Acts 28:17-28
New Living Translation
Paul Preaches at Rome under Guard
17 Three days after Paul’s arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, “Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. 18 The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, because they found no cause for the death sentence. 19 But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. 20 I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could explain to you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.”
21 They replied, “We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. 22 But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere.”
23 So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. 24 Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. 25 And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,
26 ‘Go and say to this people:
When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.’[a]
28 So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”[b]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 28:26-27 Isa 6:9-10 (Greek version).
- 28:28 Some manuscripts add verse 29, And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, greatly disagreeing with each other.
Acts 28:17-28
New English Translation
Paul Addresses the Jewish Community in Rome
17 After three days[a] Paul[b] called the local Jewish leaders[c] together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers,[d] although I had done[e] nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors,[f] from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans.[g] 18 When[h] they had heard my case,[i] they wanted to release me,[j] because there was no basis for a death sentence[k] against me. 19 But when the Jews objected,[l] I was forced to appeal to Caesar[m]—not that I had some charge to bring[n] against my own people.[o] 20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.”[p] 21 They replied,[q] “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there[r] and reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know[s] that people[t] everywhere speak against[u] it.”
23 They set[v] a day to meet with him,[w] and they came to him where he was staying[x] in even greater numbers.[y] From morning until evening he explained things[z] to them,[aa] testifying[ab] about the kingdom of God[ac] and trying to convince[ad] them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 24 Some were convinced[ae] by what he said,[af] but others refused[ag] to believe. 25 So they began to leave,[ah] unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors[ai] through the prophet Isaiah 26 when he said,
‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing,[aj] but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking,[ak] but will never perceive.
27 For the heart of this people has become dull,[al]
and their ears are hard of hearing,[am]
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn,[an] and I would heal them.”’[ao]
28 “Therefore be advised[ap] that this salvation from God[aq] has been sent to the Gentiles;[ar] they[as] will listen!”[at]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 28:17 tn Grk “It happened that after three days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Acts 28:17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 28:17 tn L&N 33.309 has “‘after three days, he called the local Jewish leaders together’ Ac 28:17.”
- Acts 28:17 tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.
- Acts 28:17 tn The participle ποιήσας (poiēsas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.
- Acts 28:17 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”sn I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. Once again Paul claimed to be faithful to the Jewish people and to the God of Israel.
- Acts 28:17 tn Grk “into the hands of the Romans,” but this is redundant when παρεδόθην (paredothēn) has been translated “handed over.”
- Acts 28:18 tn Grk “who when.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) has been replaced by the personal pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
- Acts 28:18 tn Or “had questioned me”; or “had examined me.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 2 states, “to conduct a judicial hearing, hear a case, question.”
- Acts 28:18 sn They wanted to release me. See Acts 25:23-27.
- Acts 28:18 tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.
- Acts 28:19 tn That is, objected to my release.
- Acts 28:19 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
- Acts 28:19 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context—‘to accuse, to bring charges.’”
- Acts 28:19 tn Or “my own nation.”
- Acts 28:20 sn The hope of Israel. A reference to Israel’s messianic hope. Paul’s preaching was in continuity with this Jewish hope (Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25).
- Acts 28:21 tn Grk “they said to him.”
- Acts 28:21 tn Or “arrived”; Grk “come” (“from there” is implied). Grk “coming.” The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 28:22 tn Grk “regarding this sect it is known to us.” The passive construction “it is known to us” has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.
- Acts 28:22 tn Grk “that everywhere it is spoken against.” To simplify the translation the passive construction “it is spoken against” has been converted to an active one with the subject “people” supplied.
- Acts 28:22 tn On the term translated “speak against,” see BDAG 89 s.v. ἀντιλέγω 1.
- Acts 28:23 tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
- Acts 28:23 tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
- Acts 28:23 tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”
- Acts 28:23 tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”
- Acts 28:23 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
- Acts 28:23 tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
- Acts 28:23 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”
- Acts 28:23 sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures. This is yet another summary of the message like that in 18:28. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching (along with Paul’s teaching here) has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself. See also Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21; Acts 1:3.
- Acts 28:23 tn Or “persuade.”
- Acts 28:24 tn Or “persuaded.”
- Acts 28:24 tn Grk “by the things spoken.”
- Acts 28:24 sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).
- Acts 28:25 tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
- Acts 28:25 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
- Acts 28:26 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
- Acts 28:26 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
- Acts 28:27 tn Or “insensitive.”sn The heart of this people has become dull. The charge from Isaiah is like Stephen’s against the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 7:51-53). They were a hard-hearted and disobedient people.
- Acts 28:27 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
- Acts 28:27 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
- Acts 28:27 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
- Acts 28:28 tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
- Acts 28:28 tn Or “of God.”
- Acts 28:28 sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).
- Acts 28:28 tn Grk “they also.”
- Acts 28:28 tc Some later mss include 28:29: “When he had said these things, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.” Verse 29 is lacking in P74vid א A B E Ψ 048 33 81 1175 1739 2464 and a number of versions. They are included (with a few minor variations) in M it and some versions. This verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, as it lacks the best credentials. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
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