About this time (see Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Luther; “about that time” Revised Standard Version, Zürcher Bibel, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée) is a vague designation of time, and serves as much as a paragraph marker as it does an indication of time. Such a reference to time is equivalent in some languages to “in those days” or even “then.” In other languages a verbal expression is employed “while all this was happening.”

King Herod is Herod Agrippa the first, grandson of Herod the Great (Luke 1.5), who from A.D. 41 to 44 ruled over all the country of Palestine, with the title of “King.”

The literal expression “he laid hands on to mistreat” is translated began to persecute (see Jerusalem Bible “started persecuting”). In this type of context, “to lay hands on” indicates hostile action, and taken together with the verb “mistreat” (here with the specialized meaning of “persecute”) means “begin to persecute” (see also New English Bible “attacked” and Barclay “launched a violent attack”). To attempt a literal translation (as in Revised Standard Version, Phillips, An American Translation*, Moffatt, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Zürcher Bibel) might suggest that this is something Herod did personally with his own hands, whereas this is actually something that he ordered done and it was carried out by his subordinates. The phrase “certain ones of those from the church” is translated some members of the church (so La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .