1:12

was startled: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was startled describes a feeling of being shocked or agitated in mind. It refers to feeling disturbed, confused, and troubled. There are many ways to describe this feeling in English. The expression was startled is appropriate here to describe Zechariah’s sudden fright. Some other ways to translate this in English are:

was alarmed (Good News Translation)
-or-
was shaken (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
was terribly agitated (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

Some languages may find it more natural to express this in active form. For example:

this startled him

Some languages may express this emotion with an idiom. Describe Zechariah’s feeling in a natural way in your language for this context.

and gripped with fear: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gripped with fear is literally: “fear fell upon him.” It is an idiom that means “he became very afraid.” Some languages may have their own idiom to express this. Other ways to translate it in English are:

overwhelmed with fear (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
frightened (New Century Version)
-or-
terrified

Express this emotion in a natural way in your language for this context.

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