Joined the attack against refers not to verbal charges made against the two men, but to an attempt on the part of the crowd to do them physical harm. Joined the attack may be translated as “also started hitting.”

The officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas translates an ambiguous expression in Greek. It is possible to understand this to mean that the officials tore their own clothes (as Jews did when someone committed blasphemy), but most translators and commentators understand it in the sense that the Good News Translation renders it. It was not the custom for Romans to tear their clothes under such circumstances, and the context suggests that the officials themselves tore the clothes off Paul and Silas so that they could have them whipped. On the other hand, it is more likely that the Roman officials ordered the clothes of Paul and Silas to be torn off by soldiers who no doubt would be standing nearby.

The word translated whipped literally means “to be beaten (with a stick),” but it is possible that some other instrument, such as a whip, was used. It may be necessary to stipulate precisely who received the orders and who did the whipping—for example, “ordered soldiers to whip Paul and Silas.” One may, of course, employ a general term for “beating,” implying that they were beaten with sticks or some type of instrument.

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 .

To the coast (literally “to the sea”) in this instance refers to the Aegean Sea, where Paul could catch a ship for Athens. It is important, however, in translating the verb sent to indicate that Paul was not sent off alone; in verse 15 there were men who accompanied Paul and went with him as far as Athens. Therefore it may be necessary in verse 14 to translate: “sent Paul away with some other men to the coast.”

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 .

Gallio assumed the governorship of Greece around A.D. 51 and Luke has used the correct technical term to describe the office of Gallio, Roman governor. Greece is literally “Achaia” (18.27; 19.21), the Roman province that included the most important part of Greece. In the Roman system a governor was an “appointed ruler”; in some languages the equivalent is “an appointed big chief.” But the passive expression was made is difficult to render in many languages; therefore, one may say, “the Roman authorities caused Gallio to be ruler of Greece.”

Got together is actually an adverb (see 1.14) which must be taken closely with the verb seized. The verb which the Good News Translation has translated seized appears only here in the New Testament. It appears in some other translations as “made an attack” (Revised Standard Version, see Phillips) and “set upon” (New English Bible); and so the entire phrase got together, seized is translated “made a united attack upon” (Revised Standard Version), “banded together to attack” (Phillips), and “set upon in a body” (New English Bible).

Took him into court may be translated in some languages as “caused him to go before the governor (or ruler) to be judged.”

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 .

Publicly admitting is taken by some commentators to mean “openly confessing (one’s sins).” Some translators combine the two verbs which the Good News Translation has translated separately, publicly admitting and revealing, and understand them to mean “openly confess” (New English Bible; see Phillips).

What (they) had done (so most translations) translates a noun which frequently refers to evil deeds; however, the noun is also used in the specialized sense of “magic spells,” and some translations reflect this interpretation (New English Bible, Moffatt, Jerusalem Bible).

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 .

Young man is a different word from the one used in verse 12 below. According to the classification of one ancient Greek writer, the word used in this verse would normally describe a man who was from 23 to 28 years of age, whereas the word used in verse 12 (translated “boy” by many translators) is taken to describe a person of 8 to 14 years of age. It is quite possible that Luke is simply describing a person who is somewhere between 20 and 30 years of age. The second Greek term which would normally suggest a person of younger age than the first term may, of course, imply some greater degree of endearment, but more probably it is simply used in the more general sense of a young person.

The Good News Translation has brought out the contrast that Luke has made between the Greek progressive tense got sleepier and sleepier and the Greek verb tense denoting instantaneous action finally went sound asleep.

The third story includes in its calculation the ground floor; therefore in some translations this would be equivalent to “the second story.” In Greek “he was taken up” is an impersonal passive construction equivalent in English to they picked him up. Luke actually says that he was dead (see Jerusalem Bible “he was picked up dead”). Had Luke intended to say that he only appeared to be dead, he could easily have done this. Therefore, such a translation as “was picked up as dead” (Phillips) or “was picked up for dead” (New English Bible) is misleading.

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 .

They got with him to the steps may be rendered as “they led him as far as the steps” or “they led him only as far as the steps.” It may be necessary to stipulate “only” in order to indicate clearly the shift to the act of carrying Paul because of the violence of the mob.

“So it was” (King James Version) translates a verb which is similar in usage to Luke’s frequently used formula “and it came to pass.” This verb is to be taken along with the verb “to be carried,” and together they are to be translated either “he was actually carried” (Revised Standard Version, Phillips) or had to carry him (Good News Translation, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible).

The final expression the mob was so wild is rendered is some languages as “the mob was so angry.”

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 .

In some languages it may be necessary to state to whom the amount of money was paid. This can be “to the government,” “to officers of the government,” or “to government authorities.” A large amount of money may simply be “very much money.”

But I is a very strong emphatic construction in Greek. Paul does not state how his father or his earlier ancestors obtained Roman citizenship, and speculation is of no value for the translator. The expression one by birth may be rendered simply as “my parents were Roman citizens before me” or “I am a Roman citizen because my parents were also.”

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 .