I have chosen him to serve me translates “he is to me a vessel/instrument of choice.” The phrase “vessel/instrument of choice” is merely a Jewish way of saying “(someone) chose a vessel/instrument”; while “vessel/instrument,” when applied to a person, is equivalent in meaning to “someone who serves (someone else).” Finally “he is to me” defines both who chooses (“to me”) and who is chosen (“he”): that is, I have chosen him (to serve me).

To Gentiles and kings is taken by several translators to mean “to Gentiles and their kings” (see New English Bible, Moffatt, An American Translation*).

As in many instances, the term name must be translated as a more direct reference to the person himself, since name in this type of context is simply a substitute for a reference to a person. Therefore in many languages one may translate “to make me known 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 .