It is important that the conjunction but not be interpreted as being in contradiction to what has just been said. This is not an adversative “but.” Rather, it may be called a “diversionary” one, for example, “rather” or “on the other hand,” a transitional expression which shifts the focus of attention from a previous statement to something else which has other, and perhaps even more, significance.

You will be filled with power translates the Greek “you will receive power,” though the related expression in 2.4 is literally they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The reference is to the miraculous power to be given to the disciples, by which they would be able to work miracles. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and their being filled with the Holy Spirit are to be understood as simultaneous actions.

The passive expression will be filled (Greek “will receive”) is difficult in many languages. Accordingly, one must often employ an agent, namely, God, for example, “God will fill you” or “God will give to you.” However, be filled with power may require a somewhat different type of structure, such as “cause you to be powerful” or “cause you to be strong,” provided, of course, that this strength is not merely physical.

Where the term “power” or “strength” must have some complement, in order to avoid a wrong interpretation, it is often appropriate to use some such expression as “the power (or strength) to witness.”

You will be witnesses for me is not simply a statement of future fact, but it is given in the nature of a command. The Greek term usually translated as “witness” is found thirteen times in Acts, and the basic meaning is “one who testifies.” Only in 22.20 can it possibly be stretched to mean “martyr,” and even in that context the primary meaning is that of “one who gives testimony.”

The phrase witnesses for me must often be shifted to a verbal expression, for example, “tell people what you know about me.” The focus in “witness” is speaking from personal experience.

The locative expressions in Jerusalem, in all of Judea refer to places where people are, and this must be specified in some languages, for example, “tell about me to people in Jerusalem, in all Judea, …” And to the ends of the earth appears frequently in the Septuagint as a common phrase referring to distant lands; it is quite improbable that the expression must be understood as a specific reference to Rome. The phrase to the ends of the earth is variously expressed, for example, “to as far as there is land,” “far, far away,” or “to other countries.”

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 pronoun this at the beginning of verse 17 must be related to what follows; in fact, it stands for the following direct quotation. For many languages the first line of verse 17 must undergo considerable change of order, for example, “God says, This is what I will do in the last days,” or “In the last days I will do this” (that is, the following).

In the last days is a typical Jewish expression used to describe the time of the Messianic age in which God would fully accomplish those promises that he had made to his people. It was taken over by the first Christians and applied to the period that began when Jesus came into the world, especially from the time of his resurrection onward. It is quite significant that these words are not in the Hebrew or Greek texts of Joel but are supplied by Peter.

An expression for last days is often not easy to find. In fact, it is entirely too easy to adopt some expression which is entirely wrong, for example, “in the most recent days,” or “in the days that have just passed.” The real focus of meaning is “the days just before the end,” or as in some instances “the days just before the new time,” or “the days just before the new age.”

I will pour out my Spirit is literally “I will pour out of my Spirit” (see King James Version; Phillips “forth of my Spirit”; New English Bible “a portion of my spirit”). What Peter means by the use of this phrase is obvious: God will let all people share in his Spirit. So it seems best to translate as Good News Translation and most other translations have done. In many languages, however, one cannot “pour out Spirit,” since “Spirit” is not regarded as a mass. In such instances one may “give my Spirit to” or “cause my Spirit to come to.”

Upon all men is literally “upon all flesh,” a Semitic idiom meaning “all mankind.” In the biblical setting to prophesy primarily means to “proclaim God’s message to men,” rendered in some languages as “they will say to people, This is what God says, ….” However, in certain contexts this term refers to foretelling the future.

To see visions and to dream dreams are in biblical thought ways of receiving divine revelation. In many languages it is not easy to distinguish between visions and dreams. Technically, visions occur in trancelike states in which people are not regarded as asleep, while dreams are related to the state of sleep. In other cultures, however, any vision or dream which has some supernatural significance, that is, which involves a message from the spirit world, is identified by a single term. When there is only one term, it is possible to combine the subjects “your young men and your old men will…”

Since in this context visions and dreams are spoken of only as vehicles for the communication of divine truth, one must sometimes make the reference more explicit, since visions and dreams as such may convey no reference to the revelation involved. Hence, one can have, “your young men will see truth from God in visions and your old men will know about the truth from God through their dreams.”

In societies where terms for age-grading are very specific, the term for young men can refer to young men before marriage and the term for old men can most appropriately refer to men who are the respected leaders—the type of men who make up the group of older counselors of the chief. Of course, insofar as possible, one should avoid expressions which are too specific.

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 the lame man is the subject of the preceding sentence, he can probably be referred to by some pronominal substitute such as “he”; but some languages may require a specific mention of the lame man by some nominal form. It is probably necessary to specify Peter and John, since a pronominal substitute might be confused with people in general.

As noted in the preceding verse, it may be necessary to translate an expression for begging in the form of direct discourse, for example, “he asked them strongly, Give me something.”

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 plural verb form “you received” is made explicit in the Good News Translation translation by you and your husband received.

The Greek expression translated in the King James Version as “for so much” is extremely difficult to render satisfactorily in a literal manner. It is for this reason that the Good News Translation has employed was this the full amount. In some languages the term this must be amplified as “this much money” or even “this money here.”

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 passive causative had them whipped may be restructured as “ordered the guards to whip them” or “caused the guards to whip them.”

After the verb ordered one frequently must employ direct discourse, for example, “ordered, Do not ever again speak in the name of Jesus.”

The phrase speak in the name of Jesus is not easy to render. In some languages it is simply “authority of Jesus” but in other languages the closest equivalent is “speak to the people, using Jesus’ name.”

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 .

Though the text mentions only Jacob as having gone down to Egypt, quite naturally the implication is that Jacob and the whole family went to Egypt. In some languages it is necessary to specify this fact, for example, “Jacob and the rest went down to Egypt” or “they all went down to Egypt.”

Since, in certain languages, he and our ancestors might be understood to exclude Jacob from among the ancestors, one must translate as “he and our other ancestors.”

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 .

As mentioned in the preceding verse, the word translated house may also mean “tent” and for that reason some commentators understand a contrast between what David asked and what Solomon built. These commentators would say that David asked to build God a temporary dwelling place, whereas Solomon built a permanent dwelling place, that is, a temple. If this conclusion is valid, then these two verses are a rebuttal on the part of Stephen against the very existence of the Jerusalem temple.

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 .