UTN uW Translation Notes:

Acts 2 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

Some translations set lines of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry that is quoted from the Old Testament in 2:17–21, 25–28, and 34–35.Some translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text. The ULT does this with the material that is quoted in 2:31.

Special Concepts in this Chapter

Pentecost

The events described in this chapter took place on the day of Pentecost. That was a festival that the Jews observed each year 50 days after Passover. It was a harvest festival that celebrated the first produce from the fields. That produce was known as “firstfruits.” Many people believe that the church began to exist when the Holy Spirit came to live inside believers on this particular day of Pentecost. Those believers were the “firstfruits” of all those who would become part of the church down through the years.

Tongues

Luke uses the Greek word “tongues” to mean two different things in this chapter. In 2:3, Luke describes what came down from heaven as “tongues as if of fire.” A “tongue of fire” means a “flame of fire” (as in Isaiah 5:24, for example), so this means “something like flames of fire.” In 2:4, Luke uses the word “tongues” in the different sense of “languages” to describe the languages that the people spoke after the Holy Spirit filled them. For clarity, ULT translates the use in 2:3 as “tongues” and the use in 2:4 as “languages.”

Last days

In 2:17–21, Peter quotes a prophecy from Joel that describes something that will happen in the “last days.” Some scholars understand the “last days” to mean a time in the future just before Jesus returns. Other scholars understand the “last days” to mean the entire time from when Jesus first came to when he will return. Translators should be careful not to let how they understand this issue affect how they translate this expression where it occurs in 2:17. It may be best not to say more about this than ULT does. (See: lastday)

The prophecy of Joel

In 2:17–21, Peter quotes a prophecy of Joel about what would happen in the “last days.” Some of the things that prophecy describes did happen on the day of Pentecost, for example, the pouring out of the Spirit (2:17–18). Some other things did not happen, at least not literally, for example, the sun turning to darkness (2:20). Depending on how scholars understand the “last days,” they may say either that these other things await a literal future fulfillment or that they were fulfilled in some spiritual sense on the day of Pentecost. Once again it may be best not to say any more than ULT does and to allow preachers and teachers of the Bible to interpret and explain the meaning of Peter’s statement in 2:16, “this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel.” (See: prophet)

Baptize

In this chapter, the word “baptize” refers to water baptism as an expression of faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. That is how Luke uses the term in 2:38 and 2:41. Jesus did promise the disciples in 1:5 that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and the events that Luke describes in 2:1–11 are the fulfillment of that promise. But Luke does not use the word “baptize” to describe those events in this chapter. (See: baptize)

Wonders and signs

These words refer to things that only God could do that showed that Jesus was who the disciples said he was. See the notes to this expression in 2:43.

Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter

“You killed” (2:23)

The Romans were the ones who killed Jesus, but they killed him because the Jews captured him, brought him to the Romans, and urged the Romans to kill him. For this reason Peter tells the people in the crowd on the day of Pentecost that they were guilty of killing Jesus. See the note to this phrase in 2:23 for suggestions about how to make clear in your translation what Peter means when he says this.

Long sentences

There is a long sentence that goes from the beginning of 2:9 to the end of 2:11. ULT represents all of it as a single sentence. It may be helpful to your readers to divide it into several sentences, as UST does.There is also a long sentence that goes from the beginning of 2:44 to the end of 2:47. Once again it may be helpful to your readers to divide it into several sentences, as UST does.

Poetry

The quotations from the Old Testament in 2:17–21, 25–28, and 34–35 are poetry. For advice about how to represent this literary form in your translation, see: writing-poetry.