In the Greek text the transition which marks this next episode is indicated by egeneto de (literally, “and it happened”). This is one of Luke’s favorite devices for marking a transition in an episode. However, this is quite unnecessary to represent literally in English and the Greek temporal transition the next day is the most satisfactory way of indicating the sequence of events.

The Jewish leaders probably refers to the chief priests as the leading members of the Jewish Council. The elders were respected laymen, of advanced age, who exercised various political and religious functions, particularly as judges. The teachers of the Law were the official teachers and interpreters of the Jewish Scriptures, and not merely secretaries, as the usual translation “scribes” might suggest.

In most languages there is no difficulty involved in selecting three terms for leaders, elders, and teachers. In some so-called primitive societies, however, this may represent some difficulty. “The leaders” are those that have the political power. These consist of the chief and his immediate assistants. The “elders” are the older men who serve as his counselors. The teachers of the Law is rendered in some languages as “the specialists in the Law,” implying a sort of professional status.

Since the reference to the Law is obviously to the Pentateuch, it is possible in some languages to add here “the Laws as given by Moses,” or at least to use the plural form “the Laws,” since in many languages a singular cannot be used as a general term to include a body of regulations.

In some languages it is not sufficient to say that these people gathered in Jerusalem. It is true that they had to come to Jerusalem, for some of them did not live within the city itself; but one must be somewhat more specific in certain instances, such as “came together in one place in Jerusalem.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .