2:6a
this sound: Some scholars think this phrase refers to the wind-like noise (2:2). Other scholars think this phrase refers to the believers speaking those many different languages (2:4). Translate in a way that allows this phrase to refer to either the wind-like noise or the noise of many people speaking. For example:
that noise
However, some languages must say what the noise was. If that is true in your language, refer to the wind-like noise of 2:2. For example:
the wind (God’s Word)
2:6b
a crowd came together: By the time the crowd gathered, the believers were probably somewhere outside of the house (2:1b). In some languages it is more natural to indicate the implied information. For example:
a crowd came together ⌊around the believers⌋ ⌊outside of the house⌋
-or-
a crowd came together ⌊around the believers⌋ ⌊because they had come out of the house⌋
a crowd: This crowd included the Jews described in 2:5. The context implies that the crowd was mostly these Jews.
in bewilderment: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in bewilderment has a number of meanings. Here it probably refers to the crowd being confused and amazed, as 2:6c explains. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Each person was startled (God’s Word)
-or-
they were surprised (Contemporary English Version)
2:6c
each one heard them speaking his own language: The pronoun them refers to the believers. Each one of these Jews heard the believers speaking the hearer’s own language. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
each one heard them speaking in the native language of each (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers (New Living Translation (2004))
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