Acts 13

a darkness fell upon him
This translation has retained the rendering of the preposition ἐπὶ (epi) as “upon” instead of perhaps a more contextual translation as “against.” Though “against” does fit contextually, the literal translation as “upon” enables the reader to see Luke’s intentional word play within this verse in English. Darkness fell “upon” the magician as a sign of judgment by the very hand of God which was “upon” him due to his attempt to lead the proconsul away from the faith (v. 8). Thus, the careful wording here shows that this darkness of blindness was not random or coincidental, but a direct act of God upon Elymas.

set sail
The verb translated “set sail” here is ἀνάγω (anagō). While this verb’s basic meaning is to “lead” or “bring” from one place to another, in the middle or passive voice it often refers more specifically to setting sail for a sea journey. Luke uses it often in this sense. Thus, it is consistently translated in nautical contexts as “set sail” (cf. Luke 8:22; Acts 16:11; 18:21; 20:3; 20:13; 21:1, 2; 27:2, 4, 12, 21; 28:10, 11).

Brothers
Though some translations retain the older English plural, “brethren,” the rendering “brothers” here remains perfectly accurate to the Greek text (ἀδελφοί; adelphoi) and is more natural to modern readers. This language describes a close familial union, and Paul uses it here, like Peter in Acts 2–3, to identify with his fellow Israelites (cf. v. 12) and to appeal to them to recognize Jesus as their common Messiah.

seed
The word “seed” here is the literal translation of the Greek word σπέρμα (sperma), and while it certainly does refer to children or offspring in this context, its literal translation as “seed” is vital, as this is an important theological term. For the Jewish people, and in accordance with biblical terminology, “seed” represented the continuation of one’s name and family line. This was something of paramount importance, especially given the great promise in Genesis 3:15 that God’s anointed Redeemer would be the “seed” of the woman. Here, that same Messianic hope is perpetuated through the line (“seed”) of David.

Brothers
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above.

finished
The phrase “had finished” translates the verb τελειόω (teleioō). Readers will often see this term translated as such, especially in John’s Gospel, with reference to Jesus’ work on the cross. Paul speaks of the finishing of Christ’s work here, this time emphasizing the agency of those who put Jesus to death. Thus, simultaneously, those who put Jesus to death finished what was prophesied of Him as He finished the work the Father gave Him to do on earth. Similarly, John will pick up on Paul’s reference here as he describes Jesus’ mission to finish what the Father sent Him to earth to do, climaxing with “it is finished” in John 19:30 (cf. 5:36; 17:4; and 19:28). Translating τελειόω (teleioō) consistently this way helps readers to make this connection which is more obvious in Greek.

But
Though many translations add something like “As for the fact” at the beginning of this verse for a smoother reading in English, the word “but” accomplishes this as well in fewer words, and is much more justifiable on the basis of the word δὲ (de) as Luke’s transitionary word here.

TO SEE CORRUPTION
The phrase “TO SEE CORRUPTION” literally translates the phrase ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν (idein diaphthoran), with “see” as the most straightforward rendering of the Greek verb εἶδον (eidon). Additionally, “corruption” is used rather than “decay” here to more closely match the Old Testament passage quoted here (Ps 16:10). Altogether, this rendering matches the equivalent phrase in Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:27, as both Peter and Paul quote Psalm 16:10 to emphasize Jesus’ resurrection foretold by David. Both Peter and Paul refer to the same Old Testament text to prove the same thing, showing that the Messiah’s resurrection was both expected in the Old Testament and fulfilled by Jesus, proving Jesus to be the true Messiah.

saw
Refer to the discussion on verse 35 above.

see
Refer to the discussion on verse 35 above.

in Him
The phrase, “in Him” (ἐν τούτῳ; en toutō) is rendered literally in this translation. This straightforward translation (rather than something like “through Him”) reflects a key aspect of Paul’s theology, namely, union with Christ. One can see here that Paul is already developing an understanding that would bear more fruit in letters like Romans (cf. Rom 6:5–7; 8:1). Thus, translating a construction like this literally and consistently when used by Paul helps the reader to see the consistency of Paul’s theology, also emphasizing the perfect continuity of the canon of Scripture.

justified
While some translations have “freed” here, “justified” is both a more literal translation for the Greek verb δικαιόω (dikaioō) and provides a consistent gloss for when this term is used by Paul, an important consistency as this also displays the consistency of Pauline theology within the New Testament (refer to the discussion in the previous note).

the word of the Lord
Footnotes can be a very helpful part of a Bible translation, helping the reader to see connections which are clearer in the original languages than they are in the translation language. Here, a footnote is added to the word “Lord” to indicate that the use of κύριος (kyrios) here is meant to refer to God’s name, Yahweh. This is clear from context, as the people are gathered in the synagogue where they would regularly hear from Old Testament Scripture—the word of Yahweh. The Greek term κύριος (kyrios) is often used to refer directly to “Yahweh,” either in translating or alluding to an Old Testament passage (e.g., Matt 4:7; Luke 4:18; Phil 2:11; Heb 8:8–11), or simply as a customary reference to the Name (e.g., Matt 2:13, 15, 19). In the entire context of this passage, Yahweh and Christ are held so closely together here by Old Testament allusion and association. Thus, in context, this must be about Christ, but per Old Testament vocabulary it is “Yahweh,” as Luke demonstrates that Christ indeed is Yahweh.

END
While many translations render this as a plural (i.e., “ends of the earth”), it is singular in the Greek construction (ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς; heōs eschatou tēs gēs). Rendering it as such (along with the formatting in caps) helps readers to see that this is a clear reference back to Isaiah 49:6 (cf. Acts 1:8), where it is the Lord’s will that His salvation reach “to the end of the earth” (עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ; ad-qetseh ha’arets). The extension of God’s salvation to the end of the earth shows an intentional inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s salvific plan, the basis upon which Paul and Barnabas announce that they are turning to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles (v. 46).

word of the Lord
Refer to the discussion on verse 44 above.

word of the Lord
Refer to the discussion on verse 44 above.

God-fearing
The word translated “God-fearing” here is σεβομένας (sebomenas) from the verb σέβω (sebō), which means to “venerate,” “honor,” or “revere,” especially with a deity as the object. In ancient Greek translations of the Old Testament (LXX/OG), this word is often used to translate the Hebrew word for “fear” (יָרֵא; yare) in reference to God. Thus, “God-fearing” is a very appropriate rendering of the word, and it is translated consistently as such in similar contexts in Acts (13:43; 17:4, 17; 18:7).