Yesaya 37:12-13

37:12 Were the nations whom my predecessors ¹  destroyed – the nations of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden in Telassar – rescued by their gods? ²  37:13 Where are the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the kings of Lair, ³  Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’”

Yesaya 37:17-18

37:17 Pay attention, Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, Lord, and observe! Listen to this entire message Sennacherib sent and how he taunts the living God! ⁴  37:18 It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all the nations ⁵  and their lands.

Yesaya 37:2

37:2 Eliakim the palace supervisor, Shebna the scribe, and the leading priests, ⁶  clothed in sackcloth, sent this message to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz:

Kisah Para Rasul 18:1

Paul at Corinth

18:1 After this ⁷  Paul ⁸  departed from ⁹  Athens ¹⁰  and went to Corinth. ¹¹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 19:12-13

19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body ¹²  were brought ¹³  to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹⁴  19:13 But some itinerant ¹⁵  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ¹⁶  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ¹⁷  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ¹⁸  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

Kisah Para Rasul 19:17-18

19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ¹⁹  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ²⁰  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ²¹  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ²²  confessing and making their deeds known. ²³ 

Kisah Para Rasul 19:2

19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ²⁴  They replied, ²⁵  “No, we have not even ²⁶  heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Kisah Para Rasul 1:13-17

1:13 When ²⁷  they had entered Jerusalem, ²⁸  they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter ²⁹  and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James were there. ³⁰  1:14 All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. ³¹  1:15 In those days ³²  Peter stood up among the believers ³³  (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said, 1:16 “Brothers, ³⁴  the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through ³⁵  David concerning Judas – who became the guide for those who arrested Jesus – 1:17 for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry.” ³⁶ 

Mazmur 115:2-8

115:2 Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

115:3 Our God is in heaven!

He does whatever he pleases! ³⁷ 

115:4 Their ³⁸  idols are made of silver and gold –

they are man-made. ³⁹ 

115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

115:6 ears, but cannot hear,

noses, but cannot smell,

115:7 hands, but cannot touch,

feet, but cannot walk.

They cannot even clear their throats. ⁴⁰ 

115:8 Those who make them will end up ⁴¹  like them,

as will everyone who trusts in them.

Mazmur 135:5-6

135:5 Yes, ⁴²  I know the Lord is great,

and our Lord is superior to all gods.

135:6 He does whatever he pleases

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and all the ocean depths.

Mazmur 135:15-18

135:15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,

they are man-made. ⁴³ 

135:16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.

Indeed, they cannot breathe. ⁴⁴ 

135:18 Those who make them will end up ⁴⁵  like them,

as will everyone who trusts in them.

Yeremia 10:3-5

10:3 For the religion ⁴⁶  of these people is worthless.

They cut down a tree in the forest,

and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. ⁴⁷ 

10:4 He decorates it with overlays of silver and gold.

He uses hammer and nails to fasten it ⁴⁸  together

so that it will not fall over.

10:5 Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field.

They cannot talk.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them

because they cannot hurt you.

And they do not have any power to help you.” ⁴⁹ 

Yeremia 10:10-12

10:10 The Lord is the only true God.

He is the living God and the everlasting King.

When he shows his anger the earth shakes.

None of the nations can stand up to his fury.

10:11 You people of Israel should tell those nations this:

‘These gods did not make heaven and earth.

They will disappear ⁵⁰  from the earth and from under the heavens.’ ⁵¹ 

10:12 The Lord is the one who ⁵²  by his power made the earth.

He is the one who by his wisdom established the world.

And by his understanding he spread out the skies.

Daniel 3:15

3:15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?” ⁵³ 

Habakuk 2:19-20

2:19 The one who says to wood, ‘Wake up!’ is as good as dead ⁵⁴  –

he who says ⁵⁵  to speechless stone, ‘Awake!’

Can it give reliable guidance? ⁵⁶ 

It is overlaid with gold and silver;

it has no life’s breath inside it.

2:20 But the Lord is in his majestic palace. ⁵⁷ 

The whole earth is speechless in his presence!” ⁵⁸ 

[37:12]  ¹ tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NIV “forefathers”; NCV “ancestors.”

[37:12]  ² tn Heb “Did the gods of the nations whom my fathers destroyed rescue them – Gozan and Haran, and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who are in Telassar?”

[37:13]  ³ sn Lair was a city located in northeastern Babylon. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 235.

[37:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “Hear all the words of Sennacherib which he sent to taunt the living God.”

[37:18]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text here has “all the lands,” but the parallel text in 2 Kgs 19:17 has “the nations.”

[37:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “elders of the priests” (so KJV, NAB, NASB); NCV “the older priests”; NRSV, TEV, CEV “the senior priests.”

[18:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “After these things.”

[18:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁹ tn Or “Paul left.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:1]  ¹¹ sn Corinth was the capital city of the senatorial province of Achaia and the seat of the Roman proconsul. It was located 55 mi (88 km) west of Athens. Corinth was a major rival to Athens and was the largest city in Greece at the time.

[18:1]  map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[19:12]  ¹² tn Or “skin” (the outer surface of the body).

[19:12]  ¹³ tn Or “were taken.” It might be that as word went out into the region that since the sick could not come to Paul, healing was brought to them this way. The “handkerchiefs” are probably face cloths for wiping perspiration (see BDAG 934 s.v. σουδάριον) while the “aprons” might be material worn by workmen (BDAG 923-24 s.v. σιμικίνθιον).

[19:12]  ¹⁴ tn The words “of them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[19:13]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “some Jewish exorcists who traveled about.” The adjectival participle περιερχομένων (periercomenwn) has been translated as “itinerant.”

[19:13]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “to name the name.”

[19:13]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “who had.” Here ἔχω (ecw) is used of demon possession, a common usage according to BDAG 421 s.v. ἔχω 7.a.α.

[19:13]  ¹⁸ sn The expression I sternly warn you means “I charge you as under oath.”

[19:17]  ¹⁹ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:17]  ²⁰ tn Grk “fell on.” BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 2 has “φόβος ἐ. ἐπί τινα fear came upon someone…Ac 19:17.”

[19:17]  ²¹ tn Or “exalted.”

[19:18]  ²² tn Grk “came”; the word “forward” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning and to conform to the contemporary English idiom.

[19:18]  ²³ tn Or “confessing and disclosing their deeds.” BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναγγέλλω 2 has “W. ἐξομολογεῖσθαι: ἀ. τὰς πράξεις αὐτο'ν make their deeds known Ac 19:18.”

[19:18]  sn Making their deeds known. Ephesus was a major pagan religious center with much syncretistic “magical” practice. Coming to Jesus changed the lives and attitudes of these believers, creating a social impact.

[19:2]  ²⁴ tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") is taken temporally.

[19:2]  ²⁵ tn Grk “they [said] to him” (the word “said” is implied in the Greek text).

[19:2]  ²⁶ tn This use of ἀλλά (alla) is ascensive and involves an ellipsis (BDAG 45 s.v. ἀλλά 3): “No, [not only did we not receive the Spirit,] but also we have not heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” However, this is lengthy and somewhat awkward in English, and the ascensive meaning can be much more easily represented by including the word “even” after the negation. Apparently these disciples were unaware of the provision of the Spirit that is represented in baptism. The language sounds like they did not know about a Holy Spirit, but this seems to be only linguistic shorthand for not knowing about the Spirit’s presence (Luke 3:15-18). The situation is parallel to that of Apollos. Apollos and these disciples represent those who “complete” their transition to messianic faith as Jews.

[1:13]  ²⁷ 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.

[1:13]  ²⁸ tn The word “Jerusalem” is not in the Greek text but is implied (direct objects were often omitted when clear from the context).

[1:13]  ²⁹ sn In the various lists of the twelve, Peter (also called Simon) is always mentioned first (see also Matt 10:1-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.

[1:13]  ³⁰ tn The words “were there” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[1:14]  ³¹ sn Jesus’ brothers are mentioned in Matt 13:55 and John 7:3.

[1:15]  ³² tn Grk “And in those days.” 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.

[1:15]  ³³ tn Or “brethren” (but the term includes both male and female believers present in this gathering, as indicated by those named in vv. 13-14).

[1:16]  ³⁴ tn Grk “Men brothers.” In light of the compound phrase ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί (andre" adelfoi, “Men brothers”) Peter’s words are best understood as directly addressed to the males present, possibly referring specifically to the twelve (really ten at this point – eleven minus the speaker, Peter) mentioned by name in v. 13.

[1:16]  ³⁵ tn Grk “foretold by the mouth of.”

[1:17]  ³⁶ tn Or “and was chosen to have a share in this ministry.” The term λαγχάνω (lancanw) here and in 2 Pet 1:1 can be understood as referring to the process of divine choice and thus be translated, “was chosen to have.”

[115:3]  ³⁷ sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).

[115:4]  ³⁸ tn The referent of the pronominal suffix is “the nations” (v. 2).

[115:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”

[115:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “they cannot mutter in their throats.” Verse 5a refers to speaking, v. 7c to inarticulate sounds made in the throat (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:140-41).

[115:8]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”

[115:8]  sn Because the idols are lifeless, they cannot help their worshipers in times of crisis. Consequently the worshipers end up as dead as the gods in which they trust.

[135:5]  ⁴² tn Or “for.”

[135:15]  ⁴³ tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”

[135:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (’af ’en, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”

[135:18]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”

[135:18]  sn Because the idols are lifeless, they cannot help their worshipers in times of crisis. Consequently the worshipers end up as dead as the gods in which they trust.

[10:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “statutes.” According to BDB 350 s.v. חֻקָּה 2.b it refers to the firmly established customs or practices of the pagan nations. Compare the usage in Lev 20:23; 2 Kgs 17:8. Here it is essentially equivalent to דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) in v. 1, which has already been translated “religious practices.”

[10:3]  ⁴⁷ sn This passage is dripping with sarcasm. It begins by talking about the “statutes” of the pagan peoples as a “vapor” using a singular copula and singular predicate. Then it suppresses the subject, the idol, as though it were too horrible to mention, using only the predications about it. The last two lines read literally: “[it is] a tree which one cuts down from the forest; the work of the hands of a craftsman with his chisel.”

[10:4]  ⁴⁸ tn The pronoun is plural in Hebrew, referring to the parts.

[10:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “And it is not in them to do good either.”

[10:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Aram “The gods who did not make…earth will disappear…” The sentence is broken up in the translation to avoid a long, complex English sentence in conformity with contemporary English style.

[10:11]  ⁵¹ tn This verse is in Aramaic. It is the only Aramaic sentence in Jeremiah. Scholars debate the appropriateness of this verse to this context. Many see it as a gloss added by a postexilic scribe which was later incorporated into the text. Both R. E. Clendenen (“Discourse Strategies in Jeremiah 10,” JBL 106 [1987]: 401-8) and W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:324-25, 334-35) have given detailed arguments that the passage is not only original but the climax and center of the contrast between the Lord and idols in vv. 2-16. Holladay shows that the passage is a very carefully constructed chiasm (see accompanying study note) which argues that “these” at the end is the subject of the verb “will disappear” not the attributive adjective modifying heaven. He also makes a very good case that the verse is poetry and not prose as it is rendered in the majority of modern English versions.

[10:11]  sn This passage is carefully structured and placed to contrast the Lord who is living and eternal (v. 10) and made the heavens and earth (v. 12) with the idols who did not and will disappear. It also has a very careful concentric structure in the original text where “the gods” is balanced by “these,” “heavens” is balance by “from under the heavens,” “the earth” is balanced by “from the earth,” and “did not make” is balanced and contrasted in the very center by “will disappear.” The structure is further reinforced by the sound play/wordplay between “did not make” (Aram לָא עֲבַדוּ [la’ ’avadu]) and “will disappear” (Aram יֵאבַדוּ [ye’vadu]). This is the rhetorical climax of Jeremiah’s sarcastic attack on the folly of idolatry.

[10:12]  ⁵² tn The words “The Lord is” are not in the text. They are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation here because of the possible confusion of who the subject is due to the parenthetical address to the people of Israel in v. 11. The first two verbs are participles and should not merely be translated as the narrative past. They are predicate nominatives of an implied copula intending to contrast the Lord as the one who made the earth with the idols which did not.

[3:15]  ⁵³ tn Aram “hand.” So also in v. 17.

[2:19]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “Woe [to] the one who says.” On the term הוֹי (hoy) see the note on the word “dead” in v. 6.

[2:19]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “he who says” in the translation are supplied from the previous parallel line.

[2:19]  ⁵⁶ tn Though the Hebrew text has no formal interrogative marker here, the context indicates that the statement should be taken as a rhetorical question anticipating the answer, “Of course not!” (so also NIV, NRSV).

[2:20]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “holy temple.” The Lord’s heavenly palace, rather than the earthly temple, is probably in view here (see Ps 11:4; Mic 1:2-3). The Hebrew word ֹקדֶשׁ (qodesh, “holy”) here refers to the sovereign transcendence associated with his palace.

[2:20]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “Be quiet before him, all the earth!”