1:14a

With one accord…continued in prayer: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as continued in prayer is literally “devoting (themselves) with one mind.” The phrase “devoting (themselves)” indicates that the apostles put much time and effort in praying. The phrase “with one mind” indicates that they were united in purpose and agreed in many ways during their praying. The whole Greek phrase implies that they gathered together in order to pray. It indicates that the apostles and other believers prayed together often and regularly. It does not indicate that they prayed all the time and did nothing else. For example:

with one accord devoted themselves to prayer (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
were of one purpose and prayed often

prayer: This word refers to what people say to God. It can include both requests and praises.

they all: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they all refers to the eleven apostles (1:13b–d).

1:14b

the women: These women were probably those who had believed in Jesus, accompanied him and the apostles, and had helped them in practical ways during Jesus’ ministry. For example:

the women who had followed Jesus (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

His brothers: Church groups differ in what they believe about Jesus’ brothers. Here are the three main views:

(1) They were the sons of Joseph and Mary, born after Jesus.

(2) They were Jesus’ cousins.

(3) They were children of Joseph from a previous marriage. That is, they were Jesus’ step-brothers.

The Hebrew and Aramaic words for “brother” do not distinguish between biological brothers and cousins. It is good to use a general word for “brother” that could apply to any of the views above. For example, you may have a word that could refer to:

(a) brothers with the same father and mother, and

(b) brothers with the same father but different mothers, and

(c) cousins who are children of one of the parents’ brothers or sisters.

If you must use a more specific word, it is recommended that you consult with all major church groups in your language area. You will want to choose a word that is acceptable to the churches.

If your language must distinguish between “older” and “younger” brothers, it is recommended that you use a term for “younger brothers” here. If your language does not use terms that distinguish male and female, such as brother or sister, it may be more natural to use general terms. For example:

siblings
-or-
younger-siblings

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