Acts 1

composed
According to the grammar of the Greek text here, the phrase “I composed” (ἐποιησάμην; epoiēsamēn) is not an adjectival relative clause (as in, “the first account that I composed”), but rather the main verb in this sentence (as in, “I composed the first account”). This translation brings this idea into English by setting “I composed” off with commas in order to let “The first account” (Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον; Ton men prōton logon) better stand out as the direct object.

the promise of the Father
The translation, “the promise of the Father,” literally translates the Greek phrase τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ πατρὸς (tēn epanggelian tou patros). Some versions translate “promise” as a verb (e.g., “what the Father had promised” or “what was promised by the Father”). However, in the Greek text it is a noun. Thus, “the promise of the Father” best represents the original text and also helps connect the reader back to Luke 24:49, where Jesus told the disciples, “I am sending the promise of My Father upon you.” Here in the beginning of Acts, Luke is recapitulating that prediction. This “promise” refers to the Holy Spirit Himself (cf. Acts 2:33; Eph 1:13), whom the disciples were soon to receive at Pentecost.

times or seasons
The phrase “times or seasons” translates the phrase χρόνους ἢ καιροὺς (chronous ē kairous). The word καίρος (kairos) is most often translated as “time,” but when it immediately follows χρόνος (chronos), the other word for time, it is translated as “season” to properly distinguish the two terms. The only other place this specific pairing appears in the New Testament is in 1 Thessalonians 5:1. Both here and there, the precise timing of Jesus’ return and earthly reign is not revealed. Jesus teaches here that rather than speculating about what is known only to God (cf. Deut 29:29; Mark 13:32), His disciples should work diligently while there is yet opportunity, anticipating that He will return again suddenly at an unexpected time.

set
The word translated “set” reflects the verb τίθημι (tithēmi), which refers to setting, laying, or placing something in a certain place or position. Here, it describes God’s intentional organization of time and history, setting each event in its proper place—something He alone has the authority to do. Though the exact timing is not revealed to us, we can be confident that He has set it securely in place. Knowing this, Jesus’ followers are to leave the exact timing to the will of the Father, focusing themselves on fulfilling the responsibility Christ has given them to witness for Him until He returns.

both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to THE END OF THE EARTH
Punctuation can be a very important aspect of translation, as this verse exemplifies. The placement of the commas here helps readers to see that Jesus is describing three geographical regions, not four: (1) Jerusalem, (2) all Judea and Samaria, and (3) the end of the earth. While the New Testament authors did not have punctuation in Greek, their careful wording and use of prepositions made their meaning clear. Here, Luke records Jesus’ prediction that His disciples will witness “in” (ἔν; en) Jerusalem, “in” (ἐν; en) Judea and Samaria, and “even to” (ἕως; heōs) the end of the earth. Further, that Samaria and Judea are to be taken together and not as two different regions is evident by the single preceding article governing them both (τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ; tē Ioudaia kai Samareia). These three regions demonstrate the expansion of the gospel message in God’s redemptive plan, and also outline the structure of the book of Acts (Jerusalem in chs. 1–7; Judea and Samaria in chs. 8–12; end of the earth in chs. 13–28).

END OF THE EARTH
While many translations render this phrase with a plural here (i.e., “ends of the earth”), “end” is singular in the Greek construction: ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς (heōs eschatou tēs gēs). Translating it as such (along with the formatting in caps) helps readers to see that this is a clear reference back to Isaiah 49:6, where it is the Lord’s will that His salvation reach “to the end of the earth” (עַד־קְצֵ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ; ad qetseh haarets). It is a staggering privilege that God will perpetuate this plan through the agency of human witnesses empowered by His Spirit, as Luke conveys here.

mount called Olivet
Rather than the familiar designation, “Mount of Olives” (ὄρους τῶν ἐλαιῶν; orous tōn elaiōn; cf. Matt 24:3), the translation “mount called Olivet” here reflects the slightly different Greek wording (ὄρους τοῦ καλουμένου Ἐλαιῶνος; orous tou kaloumenou Elaiōnos). This translation seeks to give the clearest window to the original text by matching the original Greek text with the closest English wording possible. A woodenly literal rendering might be “the mount called ‘of an olive grove,’” but this is more difficult to comprehend, so “Olivet” is used here.

with one accord
One of the goals of this translation is to provide a consistent English rendering when the same word or phrase is used in Greek whenever possible. Such is the case here, where the word ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothymadon) is translated consistently as “one accord” in all eleven of its occurrences (here; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 7:57; 8:6; 12:20; 15:25; 18:12; 19:29; Rom 15:6). In Acts, this word most often demonstrates the unity brought about by the Holy Spirit among believers.

brothers
Though some translations retain the older English plural, “brethren,” the translation “brothers” here remains perfectly accurate to the Greek text (ἀδελφῶν; adelphōn) and is more natural to modern readers. This language describes the close familial union fellow believers have with one another by virtue of their union with Christ. They are all part of the same family as children of God.

brothers
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above.

RESIDENCE
The word “residence” provides a clearer rendering of the word ἔπαυλις (epaulis) here than the somewhat westernized idea that a translation like “homestead” might conjure. The Greek word generally describes an enclosed dwelling place or habitation. Thus, “residence” is a clear translation here, and it also demonstrates closer conformity with the Old Testament translation, “camp” for the Hebrew טִירָה (tirah) in Psalm 69:25, which Peter is citing here.

ANOTHER MAN
The Greek word underlying the translation “ANOTHER MAN” is ἕτερος (heteros). A question might be raised as to why the word “man” is included in translation here, especially when it does not appear in the Psalm 109:8, which Peter is quoting. But the translation here in Acts is quite intentional. There is a subtle difference between the Old Testament and New Testament contexts. The Old Testament is anarthrous (lacking an article) in both Psalms 69 and 109 in Hebrew. Hence, the translation is more indefinite (“none” in Ps 69 and “other” in Ps 109). In Acts, however, the translation of Psalm 69 has an article (ὁ κατοικῶν; ho katoikōn), suggesting definiteness (let “no one” dwell) and suggesting its parallel line also has a definite nature (thus, not just “another,” but “another man”). In context, this matches the discussion. This slight difference in grammar between these Psalms and Peter’s quotations here may indicate that while the Old Testament was speaking more generally and universally, the New Testament applied these truths more particularly (from general to specific). The principle in translation here is to match the Old Testament passage and New Testament quotation when they completely matched in the original text, but also to differentiate them when there are slight differences, as was the case in this verse.

to take the place
The phrase “to take the place” provides a literal translation of the Greek here: λαβεῖν τὸν τόπον (labein ton topon). This literal translation is important because Luke is employing a wordplay with the word “place” here. Judas had left a “place” (τόπον; topon) of ministry and apostleship to go to his own “place” (τόπον; topon)—a terrible and tragic exchange.