SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 16:33

16:33a

At that hour of the night: Not much time had passed since the last time Luke mentioned the time being about midnight (16:25). The phrase probably implies that it was soon after the earthquake. For example:

the same hour of the night (Revised Standard Version)

This phrase implies that the jailer was eager to take care of Paul and Silas and to be baptized. He did not want to wait until morning. In some languages a literal translation would not imply that. Other ways to translate this phrase to make the implied information more clear are:

Late as it was (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
There and then in the middle of the night (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

16:33b

washed their wounds: This clause refers to the wounds from the beating in 16:22–23.

16:33c

without delay: This word in Greek is placed last in the clause to emphasize it. The Berean Standard Bible places it first to do the same thing in English.

he and all his household were baptized: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. Probably Paul and Silas baptized them. For example:

they⌋ baptized him and all his family

his household: This phrase in Greek is literally “the ones of him.” It refers to the same group of people as the phrase “your household” (16:31b).

baptized: Here this word refers to the Christian ritual that uses water. See how you translated this word in 1:5 or 16:15.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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