1
Λαλούντων δὲ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἐπέστησαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ⸀ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι,
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the officer of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
first here Sadducees Σαδδουκαῖος Saddoukaios
Why this rendering
Acts.4.1 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ, the officer of the temple, is the title this edition fixed at Luke 22:4, 52 — the official who arrested Jesus now arrests the apostles; singular here, plural in the Gospel. The word for the arresting hand continues too: ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας, laid hands on them, is the phrase of Luke 20:19 and 21:12. Why the Sadducees lead is given by v.2 — the resurrection from the dead (Luke 20:27, the Sadducees who say there is no resurrection). ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν — the resurrection in Jesus, not of Jesus: that Jesus is the first instance of resurrection rides on one preposition.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “in Jesus the resurrection”
Basis The preposition ἐν kept as it stands. Smoothing to the resurrection of Jesus narrows what the base text says — a general resurrection with Jesus as its instance.
2
διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ⸂τὴν ἐκ⸃ νεκρῶν,
being greatly troubled because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
3
καὶ ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ἔθεντο εἰς τήρησιν εἰς τὴν αὔριον, ἦν γὰρ ἑσπέρα ἤδη.
And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
4
πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν ἀκουσάντων τὸν λόγον ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ⸀ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ⸀ὡς χιλιάδες πέντε.
But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5
Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον συναχθῆναι αὐτῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ ⸀τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ ⸁τοὺς γραμματεῖς ⸀ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ
And it came to pass on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered in Jerusalem
first here Jerusalem Ἰερουσαλήμ Ierousalēm
6
(καὶ ⸂Ἅννας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ Καϊάφας καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος⸃ καὶ ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐκ γένους ἀρχιερατικοῦ),
(with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were of the high-priestly family),
first here Annas Ἅννας Hannas
first here Caiaphas Καϊάφας Kaiaphas
first here John Ἰωάννης Iōannēs
first here Alexander Ἀλέξανδρος Alexandros
7
καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν ⸀τῷ μέσῳ ἐπυνθάνοντο· Ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς;
and having set them in the midst they inquired, “By what power, or by what name, did you do this?”
8
τότε Πέτρος πλησθεὶς πνεύματος ἁγίου εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ⸀πρεσβύτεροι,
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders,
first here Peter Πέτρος Petros
9
εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος ⸀σέσωσται,
if we today are being examined concerning a good deed done to a sick man, by what means this man has been saved,
10
γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής.
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — in him this man stands before you healthy.
first here Israel Ἰσραήλ Israēl
first here Christ Χριστός Christos
first here Nazorean Ναζωραῖος Nazōraios
11
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενηθεὶς ὑφ’ ὑμῶν τῶν ⸀οἰκοδόμων, ὁ γενόμενος εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας.
This is ‘the stone that was treated with contempt by you the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’
Why this rendering
Acts.4.11 Observation
Syntactic observation
Psalm 118:22 comes again — with a changed word. The three Gospel places (Mark 12:10, Matt 21:42, Luke 20:17) have the Septuagint's ἀπεδοκίμασαν, rejected; Peter cites it with ἐξουθενηθείς, treated with contempt. This edition fixed ἀποδοκιμάζω as rejected in the Gospels, and ἐξουθενέω is the word of Luke 18:9 (those who held the rest in contempt) and 23:11 (Herod treated him with contempt) — same psalm, different verb, therefore different rendering. And ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν, by you, is inserted inside the quotation, so that the builders become the council seated in front of him — the citation turned to face its hearers.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “the stone treated with contempt” — kept apart from the Gospels' “rejected”
Basis The verbs differ (ἐξουθενέω against ἀποδοκιμάζω). Matching the rendering because the psalm is the same would erase the fact that Peter changed the word.
“the stone the builders rejected” — as in the Gospels
Basis The reader recognizes the psalm at once.
Rejected Where the base text divides words, this edition divides renderings. Recognition is carried by head of the corner, which is unchanged.
12
καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία, ⸀οὐδὲ γὰρ ὄνομά ἐστιν ἕτερον ⸂ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν⸃ τὸ δεδομένον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved.”
13
Θεωροῦντες δὲ τὴν τοῦ Πέτρου παρρησίαν καὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ καταλαβόμενοι ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ἀγράμματοί εἰσιν καὶ ἰδιῶται, ἐθαύμαζον, ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε αὐτοὺς ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν,
Now seeing the openness of Peter and John, and grasping that they were unlettered and ordinary men, they marvelled, and they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus;
Why this rendering
Acts.4.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
παρρησία, openness of speech, is the thread of this chapter — v.13 the noun, v.29 with all openness, v.31 speaking with openness. It is the word this edition fixed as openly at John 7:26, and Acts ends on it (28:31 — Paul teaching with all openness, unhindered). ἀγράμματοι, unlettered, and ἰδιῶται, ordinary men — non-specialists — occur in Acts only here. ἐπεγίνωσκον … ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν — recognized is the verb (ἐπιγινώσκω) with which the people recognized the lame man at 3:10. The people recognize the one healed; the council recognizes that the healers had been with Jesus.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “openness” · “with openness”
Basis Follows the John 7:26 fixing. Boldness belongs to θάρσος / τολμάω and is not used.
14
τόν ⸀τε ἄνθρωπον βλέποντες σὺν αὐτοῖς ἑστῶτα τὸν τεθεραπευμένον οὐδὲν εἶχον ἀντειπεῖν.
and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to speak against it.
15
κελεύσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔξω τοῦ συνεδρίου ἀπελθεῖν συνέβαλλον πρὸς ἀλλήλους
But having ordered them to go outside the council, they conferred with one another,
16
λέγοντες· Τί ⸀ποιήσωμεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις; ὅτι μὲν γὰρ γνωστὸν σημεῖον γέγονεν δι’ αὐτῶν πᾶσιν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἰερουσαλὴμ φανερόν, καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ⸀ἀρνεῖσθαι·
saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has happened through them is plain to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17
ἀλλ’ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν, ⸀ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων.
But so that it may not spread further among the people, let us threaten them to speak no more in this name to anyone.”
18
καὶ καλέσαντες αὐτοὺς παρήγγειλαν ⸀τὸ καθόλου μὴ φθέγγεσθαι μηδὲ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus.
19
ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀποκριθέντες ⸂εἶπον πρὸς αὐτούς⸃· Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀκούειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ θεοῦ, κρίνατε,
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right before God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge;
20
οὐ δυνάμεθα γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδαμεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν.
for we cannot but speak what we saw and heard.”
21
οἱ δὲ προσαπειλησάμενοι ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς, μηδὲν εὑρίσκοντες τὸ πῶς ⸀κολάσωνται αὐτούς, διὰ τὸν λαόν, ὅτι πάντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι·
And having threatened them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were glorifying God for what had happened;
22
ἐτῶν γὰρ ἦν πλειόνων τεσσεράκοντα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐφ’ ὃν ⸀γεγόνει τὸ σημεῖον τοῦτο τῆς ἰάσεως.
for the man on whom this sign of healing had happened was more than forty years old.
23
Ἀπολυθέντες δὲ ἦλθον πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ὅσα πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι εἶπαν.
And having been released, they went to their own and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπαν· Δέσποτα, ⸀σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς,
And when they heard it, with one mind they lifted their voice to God and said, “Master, you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,
Why this rendering
Acts.4.24 Observation
Syntactic observation
Δέσποτα, Master, is the very vocative of Luke 2:29 (Simeon — Master, now you release your servant): in the New Testament only those two prayers address God as δεσπότης. And the two prayers share one shape: Master — your servant (δοῦλος / παῖς) — according to your word. The δεσπότης of v.24 and τοῖς δούλοις σου, your slaves, of v.29 form the master-and-slave pair (a δεσπότης is the master of a δοῦλος). The Psalm 2 quotation (vv.25-26) is matched item by item at v.27 — nations = the Gentiles, peoples = the peoples of Israel, kings = Herod, rulers = Pilate. That the psalm's plural peoples is kept plural for singular Israel (λαοῖς Ἰσραήλ) is a place where grammar bends to keep the words of the citation.
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “Master” — the vocative of Luke 2:29
Basis Fixed apart from κύριος, Lord. Keeps the two addresses standing side by side in one prayer (v.29 κύριε, Lord).
Lost in translation
That δεσπότης (v.24) and δοῦλος (v.29) are a master-and-slave pair — English Master and slaves do still pair, if faintly.
Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
25
ὁ ⸂τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν⸃ διὰ ⸂πνεύματος ἁγίου⸃ στόματος Δαυὶδ παιδός σου εἰπών· Ἱνατί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;
who through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant, said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the peoples devise empty things?
first here daughter Δαυίδ Dauid
26
παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.
The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.’
27
συνήχθησαν γὰρ ἐπ’ ἀληθείας ⸂ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ⸃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον παῖδά σου Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ἔχρισας, Ἡρῴδης τε καὶ Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος σὺν ἔθνεσιν καὶ λαοῖς Ἰσραήλ,
For truly in this city there were gathered against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the nations and the peoples of Israel,
first here Herod Ἡρῴδης Hērōdēs
first here Pontius Πόντιος Pontios
first here Pilate Πιλᾶτος Pilatos
28
ποιῆσαι ὅσα ἡ χείρ σου καὶ ἡ ⸀βουλὴ προώρισεν γενέσθαι.
to do whatever your hand and your counsel had foreordained to happen.
29
καὶ τὰ νῦν, κύριε, ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παρρησίας πάσης λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου,
And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your slaves to speak your word with all openness,
30
ἐν τῷ τὴν χεῖρά ⸀σου ἐκτείνειν σε εἰς ἴασιν καὶ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἁγίου παιδός σου Ἰησοῦ.
while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders happen through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31
καὶ δεηθέντων αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύθη ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες ⸂τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος⸃, καὶ ἐλάλουν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ παρρησίας.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they were speaking the word of God with openness.
32
Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν ⸀καρδία καὶ ⸀ψυχὴ μία, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ⸀αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι, ἀλλ’ ἦν αὐτοῖς ⸀πάντα κοινά.
Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one life, and not even one said that any of his possessions was his own, but they had all things in common.
Why this rendering
Acts.4.32 Observation
Syntactic observation
καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία — one heart and one life. ψυχή is the lemma this edition nailed to one word, life (the paradox of Mark 8:35; Matt 10:28). It does not slip into soul here either — it must be visible that this is the same word as v.41's about three thousand lives (ψυχαί) and 2:43's upon every life (πάσῃ ψυχῇ). And 2:44-45 is repeated at vv.32, 34-35 in nearly the same sentences — first summary, second summary. What differs is v.34's ἐνδεής, needy (unique in the New Testament) and that vv.36-37 attach one man, Barnabas, after the summary: the second summary is the foil set out for Ananias in chapter 5. ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρναβᾶς … ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον — the device that writes the sound and gives the sense returns (after Hakeldamach at 1:19).
Rendering options · 1
Adopted “one heart and one life”
Basis ψυχή = life, as fixed. One heart and soul would break the one-word rule this edition holds for ψυχή.
33
καὶ ⸂δυνάμει μεγάλῃ⸃ ἀπεδίδουν τὸ μαρτύριον οἱ ἀπόστολοι ⸂τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ⸃, χάρις τε μεγάλη ἦν ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτούς.
And with great power the apostles were giving out the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
34
οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδεής τις ⸀ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅσοι γὰρ κτήτορες χωρίων ἢ οἰκιῶν ὑπῆρχον, πωλοῦντες ἔφερον τὰς τιμὰς τῶν πιπρασκομένων
For there was not even one needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses were selling them and bringing the prices of what was sold
35
καὶ ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων· διεδίδετο δὲ ἑκάστῳ καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν.
and placing them at the feet of the apostles; and it was distributed to each as anyone had need.
36
⸀Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρναβᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον υἱὸς παρακλήσεως, Λευίτης, Κύπριος τῷ γένει,
And Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles — which is, being translated, son of consolation — a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
first here Joseph Ἰωσήφ Iōsēph
first here Levites Λευίτης Leuitēs
37
ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ πωλήσας ἤνεγκεν τὸ χρῆμα καὶ ἔθηκεν ⸀παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων.
having a field, sold it and brought the money and placed it at the feet of the apostles.