16:24a
On receiving this order: The orders were to guard him securely, so Luke used the phrase this order. It explains why the jailer put Paul and Silas in the inner cell. The inner cell was more secure than cells along the outer wall of the prison. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
following such instructions (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Hearing what ⌊the judges⌋ commanded
inner cell: The inner cell was a room that was not along the outer wall of the prison. It did not have a window to the outside. The door to this room probably could be locked to prevent prisoners from leaving. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
inner ⌊locked⌋ room
-or-
a room not near the outside ⌊of the prison⌋ ⌊that had a lock⌋
16:24b
fastened their feet in the stocks: The stocks are two large pieces of lumber with holes cut out of them through which a prisoner’s lower legs are placed. The two pieces of lumber are clamped together, enclosing the prisoner’s lower legs. The prisoner could not remove his legs because the holes were too small to pull his feet through.
In some languages people are not familiar with stocks. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Describe the stocks. You may also want to include a picture. For example:
he put their legs in places for legs between two planks, then he locked the planks together
-or-
he put their legs between two pieces of wood with slots and tied it
• Describe the function of the stocks. You may also want to include a picture. For example:
he tied their legs to planks ⌊to prevent them from escaping⌋
-or-
put their legs inside holes in wood ⌊and locked it⌋
• Use the common language word. You may then want to explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
Stocks are two large pieces of lumber with holes cut out of them through which a prisoner’s lower legs are placed. The two pieces of lumber are clamped together, enclosing the prisoner’s lower legs. The prisoner could not remove his legs because the holes were too small to pull his feet through.
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