[12:5] 88 tn Grk “but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God for him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to follow English style, and the somewhat awkward passive “prayer was being made” has been changed to the simpler active verb “were praying.” Luke portrays what follows as an answer to prayer.
[12:6] 89 tn Grk “was going to bring him out,” but the upcoming trial is implied. See Acts 12:4.
[12:6] 90 tn Grk “two chains, and.” Logically it makes better sense to translate this as a temporal clause, although technically it is a coordinate clause in Greek.
[12:6] 91 tn Or “were guarding.”
[12:7] 92 tn Grk “And behold.” 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. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.
[12:7] 93 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[12:7] 94 tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:7] 95 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:7] 96 tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.
[12:8] 97 tn While ζώννυμι (zwnnumi) sometimes means “to dress,” referring to the fastening of the belt or sash as the final act of getting dressed, in this context it probably does mean “put on your belt” since in the conditions of a prison Peter had probably not changed into a different set of clothes to sleep. More likely he had merely removed his belt or sash, which the angel now told him to replace. The translation “put on your belt” is given by L&N 49.14 for this verse. The archaic English “girdle” for the sash or belt has an entirely different meaning today.
[12:8] 98 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:8] 99 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:8] 100 tn Or “outer garment.”
[12:9] 101 tn Grk “And going out he followed.”
[12:9] 102 tn Grk “Peter going out followed him.” The participle ἐξελθών (exelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:9] 103 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[12:9] 104 tn Grk “what was done through the angel was a reality” (see BDAG 43 s.v. ἀληθής 3).
[12:10] 105 tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”
[12:10] 106 sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).
[12:10] 107 tn Grk “which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
[12:10] 108 tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).
[12:10] 109 tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).
[12:11] 110 tn Grk “And when.” 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.
[12:11] 111 tn Or “delivered.”
[12:11] 112 sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.
[12:11] 113 sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:11] 114 sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).
[12:12] 115 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:12] 116 tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”
[12:12] sn John Mark becomes a key figure in Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39.
[12:13] 117 tn Or “responded.”
[12:14] 119 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[12:15] 120 sn “You’ve lost your mind!” Such a response to the miraculous is not unusual in Luke-Acts. See Luke 24:11; Acts 26:25. The term μαίνομαι (mainomai) can have the idea of being “raving mad” or “totally irrational” (BDAG 610 s.v.). It is a strong expression.
[12:15] 121 tn Grk “she kept insisting that the situation was thus” (cf. BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a). Most translations supply a less awkward English phrase like “it was so”; the force of her insistence, however, is that “it was Peter,” which was the point under dispute.
[12:15] 122 tn The two imperfect tense verbs, διϊσχυρίζετο (diiscurizeto) and ἔλεγον (elegon), are both taken iteratively. The picture is thus virtually a shouting match between Rhoda and the rest of the believers.
[12:15] 123 sn The assumption made by those inside, “It is his angel,” seems to allude to the idea of an attending angel (cf. Gen 48:16 LXX; Matt 18:10; Test. Jacob 1:10).
[12:16] 124 tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see Acts 12:13).
[12:16] 125 sn That they were greatly astonished is a common response in Luke-Acts to God’s work (Luke 8:56; Acts 2:7, 12; 8:13; 9:21; 10:45).
[12:17] 126 tn Or “He gave them a signal.” Grk “Giving them a signal…he related to them.” The participle κατασείσας (kataseisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:17] 127 tc ‡ Most
[12:17] 129 sn He…went to another place. This is Peter’s last appearance in Acts with the exception of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.
[12:18] 130 tn BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a has “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse.
[12:18] 131 tn Grk “no little consternation.” The translation given for τάραχος (taraco") in this verse by BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 1 is “mental agitation.” The situation indicated by the Greek word is described in L&N 25.243 as “a state of acute distress and great anxiety, with the additional possible implications of dismay and confusion – ‘great distress, extreme anxiety.’” The English word “consternation” is preferred here because it conveys precisely such a situation of anxiety mixed with fear. The reason for this anxiety is explained in the following verse.
[12:19] 132 sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:19] 133 tn Or “had instigated a search” (Herod would have ordered the search rather than conducting it himself).
[12:19] 134 tn “Questioned” is used to translate ἀνακρίνας (anakrina") here because a possible translation offered by BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω for this verse is “examined,” which could be understood to mean Herod inspected the guards rather than questioned them. The translation used by the NIV, “cross-examined,” also avoids this possible misunderstanding.
[12:19] 135 tn The meaning “led away to execution” for ἀπαχθῆναι (apacqhnai) in this verse is given by BDAG 95 s.v. ἀπάγω 2.c. Although an explicit reference to execution is lacking here, it is what would usually occur in such a case (Acts 16:27; 27:42; Code of Justinian 9.4.4). “Led away to torture” is a less likely option (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10, 96, 8).
[12:19] 136 tn Grk “and,” but the sequence of events is better expressed in English by “then.” A new sentence is begun in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek, which exceeds normal English sentence length.
[12:19] 137 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Since Herod has been the subject of the preceding material, and the circumstances of his death are the subject of the following verses (20-23), it is best to understand Herod as the subject here. This is especially true since according to Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 [19.343-352], Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in
[12:19] sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great), who died at Caesarea in
[12:19] 138 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.
[12:19] map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:20] 139 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:20] sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:20] 140 tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).
[12:20] 141 sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.
[12:20] map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[12:20] 142 sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).
[12:20] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[12:20] 143 tn Or “with one accord.”
[12:20] 144 tn Or “persuading.”
[12:20] 145 tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.
[12:20] 146 tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[12:20] 147 tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.
[12:21] 148 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:21] sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).
[12:21] 149 tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.
[12:21] 150 tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.
[12:21] sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.
[12:21] 151 tn Or “delivered a public address.”
[12:22] 152 tn The translation “crowd” is given by BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος; the word often means a gathering of citizens to conduct public business. Here it is simply the group of people gathered to hear the king’s speech.
[12:22] 153 tn The imperfect verb ἐπεφώνει (epefwnei) is taken ingressively in the sequence of events. Presumably the king had started his speech when the crowd began shouting.
[12:22] 154 sn The voice of a god. Contrast the response of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:13-15.
[12:23] 155 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[12:23] 156 sn On being struck…down by an angel, see Acts 23:3; 1 Sam 25:28; 2 Sam 12:15; 2 Kgs 19:35; 2 Chr 13:20; 2 Macc 9:5.
[12:23] 157 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:23] 158 sn He was eaten by worms and died. Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.343-352), states that Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in
[12:24] 159 sn A metonymy for the number of adherents to God’s word.
[12:24] 160 tn Or “spreading.”
[12:25] 161 tc There are a number of variants at this point in the text: εἰς (eis, “to”) in א B Ï sams syhmg; ἀπό (apo, “from”) in D E Ψ 36 323 453 614 1175 al; ἐξ (ex, “from”) in Ì74 A 33 945 1739 al; ἐξ ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν (ex Ierousalhm ei" Antioceian, “from Jerusalem to Antioch”) in {a few later manuscripts and part of the Itala}. A decision on this problem is very difficult, but for several reasons εἰς can be preferred. It is the most difficult reading by far in light of the context, since Paul and Barnabas were going to Jerusalem in 11:30. It is found in better witnesses, א and B being very strong evidence. The other readings, ἐξ and ἀπό, are different from εἰς yet bear essentially the same meaning as each other; this seems to suggest that scribes had problems with εἰς and tried to choose an acceptable revision. If εἰς is the earliest reading, ἀπό may be a clarification of ἐξ, and ἐξ could have arisen through confusion of letters. Or ἐξ and ἀπό could both have independently arisen from εἰς as a more acceptable preposition. Despite such arguments, however, the case for εἰς is not airtight: either ἐξ or ἀπό could be preferred on other lines of reasoning. The reading ἐξ enjoys the earliest support, and εἰς could have arisen through the same confusion of letters mentioned above. The immediate and wider context seems to mitigate against εἰς as the original reading: The aorist participle πληρώσαντες (plhrwsante", “when they had completed”) seems to signal the end of the mission to Jerusalem with the famine relief, so it would make sense in the context for the team to be coming from Jerusalem (to Antioch) rather than to Jerusalem, and 13:1 certainly presents the scene at Antioch. The later addition εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν after ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ in some
[12:25] 162 sn That is, from Jerusalem to Antioch (see Acts 11:29-30).
[12:25] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:25] 163 tn Grk “fulfilled.”
