Acts 18:16-18

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Acts 18:16 tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (apēlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.
2. Acts 18:16 sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.
3. Acts 18:17 tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (archisunagōgos) refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
4. Acts 18:17 tn The imperfect verb ἔτυπτον (etupton) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
5. Acts 18:17 sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.
6. Acts 18:17 tn L&N 25.223 has “‘none of these things were of any concern to Gallio’ Ac 18:17.”sn Rome was officially indifferent to such disputes. Gallio understood how sensitive some Jews would be about his meddling in their affairs. This is similar to the way Pilate dealt with Jesus. In the end, he let the Jewish leadership and people make the judgment against Jesus.
7. Acts 18:18 tn The participle προσμείνας (prosmeinas) is taken temporally.
8. Acts 18:18 tn Or “Corinth, took leave of.” Grk “saying farewell to”; the participle ἀποταξάμενος (apotaxamenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
9. Acts 18:18 tn Grk “Syria, and with him.”
10. Acts 18:18 sn See the note on Aquila in 18:2.
11. Acts 18:18 tn Or “Aquila, who.” The relationship of the participle κειράμενος (keiramenos) is difficult to determine. Traditionally it is taken to refer to Paul, meaning that Paul had his hair cut off because of the vow. However, due to the proximity of the noun ᾿Ακύλας (Akulas) and the reversal of the normal order (Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 17:34), the participle is taken as adjectival referring to Aquila by H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, n. 11. The later references to Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:23) do not resolve the problem, because the cutting of Paul’s own hair, while it may be implied, is not specifically mentioned in connection with the completion of the vows made by the other four.
12. Acts 18:18 tn The word “off” is supplied in the translation to indicate that this was not a normal haircut, but the shaving of the head connected with taking the vow (see Acts 21:24).
13. Acts 18:18 tn That is, “before he sailed from Cenchrea.”sn Cenchrea was one of the seaports for the city of Corinth, on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth, on the Aegean Sea. It was 7 mi (11 km) east of Corinth.
14. Acts 18:18 sn He had made a vow. It is debated whether this vow is a private vow of thanksgiving or the Nazirite vow, because it is not clear whether the Nazirite vow could be taken outside Jerusalem. Some have cited the Mishnah (m. Nazir 3:6; 5:4) to argue that the shaving of the hair can occur outside Jerusalem, and Josephus, J. W. 2.15.1 (2.313) is sometimes suggested as a parallel, but these references are not clear. H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, is certain that this refers to the Nazirite vow. Regardless, it is clear that Paul reflected his pious dependence on God.