The phrase rendered to be whipped may be taken in the sense “with leather straps.” That is, Luke may either be telling the reason that Paul was being tied up or the means by which Paul was being tied up. The New English Bible accepts the same interpretation that the Good News Translation does, though it provides a footnote giving the alternate possibility.

The term lawful may be rendered as “according to the law,” “is this what the law says,” or “does the law allow you.” In some languages, of course, law may always be rendered as “laws” to indicate the body of laws.

The phrase a Roman citizen may, in this context, be rendered as “a person who has all the rights of the people who live in Rome” or “a person who is just like those in the city of Rome.”

Who hasn’t even been tried for any crime translates a Greek word which is also used in 16.37. The word may indicate one who has not been tried or one who has been tried and found innocent. In the present context, the emphasis is clearly on the former of these two possibilities. This final clause may be translated in some languages as “a person whom a judge has not passed sentence on,” “a man who has not been condemned in court,” or “a man to whom the judge has not yet said, You are guilty of a crime.”

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 .