In some languages it may be necessary to state to whom the amount of money was paid. This can be “to the government,” “to officers of the government,” or “to government authorities.” A large amount of money may simply be “very much money.”

But I is a very strong emphatic construction in Greek. Paul does not state how his father or his earlier ancestors obtained Roman citizenship, and speculation is of no value for the translator. The expression one by birth may be rendered simply as “my parents were Roman citizens before me” or “I am a Roman citizen because my parents were also.”

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 .