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Peter and John Heal a Lame Man at the Temple

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time[a] for prayer,[b] at three o’clock in the afternoon.[c] And a man lame[d] from birth[e] was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day[f] so he could beg for money[g] from those going into the temple courts.[h] When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts,[i] he asked them for money.[j] Peter looked directly[k] at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” So the lame man[l] paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold,[m] but what I do have I give you. In the name[n] of Jesus Christ[o] the Nazarene, stand up and[p] walk!” Then[q] Peter[r] took hold[s] of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s[t] feet and ankles were made strong.[u] He[v] jumped up,[w] stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts[x] with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All[y] the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations[z] at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement[aa] at what had happened to him.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 3:1 tn Grk “hour.”
  2. Acts 3:1 sn Going up to the temple at the time for prayer. The earliest Christians, being of Jewish roots, were still participating in the institutions of Judaism at this point. Their faith in Christ did not make them non-Jewish in their practices.
  3. Acts 3:1 tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” This is calculated from sunrise (Josephus, Ant. 14.4.3 [14.65]; Dan 9:21).
  4. Acts 3:2 tn Or “crippled.”
  5. Acts 3:2 tn Grk “from his mother’s womb.”
  6. Acts 3:2 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
  7. Acts 3:2 tn Grk “alms.” The term “alms” is not in common use today, so what the man expected, “money,” is used in the translation instead. The idea is that of money given as a gift to someone who was poor. Giving alms was viewed as honorable in Judaism (Tob 1:3, 16; 12:8-9; m. Pe’ah 1:1). See also Luke 11:41; 12:33; Acts 9:36; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17.
  8. Acts 3:2 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.sn Into the temple courts. The exact location of this incident is debated. The ‘Beautiful Gate’ referred either to the Nicanor Gate (which led from the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of Women) or the Shushan Gate at the eastern wall.
  9. Acts 3:3 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.sn See the note on the phrase the temple courts in the previous verse.
  10. Acts 3:3 tn Grk “alms.” See the note on the word “money” in the previous verse.
  11. Acts 3:4 tn Grk “Peter, looking directly at him, as did John, said.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  12. Acts 3:5 tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the lame man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. Acts 3:6 tn Or “I have no money.” L&N 6.69 classifies the expression ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον (argurion kai chrusion) as an idiom that is a generic expression for currency, thus “money.”
  14. Acts 3:6 sn In the name. Note the authority in the name of Jesus the Messiah. His presence and power are at work for the man. The reference to “the name” is not like a magical incantation, but is designed to indicate the agent who performs the healing. The theme is quite frequent in Acts (2:38 plus 21 other times).
  15. Acts 3:6 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  16. Acts 3:6 tc The words “stand up and” (ἔγειρε καί, egeire kai) are not in a few mss (א B D sa), but are included in A C E Ψ 095 33 1739 M lat sy mae bo. The external testimony is thus fairly evenly divided, with few but signficant representatives of the Alexandrian and Western textual clusters supporting the shorter reading. Internally, the words look like a standard scribal emendation, and may have been motivated by other healing passages where Jesus gave a similar double command (cf. Matt 9:5; Mark 2:9, [11]; Luke 5:23; [6:8]; John 5:8). On the other hand, there is some motivation for deleting ἔγειρε καί here, namely, unlike Jesus’ healing miracles, Peter raises (ἤγειρεν, ēgeiren) the man to his feet (v. 7) rather than the man rising on his own. In light of the scribal tendency to harmonize, especially in immediate context, the longer reading is slightly preferred.
  17. Acts 3:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the sequence of events.
  18. Acts 3:7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. Acts 3:7 tn Grk “Peter taking hold of him…raised him up.” The participle πιάσας (piasas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  20. Acts 3:7 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  21. Acts 3:7 sn At once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. Note that despite the past lameness, the man is immediately able to walk. The restoration of his ability to walk pictures the presence of a renewed walk, a fresh start at life; this was far more than money would have given him.
  22. Acts 3:8 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
  23. Acts 3:8 tn Grk “Jumping up, he stood.” The participle ἐξαλλόμενος (exallomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. It is possible that the paralyzed man actually jumped off the ground, but more probably this term simply refers to the speed with which he stood up. See L&N 15.240.
  24. Acts 3:8 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
  25. Acts 3:9 tn Grk “And all.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  26. Acts 3:10 tn Grk “alms,” but this term is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “donations,” is used instead. The idea is that of a donation to charity.
  27. Acts 3:10 sn Amazement is a frequent response to miracles of Jesus or the apostles. These took the ancients by as much surprise as they would people today. But in terms of response to what God is doing, amazement does not equal faith (Luke 4:36; 5:9, 26; 7:16).

Now de Peter Petros and kai John Iōannēs were going anabainō up to eis the ho temple hieron at epi the ho hour hōra of ho prayer proseuchē, the ho ninth enatos hour. And kai a tis man anēr lame chōlos from ek the womb koilia of his autos mother mētēr was being hyparchō carried bastazō, whom hos they laid tithēmi daily kata hēmera at pros the ho gate thura of the ho temple hieron · ho called legō the “ Beautiful hōraios Gate” to ho ask aiteō alms eleēmosynē from para those ho entering eisporeuomai into eis the ho temple hieron. When he hos saw Peter Petros and kai John Iōannēs about mellō to go eiseimi into eis the ho temple hieron, he asked erōtaō to receive lambanō alms eleēmosynē. But de Peter Petros, looking atenizō directly at eis him autos, as syn did · ho John Iōannēs, said legō, “ Look blepō at eis us hēmeis.” So de the ho lame man gave epechō them autos his attention, expecting prosdokaō to receive lambanō something tis from para them autos. But de Peter Petros said legō, “ Silver argyrion and kai gold chrysion is not ou possessed hyparchō by me egō, but de what hos I do have echō I give didōmi to you sy. In en the ho name onoma of Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos of ho Nazareth Nazōraios, stand egeirō up and kai walk peripateō!” Then kai taking piazō him autos by the ho right dexios hand cheir, Peter raised egeirō him autos up, and de immediately parachrēma his autos feet basis and kai ankles sphydron were made strong stereoō; · ho · ho and kai jumping exallomai up , he stood histēmi and kai began to walk peripateō and kai entered eiserchomai with syn them autos into eis the ho temple hieron, walking peripateō and kai jumping hallomai and kai praising aineō · ho God theos. And kai all pas the ho people laos saw him autos walking peripateō and kai praising aineō · ho God theos, 10 and de recognized epiginōskō him autos that hoti he autos was eimi the ho one who used to sit kathēmai and ask for pros · ho alms eleēmosynē at epi the ho Beautiful hōraios Gate pylē of the ho temple hieron. And kai they were filled pimplēmi with awe thambos and kai amazement ekstasis at epi what ho had happened symbainō to him autos.

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