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14 But just as Paul was about to speak,[a] Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy,[b] I would have been justified in accepting the complaint[c] of you Jews,[d] 15 but since it concerns points of disagreement[e] about words and names and your own law, settle[f] it yourselves. I will not be[g] a judge of these things!” 16 Then he had them forced away[h] from the judgment seat.[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 18:14 tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).
  2. Acts 18:14 tn BDAG 902 s.v. ῥᾳδιούργημα states, “From the sense ‘prank, knavery, roguish trick, slick deed’ it is but a short step to that of a serious misdeed, crime, villainy…a serious piece of villainy Ac 18:14 (w. ἀδίκημα).”
  3. Acts 18:14 tn According to BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνέχω 3 this is a legal technical term: “Legal t.t. κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν I would have been justified in accepting your complaint Ac 18:14.”
  4. Acts 18:14 tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”
  5. Acts 18:15 tn Or “dispute.”
  6. Acts 18:15 tn Grk “see to it” (an idiom).
  7. Acts 18:15 tn Or “I am not willing to be.” Gallio would not adjudicate their religious dispute.
  8. 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.
  9. Acts 18:16 sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law(A)—settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.” 16 So he drove them off.

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