Mazmur 138:1

Psalm 138 ¹ 

By David.

138:1 I will give you thanks with all my heart;

before the heavenly assembly ²  I will sing praises to you.

Daniel 3:16-18

3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ³  “We do not need to give you a reply ⁴  concerning this. 3:17 If ⁵  our God whom we are serving exists, ⁶  he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

Daniel 4:1-3

4:1 (3:31) ⁷  “King Nebuchadnezzar, to all peoples, nations, and language groups that live in all the land: Peace and prosperity! ⁸  4:2 I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.

4:3 “How great are his signs!

How mighty are his wonders!

His kingdom will last forever, ⁹ 

and his authority continues from one generation to the next.”

Daniel 4:25-27

4:25 You will be driven ¹⁰  from human society, ¹¹  and you will live ¹²  with the wild animals. You will be fed ¹³  grass like oxen, ¹⁴  and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Seven periods of time will pass by for you, before ¹⁵  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 4:26 They said to leave the taproot of the tree, for your kingdom will be restored to you when you come to understand that heaven ¹⁶  rules. 4:27 Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your prosperity will be prolonged.” ¹⁷ 

Matius 10:18-19

10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings ¹⁸  because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever ¹⁹  they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, ²⁰  for what you should say will be given to you at that time. ²¹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 26:1-2

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ²²  said to Paul, “You have permission ²³  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ²⁴  and began his defense: ²⁵ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ²⁶  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

Kisah Para Rasul 26:24-29

26:24 As Paul ²⁷  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ²⁸  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ²⁹  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 26:25 But Paul replied, ³⁰  “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, ³¹  but am speaking ³²  true and rational ³³  words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ³⁴  to him, ³⁵  because I cannot believe ³⁶  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ³⁷  for this was not done in a corner. ³⁸  26:27 Do you believe the prophets, ³⁹  King Agrippa? ⁴⁰  I know that you believe.” 26:28 Agrippa ⁴¹  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ⁴²  26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ⁴³  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ⁴⁴ 

[138:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 138. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord for his deliverance and protection.

[138:1]  ² tn The referent of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is unclear. It refers either to the angelic assembly (see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5) or to the pagan gods (see Pss 82:1, 6; 86:8; 97:7), in which case the psalmist’s praise takes on a polemical tone.

[3:16]  ³ tc In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the atnach from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”

[3:16]  ⁴ tn Aram “to return a word to you.”

[3:17]  ⁵ tc The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17.

[3:17]  ⁶ tn The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (’itay, “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל (yakhil, “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen, 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ’itay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 45, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15, which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power.

[4:1]  ⁷ sn Beginning with 4:1, the verse numbers through 4:37 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Aramaic text (BHS), with 4:1 ET = 3:31 AT, 4:2 ET = 3:32 AT, 4:3 ET = 3:33 AT, 4:4 ET = 4:1 AT, etc., through 4:37 ET = 4:34 AT. Thus Dan 3:31-33 of the Aramaic text appears as Dan 4:1-3 in the English Bible, and the corresponding verses of ch. 4 differ accordingly. In spite of the division of the Aramaic text, a good case can be made that 3:31-33 AT (= 4:1-3 ET) is actually the introduction to ch. 4.

[4:1]  ⁸ tn Aram “May your peace increase!”

[4:3]  ⁹ tn Aram “his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.”

[4:25]  ¹⁰ tn The Aramaic indefinite active plural is used here like the English passive. So also in v. 28, 29,32.

[4:25]  ¹¹ tn Aram “from mankind.” So also in v. 32.

[4:25]  ¹² tn Aram “your dwelling will be.” So also in v. 32.

[4:25]  ¹³ tn Or perhaps “be made to eat.”

[4:25]  ¹⁴ sn Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity has features that are associated with the mental disorder known as boanthropy, in which the person so afflicted imagines himself to be an ox or a similar animal and behaves accordingly.

[4:25]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “until.”

[4:26]  ¹⁶ sn The reference to heaven here is a circumlocution for God. There was a tendency in Jewish contexts to avoid direct reference to God. Cf. the expression “kingdom of heaven” in the NT and such statements as “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Luke 15:21).

[4:27]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “if there may be a lengthening to your prosperity.”

[10:18]  ¹⁸ sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.

[10:19]  ¹⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:19]  ²⁰ tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”

[10:19]  ²¹ tn Grk “in that hour.”

[26:1]  ²² sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ²³ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ²⁴ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ²⁵ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[26:2]  ²⁶ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:24]  ²⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:24]  ²⁸ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:24]  ²⁹ tn On the term translated “lost your mind” see BDAG 610 s.v. μαίνομαι, which has “you’re out of your mind, you’re raving, said to one whose enthusiasm seems to have outrun better judgment 26:24.”

[26:24]  sn The expression “You have lost your mind” would be said to someone who speaks incredible things, in the opinion of the hearer. Paul’s mention of the resurrection (v. 23) was probably what prompted Festus to say this.

[26:25]  ³⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[26:25]  ³¹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:25]  ³² tn Or “declaring.” BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποφθέγγομαι states, “speak out, declare boldly or loudly…τὶ: σωφροσύνης ῥήματα Ac 26:25.”

[26:25]  ³³ tn BDAG 987 s.v. σωφροσύνη 1 has “gener. soundness of mind, reasonableness, rationality…ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα true and rational words (opp. μαίνομαι) Ac 26:25.”

[26:26]  ³⁴ tn BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1 states, “speak freely, openly, fearlessly…likew. in the ptc. w. a verb of saying foll.…παρρησιασάμενοι εἶπαν 13:46. – 26:26.” This could refer to boldness in speaking here.

[26:26]  ³⁵ tn Grk “to whom I am speaking freely.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“him”) to simplify the translation.

[26:26]  ³⁶ tn Grk “I cannot convince myself.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.a states, “οὐ πείθομαι w. acc. and inf. I cannot believe Ac 26:26” (see also BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω).

[26:26]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω states, “λανθάνειν αὐτὸν τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν I cannot bring myself to believe that any of these things has escaped his notice Ac 26:26.”

[26:26]  ³⁸ tn This term refers to a hidden corner (BDAG 209 s.v. γωνία). Paul’s point is that these events to which he refers were not done in a secret, hidden place, tucked away outside of view. They were done in public for all the world to see.

[26:27]  ³⁹ sn “Do you believe the prophets?” Note how Paul made the issue believing the OT prophets and God’s promise which God fulfilled in Christ. He was pushing King Agrippa toward a decision not for or against Paul’s guilt of any crime, but concerning Paul’s message.

[26:27]  ⁴⁰ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ⁴¹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ⁴² tn Or “In a short time you will make me a Christian.” On the difficulty of the precise nuances of Agrippa’s reply in this passage, see BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b. The idiom is like 1 Kgs 21:7 LXX. The point is that Paul was trying to persuade Agrippa to accept his message. If Agrippa had let Paul persuade him, he would have converted to Christianity.

[26:28]  sn The question “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” was probably a ploy on Agrippa’s part to deflect Paul from his call for a decision. Note also how the tables have turned: Agrippa was brought in to hear Paul’s defense, and now ends up defending himself. The questioner is now being questioned.

[26:29]  ⁴³ tn BDAG 703 s.v. ὀλίγος 2.b.β has “καὶ ἐν ὀλ. καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ whether in a short or a long time vs. 29 (cf. B-D-F §195; GWhitaker, The Words of Agrippa to St. Paul: JTS 15, 1914, 82f; AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 14, ’35, 50; Field, Notes 141-43; s. Rob. 653).”

[26:29]  ⁴⁴ sn Except for these chains. The chains represented Paul’s unjust suffering for the sake of the message. His point was, in effect, “I do not care how long it takes. I only hope you and everyone else hearing this would become believers in Christ, but without my unjust suffering.”