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When they had crossed over[a] the whole island as far as Paphos,[b] they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus,[c] who was with the proconsul[d] Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul[e] summoned[f] Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear[g] the word of God. But the magician Elymas[h] (for that is the way his name is translated)[i] opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul[j] away from the faith.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 13:6 tn Or “had passed through,” “had traveled through.”
  2. Acts 13:6 sn Paphos. A city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. It was the seat of the Roman proconsul.
  3. Acts 13:6 sn Named Bar-Jesus. “Jesus” is the Latin form of the name “Joshua.” The Aramaic “bar” means “son of,” so this man was surnamed “son of Joshua.” The scene depicts the conflict between Judaism and the emerging new faith at a cosmic level, much like the Simon Magus incident in Acts 8:9-24. Paul’s ministry looks like Philip’s and Peter’s here.
  4. Acts 13:7 sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.
  5. Acts 13:7 tn Grk “This one”; the referent (the proconsul) is specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. Acts 13:7 tn Grk “summoning Barnabas and Saul, wanted to hear.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  7. Acts 13:7 sn The proconsul…wanted to hear the word of God. This description of Sergius Paulus portrays him as a sensitive, secular Gentile leader.
  8. Acts 13:8 tn On the debate over what the name “Elymas” means, see BDAG 320 s.v. ᾿Ελύμας. The magician’s behavior is more directly opposed to the faith than Simon Magus’ was.
  9. Acts 13:8 sn A parenthetical note by the author.
  10. Acts 13:8 sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.