5:24a

the captain of the temple guard:
The captain of the temple guard was in charge of the temple police who guarded and maintained order in the temple area. See how you translated this word in 4:1.

the chief priests: This phrase refers to the leaders of the priests. See how you translated this phrase in 4:23.

were perplexed: Hearing that the apostles had disappeared from their jail cell, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests did not know what to do. The Greek word indicates that they were very confused. The Greek tense indicates that they were confused for some time. Here are some other ways to translate this:

were puzzled (New International Version)
-or-
were very confused about it

5:24b

as to what was happening: The Greek clause is more literally “what might this be/become.” There are three possible interpretations for it:

(1) It means what had happened to the apostles. For example:

what had happened to the apostles (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, God’s Word, NET Bible, Revised English Bible)

(2) It means “what is happening now in regard to the disappearance of the apostles. For example:

what could be happening (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version)

(3) It means what might this disappearance of the apostles become. For example:

what this would come to (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New International Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), New American Bible, Revised Edition)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) because the Greek word “this” refers to the disappearance of the apostles. The captain needed to know how they escaped a locked jail cell. After that immediate concern, he could ask where they might have gone, then watch for any results of their escape (such as him losing his job).

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