Yohanes 2:18

2:18 So then the Jewish leaders ¹  responded, ²  “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” ³ 

Yohanes 4:8

4:8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies. ⁴ ) ⁵ 

Keluaran 4:8

4:8 “If ⁶  they do not believe you or pay attention to ⁷  the former sign, then they may ⁸  believe the latter sign. ⁹ 

Keluaran 4:1

The Source of Sufficiency

4:1 ¹⁰ Moses answered again, ¹¹  “And if ¹²  they do not believe me or pay attention to me, ¹³  but say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you’?”

Kisah Para Rasul 13:3

13:3 Then, after they had fasted ¹⁴  and ¹⁵  prayed and placed their hands ¹⁶  on them, they sent them off.

Kisah Para Rasul 13:5

13:5 When ¹⁷  they arrived ¹⁸  in Salamis, ¹⁹  they began to proclaim ²⁰  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ²¹  (Now they also had John ²²  as their assistant.) ²³ 

Yesaya 7:11-14

7:11 “Ask for a confirming sign from the Lord your God. You can even ask for something miraculous.” ²⁴  7:12 But Ahaz responded, “I don’t want to ask; I don’t want to put the Lord to a test.” ²⁵  7:13 So Isaiah replied, ²⁶  “Pay attention, ²⁷  family ²⁸  of David. ²⁹  Do you consider it too insignificant to try the patience of men? Is that why you are also trying the patience of my God? 7:14 For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. ³⁰  Look, this ³¹  young woman ³²  is about to conceive ³³  and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him ³⁴  Immanuel. ³⁵ 

Matius 12:38-39

The Sign of Jonah

12:38 Then some of the experts in the law ³⁶  along with some Pharisees ³⁷  answered him, ³⁸  “Teacher, we want to see a sign ³⁹  from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, ⁴⁰  “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Matius 16:1-4

The Demand for a Sign

16:1 Now when the Pharisees ⁴¹  and Sadducees ⁴²  came to test Jesus, ⁴³  they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ⁴⁴  16:2 He ⁴⁵  said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ ⁴⁶  You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, ⁴⁷  but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then ⁴⁸  he left them and went away.

Markus 8:11

The Demand for a Sign

8:11 Then the Pharisees ⁴⁹  came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for ⁵⁰  a sign from heaven ⁵¹  to test him.

Lukas 11:29-30

The Sign of Jonah

11:29 As ⁵²  the crowds were increasing, Jesus ⁵³  began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, ⁵⁴  but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ⁵⁵  11:30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, ⁵⁶  so the Son of Man will be a sign ⁵⁷  to this generation. ⁵⁸ 

Kisah Para Rasul 4:30

4:30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs ⁵⁹  and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Kisah Para Rasul 4:1

The Arrest and Trial of Peter and John

4:1 While Peter and John ⁶⁰  were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander ⁶¹  of the temple guard ⁶²  and the Sadducees ⁶³  came up ⁶⁴  to them,

Kolose 1:22

1:22 but now he has reconciled you ⁶⁵  by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him –

Ibrani 2:4

2:4 while God confirmed their witness ⁶⁶  with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed ⁶⁷  according to his will.

[2:18]  ¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.)

[2:18]  ² tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[2:18]  ³ sn The request “What sign can you show us” by Jesus’ adversaries was a request for a defense of his actions – a mark of divine authentication. Whether this was a request for a miracle is not entirely clear. Jesus never obliged such a request. Yet, ironically, the only sign the Jewish leadership will get is that predicted by Jesus in 2:19 – his crucifixion and resurrection. Cf. the “sign of Jonah” in the synoptics (Matt 12:39, 40; Luke 11:29-32).

[4:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “buy food.”

[4:8]  ⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author, indicating why Jesus asked the woman for a drink (for presumably his disciples also took the water bucket with them).

[4:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “and it will be if.”

[4:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “listen to the voice of,” meaning listen so as to respond appropriately.

[4:8]  ⁸ tn The nuance of this perfect tense with a vav (ו) consecutive will be equal to the imperfect of possibility – “they may believe.”

[4:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “believe the voice of the latter sign,” so as to understand and accept the meaning of the event.

[4:1]  ¹⁰ sn In chap. 3, the first part of this extensive call, Yahweh promises to deliver his people. At the hesitancy of Moses, God guarantees his presence will be with him, and that assures the success of the mission. But with chap. 4, the second half of the call, the tone changes sharply. Now Moses protests his inadequacies in view of the nature of the task. In many ways, these verses address the question, “Who is sufficient for these things?” There are three basic movements in the passage. The first nine verses tell how God gave Moses signs in case Israel did not believe him (4:1-9). The second section records how God dealt with the speech problem of Moses (4:10-12). And finally, the last section records God’s provision of a helper, someone who could talk well (4:13-17). See also J. E. Hamlin, “The Liberator’s Ordeal: A Study of Exodus 4:1-9,” Rhetorical Criticism [PTMS], 33-42.

[4:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and Moses answered and said.”

[4:1]  ¹² tn Or “What if.” The use of הֵן (hen) is unusual here, introducing a conditional idea in the question without a following consequence clause (see Exod 8:22 HT [8:26 ET]; Jer 2:10; 2 Chr 7:13). The Greek has “if not” but adds the clause “what shall I say to them?”

[4:1]  ¹³ tn Heb “listen to my voice,” so as to respond positively.

[13:3]  ¹⁴ tn The three aorist participles νηστεύσαντες (nhsteusante"), προσευξάμενοι (proseuxamenoi), and ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") are translated as temporal participles. Although they could indicate contemporaneous time when used with an aorist main verb, logically here they are antecedent. On fasting and prayer, see Matt 6:5, 16; Luke 2:37; 5:33; Acts 14:23.

[13:3]  ¹⁵ tn Normally English style, which uses a coordinating conjunction between only the last two elements of a series of three or more, would call for omission of “and” here. However, since the terms “fasting and prayer” are something of a unit, often linked together, the conjunction has been retained here.

[13:3]  ¹⁶ sn The placing of hands on Barnabas and Saul (traditionally known as “the laying on of hands”) refers to an act picturing the commission of God and the church for the task at hand.

[13:5]  ¹⁷ 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.

[13:5]  ¹⁸ tn The participle γενόμενοι (genomenoi) is taken temporally.

[13:5]  ¹⁹ sn Salamis was a city on the southeastern coast of the island of Cyprus. This was a commercial center and a center of Judaism.

[13:5]  ²⁰ tn The imperfect verb κατήγγελλον (kathngellon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[13:5]  ²¹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:5]  ²² sn John refers here to John Mark (see Acts 12:25).

[13:5]  ²³ tn The word ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") usually has the meaning “servant,” but it is doubtful John Mark fulfilled that capacity for Barnabas and Saul. He was more likely an apprentice or assistant to them.

[13:5]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:11]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Make it as deep as Sheol or make it high upwards.” These words suggest that Ahaz can feel free to go beyond the bounds of ordinary human experience.

[7:12]  ²⁵ tn Ahaz uses the verb נָסַה (nasah, “test”) in its negative sense of “challenge, provoke.” However, this is false piety, a smokescreen designed to cover up his lack of faith in the Lord.

[7:13]  ²⁶ tn Heb “and he said.” The subject is unexpressed, but the reference to “my God” at the end of the verse indicates the prophet is speaking.

[7:13]  ²⁷ tn The verb is second plural in form, because the prophet addresses the whole family of David. He continues to use the plural in v. 14 (with one exception, see the notes on that verse), but then switches back to the second singular (addressing Ahaz specifically) in vv. 16-17.

[7:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “house.” See the note at v. 2.

[7:13]  ²⁹ sn The address to the “house of David” is designed to remind Ahaz and his royal court of the protection promised to them through the Davidic covenant. The king’s refusal to claim God’s promise magnifies his lack of faith.

[7:14]  ³⁰ tn The Hebrew term אוֹת (’ot, “sign”) can refer to a miraculous event (see v. 11), but it does not carry this sense inherently. Elsewhere in Isaiah the word usually refers to a natural occurrence or an object/person vested with special significance (see 8:18; 19:20; 20:3; 37:30; 55:13; 66:19). Only in 38:7-8, 22 does it refer to a miraculous deed that involves suspending or overriding natural laws. The sign outlined in vv. 14-17 involves God’s providential control over events and their timing, but not necessarily miraculous intervention.

[7:14]  ³¹ tn Heb “the young woman.” The Hebrew article has been rendered as a demonstrative pronoun (“this”) in the translation to bring out its force. It is very likely that Isaiah pointed to a woman who was present at the scene of the prophet’s interview with Ahaz. Isaiah’s address to the “house of David” and his use of second plural forms suggests other people were present, and his use of the second feminine singular verb form (“you will name”) later in the verse is best explained if addressed to a woman who is present.

[7:14]  ³² tn Traditionally, “virgin.” Because this verse from Isaiah is quoted in Matt 1:23 in connection with Jesus’ birth, the Isaiah passage has been regarded since the earliest Christian times as a prophecy of Christ’s virgin birth. Much debate has taken place over the best way to translate this Hebrew term, although ultimately one’s view of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is unaffected. Though the Hebrew word used here (עַלְמָה, ’almah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun עֶלֶם (’elem, “young man”; cf. 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.” The LXX translator(s) who later translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek sometime between the second and first century b.c., however, rendered the Hebrew term by the more specific Greek word παρθένος (parqenos), which does mean “virgin” in a technical sense. This is the Greek term that also appears in the citation of Isa 7:14 in Matt 1:23. Therefore, regardless of the meaning of the term in the OT context, in the NT Matthew’s usage of the Greek term παρθένος clearly indicates that from his perspective a virgin birth has taken place.

[7:14]  ³³ tn Elsewhere the adjective הָרָה (harah), when used predicatively, refers to a past pregnancy (from the narrator’s perspective, 1 Sam 4:19), to a present condition (Gen 16:11; 38:24; 2 Sam 11:5), and to a conception that is about to occur in the near future (Judg 13:5, 7). (There is some uncertainty about the interpretation of Judg 13:5, 7, however. See the notes to those verses.) In Isa 7:14 one could translate, “the young woman is pregnant.” In this case the woman is probably a member of the royal family. Another option, the one followed in the present translation, takes the adjective in an imminent future sense, “the young woman is about to conceive.” In this case the woman could be a member of the royal family, or, more likely, the prophetess with whom Isaiah has sexual relations shortly after this (see 8:3).

[7:14]  ³⁴ tn Heb “and you will call his name.” The words “young lady” are supplied in the translation to clarify the identity of the addressee. The verb is normally taken as an archaic third feminine singular form here, and translated, “she will call.” However the form (קָרָאת, qara’t) is more naturally understood as second feminine singular, in which case the words would be addressed to the young woman mentioned just before this. In the three other occurrences of the third feminine singular perfect of I קָרָא (qara’, “to call”), the form used is קָרְאָה (qar’ah; see Gen 29:35; 30:6; 1 Chr 4:9). A third feminine singular perfect קָרָאת does appear in Deut 31:29 and Jer 44:23, but the verb here is the homonym II קָרָא (“to meet, encounter”). The form קָרָאת (from I קָרָא, “to call”) appears in three other passages (Gen 16:11; Isa 60:18; Jer 3:4 [Qere]) and in each case is second feminine singular.

[7:14]  ³⁵ sn The name Immanuel means “God [is] with us.”

[12:38]  ³⁶ tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[12:38]  ³⁷ tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.

[12:38]  sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[12:38]  ³⁸ tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.

[12:38]  ³⁹ sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.

[12:39]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[16:1]  ⁴¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.

[16:1]  ⁴² sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.

[16:1]  ⁴³ tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.

[16:1]  ⁴⁴ sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.

[16:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.

[16:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).

[16:3]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”

[16:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:11]  ⁴⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.

[8:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “seeking from him.” The participle ζητοῦντες (zhtountes) shows the means by which the Pharisees argued with Jesus.

[8:11]  ⁵¹ sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.

[11:29]  ⁵² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[11:29]  ⁵³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:29]  ⁵⁴ sn The mention of a sign alludes back to Luke 11:16. Given what Jesus had done, nothing would be good enough. This leads to the rebuke that follows.

[11:29]  ⁵⁵ sn As the following comparisons to Solomon and Jonah show, in the present context the sign of Jonah is not an allusion to Jonah being three days in the belly of the fish, but to Jesus’ teaching about wisdom and repentance.

[11:30]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “to the Ninevites.” What the Ninevites experienced was Jonah’s message (Jonah 3:4, 10; 4:1).

[11:30]  ⁵⁷ tn The repetition of the words “a sign” are not in the Greek text, but are implied and are supplied here for clarity.

[11:30]  ⁵⁸ tc Only the Western ms D and a few Itala mss add here a long reference to Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days and nights and the Son of Man being three days in the earth, apparently harmonizing the text to the parallel in Matt 12:40.

[4:30]  ⁵⁹ tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.

[4:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “While they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:1]  ⁶¹ tn Or “captain.”

[4:1]  ⁶² tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.

[4:1]  sn The commander of the temple guard was the title of the officer commanding the Jewish soldiers responsible for guarding and keeping order in the temple courts in Jerusalem.

[4:1]  ⁶³ sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 3:7; 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.

[4:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “approached.” This verb often denotes a sudden appearing (BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1).

[1:22]  ⁶⁵ tc Some of the better representatives of the Alexandrian and Western texts have a passive verb here instead of the active ἀποκατήλλαξεν (apokathllaxen, “he has reconciled”): ἀποκατηλλάγητε (apokathllaghte) in (Ì⁴⁶) B, ἀποκατήλλακται [sic] (apokathllaktai) in 33, and ἀποκαταλλαγέντες (apokatallagente") in D* F G. Yet the active verb is strongly supported by א A C D² Ψ 048 075 [0278] 1739 1881 Ï lat sy. Internally, the passive creates an anacoluthon in that it looks back to the accusative ὑμᾶς (Juma", “you”) of v. 21 and leaves the following παραστῆσαι (parasthsai) dangling (“you were reconciled…to present you”). The passive reading is certainly the harder reading. As such, it may well explain the rise of the other readings. At the same time, it is possible that the passive was produced by scribes who wanted some symmetry between the ποτε (pote, “at one time”) of v. 21 and the νυνὶ δέ (nuni de, “but now”) of v. 22: Since a passive periphrastic participle is used in v. 21, there may have a temptation to produce a corresponding passive form in v. 22, handling the ὑμᾶς of v. 21 by way of constructio ad sensum. Since παραστῆσαι occurs ten words later, it may not have been considered in this scribal modification. Further, the Western reading (ἀποκαταλλαγέντες) hardly seems to have arisen from ἀποκατηλλάγητε (contra TCGNT 555). As difficult as this decision is, the preferred reading is the active form because it is superior externally and seems to explain the rise of all forms of the passive readings.

[1:22]  tn The direct object is omitted in the Greek text, but it is clear from context that “you” (ὑμᾶς, Jumas) is implied.

[2:4]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “God bearing witness together” (the phrase “with them” is implied).

[2:4]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “and distributions of the Holy Spirit.”