Paragraph 21:26
21:26a–e
This verse implies that Paul agreed to do as the elders said. In some languages this needs to be explicit. For example:
⌊Paul agreed to do what the elders/leaders requested.⌋ The next day…
21:26b
purified himself along with them: The purification here is probably when a person sprinkled himself with special water of purification several times and then washed his clothes. Each man did that for himself. See the note at 21:24a.
Other ways to translate this phrase are:
performed the ceremony of purification with them (Good News Translation)
-or-
went through the purification ceremony with them (God’s Word)
-or-
shared in the cleansing ceremony with them (New Century Version)
-or-
they ritually purified themselves
21:26c
Then he entered the temple: Paul and the men only went to the temple courtyards after they were purified.
the temple: Here the word temple refers to the building in Jerusalem where people believe that God is present in a special way. People worship there.
Luke used the word temple here to refer to the temple courtyards. The temple courtyards are areas around the main temple building. Each courtyard had a wall with gates to enclose it.
Only priests were allowed in the actual temple building. Paul went only to the temple courtyards. In some languages this must be explicit for the correct meaning. For example:
into the temple courtyard (God’s Word)
See how you translated this word in 2:46 or 19:27.
21:26d–e
to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them: The phrase give notice indicates that Paul talked to the priests at the temple. He told them when he and the four men would finish their purification rite. He also told them when the four men would offer the required sacrifices for the closing ceremony of their vows.
The end of their purification was the same day that the men would make the offering. Other ways to translate these clauses are:
gave notice of how many days it would be until the end of the period of purification, when a sacrifice would be offered for each one of them (Good News Translation)
-or-
he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them (New Living Translation (2004))
21:26d
when their purification would be complete: The next verse implies that the ending ceremony would be seven days later.
21:26e
the offering would be made for each of them: The four men would give food and drink to the priests as offerings. They would also give a number of animals to the priests for them to sacrifice (Numbers 6:13–21). Other ways to translate this clause are:
the offering would have to be presented on behalf of each of them (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
he would give the animals and other things ⌊to the priests⌋ to offer them on behalf of each of the ⌊four⌋ men
the offering would be made: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊he⌋ would give the offerings
-or-
⌊the priests⌋ would offer the animals and other things
for each of them: The word for indicates that Paul bought the offerings. The priests would use those offerings in the ceremony that ended the vows of the four men.
each of them: This phrase refers to the four men.
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