The passive expression rendered as had been given suggests that God is the agent of the giving. If this phrase must be shifted into an active form, one can therefore translate that “God had given the Spirit to them when the apostles placed their hands on them.”

When the apostles placed their hands on them is not merely a statement of time, but indicates “by means of placing their hands on them” (see New English Bible and Revised Standard Version “through the laying on of the apostles’ hands”). To Peter and John translates “to them” of the Greek text.

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 .