This verse is rendered quite differently by various translators, primarily because of different interpretations given to one word. The only other place in the New Testament where this particular word occurs is in James 3.4, and it is agreed there that it means something like “intention,” “purpose,” or “desire.” The Good News Translation has translated this noun, together with the verb “happened,” as meaning decided, while most translators employ something like “a movement arose.” Phillips qualifies the movement as “hostile movement,” basing his translation either on the original meaning of this word or else on the following events. As the context makes clear, the word indicates the formulation of a plan to kill the apostles and not the actual realization of this plan.

With their leaders may refer either to the Jews, or to the Gentiles and Jews. In the former case the leaders would be the leaders of the synagogue, and in the latter case the city officials (see New English Bible “city authorities”). “Insult” (Phillips) is a possible translation of what the authorities decided to do to the apostles; however, mistreat (Revised Standard Version “molest”) seems much better in the present context, because the implication is that they wanted to brings physical injury to the apostles.

The phrase together with their leaders may be translated either as “their leaders also approved” or “their leaders also joined with them.” As noted above, their may refer either to the Jews or to both the Jews and the Gentiles.

To mistreat is in most languages “to harm physically,” “to damage them,” or “to wound them.” This is in keeping with the last expression stone them, which in many languages is literally “kill them by throwing stones at them.”

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 .