Acts 8:1-3
1And Saul agreed completely with killing ▼▼ The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesis) can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).
him. Saul Begins to Persecute the Church
Now on that day a great ▼▼ Or “severe.”
persecution began ▼▼ Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”
against the church in Jerusalem, ▼▼ For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; Journey of Paul map 1-F4; Journey of Paul map 2-F4; Journey of Paul map 3-F4; Journey of Paul map 4-F4.
and all ▼ except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ▼▼ Or “countryside.”
of Judea and Samaria. 2Some ▼▼ “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation ▼ over him. ▼▼ Or “mourned greatly for him.”
3But Saul was trying to destroy ▼▼ Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.
the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ▼▼ The participle σύρων (surōn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
both men and women and put them in prison. ▼
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