Very angry translates a verb that literally means “to be at war with,” and is here used in the figurative sense of “to be very angry with” (see New English Bible “furiously angry with”).

They must be understood as a delegation of citizens from these two cities who came to plead their case with Herod. On the meaning of the word translated in a group, see 1.14.

Blastus, mentioned only here in New Testament, was a very common name and nothing more is known of him than is mentioned in this verse. He was in charge of the palace translates “the one over the king’s bedchamber,” that is, “the king’s chamberlain.” “Chamberlain,” the usual rendering of this term, conveys very little, if anything, to the average English reader. Primarily, the word designated the man in charge of the harem, but the duties of his office could have been much wider, and so a translation such as the Good News Translation is much more meaningful to English readers (see also Dios Habla Hoy “a high official of King Herod”).

The cities of Tyre and Sidon were free cities under the Roman administration, but they depended on the grain fields of Galilee for their food. From the king’s country is literally “from that belonging to the king,” but the reference is obviously to the territory or country over which Herod ruled.

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 .