He had … put to death by the sword is literally “he killed … with a sword.” But again to say “he killed” might suggest that this was something that Herod did personally, whereas it was something ordered by him and done by his subordinates. Put to death by the sword in this type of context may be rendered in some languages as “ordered a soldier to kill James by means of a sword” or “ordered a soldier to take his sword to kill James.” In many parts of the world a sword is not employed in fighting or in warfare. The closest equivalent may be “a very large knife.” In other instances a sword is a “large knife for fighting.”

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 .