An Exegetical Analysis of Acts 10:39: The Syntax of Culpability in the Passion Narrative
This exegetical study of Acts 10:39 syntax around the passion of Christ is based on a b-greek discussion from Wed Apr 21 06:12:50 EDT 2004. The initial inquiry concerned the precise syntactic relationship of the phrase “whom also they slew, having hanged him on a cross” within Acts 10:39. Specifically, the discussion sought to clarify to whom the plural pronoun “they” (implied subject of the verb “slew”) refers, and if its attachment was syntactically correct in various translations, including the King James Version and a French translation by John Darby.
The main exegetical issue revolves around the identification of the implicit subject of the aorist verb ἀνεῖλαν (“they slew”) and its theological implications regarding responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion. The query expressed concern about attributing singular culpability to the Jewish people, proposing that the “they” might be interpreted in a more generalized or impersonal sense. This nuanced understanding of the verb’s subject is crucial for avoiding anachronistic or anti-Judaic interpretations and for accurately reflecting the Greek text’s deliberate ambiguity regarding specific agency in this particular verse.
Καὶ ἡμεῖς μάρτυρες πάντων ὧν ἐποίησεν ἔν τε τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου· (Nestle 1904)
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- For Acts 10:39, the Nestle 1904 Greek text is identical to the SBLGNT (2010) text. Both include the particle καὶ (“also” or “even”) before ἀνεῖλαν, a reading supported by older manuscripts in contrast to the Textus Receptus which omits it.
Textual Criticism (NA28), Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG)
The text of Acts 10:39 is remarkably stable across critical editions. The NA28, like Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT, reads ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν. The presence of καὶ is well-attested in the Alexandrian and Western textual traditions and is accepted by modern scholarship as the original reading. This particle adds an emphatic nuance, suggesting “whom *also* they slew,” highlighting this act in contrast to the good deeds Jesus performed.
Lexical Notes:
- ἀναιρέω (anaireō): According to BDAG, this verb possesses several semantic ranges, including ‘to take up, lift up,’ ‘to take away, remove,’ and crucially, ‘to do away with, kill, execute.’ In the context of Acts, particularly concerning the death of Jesus, ἀναιρέω frequently denotes putting someone to death, often through public or official means (e.g., Acts 2:23, 5:30, 7:52, 13:28). KITTEL (TDNT Vol. 1, p. 367) similarly notes its common usage in the NT to signify capital punishment, where the agency, while plural, is often not explicitly specified beyond “they.”
- ξύλον (xylon): BDAG lists ‘wood, timber,’ ‘a tree,’ and ‘anything made of wood,’ but also specifically ‘a cross’ as its fifth sense, particularly in New Testament contexts referring to the instrument of Jesus’ execution (e.g., Acts 5:30, 13:29, Gal 3:13, 1 Pet 2:24). KITTEL (TDNT Vol. 5, p. 37-38) further explains its theological significance, linking it to the Deuteronomic curse on those “hanged on a tree” (Deut 21:22-23), thereby associating Jesus’ death with a curse to be redeemed.
Translation Variants with Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis
The verse opens with Καὶ ἡμεῖς μάρτυρες πάντων ὧν ἐποίησεν ἔν τε τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ (“And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem”). This clause establishes the eyewitness testimony of Peter and the apostles to Jesus’ ministry within specific geographical bounds. The relative pronoun ὧν is attracted into the genitive case to agree with its antecedent πάντων, a common and grammatically correct Greek idiom.
The core of the exegetical challenge lies in the subsequent clause: ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου (“whom also they slew, having hanged him on a tree”).
- ὃν: This is an accusative relative pronoun, referring back to Jesus, the object of the preceding clause’s action.
- καὶ: The particle “also” or “even” here serves to highlight the shocking contrast between Jesus’ good works and his violent death. It suggests that *in addition* to all he did, *this* also happened to him.
- ἀνεῖλαν: This is a 3rd person plural aorist active indicative verb from ἀναιρέω. Crucially, its subject is not explicitly stated. While the immediate context of Peter’s sermon in Acts often refers to “the men of Israel” (Acts 2:22) or “our rulers” (Acts 13:27), the grammatical form itself in Acts 10:39 is generic. This allows for a broad interpretation of “they,” referring to those responsible for the crucifixion without singling out a specific, homogenous group (e.g., *all* Jewish people). This syntactic ambiguity facilitates interpretations such as the French “on a fait mourir” (“one made to die” or “he was put to death”), which avoids precise identification of the agents. This grammatical feature prevents an explicit collective condemnation and emphasizes the action itself rather than the specific identity of every individual involved.
- κρεμάσαντες: This is an aorist active participle, masculine plural nominative, from κρεμάννυμι (“to hang”). It describes the *manner* of execution. It modifies the implicit subject of ἀνεῖλαν, explaining how they put him to death. The action of hanging on a tree is either coterminous with or immediately preceding the act of slaying, serving as an adverbial modifier of means or manner.
- ἐπὶ ξύλου: The prepositional phrase “on a tree” specifies the instrument of execution, drawing on the Old Testament motif of a cursed death and clarifying that “slew” refers to crucifixion.
The syntactic structure of Acts 10:39 is therefore sound. The relative clause ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλαν κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου directly modifies Jesus, whose actions were attested by the witnesses. The lack of an explicit subject for ἀνεῖλαν is a deliberate feature of the Greek, allowing for interpretive flexibility regarding the extent of culpability. Both the King James Version and Darby’s French translation capture this syntactic arrangement accurately, implicitly acknowledging the unspecified “they.”
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
The exegesis of Acts 10:39 highlights the stability of the Greek text across critical editions and the nuanced implications of its syntax, particularly concerning the agent of Jesus’ death. The third-plural aorist ἀνεῖλαν, without an explicit subject, offers a deliberate ambiguity that avoids pinpointing singular or monolithic culpability. This linguistic feature is crucial for avoiding broad, anachronistic attributions of guilt, instead focusing on the event itself and its broader context within Peter’s sermon. The particle καὶ (also/even) emphasizes the stark contrast between Jesus’ ministry and his violent end, while the participle κρεμάσαντες and the phrase ἐπὶ ξύλου specify the method of execution, connecting it to a significant theological motif.
Based on this analysis, the following translation suggestions attempt to convey these nuances:
- “And we are witnesses of all that he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they also slew by hanging him on a tree.”
This translation maintains the direct ‘they’ as the subject but leaves the antecedent ambiguous, reflecting the Greek’s unspecified grammatical subject. - “And we are witnesses of all that he accomplished in the land of Judea and in Jerusalem; he whom people also put to death by crucifixion.”
This version opts for a more generalized or impersonal ‘people’ or ‘persons unknown’ for the subject, emphasizing the event and its broad perpetrators rather than a specific, identifiable group, which is a valid interpretation of the Greek third-plural without an explicit noun. - “We ourselves bear witness to all that he did throughout the Jewish land and in Jerusalem; he was also done to death by being hanged on a cross.”
This translation employs a passive construction to completely abstract the agent, focusing entirely on Jesus as the recipient of the action, effectively conveying the impersonal nuance suggested in the original discussion and mitigating any potential for misinterpretation regarding collective guilt.