The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday June 28, 2024 (NIV)

2 Kings 13-14

Jehoahaz’s Reign over Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for seventeen years. He did evil in the sight of[a] the Lord. He continued in[b] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins.[c] The Lord was furious with[d] Israel and handed them over to[e] King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years.[f]

Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy,[g] and the Lord responded favorably,[h] for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria.[i] The Lord provided a deliverer[j] for Israel, and they were freed from Syria’s power.[k] The Israelites once more lived in security.[l] But they did not repudiate[m] the sinful ways of the family[n] of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins.[o] There was even an Asherah pole[p] standing in Samaria. Jehoahaz had no army left[q] except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops[r] and trampled on them as dust.[s]

The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[t] Jehoahaz passed away[u] and was buried[v] in Samaria. His son Jehoash[w] replaced him as king.

Jehoash’s Reign over Israel

10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Jehoash’s reign over Judah, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of[x] the Lord. He did not repudiate[y] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins.[z] 12 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s[aa] reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[ab] 13 Jehoash passed away[ac] and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne.[ad] Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha Makes One Final Prophecy

14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness.[ae] King Jehoash of Israel went down to visit him.[af] He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot[ag] and horsemen of Israel!”[ah] 15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.[ai] 16 Then Elisha[aj] told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.”[ak] He did so,[al] and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Elisha[am] said, “Open the east window,” and he did so.[an] Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so.[ao] Elisha[ap] said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria.[aq] You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!”[ar] 18 Then Elisha[as] said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so.[at] He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 The prophet[au] got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria![av] But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”

20 Elisha died and was buried.[aw] Moabite raiding parties invaded[ax] the land at the beginning of the year.[ay] 21 One day some men[az] were burying a man when they spotted[ba] a raiding party. So they threw the dead man[bb] into Elisha’s tomb. When the body[bc] touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man[bd] came to life and stood on his feet.

22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign.[be] 23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them.[bf] He extended his favor to them[bg] because of the promise he had made[bh] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day.[bi] 24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. 25 Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from[bj] Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Jehoash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.

Amaziah’s Reign over Judah

14 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz,[bk] Joash’s[bl] son Amaziah became king over Judah. He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother[bm] was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. He did what the Lord approved,[bn] but not like David his ancestor had done. He followed the example of his father Joash.[bo] But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

When he had secured control of the kingdom,[bp] he executed the servants who had assassinated his father.[bq] But he did not execute the sons of the assassins. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the scroll of the law of Moses, “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do,[br] and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do.[bs] A man must be put to death only for his own sin.”[bt]

He defeated[bu] 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley; he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, a name it has retained to this very day. Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.”[bv] King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal[bw] of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn.[bx] 10 You thoroughly defeated Edom,[by] and it has gone to your head![bz] Gloat over your success,[ca] but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?”[cb] 11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning,[cc] so King Jehoash of Israel attacked.[cd] He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face[ce] in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home.[cf] 13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He[cg] attacked[ch] Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—a distance of about 600 feet.[ci] 14 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages.[cj] Then he went back to Samaria.

15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s[ck] reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[cl] 16 Jehoash passed away[cm] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam replaced him as king.

17 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 18 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.[cn] 19 Conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem,[co] so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him,[cp] and they killed him there. 20 His body was carried back by horses,[cq] and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David. 21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 22 Azariah[cr] built up Elat and restored it to Judah after the king[cs] had passed away.[ct]

Jeroboam II’s Reign over Israel

23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Amaziah son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Joash became king over Israel. He reigned for forty-one years in Samaria. 24 He did evil in the sight of[cu] the Lord; he did not repudiate[cv] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath[cw] in the north to the sea of the rift valley[cx] in the south,[cy] just as in the message from the Lord God of Israel that he had announced through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 26 The Lord saw Israel’s intense suffering;[cz] everyone was weak and incapacitated and Israel had no deliverer.[da] 27 The Lord had not decreed that he would blot out Israel’s memory[db] from under heaven,[dc] so he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash.

28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including all his accomplishments, his military success in restoring Israelite control over Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[dd] 29 Jeroboam passed away[de] and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.[df] His son Zechariah replaced him as king.

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Kings 13:2 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  2. 2 Kings 13:2 tn Heb “walked after.”
  3. 2 Kings 13:2 tn Heb “he did not turn aside from it.”
  4. 2 Kings 13:3 tn Heb “and the anger of the Lord burned against.”
  5. 2 Kings 13:3 tn Heb “he gave them into the hand of.”
  6. 2 Kings 13:3 tn Heb “all the days.”
  7. 2 Kings 13:4 tn Heb “appeased the face of the Lord.”
  8. 2 Kings 13:4 tn Heb “and the Lord listened to him.”
  9. 2 Kings 13:4 tn Heb “for he saw the oppression of Israel, for the king of Syria oppressed them.”
  10. 2 Kings 13:5 sn The identity of this unnamed “deliverer” is debated. For options see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 143.
  11. 2 Kings 13:5 tn Heb “and they went from under the hand of Syria.”
  12. 2 Kings 13:5 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as before.”
  13. 2 Kings 13:6 tn Heb “they did not turn away from.”
  14. 2 Kings 13:6 tn Heb “house.”
  15. 2 Kings 13:6 tc Heb “in it he walked.” The singular verb (הָלַךְ, halakh) is probably due to an error of haplography and should be emended to the plural (הָלְכוּ, halekhu). Note that a vav immediately follows (on the form וְגַם, vegam).
  16. 2 Kings 13:6 tn Or “an image of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “the Asherah”; NCV “the Asherah idol.”sn Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
  17. 2 Kings 13:7 tn Heb “Indeed he did not leave to Jehoahaz people.” The identity of the subject is uncertain, but the king of Syria, mentioned later in the verse, is a likely candidate.
  18. 2 Kings 13:7 tn Heb “them,” i.e., the remainder of this troops.
  19. 2 Kings 13:7 tn Heb “and made them like dust for trampling.”
  20. 2 Kings 13:8 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoahaz, and all which he did and his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  21. 2 Kings 13:9 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  22. 2 Kings 13:9 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
  23. 2 Kings 13:9 tn Heb “Joash,” an alternate form of the name “Jehoash.” For clarity, the translation consistently uses “Jehoash” for the son of Jehoahaz King of Israel in 13:9, 12, 13, 14, 25.
  24. 2 Kings 13:11 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  25. 2 Kings 13:11 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
  26. 2 Kings 13:11 tn Heb “in it he walked.”
  27. 2 Kings 13:12 tn “Joash”; Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
  28. 2 Kings 13:12 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Joash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  29. 2 Kings 13:13 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  30. 2 Kings 13:13 tn Heb “sat on his throne.”
  31. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”
  32. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Heb “went down to him.”
  33. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
  34. 2 Kings 13:14 sn By comparing Elisha to a one-man army, the king emphasizes the power of the prophetic word. See the note at 2:12.
  35. 2 Kings 13:15 tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”
  36. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”
  38. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”
  39. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  40. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
  41. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “and he shot.”
  42. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  43. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the Lord and the arrow of victory over Syria.”
  44. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
  45. 2 Kings 13:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  46. 2 Kings 13:18 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
  47. 2 Kings 13:19 tn Heb “man of God.”
  48. 2 Kings 13:19 tn Heb “[It was necessary] to strike five or six times, then you would strike down Syria until destruction.” On the syntax of the infinitive construct, see GKC 349 §114.k.
  49. 2 Kings 13:20 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
  50. 2 Kings 13:20 tn Heb “entered.”
  51. 2 Kings 13:20 tc The MT reading בָּא שָׁנָה (baʾ shanah), “it came, year,” should probably be emended to בְּבָא הַשָּׁנָה (bevaʾ hashanah), “at the coming [i.e., ‘beginning’] of the year.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 148.
  52. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
  53. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
  54. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  55. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “the man.”
  56. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the dead man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Otherwise the reader might think it was Elisha rather than the unnamed dead man who came back to life.
  57. 2 Kings 13:22 tn Heb “all the days of Jehoahaz.”
  58. 2 Kings 13:23 tn Or “showed them compassion.”
  59. 2 Kings 13:23 tn Heb “he turned to them.”
  60. 2 Kings 13:23 tn Heb “because of his covenant with.”
  61. 2 Kings 13:23 tn Heb “until now.”
  62. 2 Kings 13:25 tn Heb “from the hand of.”
  63. 2 Kings 14:1 sn The name Joahaz is an alternate form of Jehoahaz.
  64. 2 Kings 14:1 sn The referent here is Joash of Judah (see 12:21), not Joash of Israel, mentioned earlier in the verse.
  65. 2 Kings 14:2 tn Heb “the name of his mother.”
  66. 2 Kings 14:3 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”
  67. 2 Kings 14:3 tn Heb “according to all which Joash his father had done, he did.”
  68. 2 Kings 14:5 tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure in his hand.”
  69. 2 Kings 14:5 tn Heb “he struck down his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”
  70. 2 Kings 14:6 tn Heb “on account of sons.”
  71. 2 Kings 14:6 tn Heb “on account of fathers.”
  72. 2 Kings 14:6 sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.
  73. 2 Kings 14:7 tn Or “struck down.”
  74. 2 Kings 14:8 tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here to meeting in battle. See v. 11.
  75. 2 Kings 14:9 tn Heb “the animal of the field.”
  76. 2 Kings 14:9 sn Judah is the thorn in the allegory. Amaziah’s success has deceived him into thinking he is on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he is not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).
  77. 2 Kings 14:10 tn Or “you have indeed defeated Edom.”
  78. 2 Kings 14:10 tn Heb “and your heart has lifted you up.”
  79. 2 Kings 14:10 tn Heb “be glorified.”
  80. 2 Kings 14:10 tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”
  81. 2 Kings 14:11 tn Heb “did not listen.”
  82. 2 Kings 14:11 tn Heb “went up.”
  83. 2 Kings 14:11 tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.”
  84. 2 Kings 14:12 tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”
  85. 2 Kings 14:13 tc The MT has the plural form of the verb, but the final vav (ו) is virtually dittographic. The word that immediately follows in the Hebrew text begins with a yod (י). The form should be emended to the singular, which is consistent in number with the verb (“he broke down”) that follows.
  86. 2 Kings 14:13 tn Heb “came to.”
  87. 2 Kings 14:13 tn Heb “400 cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about 18 inches (45 cm) long.
  88. 2 Kings 14:14 tn Heb “the sons of the pledges.”
  89. 2 Kings 14:15 sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.
  90. 2 Kings 14:15 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  91. 2 Kings 14:16 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  92. 2 Kings 14:18 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?”
  93. 2 Kings 14:19 tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.”
  94. 2 Kings 14:19 tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.”
  95. 2 Kings 14:20 tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.”
  96. 2 Kings 14:22 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Azariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  97. 2 Kings 14:22 sn This must refer to Amaziah.
  98. 2 Kings 14:22 tn Heb “lay with his fathers.”
  99. 2 Kings 14:24 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  100. 2 Kings 14:24 tn Heb “turn away from all.”
  101. 2 Kings 14:25 tn Or “entrance of Hamath” (so NASB and cf. KJV). This may be a site some 44 miles north of Damascus (see T. R. Hobbs, 2 Kings [WBC], 182).
  102. 2 Kings 14:25 tn The “sea of the rift valley” is the Dead Sea.
  103. 2 Kings 14:25 tn The phrases “in the north” and “in the south” are added in the translation for clarification.
  104. 2 Kings 14:26 tc Heb “for the Lord saw the very bitter affliction of Israel.” This translation assumes an emendation of מֹרֶה (moreh), which is meaningless here, to הַמַּר (hammar), the adjective “bitter” functioning attributively with the article prefixed. This emendation is supported by the LXX, Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate. Another option would be מַר הוּא (mar huʾ), “it was bitter.”
  105. 2 Kings 14:26 tn Heb “[there was] none but the restrained, and [there was] none but the abandoned, and there was no deliverer for Israel.” On the meaning of the terms עָצוּר (ʿatsur) and עָזוּב (ʿazur), see the note at 1 Kgs 14:10.
  106. 2 Kings 14:27 tn Heb “name.”
  107. 2 Kings 14:27 tn The phrase “from under heaven” adds emphasis to the verb “blot out” and suggest total annihilation. For other examples of the verb מָחָה (makhah), “blot out,” combined with “from under heaven,” see Exod 17:14; Deut 9:14; 25:19; 29:20.
  108. 2 Kings 14:28 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jeroboam, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought and how he restored Damascus and Hamath to Judah in Israel, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?” The phrase “to Judah” is probably not original; it may be a scribal addition by a Judahite scribe who was trying to link Jeroboam’s conquests with the earlier achievements of David and Solomon, who ruled in Judah. The Syriac Peshitta has simply “to Israel.” M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 162) offer this proposal, but acknowledge that it is “highly speculative.”
  109. 2 Kings 14:29 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  110. 2 Kings 14:29 tn The MT has simply “with the kings of Israel,” which appears to stand in apposition to the immediately preceding “with his fathers.” But it is likely that the words “and he was buried in Samaria” have been accidentally omitted from the text. See 13:13 and 14:16.
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Acts 18:23-19:12

23 After he spent[a] some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia[b] and Phrygia,[c] strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Begins His Ministry

24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker,[d] well-versed[e] in the scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in[f] the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm[g] he spoke and taught accurately the facts[h] about Jesus, although he knew[i] only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak out fearlessly[j] in the synagogue,[k] but when Priscilla and Aquila[l] heard him, they took him aside[m] and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 27 When Apollos[n] wanted to cross over to Achaia,[o] the brothers encouraged[p] him[q] and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he[r] assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously[s] in public debate,[t] demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ[u] was Jesus.[v]

Disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus

19 While[w] Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland[x] regions[y] and came to Ephesus. He[z] found some disciples there[aa] and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”[ab] They replied,[ac] “No, we have not even[ad] heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul[ae] said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied.[af] Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,[ag] that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul placed[ah] his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came[ai] upon them, and they began to speak[aj] in tongues and to prophesy.[ak] (Now there were about twelve men in all.)[al]

Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus

So Paul[am] entered[an] the synagogue[ao] and spoke out fearlessly[ap] for three months, addressing[aq] and convincing[ar] them about the kingdom of God.[as] But when[at] some were stubborn[au] and refused to believe, reviling[av] the Way[aw] before the congregation, he left[ax] them and took the disciples with him,[ay] addressing[az] them every day[ba] in the lecture hall[bb] of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia,[bc] both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.[bd]

The Seven Sons of Sceva

11 God was performing extraordinary[be] miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body[bf] were brought[bg] to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.[bh]

Footnotes:

  1. Acts 18:23 tn Grk “Having spent”; the participle ποιήσας (poiēsas) is taken temporally.
  2. Acts 18:23 sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor, or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch. The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.
  3. Acts 18:23 sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia. See Acts 16:6.
  4. Acts 18:24 tn Or “was a learned man.” In this verse λόγιος (logios) can refer to someone who was an attractive and convincing speaker, a rhetorician (L&N 33.32), or it can refer to the person who has acquired a large part of the intellectual heritage of a given culture (“learned” or “cultured,” L&N 27.20, see also BDAG 598 s.v. λόγιος which lists both meanings as possible here). The description of Apollos’ fervent speaking in the following verses, as well as implications from 1 Cor 1-4, where Paul apparently compares his style and speaking ability with that of Apollos, suggests that eloquent speaking ability or formal rhetorical skill are in view here. This clause has been moved from its order in the Greek text (Grk “a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus, who was powerful in the scriptures”) and paired with the last element (“powerful in the scriptures”) due to the demands of clarity and contemporary English style.
  5. Acts 18:24 tn Grk “powerful.” BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b has “in the Scriptures = well-versed 18:24.”
  6. Acts 18:25 tn Or “had been taught.”
  7. Acts 18:25 tn Grk “and boiling in spirit” (an idiom for great eagerness or enthusiasm; BDAG 426 s.v. ζέω).
  8. Acts 18:25 tn Grk “the things.”
  9. Acts 18:25 tn Grk “knowing”; the participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistamenos) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
  10. Acts 18:26 tn Or “boldly.” This is a frequent term in Acts (9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 19:8; 26:26).
  11. Acts 18:26 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
  12. Acts 18:26 sn Priscilla and Aquila. This key couple, of which Priscilla was an important enough figure to be mentioned by name, instructed Apollos about the most recent work of God. See also the note on Aquila in 18:2.
  13. Acts 18:26 tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσλαμβάνω 3 has “take aside, mid. τινά someone…So prob. also Ac 18:26: Priscilla and Aquila take Apollos aside to teach him undisturbed.”
  14. Acts 18:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  15. Acts 18:27 sn To cross over to Achaia. Achaia was organized by the Romans as a separate province of Greece in 27 b.c. and was located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. The city of Corinth was in Achaia.
  16. Acts 18:27 tn Grk “encouraging [him], the brothers wrote.” The participle προτρεψάμενοι (protrepsamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This was the typical letter of commendation from the Ephesians to the Achaeans.
  17. Acts 18:27 tn The word “him” 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.
  18. Acts 18:27 tn Grk “who, when he arrived.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced with the pronoun “he” and a new sentence begun in the translation.
  19. Acts 18:28 tn Or “vehemently.” BDAG 414 s.v. εὐτόνως has “vigorously, vehementlyεὐ. διακατελέγχεσθαί τινι refute someone vigorously Ac 18:28.”
  20. Acts 18:28 tn L&N 33.442 translates the phrase τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις διακατηλέγχετο δημοσίᾳ (tois Ioudaiois diakatēlencheto dēmosia) as “he defeated the Jews in public debate.” On this use of the term δημόσιος (dēmosios) see BDAG 223 s.v. 2.
  21. Acts 18:28 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Again the issue is identifying the Christ as Jesus (see 5:42; 8:5; 9:22; 18:5).sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
  22. Acts 18:28 tn Although many English translations have here “that Jesus was the Christ,” in the case of two accusatives following a copulative infinitive, the first would normally be the subject and the second the predicate nominative. Additionally, the first accusative here (τὸν χριστόν, ton christon) has the article, a further indication that it should be regarded as subject of the infinitive.
  23. Acts 19:1 tn Grk “It happened that while.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  24. Acts 19:1 tn Or “interior.”
  25. Acts 19:1 tn BDAG 92 s.v. ἀνωτερικός has “upper τὰ ἀ. μέρη the upper (i.e., inland) country, the interior Ac 19:1.”
  26. Acts 19:1 tn Grk “and found.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
  27. Acts 19:1 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
  28. Acts 19:2 tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusantes) is taken temporally.
  29. Acts 19:2 tn Grk “they [said] to him” (the word “said” is implied in the Greek text).
  30. Acts 19:2 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.
  31. Acts 19:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  32. Acts 19:3 tn Grk “they said.”
  33. Acts 19:4 sn These disciples may have had their contact with John early on in the Baptist’s ministry before Jesus had emerged. This is the fifth time Luke links John the Baptist and Jesus (Acts 1:5; 11:16; 13:25; 18:25).
  34. Acts 19:6 tn Or “laid.”
  35. Acts 19:6 sn The coming of the Holy Spirit here is another case where the Spirit comes and prophecy results in Acts (see Acts 2). Paul’s action parallels that of Peter (Acts 8) and not just with Gentiles.
  36. Acts 19:6 tn The imperfect verb ἐλάλουν (elaloun) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  37. Acts 19:6 tn The imperfect verb ἐπροφήτευον (eprophēteuon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  38. Acts 19:7 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  39. Acts 19:8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  40. Acts 19:8 tn Grk “So entering the synagogue, he spoke out fearlessly.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselthōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  41. Acts 19:8 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
  42. Acts 19:8 tn Or “boldly.”
  43. Acts 19:8 tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 19:8. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.
  44. Acts 19:8 tn Or “addressing them persuasively.” The two participles διαλεγόμενος and πείθων (dialegomenos and peithōn) can be understood as a hendiadys (so NIV, NRSV), thus, “addressing them persuasively.”
  45. Acts 19:8 sn To talk about Jesus as the Christ who has come is to talk about the kingdom of God. This is yet another summary of the message like that in 18:28. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching (along with Paul’s teaching here) has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21; Acts 1:3.
  46. Acts 19:9 tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b lists this use as a temporal conjunction.
  47. Acts 19:9 tn Or “some became hardened.” See BDAG 930 s.v. σκληρύνω b and Acts 7:51-53.
  48. Acts 19:9 tn Or “speaking evil of.” BDAG 500 s.v. κακολογέω has “speak evil of, revile, insultτὶ someth. τὴν ὁδόν the Way (i.e. Christian way of life) Ac 19:9.”
  49. Acts 19:9 sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity). Luke frequently refers to it as “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).
  50. Acts 19:9 tn Grk “leaving them, he took.” The participle ἀποστάς (apostas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  51. Acts 19:9 tn The words “with him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  52. Acts 19:9 tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 19:9. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.
  53. Acts 19:9 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.
  54. Acts 19:9 tn The “lecture hall” was a place where teachers and pupils met. The term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 982 s.v. σχολή). L&N 7.14 notes, “it is better to use a translation such as ‘lecture hall’ rather than ‘school,’ since one does not wish to give the impression of the typical classroom situation characteristic of present-day schools.”
  55. Acts 19:10 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.sn The expression all who lived in the province of Asia is good Semitic hyperbole (see Col 1:7, “all the world”). The message was now available to the region.
  56. Acts 19:10 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 (rhēma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logos tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:20; 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.
  57. Acts 19:11 tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11.”
  58. Acts 19:12 tn Or “skin” (the outer surface of the body).
  59. Acts 19:12 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).
  60. Acts 19:12 tn The words “of them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Psalm 146

Psalm 146[a]

146 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver.[b]
Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground.
On that day their plans die.[c]
How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful,[d]
vindicates the oppressed,[e]
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over.[f]
The Lord loves the godly.
The Lord protects the resident foreigner.
He lifts up the fatherless and the widow,[g]
but he opposes the wicked.[h]
10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come.[i]
Praise the Lord!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 146:1 sn Psalm 146. The psalmist urges his audience not to trust in men, but in the Lord, the just king of the world who cares for the needy.
  2. Psalm 146:3 tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”
  3. Psalm 146:4 tn Heb “his spirit goes out, it returns to his ground; in that day his plans die.” The singular refers to the representative man mentioned in v. 3b.
  4. Psalm 146:6 tn Heb “the one who guards faithfulness forever.”
  5. Psalm 146:7 tn Heb “executes justice for the oppressed.”
  6. Psalm 146:8 tn Perhaps “discouraged” (see Ps 57:6).
  7. Psalm 146:9 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident foreigners, the fatherless, and widows. Cf. Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 10:18-19; 24:14, 17; 27:19; Jer 22:3; Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5.
  8. Psalm 146:9 tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.
  9. Psalm 146:10 tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Proverbs 18:2-3

A fool takes no pleasure[a] in understanding
but only in disclosing[b] what is on his mind.[c]
When a wicked person[d] arrives, contempt[e] shows up with him,[f]
and with shame comes[g] a reproach.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 18:2 sn This expression forms an understatement (tapeinosis); the opposite is the point—he detests understanding or discernment.
  2. Proverbs 18:2 tn The Hitpael infinitive construct בְּהִתְגַּלּוֹת (behitgallot) functions nominally as the object of the preposition. The term means “reveal, uncover, betray.” So the fool takes pleasure “in uncovering” his heart.
  3. Proverbs 18:2 tn Heb “his heart.” This is a metonymy meaning “what is on his mind” (cf. NAB “displaying what he thinks”; NRSV “expressing personal opinion”). This kind of person is in love with his own ideas and enjoys spewing them out (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 515). It is the kind of person who would ask a question, not to learn, but to show everyone how clever he is (cf. TEV).
  4. Proverbs 18:3 tc The MT has “a wicked [person].” Many commentators emend the text to רֶשַׁע (reshaʿ, “wickedness”) which makes better parallelism with “shame” (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 521; R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 112; C. H. Toy, Proverbs [ICC], 355; cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV). However, there is no external evidence for this emendation.
  5. Proverbs 18:3 sn “Contempt” (בּוּז, buz) accompanies the wicked; “reproach” (חֶרְפָּה, kherpah) goes with shame. This reproach either further characterizes the behaviors expected of the wicked or possibly the critical rebukes and taunts of the community against a wicked person.
  6. Proverbs 18:3 tn Heb “contempt also comes/has come.” The verb form בָּא (baʾ) may either be a perfect verb “has come” (cf. Prov 11:2) or a participle “comes.”
  7. Proverbs 18:3 tn The term “comes” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.