The verb protested is rendered in some languages as “answered back strongly,” “said in response,” or “declared with strong words.”

By shaking the dust from his clothes is literally in Greek “shaking his clothes.” Although the same verb is used here as appears in 13.51, no “dust” is specifically mentioned in this Greek text, and here “clothes” are specified, not “feet.” However, it is natural to relate these two expressions and to assume that the words of Paul which immediately follow reflect the correct interpretation of this gesture. Also, the meaning of the idiom “shaking his clothes” is indicated by the verb protested. Therefore, there should be little difficulty for the reader in understanding the meaning of this action. It is always possible to introduce at this point a marginal note to explain such a gesture and to refer to other parallel expressions in the Scriptures. Some translators may prefer to employ a receptor language idiom at this point—for example, “waved his arms” or “turned his back,” while in some cases indicating the idiom of the Greek text in the margin.

If you are lost, you yourselves must take the blame for it translates the Jewish formula “your blood (be) on your own head” (see 2 Samuel 1.16; Matthew 27.25). This expression means that the person upon whose head the blood comes must assume responsibility for the decision and/or action. Although most translators render this literally, it would seem best to express the meaning of the passage rather than to reproduce a verbal correspondence, since it is doubtful whether many people would understand the true significance of the phrase unless they had been conditioned by a good background in biblical terminology. In fact, the literal rendering of this Semitic idiom is often quite meaningless; and if people do try to assign meaning to it they frequently misunderstand its implications. It should certainly never be translated literally without some kind of marginal note. At the same time, the expression if you are lost may likewise be somewhat misleading, unless one understands a good deal of biblical teaching about being lost. In some translations this expression can be rendered as “if you are lost from God,” “if you cut yourselves off from God,” “if you cause yourselves to perish,” or “if you cause yourselves to be condemned by God.” All of these expressions relate in one way or another to a person’s final condemnation and separation from God.

I will go to the Gentiles should not mean merely that Paul was leaving his present residence and going to live in the house of a Gentile. It may be necessary, therefore, to render this final sentence of verse 6 as “From now on I will go and preach to the Gentiles” or “From now on I will leave you and go preach to the Gentiles.”

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 .