Paragraph 4:13–18
4:13a
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John: This clause indicates that the leaders noticed that the apostles were bold and confident. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
When they saw that Peter and John were confident
-or-
The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak (New Century Version)
they: The pronoun they refers to the Jewish leaders (4:5).
4:13b
realized: This verb indicates that the leaders learned something about the apostles that they had not known before. Perhaps by how Peter and John spoke and dressed, the leaders discovered that they were unschooled and ordinary men. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
perceived (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
discovered
unschooled: Here this word indicates that the apostles had gone to school until the age of twelve as most Jewish children did, but they had not studied in the advanced Jewish schools where rabbis taught. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
had no schooling/training from rabbis
-or-
not well educated (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
not highly schooled
ordinary men: The phrase ordinary men indicates that no one had trained Peter and John to interpret the Scriptures or the Jewish law. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
untrained (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
of ordinary/normal social standing
4:13c
they marveled: This clause indicates that the leaders were surprised about how bold and confident Peter and John were. It also indicates that they continued to be surprised for some time. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they were amazed (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
they were surprised (God’s Word)
took note that these men had been with Jesus: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took note means “to connect new information with what was known before.” Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they recognized that they had been with Jesus (English Standard Version)
-or-
They realized then that they had been companions of Jesus (Good News Translation)
had been with Jesus: Make it clear here that Peter and John had been with Jesus for some time. (They were with Jesus for about three years. But you should not include “three years” in your translation.) For example:
had been ⌊going around⌋ with Jesus
-or-
had been ⌊staying⌋ with Jesus
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