The Greek that is translated as “(they) insulted him and shook their heads” in English is translated in Dobel with the culturally equivalent “(they) continuously bit their lips at him and abused him.”

In Nüpode Huitoto, “shake their heads” is translated with the cultural equivalent “stick out their chins” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.), in Chol with “spitting on the ground,” in Copainalá Zoque with “clapping the hands” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965), p. 2ff.), and in Chichewa (interconfessional translation) as “showing their scorn” (“‘wagging their heads’ is understood as a nonverbal expression of frustration, grief, or even surprise — source: Wendland 1987, p. 110).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) idiomatically with verzogen höhnisch das Gesicht und spotteten or “tauntingly grimaced at him and mocked him.”

Since the shaking of the heads as meaningless in Toposa, the translators chose to say “kept mocking him” (emphasis added), highlighting the continuous aspect. (Source: Schröder 2026, p. 101).

See also shake the head.