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After he had gone through those regions[a] and spoken many words of encouragement[b] to the believers there,[c] he came to Greece,[d] where he stayed[e] for three months. Because the Jews had made[f] a plot[g] against him as he was intending[h] to sail[i] for Syria, he decided[j] to return through Macedonia.[k] Paul[l] was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea,[m] Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica,[n] Gaius[o] from Derbe,[p] and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.[q]

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  1. Acts 20:2 tn BDAG 633 s.v. μέρος 1.b.γ gives the meanings “the parts (of a geographical area), region, district,” but the use of “district” in this context probably implies too much specificity.
  2. Acts 20:2 tn Grk “and encouraging them with many words.” The participle παρακαλέσας (parakalesas, “encouraging”) has been translated by the phrase “spoken…words of encouragement” because the formal equivalent is awkward in contemporary English.
  3. Acts 20:2 tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  4. Acts 20:2 tn In popular usage the term translated “Greece” here could also refer to the Roman province officially known as Achaia (BDAG 318 s.v. ῾Ελλάς).
  5. Acts 20:3 tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”
  6. Acts 20:3 tn The participle γενομένης (genomenēs) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 30.71 has “ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ‘because the Jews had made a plot against him’ Ac 20:3.”
  7. Acts 20:3 sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:24; 20:19; 23:30).
  10. Acts 20:3 tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”
  11. Acts 20:3 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  12. Acts 20:4 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. Acts 20:4 sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.
  14. Acts 20:4 tn Grk “of the Thessalonians.”
  15. Acts 20:4 tn Grk “and Gaius,” but this καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  16. Acts 20:4 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra.
  17. Acts 20:4 tn Grk “the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus.” In the NT “Asia” always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.