Join them in the ceremony of purification (see An American Translation* “undergo the rites of purification with them” and New English Bible “go through the ritual of purification with them”) is literally “be made holy with them” (see Jerusalem Bible and Phillips “be purified with them”). It is important to observe that Luke does not say that Paul assumed the Nazirite vow along with these men, but that he went through the ceremony of purification with them and paid their expenses. The expenses for the sacrifices were rather costly, and as an act of piety people of means paid the expenses involved.

It is not easy to translate the expression join them in the ceremony of purification. One can say “go along with them in being purified,” but it is important to indicate that this act of purification is some kind of ritual or ceremony. One may say, in some languages, “become one with them in undergoing the ceremony of being purified.” However, in some languages a translation of “purified” in the sense of “to be made clean” carries no special religious significance. Therefore one may employ some such phrase as “to be made pure before God” or “to be made pure in God’s eyes.” Because of a number of aspects of this particular passage, it is important that some marginal note provide at least minimal explanation for what is involved in a vow and accompanying purification. Such a note may be formulated on the basis of the exegetical information included on this passage.

Pay their expenses may be translated as “pay what it costs them to be purified” or, as in some instances, “pay for the sacrifices for their being purified.”

In the Greek, verse 24 is only one sentence, and the second clause begins with “and everybody will know.” When used in this way, “and” has the force of introducing an explanation, rather than merely tying together two coordinate clauses. For this reason the Good News Translation has translated “and” as in this way (see Revised Standard Version “thus”; Phillips “and then”; Jerusalem Bible “this will let everyone know”).

Once again it is obvious that Luke has used “the law” in the sense of the Law of Moses (most translations indicate this by spelling Law with a capital L). Live in accordance with the Law of Moses may be rendered as “live as the rules in the Law of Moses say one should live” or “obey what it says in the Law of Moses concerning how one should live.”

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 .