The nominal expression in amazement and wonder must often be shifted to a verbal form, “they were amazed and wondered.” However, in some languages it is quite impossible to find two verbs which have essentially the same area of meaning. Therefore, one can employ one verb, but qualify it with an intensive, for example, “they were completely amazed,” since in Greek the use of the two verbs is essentially a device to indicate intensity. In other words, the second verb does not introduce any semantic components which are not already suggested in the first verb.

These men who are talking like this—they are all Galileans! represents the translation of a Greek rhetorical sentence (“Are not all of these who are talking Galileans?”), in which the expected answer to the question is “Yes.” The mention that the persons talking are Galileans is here probably intended to indicate nothing other than the fact that the languages which they are speaking are not their own native languages.

Rather than attempt to make up some adjectival form such as “Galileans,” one can often retain the name of the country and produce a text which is more idiomatic, for example, “they are all from Galilee.” On the other hand, many languages have regular formatives which indicate people from a particular town or region, in which case, of course, one should certainly use such forms.

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 .

The Greek text of this verse (literally “they were devoting themselves to the teachings of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers”) lends itself to two possible arrangements. It is possible to take the four items listed as being in two pairs, with the two items in each pair joined by the connective and, or it is possible to understand these as four separate items. The Good News Translation has followed this latter arrangement.

Though the subject of the four events mentioned in this verse is, strictly speaking, the group of new believers, nevertheless this listing of the four aspects of the life of the believers serves primarily to introduce what is to come in the following paragraphs. At the same time, the immediately following paragraph serves as an introductory statement to much of what is in the succeeding chapters (3.1–5.16).

The translation of the Greek term proskarterountes (Good News Translation they spent their time in) is by no means easy, especially when it is necessary to relate this to the events which follow. In some languages one may use “they gave themselves to,” “they were eager for,” or “they were very desirous of.”

The learning from the apostles may be rendered as “to have the apostles teach them.”

Fellowship (a word which occurs only here in Acts) may refer either to the common spirit which the believers shared with the apostles, or, more likely, to the communal spirit which they shared with the total group, and which is described in verses 44-46. In many languages this fellowship may be described as “they shared what they had with the others” (or “the other believers”) or “they were one with the others.”

Sharing in the fellowship meals (in Greek literally “in the breaking of bread”) represents a Greek phrase which occurs only here and in Luke 24.35. It is generally agreed that these fellowship meals were common meals shared in by the early Christian community, and followed by the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

A literal translation of “breaking bread” is rarely satisfactory, especially in areas where bread is not broken, but cut or divided. The implication of this expression is that “they ate together as believers.” Obviously, there is more than merely having one’s meals with one another. This eating together was an aspect of their common loyalty to Jesus Christ. In view of the fact that the agapē (the fellowship meal) did involve the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, it would be entirely appropriate to have a marginal note to explain the precise nature of these meals, which were so characteristic of the believing community.

The prayers which the disciples shared in were probably not limited to the prayers of the Christian community only, but likely included as well the Jewish prayers at their stated hours (see 3.1). The prayers may be translated as “they prayed to God together.”

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 .

Verse 1 of Chapter 4 consists of a transitional statement (the fact that Peter and John were still speaking to the people) and the arrival of those who were concerned about what was happening in the temple.

There is a problem with regard to the statement Peter and John were still speaking to the people, since this might imply in some languages that Peter and John were both saying exactly the same thing, or that they were both speaking at the same time but saying something different. Since the preceding discourse has been attributed directly to Peter, some languages require some such statement as “Peter was still speaking to the people with John at his side” or “Peter, with John helping him, was still speaking to the people.”

Though in the Greek text this transitional material is in a participial construction and the following clause is the independent clause, it is quite necessary in a number of instances to shift the structure of the Greek sentence and make the initial portion the independent sentence, while the second clause becomes the dependent portion. There are important stylistic reasons for this type of shift, for if the first clause began with “when,” it would seem to imply that something was anticipated.

Some manuscripts read, “chief priests” (see New English Bible) rather than priests. However, the word for “chief priest” occurs 122 times in the New Testament, while the word for “priest” is used only 31 times. Accordingly, it is more likely that a scribe would substitute the more frequently used word for the less frequent word. Moreover, the reading “chief priests” seems to be an attempt by a scribe to heighten the seriousness of the persecution.

A number of different expressions for priest are used in various languages. The important thing is that this be a term to designate a professional religious functionary. All so-called “world religions” have their priestly castes or groups. In so-called animistic societies there may, however, be difficulty in obtaining a satisfactory word for priest. In some instances the closest equivalent is the shaman or the medicine man. In other instances it may be important to have some type of descriptive phrase as “the one who sacrifices” or “the one who functions in the house of God.”

The officer in charge of the temple guards was himself a priest and the highest officer in the temple, ranking second only to the High Priest. In many languages the equivalent of temple guards is simply the “policemen of the temple.”

The Sadducees (mentioned also in 5.17 and 23.6, 7, 8) were a religious party among the Jews composed largely of priests. They were in some respects a very conservative group, and, as the text indicates, did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. For the term Sadducees it is essential that some type of transliteration be employed. However, a brief explanation of the sect of the Sadducees should be contained in a glossary.

In some languages great care is exercised in indicating the composition of a group. For example, if one says “the priests” and “the Sadducees” this would mean all the priests and all the Sadducees. One must, therefore, employ a type of partitive construction in some languages and say “some of the priests” and “some of the Sadducees.”

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 .

The phrase witnesses to these things may be expressed as “those who tell what has happened” or even “those who tell what God has done.”

To emphasize the joint witness of both the apostles and the Holy Spirit, it may be necessary to employ an expression such as “the Holy Spirit also tells” or “the Holy Spirit also shows.”

The pronoun him in the phrase obey him refers, of course, to God.

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 .

The expression pass judgment implies, of course, condemnation and punishment. It is, therefore, most effectively rendered in some languages as “I will punish the people that they will work for as slaves.”

Though a term for worship is usually available, it frequently represents an extension of meaning of the term “to pray.” In this particular context, of course, the expression “will pray to me in this place” is a close natural equivalent.

“On this mountain” (that is, Mount Horeb or Sinai) of Exodus 3.12 has been adapted by Luke to in this place (that is, Palestine or Jerusalem).

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 .

Since this is a new paragraph it may be necessary to reintroduce Moses as the object of refusing to obey, for example, “they would not listen to (or obey) Moses.”

Wished that they could go back to Egypt (see New English Bible “they wished themselves back in Egypt”) translates the Greek “they turned in their hearts towards Egypt.”

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 .

Note that verse 11 does not add any new information which is not already contained in the two preceding verses. It is simply an emphatic repetition of the essential information. In some languages one must add a term such as “really,” for example, “he had really astounded them.” By such emphatic forms one can justify the repetition of the information.

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 .