independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The preface and the forty days 1:1–5
vv. 1–3 — the second volume announced: one suspended period, then the proofs
1
The first account I composed, O Theophilus, concerning all thingsindependent — the fronted object opens volume two — μέν with no answering δέ; the same patron as Lk 1:3
which Jesus began both to do and to teach,relative — ὧν attracted (gen. for acc.) — ἤρξατο implies the sequel: what he began then, he continues now
2
until the day when —relative — the temporal limit of volume one — ἧς attracted to ἡμέρας; the clause suspends until ἀνελήμφθη
having given charge through the Holy Spirit to the apostlesparticipial — antecedent to the taking-up — even the last commands come διὰ πνεύματος, the note v. 8 will sound
whom he had chosen,relative — ἐκλέγομαι as at Lk 6:13 — election grounds the apostolate; the verb returns in the prayer of v. 24
he was taken up.relative — the suspended ἄχρι-clause lands on its verb — ἀναλαμβάνω, Elijah's verb (2 Kgs 2:11 LXX), sounded again at vv. 11 and 22
3
to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs,relative — on ἀνελήμφθη — οἷς resumes τοῖς ἀποστόλοις (v. 2), Luke's connecting relative; τεκμήριον, the rhetoricians' certain proof, NT hapax
appearing to them through forty daysparticipial — manner of the presenting — ὀπτάνομαι, the technical appearance verb (1 Cor 15:5–8); forty, the Sinai number
and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God.participial — coordinate participle — the kingdom, his first topic (Lk 4:43) and the book's last word (28:31)
vv. 4–5 — the charge at table: wait for the promise of the Father
4
And while eating with themparticipial — forward-leaning — συναλιζόμενος, a debated hapax: 'sharing salt' (table-fellowship, Lk 24:41–43) or 'assembling'; leans on παρήγγειλεν
he charged themindependent — παραγγέλλω — the word of official orders
not to depart from Jerusalemcontent — first infinitive of the indirect command — the mission must start from the city (Lk 24:47)
but to wait for the promise of the Father,content — the positive counterpart — περιμένω, NT hapax of expectant waiting; the promise is Lk 24:49's
which you heard from me;relative — the sentence slides into direct speech — ἠκούσατέ, second person: Jesus' own voice breaks through the narrative
5
'For John baptized with water,content — the promise quoted — recitative ὅτι; John's own antithesis returned to him (Lk 3:16)
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.'content — the δέ of the contrast — divine passive; 'not many days': the ten-day countdown to Pentecost
The question about the kingdom and the ascension 1:6–11
vv. 6–8 — the last question and the programmatic answer
6
So they, having come together, were asking him, saying,independent — μὲν οὖν — answered by v. 7's δέ; imperfect ἠρώτων, insistent or repeated questioning
'Lord, are you at this time restoring the kingdom to Israel?'content — direct question with εἰ — restoration hope (Mal 4:5–6), not rebuked in substance, only in timing
7
But he said to them,independent — the δέ that answers v. 6's μέν
'It is not yours to know times or seasonscontent — predicate genitive — the timetable is not their property; χρόνοι and καιροί, duration and appointed moment (Dan 2:21)
which the Father has set by his own authority.relative — middle ἔθετο — set for himself; ἰδίᾳ, the Father's sole prerogative (Mk 13:32)
8
but you will receive powercontent — the strong ἀλλά — from calculation to commission; the book's programmatic verse begins
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,participial — genitive absolute — ἐπέρχομαι ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς echoes Lk 1:35 and Isa 32:15: the condition of all that follows
and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.'content — kept one long line — the outline of Acts: Jerusalem (1–7), Judea and Samaria (8–12), the end of the earth (13–28); ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς from Isa 49:6
vv. 9–11 — taken up: the cloud, and the two men in white
9
And having said these things,participial — preposed — the commission is his last word; leans on ἐπήρθη
while they were watching,participial — genitive absolute — the ascension is witnessed, not inferred; leans on ἐπήρθη
he was lifted up,independent — divine passive — the Father exalts (2:33; Phil 2:9)
and a cloud took him up from their eyes.independent — the Shekinah cloud (Exod 13:21; Dan 7:13; Lk 9:34) — ὑπολαμβάνω, reception, not mere occlusion
10
And as they were gazing intently into heavenconditional — temporal ὡς-clause, forward-leaning (protasis convention) — periphrastic ἀτενίζοντες ἦσαν, the locked gaze; leans on παρειστήκεισαν
as he was going,participial — genitive absolute inside the gaze — πορεύομαι: the ascension as deliberate journey
behold, two men stood by them in white garments,independent — apodotic καί with ἰδού — pluperfect: already in place; the pair from the tomb (Lk 24:4)
11
who also said,relative — connecting relative — the angelic speech-frame
'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?content — the gentle rebuke — perfect ἑστήκατε, the fixed posture; mission, not gazing, is now the calling
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same waycontent — οὗτος ὁ Ἰησοῦς — the same Jesus; the parousia promise (Dan 7:13; Rev 1:7)
as you saw him going into heaven.'comparative — ὃν τρόπον answering οὕτως — visible, bodily, in cloud; θεάομαι, considered eyewitness seeing
The upper room — the praying community 1:12–14
vv. 12–13 — the return, and the roster of the eleven
12
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet,independent — prompt obedience to v. 4's charge — ὑποστρέφω, Luke's return verb; Olivet, Zech 14:4's mountain
which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey off.relative — Luke's halakhic geography — ~2,000 cubits (m. Erub. 4:3); the reader oriented precisely
13
And when they had entered,conditional — temporal ὅτε, forward-leaning — leans on ἀνέβησαν
they went up to the upper roomindependent — the ὑπερῷον — possibly the Last Supper's room (Lk 22:12); the community's base until Pentecost
where they were staying —relative — periphrastic — καταμένω, NT hapax: settled residence
both Peter and John and James and Andrew,phrase modifier — the roster begins — the delayed subject of ἀνέβησαν; Lk 6:14's order reshuffled, John promoted beside Peter, the pair of Acts 3–4
Philip and Thomas,phrase modifier — the second pair — the future evangelist (8:5) and the former doubter
Bartholomew and Matthew,phrase modifier — the third pair
James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.phrase modifier — eleven names — the roster's silence about Iscariot is the vacancy vv. 15–26 must fill
v. 14 — one accord
14
All these were devoting themselves with one accord to prayer,independent — periphrastic imperfect — sustained practice; ὁμοθυμαδόν, Luke's unity word (10 of its 11 NT uses in Acts)
together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.phrase modifier — the circle widened — the Galilean women (Lk 8:2–3), Mary's last NT appearance, and the once-unbelieving brothers (Jn 7:5)
The replacement of Judas 1:15–26
vv. 15–17 — the frame: Peter rises; Scripture had to be fulfilled
15
And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and saidindependent — the speech-frame — ἀναστάς, the assembly posture; 'brothers,' the community's first family-name in Acts
— and there was a company of persons together, about a hundred and twenty —phrase modifier — narrator's parenthesis on the assembly — ὄχλος ὀνομάτων, a census Semitism (Num 1:2 LXX); 120, a Sanhedrin-sized quorum (m. Sanh. 1:6)
16
'Men, brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilledcontent — the speech opens on ἔδει — Luke's divine-necessity verb (Lk 24:44): Judas' fall lay inside the plan
which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David concerning Judas,relative — the hermeneutic stated — the Spirit the author, David the mouth (cf. 4:25); the citations themselves wait until v. 20
who became guide to those who arrested Jesus,participial — attributive participle — ὁδηγός: he guided the arresting party to Gethsemane (Lk 22:47)
17
for he had been numbered among uscause — grounds of the necessity — periphrastic: his membership was real, which is why his defection needs Scripture
and had received by lot the share of this ministry.cause — coordinate ground — λαγχάνω/κλῆρος: the allotted share, the word that returns when the lot falls at v. 26
vv. 18–19 — the narrator breaks in: Akeldama
18
(This man, then, acquired a field out of the wages of his unrighteousness,phrase modifier — the parenthesis opens — Luke, not Peter, explains for Theophilus; Matt 27:7 has the priests buy it: the purchase told as Judas' own
and falling headlong he burst open in the middle,phrase modifier — πρηνής and λάσκω, both NT hapax — a death told differently from Matt 27:5's hanging; the divergence stands
and all his bowels were poured out.phrase modifier — ἐκχέω — the verb Acts otherwise reserves for the outpoured Spirit (2:17, 33)
19
and it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,phrase modifier — the parenthesis continues — common knowledge in the city
so that that field was called in their own language Akeldama —purpose — result (ὥστε + infinitive) — the Aramaic toponym, ḥăqal dəmā
that is, Field of Blood.)phrase modifier — Luke's translation gloss for Greek readers — blood-money and blood both in the name; the parenthesis closes
v. 20 — the double citation
20
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:content — Peter's voice resumes — the γάρ reaches back across the parenthesis to v. 17; the Psalter cited as one prophetic book
'Let his homestead become desolate, and let there be no one dwelling in it';content — Ps 69:25 — the imprecation on the enemy's camp, applied to Judas' field
and, 'Let another take his office.'content — Ps 109:8 — ἐπισκοπή, the vacated overseership: the warrant for everything that follows
vv. 21–22 — the qualifications: from John's baptism to the ascension
21
It is necessary, therefore, that of the men who went with us during all the timecontent — δεῖ resumes v. 16's necessity — the fronted partitive genitive suspends the sentence until γενέσθαι (v. 22)
in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,relative — the Hebrew idiom of daily presence (Num 27:17; 1 Sam 18:13)
22
beginning from the baptism of John until the dayparticipial — the loosely-attached nominative ἀρξάμενος (cf. Lk 24:47) — the termini of the eyewitness period
on which he was taken up from us —relative — attraction again (ἧς for ᾗ) — ἀναλαμβάνω a third time: the ascension bounds the qualification
one of these should become with us a witness of his resurrection.content — the suspended δεῖ-clause lands on its infinitive — the office defined: μάρτυς τῆς ἀναστάσεως, the apostolic function itself (2:32; 4:33)
vv. 23–26 — two names, the prayer, the lot
23
And they put forward two:independent — narrative resumes — the community, not Peter alone, nominates; the choice itself is left to the Lord
Joseph called Barsabbas,phrase modifier — first candidate — Hebrew name, Aramaic patronymic
who was surnamed Justus,relative — the Latin cognomen completes the diaspora triple name
and Matthias.phrase modifier — second candidate — 'gift of YHWH'; after v. 26 he is never mentioned again
24
And having prayed they said,independent — prayer before the lot — guidance sought, not chance
'You, Lord, knower of the hearts of all, showcontent — καρδιογνώστης — only in Acts (1:24; 15:8); the prayer addressed to the risen Lord who chose the first Twelve
which one of these two you have chosencontent — indirect question — ἐκλέγομαι as at v. 2: the choice is already made; the lot will only reveal it
25
to take the place of this ministry and apostleship,purpose — purpose infinitive — διακονία καὶ ἀποστολή: service first, commission second (v. 17 echoed)
from which Judas turned asiderelative — παραβαίνω — covenant transgression (Num 14:41 LXX), not mere failure
to go to his own place.'purpose — infinitive of result — τόπος against τόπος: the office vacated, 'his own place' the old euphemism for his judgment
26
And they gave lots for them,independent — the NT's last lot — Prov 16:33: the decision is the LORD's; after Pentecost the Spirit appoints (13:2)
and the lot fell on Matthias,independent — ὁ κλῆρος — the noun of v. 17 closes its ring: Judas' forfeited share falls to another
and he was enrolled together with the eleven apostles.independent — συγκαταψηφίζομαι, NT hapax — communal ratification; the Twelve stand reconstituted for Pentecost
Analysis. Acts 1 opens with the same seam Luke 1 showed: vv. 1–2 are one suspended Attic period — the fronted Τὸν μὲν πρῶτον λόγον carries the flush-left ἐποιησάμην, the ὧν-relative (attracted) hangs from πάντων, and the ἄχρι ἧς ἡμέρας clause is laid suspended, its participial charge (ἐντειλάμενος … διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου) and the οὓς-relative leaning inward until the clause lands on its one verb, ἀνελήμφθη — the ascension verb (2 Kgs 2:11 LXX) that vv. 11 and 22 will sound again. The οἷς-καί connecting relative chains v. 3 on, and at v. 4 the sentence slides mid-relative into direct speech (ἣν ἠκούσατέ μου), so the promise of v. 5 hangs blue beneath ἠκούσατέ. From v. 6 the page turns narrative: main verbs flush left, temporal ὡς/ὅτε clauses leaning forward anchor-less (typed cnd, tagged temporal — the luke1 convention), preposed participles and genitive absolutes leaning on the verbs below them (ταῦτα εἰπών and βλεπόντων αὐτῶν over ἐπήρθη), and all speech hanging cnt beneath its verb of saying — v. 8, the programmatic outline of the whole book (Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, the end of the earth), is deliberately kept one long line. The eleven of v. 13 stand as coordinate verbless mod roster lines under ἀνέβησαν (the matthew10 pattern), their silence about Iscariot being the vacancy the last movement must fill. Peter's speech (vv. 15–26) is a cnt catena under εἶπεν: ἔδει at its head, the ὅτι-grounds of v. 17 beneath it, and the narrator's Akeldama parenthesis (vv. 18–19) nested as mod lines under v. 17's ἔλαχεν — Luke's aside to Theophilus, not Peter's words to the brothers, its translation gloss τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν Χωρίον Αἵματος a mod beneath the Aramaic name — so that v. 20's γάρ visibly reaches back across the parenthesis to v. 17; the two citations (Ps 69:25; Ps 109:8) hang side by side under γέγραπται, and the δεῖ of v. 21 suspends across the qualification phrases until it lands on γενέσθαι (v. 22). Cruxes taken: συναλιζόμενος (v. 4) is glossed as table-fellowship ('sharing salt', cf. Lk 24:41–43), the 'assembling' sense noted; the vv. 18–19 account of Judas' end is left standing beside Matt 27:3–10, the divergence named rather than harmonized; τὸν τόπον τὸν ἴδιον (v. 25) is read as the old euphemism for Judas' judgment; and the lot of v. 26 — the NT's last — is read with v. 24 as the revelation of a choice already made, closing the κλῆρος ring opened at v. 17.