Yosua 21:17

21:17 From the tribe of Benjamin they assigned ¹  Gibeon, Geba,

Yosua 21:1

Levitical Cities

21:1 The tribal leaders of the Levites went before Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun and the Israelite tribal leaders

Kisah Para Rasul 15:22

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ²  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ³  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ⁴  with Paul and Barnabas.

Kisah Para Rasul 15:1

The Jerusalem Council

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ⁵  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ⁶  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Kisah Para Rasul 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ⁷  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ⁸  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ⁹  against the native Hebraic Jews, ¹⁰  because their widows ¹¹  were being overlooked ¹²  in the daily distribution of food. ¹³ 

Yesaya 10:29

10:29 They went through the pass,

spent the night at Geba.

Ramah trembled,

Gibeah of Saul ran away.

Zakharia 14:10

14:10 All the land will change and become like the Arabah ¹⁴  from Geba to Rimmon, ¹⁵  south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate ¹⁶  and on to the Corner Gate, ¹⁷  and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. ¹⁸ 

[21:17]  ¹ tn The words “they assigned” are supplied for clarification (also in vv. 23, 25).

[15:22]  ² tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”

[15:22]  ³ sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  ⁴ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:22]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[15:1]  ⁵ sn That is, they came down from Judea to Antioch in Syria.

[15:1]  ⁶ tc Codex Bezae (D) and a few other witnesses have “and walk” here (i.e., instead of τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως [tw eqei tw Mwu>sew"] they read καὶ τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως περιπατῆτε [kai tw eqei tw Mwu>sew" peripathte]). This is a decidedly stronger focus on obedience to the Law. As well, D expands vv. 1-5 in various places with the overall effect of being “more sympathetic to the local tradition of the church at Jerusalem” while the Alexandrian witnesses are more sympathetic to Paul (TCGNT 377). Codex D is well known for having a significantly longer text in Acts, but modern scholarship is generally of the opinion that the text of D expands on the original wording of Acts, with a theological viewpoint that especially puts Peter in a more authoritarian light. The expansion in these five verses is in keeping with that motif even though Peter is not explicitly in view.

[15:1]  sn Unless you are circumcised. These teachers from Judea were teaching that Gentiles could not be saved unless they kept the law of Moses in regard to circumcision. Thus according to them a Gentile had first to become a proselyte to Judaism, including circumcision, before one could become a Christian. This party is sometimes known (collectively) as Judaizers. They did not question that Gentiles could come into the community, but disagreed with Paul and Barnabas on what basis they could do so.

[6:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁹ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[6:1]  sn The Greek-speaking Jews were the Hellenists, Jews who to a greater or lesser extent had adopted Greek thought, customs, and lifestyle, as well as the Greek language. The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a focal point for them, but they were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.

[6:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ¹¹ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

[6:1]  ¹² tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “in the daily serving.”

[6:1]  sn The daily distribution of food. The early church saw it as a responsibility to meet the basic needs of people in their group.

[14:10]  ¹⁴ tn Or “like a plain” (similar KJV, NAB, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT); or “like a steppe”; cf. CEV “flatlands.” The Hebrew term עֲרָבָה (’aravah) refers to an arid plain or steppe, but can be used specifically as the name of the rift valley running from the Sea of Galilee via the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.

[14:10]  ¹⁵ sn The expression from Geba to Rimmon is a way of indicating the extent of all Judah from north (2 Kgs 23:8) to south (Job 15:32; 19:7). Since Geba (Heb. גֶּבַע) means “hill” and Rimmon resembles the word for height (Heb. רָמָה, ramah), this could be a play on words suggesting that all the high country will be made low, like the great Arabah valley.

[14:10]  ¹⁶ tn Or “old gate” (NLT); or “former gate” (NRSV).

[14:10]  ¹⁷ sn From the Benjamin Gate…on to the Corner Gate marks the northern wall of the city of Jerusalem from east to west.

[14:10]  ¹⁸ sn From the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses indicates the extent of Jerusalem from north to south.