Ibrani 10:34

10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, ¹  and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly ²  had a better and lasting possession.

Kejadian 39:20

39:20 Joseph’s master took him and threw him into the prison, ³  the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. So he was there in the prison. ⁴ 

Kejadian 39:1

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. ⁵  An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, ⁶  purchased him from ⁷  the Ishmaelites who had brought him there.

Kisah Para Rasul 22:27

22:27 So the commanding officer ⁸  came and asked ⁹  Paul, ¹⁰  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ¹¹  He replied, ¹²  “Yes.”

Kisah Para Rasul 22:2

22:2 (When they heard ¹³  that he was addressing ¹⁴  them in Aramaic, ¹⁵  they became even ¹⁶  quieter.) ¹⁷  Then ¹⁸  Paul said,

Kisah Para Rasul 16:10

16:10 After Paul ¹⁹  saw the vision, we attempted ²⁰  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ²¹  concluding that God had called ²²  us to proclaim the good news to them.

Mazmur 105:17-18

105:17 He sent a man ahead of them ²³  –

Joseph was sold as a servant.

105:18 The shackles hurt his feet; ²⁴ 

his neck was placed in an iron collar, ²⁵ 

Yeremia 20:2

20:2 When he heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had the prophet flogged. ²⁶  Then he put him in the stocks ²⁷  which were at the Upper Gate of Benjamin in the Lord’s temple. ²⁸ 

Yeremia 29:26

29:26 “The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada. ²⁹  He has put you in charge in the Lord’s temple of controlling ³⁰  any lunatic ³¹  who pretends to be a prophet. ³²  And it is your duty to put any such person in the stocks ³³  with an iron collar around his neck. ³⁴ 

Yeremia 32:2-3

32:2 Now at that time, ³⁵  the armies of the king of Babylon were besieging Jerusalem. ³⁶  The prophet Jeremiah was confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse ³⁷  attached to the royal palace of Judah. 32:3 For King Zedekiah ³⁸  had confined Jeremiah there after he had reproved him for prophesying as he did. He had asked Jeremiah, “Why do you keep prophesying these things? Why do you keep saying that the Lord says, ‘I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon? I will let him capture it. ³⁹ 

Yeremia 32:8

32:8 Now it happened just as the Lord had said! My cousin Hanamel ⁴⁰  came to me in the courtyard of the guardhouse. He said to me, ‘Buy my field which is at Anathoth in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Buy it for yourself since you are entitled as my closest relative to take possession of it for yourself.’ When this happened, I recognized that the Lord had indeed spoken to me.

Yeremia 36:6

36:6 So you go there the next time all the people of Judah come in from their towns to fast ⁴¹  in the Lord’s temple. Read out loud where all of them can hear you what I told you the Lord said, which you wrote in the scroll. ⁴² 

Yeremia 37:15-21

37:15 The officials were very angry ⁴³  at Jeremiah. They had him flogged and put in prison in the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary, which they had converted into a place for confining prisoners. ⁴⁴ 

37:16 So ⁴⁵  Jeremiah was put in prison in a cell in the dungeon in Jonathan’s house. ⁴⁶  He ⁴⁷  was kept there for a long time. 37:17 Then King Zedekiah had him brought to the palace. There he questioned him privately and asked him, ⁴⁸  “Is there any message from the Lord?” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is.” Then he announced, ⁴⁹  “You will be handed over to the king of Babylon.” ⁵⁰  37:18 Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you, or the officials who serve you, or the people of Judah? What have I done to make you people throw me into prison? ⁵¹  37:19 Where now are the prophets who prophesied to you that ⁵²  the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? 37:20 But now please listen, your royal Majesty, ⁵³  and grant my plea for mercy. ⁵⁴  Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan, the royal secretary. If you do, I will die there.” ⁵⁵  37:21 Then King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be committed to the courtyard of the guardhouse. He also ordered that a loaf of bread ⁵⁶  be given to him every day from the baker’s street until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah was kept ⁵⁷  in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

Yeremia 38:6-13

38:6 So the officials ⁵⁸  took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern ⁵⁹  of Malkijah, one of the royal princes, ⁶⁰  that was in the courtyard of the guardhouse. There was no water in the cistern, only mud. So when they lowered Jeremiah into the cistern with ropes he sank in the mud. ⁶¹ 

An Ethiopian Official Rescues Jeremiah from the Cistern

38:7 An Ethiopian, Ebed Melech, ⁶²  a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put ⁶³  in the cistern. While the king was holding court ⁶⁴  at the Benjamin Gate, 38:8 Ebed Melech departed the palace and went to speak to the king. He said to him, 38:9 “Your royal Majesty, those men have been very wicked in all that they have done to the prophet Jeremiah. They have thrown him into a cistern and he is sure to die of starvation there because there is no food left in the city. ⁶⁵  38:10 Then the king gave Ebed Melech the Ethiopian the following order: “Take thirty ⁶⁶  men with you from here and go pull the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.” 38:11 So Ebed Melech took the men with him and went to a room under the treasure room in the palace. ⁶⁷  He got some worn-out clothes and old rags ⁶⁸  from there and let them down by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 38:12 Ebed Melech ⁶⁹  called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and worn-out clothes under your armpits to pad the ropes. ⁷⁰  Jeremiah did as Ebed Melech instructed. ⁷¹  38:13 So they pulled Jeremiah up from the cistern with ropes. Jeremiah, however, still remained confined ⁷²  to the courtyard of the guardhouse.

Yeremia 38:28

38:28 So Jeremiah remained confined ⁷³  in the courtyard of the guardhouse until the day Jerusalem ⁷⁴  was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem and Its Aftermath

The following events occurred when Jerusalem ⁷⁵  was captured. ⁷⁶ 

Yeremia 39:15

Ebed Melech Is Promised Deliverance because of His Faith

39:15 ⁷⁷ Now the Lord had spoken to Jeremiah while he was still confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse, ⁷⁸ 

Ratapan 3:52-55

צ (Tsade)

3:52 For no good reason ⁷⁹  my enemies

hunted me down ⁸⁰  like a bird.

3:53 They shut me ⁸¹  up in a pit

and threw stones at me.

3:54 The waters closed over my head;

I thought ⁸²  I was about to die. ⁸³ 

ק (Qof)

3:55 I have called on your name, O Lord,

from the deepest pit. ⁸⁴ 

Kisah Para Rasul 4:3

4:3 So ⁸⁵  they seized ⁸⁶  them and put them in jail ⁸⁷  until the next day (for it was already evening).

Kisah Para Rasul 5:18

5:18 They ⁸⁸  laid hands on ⁸⁹  the apostles and put them in a public jail.

Kisah Para Rasul 8:3

8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy ⁹⁰  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ⁹¹  both men and women and put them in prison. ⁹² 

Kisah Para Rasul 12:4-19

12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ⁹³  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ⁹⁴  planned ⁹⁵  to bring him out for public trial ⁹⁶  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ⁹⁷  praying to God for him. ⁹⁸  12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, ⁹⁹  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while ¹⁰⁰  guards in front of the door were keeping watch ¹⁰¹  over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly ¹⁰²  an angel of the Lord ¹⁰³  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ¹⁰⁴  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ¹⁰⁵  wrists. ¹⁰⁶  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ¹⁰⁷  and put on your sandals.” Peter ¹⁰⁸  did so. Then the angel ¹⁰⁹  said to him, “Put on your cloak ¹¹⁰  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ¹¹¹  went out ¹¹²  and followed him; ¹¹³  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ¹¹⁴  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ¹¹⁵  they came to the iron ¹¹⁶  gate leading into the city. It ¹¹⁷  opened for them by itself, ¹¹⁸  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ¹¹⁹  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ¹²⁰  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ¹²¹  me from the hand ¹²²  of Herod ¹²³  and from everything the Jewish people ¹²⁴  were expecting to happen.”

12:12 When Peter ¹²⁵  realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ¹²⁶  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. ¹²⁷  12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told ¹²⁸  them ¹²⁹  that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” ¹³⁰  But she kept insisting that it was Peter, ¹³¹  and they kept saying, ¹³²  “It is his angel!” ¹³³  12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door ¹³⁴  and saw him, they were greatly astonished. ¹³⁵  12:17 He motioned to them ¹³⁶  with his hand to be quiet and then related ¹³⁷  how the Lord had brought ¹³⁸  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ¹³⁹ 

12:18 At daybreak ¹⁴⁰  there was great consternation ¹⁴¹  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod ¹⁴²  had searched ¹⁴³  for him and did not find him, he questioned ¹⁴⁴  the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. ¹⁴⁵  Then ¹⁴⁶  Herod ¹⁴⁷  went down from Judea to Caesarea ¹⁴⁸  and stayed there.

Kisah Para Rasul 16:24-40

16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ¹⁴⁹  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ¹⁵⁰ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ¹⁵¹  and singing hymns to God, ¹⁵²  and the rest of ¹⁵³  the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ¹⁵⁴  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ¹⁵⁵  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ¹⁵⁶  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ¹⁵⁷  because he assumed ¹⁵⁸  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ¹⁵⁹  “Do not harm yourself, ¹⁶⁰  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ¹⁶¹  rushed in and fell down ¹⁶²  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ¹⁶³  and asked, “Sirs, what must ¹⁶⁴  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ¹⁶⁵  “Believe ¹⁶⁶  in the Lord Jesus ¹⁶⁷  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ¹⁶⁸  they spoke the word of the Lord ¹⁶⁹  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ¹⁷⁰  that hour of the night he took them ¹⁷¹  and washed their wounds; ¹⁷²  then ¹⁷³  he and all his family ¹⁷⁴  were baptized right away. ¹⁷⁵  16:34 The jailer ¹⁷⁶  brought them into his house and set food ¹⁷⁷  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ¹⁷⁸  that he had come to believe ¹⁷⁹  in God, together with his entire household. ¹⁸⁰  16:35 At daybreak ¹⁸¹  the magistrates ¹⁸²  sent their police officers, ¹⁸³  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ¹⁸⁴  “The magistrates have sent orders ¹⁸⁵  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ¹⁸⁶  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ¹⁸⁷  “They had us beaten in public ¹⁸⁸  without a proper trial ¹⁸⁹  – even though we are Roman citizens ¹⁹⁰  – and they threw us ¹⁹¹  in prison. And now they want to send us away ¹⁹²  secretly? Absolutely not! They ¹⁹³  themselves must come and escort us out!” ¹⁹⁴  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹⁹⁵  were Roman citizens ¹⁹⁶  16:39 and came ¹⁹⁷  and apologized to them. After ¹⁹⁸  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ¹⁹⁹  to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then ²⁰⁰  departed.

Kisah Para Rasul 21:33

21:33 Then the commanding officer ²⁰¹  came up and arrested ²⁰²  him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; ²⁰³  he ²⁰⁴  then asked who he was and what ²⁰⁵  he had done.

Kisah Para Rasul 24:27

24:27 After two years ²⁰⁶  had passed, Porcius Festus ²⁰⁷  succeeded Felix, ²⁰⁸  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ²⁰⁹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 24:2

24:2 When Paul ²¹⁰  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ²¹¹  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ²¹²  of peace through your rule, ²¹³  and reforms ²¹⁴  are being made in this nation ²¹⁵  through your foresight. ²¹⁶ 

Kolose 1:23

1:23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, ²¹⁷  without shifting ²¹⁸  from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.

Efesus 3:1

Paul's Relationship to the Divine Mystery

3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus ²¹⁹  for the sake of you Gentiles –

Efesus 4:1-2

Live in Unity

4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, ²²⁰  urge you to live ²²¹  worthily of the calling with which you have been called, ²²²  4:2 with all humility and gentleness, ²²³  with patience, bearing with ²²⁴  one another in love,

Titus 1:16

1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

Titus 2:9

2:9 Slaves ²²⁵  are to be subject to their own masters in everything, ²²⁶  to do what is wanted and not talk back,

Wahyu 2:10

2:10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown ²²⁷  into prison so you may be tested, ²²⁸  and you will experience suffering ²²⁹  for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. ²³⁰ 

[10:34]  ¹ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א D² 1881 Ï), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmoi" mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so Ì⁴⁶ Ψ 104 pc), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmioi"), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.

[10:34]  ² tn Grk “you yourselves.”

[39:20]  ³ tn Heb “the house of roundness,” suggesting that the prison might have been a fortress or citadel.

[39:20]  ⁴ sn The story of Joseph is filled with cycles and repetition: He has two dreams (chap. 37), he interprets two dreams in prison (chap. 40) and the two dreams of Pharaoh (chap. 41), his brothers make two trips to see him (chaps. 42-43), and here, for the second time (see 37:24), he is imprisoned for no good reason, with only his coat being used as evidence. For further discussion see H. Jacobsen, “A Legal Note on Potiphar’s Wife,” HTR 69 (1976): 177.

[39:1]  ⁵ tn The disjunctive clause resumes the earlier narrative pertaining to Joseph by recapitulating the event described in 37:36. The perfect verbal form is given a past perfect translation to restore the sequence of the narrative for the reader.

[39:1]  ⁶ sn Captain of the guard. See the note on this phrase in Gen 37:36.

[39:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “from the hand of.”

[22:27]  ⁸ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:27]  ⁹ tn Grk “and said to.”

[22:27]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:27]  ¹¹ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ¹² tn Grk “He said.”

[22:2]  ¹³ tn ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[22:2]  ¹⁴ tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[22:2]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See the note on “Aramaic” in 21:40.

[22:2]  ¹⁶ tn BDAG 613-14 s.v. μᾶλλον 1 “Abs. μ. can mean to a greater degree (than before), even more, now more than ever Lk 5:15; Jn 5:18; 19:8; Ac 5:14; 22:2; 2 Cor 7:7.”

[22:2]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 440 s.v. ἡσυχία 2 has “παρέχειν ἡσυχίαν quiet down, give a hearing…Ac 22:2.”

[22:2]  sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

[22:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “and.” Since this represents a continuation of the speech begun in v. 1, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:10]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ²⁰ tn Grk “sought.”

[16:10]  ²¹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ²² tn Or “summoned.”

[105:17]  ²³ tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).

[105:18]  ²⁴ tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”

[105:18]  ²⁵ tn Heb “his neck came [into] iron.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with the suffix could mean simply “he” or “his life.” But the nuance “neck” makes good sense here (note the reference to his “feet” in the preceding line). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 38.

[20:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “And Pashhur son of Immer, the priest and he [= who] was chief overseer [or officer] in the house of the Lord heard Jeremiah prophesying these words/things 20:2 and Pashhur had the prophet Jeremiah flogged.” This verse and the previous one has been restructured in the translation to better conform with contemporary English style.

[20:2]  ²⁷ tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. It occurs only here, in 29:26 where it is followed by a parallel word that occurs only there and is generally translated “collar,” and in 2 Chr 16:10 where it is preceded by the word “house of.” It is most often translated “stocks” and explained as an instrument of confinement for keeping prisoners in a crooked position (from its relation to a root meaning “to turn.” See BDB 246 s.v. מַהְפֶּכֶת and KBL 500 s.v. מַהְפֶּכֶת for definition and discussion.) For a full discussion including the interpretation of the ancient versions see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 1:542-43.

[20:2]  ²⁸ sn A comparison of Ezek 8:3 and 9:2 in their contexts will show that this probably refers to the northern gate to the inner court of the temple. It is called Upper because it was on higher ground above the gate in the outer court. It is qualified by “in the Lord’s temple” to distinguish it from the Benjamin Gate in the city wall (cf. 37:13; 38:7). Like the Benjamin Gate in the city wall it faced north toward the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

[29:26]  ²⁹ tn Heb “in place of Jehoiada the priest.” The word “the priest” is unnecessary to the English sentence.

[29:26]  ³⁰ tc Heb “The Lord has appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada to be overseer in the house of the Lord for/over.” The translation is based on a reading presupposed by several of the versions. The Hebrew text reads “The Lord has…to be overseers [in] the house of the Lord for/over.” The reading here follows that of the Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions in reading פָּקִיד בְּבֵית (paqid bÿvet) in place of פְּקִדִים בֵּית (pÿqidim bet). There has been a confusion of the ם (mem) and בּ (bet) and a transposition of the י (yod) and ד (dalet).

[29:26]  ³¹ sn The Hebrew term translated lunatic applies to anyone who exhibits irrational behavior. It was used for example of David who drooled and scratched on the city gate to convince Achish not to arrest him as a politically dangerous threat (1 Sam 21:14). It was often used contemptuously of the prophets by those who wanted to play down the significance of their words (2 Kgs 9:11; Hos 9:7 and here).

[29:26]  ³² tn The verb here is a good example of what IBHS 431 §26.2f calls the estimative-declarative reflexive where a person presents himself in a certain light. For examples of this usage see 2 Sam 13:5; Prov 13:7.

[29:26]  ³³ tn See the translator’s note on 20:2 for this word which only occurs here and in 20:2-3.

[29:26]  ³⁴ tn This word only occurs here in the Hebrew Bible. All the lexicons are agreed as seeing it referring to a collar placed around the neck. The basis for this definition are the cognate languages (see, e.g., HALOT 958-59 s.v. צִינֹק for the most complete discussion).

[32:2]  ³⁵ sn Jer 32:2-5 are parenthetical, giving the background for the actual report of what the Lord said in v. 7. The background is significant because it shows that Jeremiah was predicting the fall of the city and the kingdom and was being held prisoner for doing so. Despite this pessimistic outlook, the Lord wanted Jeremiah to demonstrate his assurance of the future restoration (which has been the topic of the two preceding chapters) by buying a field as a symbolic act that the Israelites would again one day regain possession of their houses, fields, and vineyards (vv. 15, 44). (For other symbolic acts with prophetic import see Jer 13, 19.)

[32:2]  ³⁶ sn According to Jer 39:1 the siege began in Zedekiah’s ninth year (i.e., in 589/88 b.c.). It had been interrupted while the Babylonian army was occupied with fighting against an Egyptian force that had invaded Judah. During this period of relaxed siege Jeremiah had attempted to go to his home town in Anathoth to settle some property matters, had been accused of treason, and been thrown into a dungeon (37:11-15). After appealing to Zedekiah he had been moved from the dungeon to the courtyard of the guardhouse connected to the palace (37:21) where he remained confined until Jerusalem was captured in 587/86 b.c. (38:28).

[32:2]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[32:2]  ³⁷ tn Heb “the courtyard of the guarding” or “place of guarding.” This expression occurs only in the book of Jeremiah (32:2, 8, 12; 33:1; 37:21; 38:6, 12, 28; 39:14, 15) and in Neh 3:25. It is not the same as an enclosed prison which is where Jeremiah was initially confined (37:15-16; literally a “house of imprisoning” [בֵּית הָאֵסוּר, bet ha’esur] or “house of confining” [בֵּית הַכֶּלֶא, bet hakkele’]). It is said to have been in the palace compound (32:2) near the citadel or upper palace (Neh 3:25). Though it was a place of confinement (32:2; 33:1; 39:15) Jeremiah was able to receive visitors, e.g., his cousin Hanamel (32:8) and the scribe Baruch (32:12), and conduct business there (32:12). According to 32:12 other Judeans were also housed there. A cistern of one of the royal princes, Malkijah, was located in this courtyard, so this is probably not a “prison compound” as NJPS interpret but a courtyard adjacent to a guardhouse or guard post (so G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 151, and compare Neh 12:39 where reference is made to a Gate of the Guard/Guardhouse) used here for housing political prisoners who did not deserve death or solitary confinement as some of the officials though Jeremiah did.

[32:3]  ³⁸ tn Heb “Zedekiah king of Judah.”

[32:3]  ³⁹ tn The translation represents an attempt to break up a very long Hebrew sentence with several levels of subordination and embedded quotations and also an attempt to capture the rhetorical force of the question “Why…” which is probably an example of what E. W. Bullinger (Figures of Speech, 953-54) calls a rhetorical question of expostulation or remonstrance (cf. the note on 26:9 and compare also the question in 36:29. In all three of these cases NJPS translates “How dare you…” which captures the force nicely). The Hebrew text reads, “For Zedekiah king of Judah had confined him, saying, ‘Why are you prophesying, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold I am giving this city into the hands of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.’”’”

[32:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “And according to the word of the Lord my cousin Hanamel came to me to the courtyard of the guardhouse and said, ‘…’” The sentence has been broken down to conform better with contemporary English style.

[36:6]  ⁴¹ sn Regular fast days were not a part of Israel’s religious calendar. Rather fast days were called on special occasions, i.e., in times of drought or a locust plague (Joel 1:14; 2:15), or during a military crisis (2 Chr 20:3), or after defeat in battle (1 Sam 31:13; 2 Sam 1:12). A fast day was likely chosen for the reading of the scroll because the people would be more mindful of the crisis they were in and be in more of a repentant mood. The events referred to in the study note on v. 1 would have provided the basis for Jeremiah’s anticipation of a fast day when the scroll could be read.

[36:6]  ⁴² tn Heb “So you go and read from the scroll which you have written from my mouth the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the house of the Lord on a fast day, and in that way [for the explanation of this rendering see below] you will be reading them in the ears of all Judah [= the people of Judah] who come from their towns [i.e., to the temple to fast].” Again the syntax of the original is awkward, separating several of the qualifying phrases from the word or phrase they are intended to modify. In most of the “literal” English versions the emphasis on “what the Lord said” tends to get lost and it looks like two separate groups are to be addressed rather than one. The intent of the phrase is to define who the people are who will hear; the וַ that introduces the clause is explicative (BDB 252 s.v. וַ 1.b) and the גַּם (gam) is used to emphasize the explicative “all Judah who come in from their towns” (cf. BDB 169 s.v. גַּם 2). If some force were to be given to the “literal” rendering of that particle here it would be “actually.” This is the group that is to be addressed according to v. 3. The complex Hebrew sentence has been restructured to include all the relevant information in more comprehensible and shorter English sentences.

[37:15]  ⁴³ sn The officials mentioned here are not the same as those mentioned in Jer 36:12, most of whom were favorably disposed toward Jeremiah, or at least regarded what he said with enough trepidation to try to protect Jeremiah and preserve the scroll containing his messages (36:16, 19, 24). All those officials had been taken into exile with Jeconiah in 597 b.c. (2 Kgs 24:14).

[37:15]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “for they had made it into the house of confinement.” The causal particle does not fit the English sentence very well and “house of confinement” needs some explanation. Some translate this word “prison” but that creates redundancy with the earlier word translated “prison” (בֵּית הָאֵסוּר, bet ha’esur, “house of the band/binding”] which is more closely related to the concept of prison [cf. אָסִיר, ’asir, “prisoner”]). It is clear from the next verse that Jeremiah was confined in a cell in the dungeon of this place.

[37:16]  ⁴⁵ tn The particle כִּי (ki) here is probably temporal, introducing the protasis to the main clause in v. 17 (cf. BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.a). However, that would make the translation too long, so the present translation does what several modern English versions do here, though there are no parallels listed for this nuance in the lexicons.

[37:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “Jeremiah came into the house of the pit [= “dungeon,” BDB 92 s.v. בּוֹר 4 and compare usage in Gen 40:15; 41:14] and into the cells [this word occurs only here; it is defined on the basis of the cognate languages (cf. BDB 333 s.v. חָנוּת)].” The sentence has been restructured and some words supplied in the translation to better relate it to the preceding context.

[37:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “Jeremiah.” But the proper name is somewhat redundant and unnecessary in a modern translation.

[37:17]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “Then King Zedekiah sent and brought him and the king asked him privately [or more literally, in secret] and said.”

[37:17]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “Then he said.”

[37:17]  ⁵⁰ sn Jeremiah’s answer even under duress was the same that he had given Zedekiah earlier. (See Jer 34:3 and see the study note on 34:1 for the relative timing of these two incidents.)

[37:18]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “What crime have I committed against you, or your servants, or this people that you [masc. pl.] have put me in prison?” Some of the terms have been expanded for clarification and the sentence has been broken in two to better conform with contemporary English style.
The masculine plural is used here because Zedekiah is being addressed as representative of the whole group previously named.

[37:19]  ⁵² tn Heb “And where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you or against this land?’” The indirect quote has been used in the translation because of its simpler, more direct style.

[37:20]  ⁵³ tn Heb “My lord, the king.”

[37:20]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “let my plea for mercy fall before you.” I.e., let it come before you and be favorably received (= granted; by metonymical extension).

[37:20]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “So that I will not die there,” or “or I will die there”; Heb “and I will not die there.” The particle that introduces this clause (וְלֹא) regularly introduces negative purpose clauses after the volitive sequence (אַל [’al] + jussive here) according to GKC 323 §109.g. However, purpose and result clauses in Hebrew (and Greek) are often indistinguishable. Here the clause is more in the nature of a negative result.

[37:21]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “And/Then King Zedekiah ordered and they committed Jeremiah to [or deposited…in] the courtyard of the guardhouse and they gave to him a loaf of bread.” The translation has been structured the way it has to avoid the ambiguous “they” which is the impersonal subject which is sometimes rendered passive in English (cf. GKC 460 §144.d). This text also has another example of the vav (ו) + infinitive absolute continuing a finite verbal form (וְנָתֹן [vÿnaton] = “and they gave”; cf. GKC 345 §113.y and see Jer 32:44; 36:23).

[37:21]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “Stayed/Remained/ Lived.”

[38:6]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “they.”

[38:6]  ⁵⁹ sn A cistern was a pear-shaped pit with a narrow opening. Cisterns were cut or dug in the limestone rock and lined with plaster to prevent seepage. They were used to collect and store rain water or water carried up from a spring.

[38:6]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “the son of the king.” See the translator’s note on Jer 36:26 for the rendering here.

[38:6]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “And they let Jeremiah down with ropes and in the cistern there was no water, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.” The clauses have been reordered and restructured to create a more natural and smoother order in English.

[38:7]  ⁶² sn This individual, Ebed Melech, is mentioned only here. Later he will be promised deliverance from destruction when the city falls because he had shown trust in God (see Jer 39:16-18).

[38:7]  ⁶³ tn Heb “Ebed Melech, the Cushite, a man, an eunuch/official, and he was [= who was; a circumstantial clause] in the house of the king, heard that they had put Jeremiah…” The passive construction “Jeremiah had been put” has been used to avoid the indefinite subject “they” or the addition of “the officials.” For the translation of סָרִיס (saris) as “official” here rather than “eunuch” see the translator’s note on 29:2 and see also the usage in 34:19. For the translation of “Cushite” as Ethiopian see the study note on 13:23.

[38:7]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “And the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate.” This clause is circumstantial to the following clause; thus “while the king was…” Most commentators agree that the reference to sitting in the gate here likely refers to the same kind of judicial context that has been posited for 26:10 (see the translator’s note there for further references). Hence the translation uses “sitting” with the more technical “holding court” to better reflect the probable situation.

[38:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “Those men have made evil all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah in that they have thrown him into the cistern and he will die of starvation in the place where he is because there is no more food in the city.” The particle אֵת (’et) before “they have thrown” (אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִיכוּ, ’et ’asher hishlikhu) is explanatory or further definition of “all they have done to” (i.e., the particle is repeated for apposition). The verb form “and he is sure to die” is an unusual use of the vav (ו) consecutive + imperfect that the grammars see as giving a logical consequence without a past nuance (cf. GKC 328 §111.l and IBHS 557-58 §33.3.1f).

[38:9]  sn “Because there isn’t any food left in the city” is rhetorical exaggeration; the food did not run out until just before the city fell. Perhaps the intent is to refer to the fact that there was no food in the city for people so confined (i.e., in solitary confinement).

[38:10]  ⁶⁶ tc Some modern English versions (e.g., NRSV, REB, TEV) and commentaries read “three” on the basis that thirty men would not be necessary for the task (cf. J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 231). Though the difference in “three” and “thirty” involves minimal emendation (שְׁלֹשָׁה [shÿlosha] for שְׁלֹשִׁים [shÿloshim]) there is no textual or versional evidence for it except for one Hebrew ms. Perhaps the number was large to prevent the officials from hindering Ebed Melech from accomplishing the task.

[38:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “went into the palace in under the treasury.” Several of the commentaries (e.g., J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 227; J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 639, n. 6) emend the prepositional phrase “in under” (אֶל־תַּחַת, ’el-takhat) to the noun “wardrobe” plus the preposition “to” (אֶל־מֶלְתַחַת, ’el-meltakhat). This is a plausible emendation which would involve dropping out מֶל (mel) due to its similarity with the אֶל (’el) which precedes it. However, there is no textual or versional evidence for such a reading and the compound preposition is not in itself objectionable (cf. BDB 1066 s.v. תַּחַת III.1.a). The Greek version reads “the part underground” (representing a Hebrew Vorlage of אֶל תַּחַת הָאָרֶץ, ’el takhat ha’arets) in place of אֶל תַּחַת הָאוֹצָר (’el takhat ha’otsar). The translation follows the Hebrew text but adds the word “room” for the sake of English style.

[38:11]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “worn-out clothes and worn-out rags.”

[38:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “Ebed Melech the Ethiopian.” The words “the Ethiopian” are unnecessary and are not repeated in the translation because he has already been identified as such in vv. 7, 10.

[38:12]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “under the joints of your arms under the ropes.” The two uses of “under” have different orientations and are best reflected by “between your armpits and the ropes” or “under your armpits to pad the ropes.”

[38:12]  ⁷¹ tn Or “Jeremiah did so.” The alternate translation is what the text reads literally.

[38:13]  ⁷² tn Heb “Jeremiah remained/stayed in the courtyard of the guardhouse.” The translation is meant to better reflect the situation; i.e., Jeremiah was released from the cistern but still had to stay in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

[38:28]  ⁷³ tn Heb “And Jeremiah stayed/remained in the courtyard of the guardhouse…” The translation once again intends to reflect the situation. Jeremiah had a secret meeting with the king at the third entrance to the temple (v. 14). He was returned to the courtyard of the guardhouse (cf. v. 13) after the conversation with the king where the officials came to question him (v. 27). He was not sent back to the dungeon in Jonathan’s house as he feared, but was left confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

[38:28]  ⁷⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[38:28]  ⁷⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[38:28]  ⁷⁶ tc The precise meaning of this line and its relation to the context are somewhat uncertain. This line is missing from the Greek and Syriac versions and from a few Hebrew mss. Some English versions and commentaries omit it as a double writing of the final words of the preceding line (see, e.g., REB; W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 2:268). Others see it as misplaced from the beginning of 39:3 (see, e.g., NRSV, TEV, J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 245). The clause probably does belong syntactically with 39:3 (i.e., כַּאֲשֶׁר [ka’asher] introduces a temporal clause which is resumed by the vav consecutive on וַיָּבֹאוּ (vayyavo’u; see BDB 455 s.v. כַּאֲשֶׁר 3), but it should not be moved there because there is no textual evidence for doing so. The intervening verses are to be interpreted as parenthetical, giving the background for the events that follow (see, e.g., the translation in D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 4:280). The chapter is not so much concerned with describing how Jerusalem fell as it is with contrasting the fate of Zedekiah who disregarded the word of the Lord with the fate of Jeremiah and that of Jeremiah’s benefactor Ebed Melech. The best way to treat the line without actually moving it before 39:3a is to treat it as a heading as has been done here.

[39:15]  ⁷⁷ sn Jer 39:15-18. This incident is out of chronological order (see Jer 38:7-13). It is placed here either due to a desire not to interrupt the sequential ordering of events centering on Jeremiah’s imprisonment and his release (38:14–39:14) or to contrast God’s care and concern for the faithful (Ebed-Melech who, though a foreigner, trusted in God) with his harsh treatment of the faithless (Zedekiah who, though informed of God’s will, was too weak-willed in the face of opposition by his courtiers to carry it out).

[39:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “Now the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he…saying.” The form of this clause is disjunctive showing that it does not follow the preceding events in either chronological or logical sequence. For a discussion of the form and function of such disjunctive clauses see IBHS 650-52 §39.2.3. This example most closely fits the description and function of example 12, Ruth 4:18, 21-22 on p. 652.

[3:52]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “without cause.”

[3:52]  ⁸⁰ tn The construction צוֹד צָדוּנִי (tsod tsaduni, “they have hunted me down”) is emphatic: Qal infinitive absolute of the same root of Qal perfect 3rd person common plural + 1st person common singular suffix.

[3:53]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “my life.”

[3:54]  ⁸² tn Heb “I said,” meaning “I said to myself” = “I thought.”

[3:54]  ⁸³ tn Heb “I was about to be cut off.” The verb נִגְזָרְתִּי (nigzarti), Niphal perfect 1st person common singular from גָּזַר (gazar, “to be cut off”), functions in an ingressive sense: “about to be cut off.” It is used in reference to the threat of death (e.g., Ezek 37:11). To be “cut off” from the hand of the living means to experience death (Ps 88:6).

[3:55]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “from a pit of lowest places.”

[4:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “And” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the logical sequence of events.

[4:3]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “they arrested”; Grk “they laid hands on.”

[4:3]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “prison,” “custody.”

[5:18]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “jealousy, and they.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but a new sentence has been started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[5:18]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “they arrested.”

[8:3]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.

[8:3]  ⁹¹ tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:3]  ⁹² tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”

[12:4]  ⁹³ sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.

[12:4]  ⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”

[12:4]  ⁹⁶ 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]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.

[12:5]  ⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “was going to bring him out,” but the upcoming trial is implied. See Acts 12:4.

[12:6]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “were guarding.”

[12:7]  ¹⁰² 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]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[12:8]  ¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “outer garment.”

[12:9]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “And going out he followed.”

[12:9]  ¹¹² 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]  ¹¹³ 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]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “what was done through the angel was a reality” (see BDAG 43 s.v. ἀληθής 3).

[12:10]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”

[12:10]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁸ tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).

[12:10]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).

[12:11]  ¹²⁰ 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]  ¹²¹ tn Or “delivered.”

[12:11]  ¹²² sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.

[12:11]  ¹²³ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:11]  ¹²⁴ sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).

[12:12]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:12]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “responded.”

[12:14]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “informed.”

[12:14]  ¹²⁹ 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]  ¹³⁰ 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]  ¹³¹ 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]  ¹³² 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]  ¹³³ 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]  ¹³⁴ tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see Acts 12:13).

[12:16]  ¹³⁵ 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]  ¹³⁶ 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]  ¹³⁷ tc ‡ Most mss, including some of the most important ones (B D E Ψ Ï sy), read αὐτοῖς (autoi", “to them”) here, while some excellent and early witnesses (Ì^45vid,74vid א A 33 81 945 1739 pc) lack the pronoun. Although it is possible that the pronoun was deleted because it was seen as superfluous, it is also possible that it was added as a natural expansion on the text, strengthening the connection between Peter and his listeners. Although a decision is difficult, the shorter reading is slightly preferred. NA²⁷ puts the pronoun in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[12:17]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “led.”

[12:17]  ¹³⁹ 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]  ¹⁴⁰ tn BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a has “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse.

[12:18]  ¹⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁴² sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:19]  ¹⁴³ tn Or “had instigated a search” (Herod would have ordered the search rather than conducting it himself).

[12:19]  ¹⁴⁴ 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]  ¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹⁴⁷ 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 a.d. 44, and vv. 20-23 here describe his death. Thus the end of v. 19 provides Luke’s transition to explain how Herod got from Jerusalem to Caesarea where he died. In spite of all this evidence, the NRSV translates this phrase “Then Peter went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there,” understanding the referent to be Peter rather than Herod Agrippa I.

[12:19]  sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great), who died at Caesarea in a.d. 44 according to Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 [19.343-352].

[12:19]  ¹⁴⁸ 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.

[16:24]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “prison.”

[16:24]  ¹⁵⁰ tn L&N 6.21 has “stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (ei" to xulon) here, as does BDAG 685 s.v. ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds” (“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.

[16:25]  ¹⁵¹ tn Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:25]  ¹⁵² sn Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).

[16:25]  ¹⁵³ tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:26]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.

[16:27]  ¹⁵⁵ tn L&N 23.75 has “had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style, however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to the first.

[16:27]  ¹⁵⁶ tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.

[16:27]  ¹⁵⁷ sn Was about to kill himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).

[16:27]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “thought.”

[16:28]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Grk “But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying.” The dative phrase μεγάλῃ φωνῇ (megalh fwnh) has been simplified as an English adverb (“loudly”), and the participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated since it is redundant in English.

[16:28]  ¹⁶⁰ sn Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.

[16:29]  ¹⁶¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:29]  ¹⁶² tn Or “and prostrated himself.”

[16:29]  sn Fell down. The earthquake and the freeing of the prisoners showed that God’s power was present. Such power could only be recognized. The open doors opened the jailer’s heart.

[16:30]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:30]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.

[16:31]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “said.”

[16:31]  ¹⁶⁶ sn Here the summary term of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured for the jailer.

[16:31]  ¹⁶⁷ tc The majority of mss add Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) here (C D E Ψ 1739 Ï sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read simply τὸν κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton kurion Ihsoun, “the Lord Jesus”; Ì^74vid א A B 33 81 pc bo). The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading. Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

[16:32]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

[16:32]  ¹⁶⁹ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[16:33]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Grk “And at.” 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.

[16:33]  ¹⁷¹ tn Grk “taking them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:33]  ¹⁷² tn On this phrase BDAG 603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”

[16:33]  ¹⁷³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33]  ¹⁷⁴ sn All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.

[16:33]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “immediately.”

[16:34]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:34]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “placed [food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no preparation.

[16:34]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Or “he was overjoyed.”

[16:34]  ¹⁷⁹ tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.

[16:34]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The phrase “together with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in the household believed.

[16:35]  ¹⁸¹ tn The translation “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.

[16:35]  ¹⁸² tn On the term translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, strathgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.

[16:35]  ¹⁸³ tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rJabdouco") see BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”

[16:36]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.

[16:36]  ¹⁸⁵ tn The word “orders” 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.

[16:36]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37]  ¹⁹⁰ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37]  ¹⁹¹ tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:37]  ¹⁹² tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37]  ¹⁹³ tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37]  ¹⁹⁴ sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.

[16:38]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:38]  ¹⁹⁶ sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.

[16:39]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:39]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[16:39]  ¹⁹⁹ tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.

[16:40]  ²⁰⁰ tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.

[21:33]  ²⁰¹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:33]  ²⁰² tn Grk “seized.”

[21:33]  ²⁰³ tn The two chains would be something like handcuffs (BDAG 48 s.v. ἅλυσις and compare Acts 28:20).

[21:33]  ²⁰⁴ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been replaced with a semicolon. “Then” has been supplied after “he” to clarify the logical sequence.

[21:33]  ²⁰⁵ tn Grk “and what it is”; this has been simplified to “what.”

[24:27]  ²⁰⁶ tn Grk “After a two-year period.”

[24:27]  ²⁰⁷ sn Porcius Festus was the procurator of Palestine who succeeded Felix; neither the beginning nor the end of his rule (at his death) can be determined with certainty, although he appears to have died in office after about two years. Nero recalled Felix in a.d. 57 or 58, and Festus was appointed to his vacant office in a.d. 57, 58, or 59. According to Josephus (Ant. 20.8.9-10 [20.182-188]; J. W. 2.14.1 [2.271-272]), his administration was better than that of his predecessor Felix or his successor Albinus, but Luke in Acts portrays him in a less favorable light: He was willing to sacrifice Paul to court Jewish favor by taking him to Jerusalem for trial (v. 9), regardless of Paul’s guilt or innocence. The one characteristic for which Festus was noted is that he dealt harshly with those who disturbed the peace.

[24:27]  ²⁰⁸ tn Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.”

[24:27]  sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.

[24:27]  ²⁰⁹ tn Grk “left Paul imprisoned.”

[24:27]  sn Felix left Paul in prison. Luke makes the point that politics got in the way of justice here; keeping Paul in prison was a political favor to the Jews.

[24:2]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:2]  ²¹¹ tn Or “began to bring charges, saying.”

[24:2]  ²¹² tn Grk “experienced much peace.”

[24:2]  ²¹³ tn Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).

[24:2]  ²¹⁴ tn This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα).

[24:2]  ²¹⁵ tn Or “being made for this people.”

[24:2]  ²¹⁶ sn References to peaceful rule, reforms, and the governor’s foresight in the opening address by Tertullus represent an attempt to praise the governor and thus make him favorable to the case. Actual descriptions of his rule portray him as inept (Tacitus, Annals 12.54; Josephus, J. W. 2.13.2-7 [2.253-270]).

[1:23]  ²¹⁷ tn BDAG 276 s.v. ἑδραῖος suggests “firm, steadfast.”

[1:23]  ²¹⁸ tn BDAG 639 s.v. μετακινέω suggests “without shifting from the hope” here.

[3:1]  ²¹⁹ tc Several early and important witnesses, chiefly of the Western text (א* D* F G [365]), lack ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou, “Jesus”) here, while most Alexandrian and Byzantine mss (Ì⁴⁶ א¹ A B [C] D¹ Ψ 33 1739 [1881] Ï lat sy bo) have the word. However, because of the Western text’s proclivities to add or delete to the text, seemingly at whim, serious doubts should be attached to the shorter reading. It is strengthened, however, by א’s support. Nevertheless, since both א and D were corrected with the addition of ᾿Ιησοῦ, their testimony might be questioned. Further, in uncial script the nomina sacra here could have led to missing a word by way of homoioteleuton (cMuiMu). At the same time, in light of the rarity of scribal omission of nomina sacra (see TCGNT 582, n. 1), a decision for inclusion of the word here must be tentative. NA²⁷ rightly places ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets.

[4:1]  ²²⁰ tn Grk “prisoner in the Lord.”

[4:1]  ²²¹ tn Grk “walk.” The verb “walk” in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.

[4:1]  ²²² sn With which you have been called. The calling refers to the Holy Spirit’s prompting that caused them to believe. The author is thus urging his readers to live a life that conforms to their saved status before God.

[4:2]  ²²³ tn Or “meekness.” The word is often used in Hellenistic Greek of the merciful execution of justice on behalf of those who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority (Matt 11:29; 21:5).

[4:2]  ²²⁴ tn Or “putting up with”; or “forbearing.”

[2:9]  ²²⁵ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

[2:9]  ²²⁶ tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”

[2:10]  ²²⁷ tn Grk “is about to throw some of you,” but the force is causative in context.

[2:10]  ²²⁸ tn Or “tempted.”

[2:10]  ²²⁹ tn Or “experience persecution,” “will be in distress” (see L&N 22.2).

[2:10]  ²³⁰ tn Grk “crown of life,” with the genitive “of life” (τῆς ζωῆς, th" zwh") functioning in apposition to “crown” (στέφανον, stefanon): “the crown that consists of life.”