In Greek, verse 31 is one sentence with carried out their orders and got as two participles dependent upon the main verb took. However, most translators tend to make at least one of these participles (usually “took”) into a finite verb; the Good News Translation has made both of them into finite verbs for ease of comprehension.

From Jerusalem to Antipatris would have been a journey of about 40 miles, a difficult distance for foot soldiers to cover during a night’s march. The usual march for a group of soldiers was set at 24 miles, but during the cool of the night they could possibly have covered more distance than they could during the heat of the day on a normal march.

It is important in terms such as got and took to preserve the appropriate geographical point of view. Since in verse 32 the soldiers returned to the fort (that is, to Jerusalem), it would seem that the point of view of the narration was certainly 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 .

It should be pointed out that the first three verses are actually one sentence in Greek. By specifying three days, Luke intends for his readers to understand that the new governor attended to Paul’s case as soon as possible after he had assumed his authority. Arrived in the province may be taken geographically as in the Good News Translation and most other translations, or administratively as in the New English Bible (“taking up his appointment”) and Phillips (“taken over his province”).

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 Greek, this and the following verse are one sentence. In this verse Paul moves from the discussion of his past as a Pharisee to his present position. The hope which Paul has in mind is not explicitly stated in this verse, though it is clear from such passages as 23.6 and 24.15 that it is the hope in the resurrection from the dead. I hope in the promise may be somewhat restructured in some languages to read “I wait trusting that God will accomplish the promise he made to our ancestors.” As has been noted in other contexts, hope normally involves two components, one of waiting and the other of positive expectancy, suggesting trust or confidence. Hope may thus be described in some contexts as “confidence projected into the future.”

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 .

It may be necessary to indicate why the sailing was so slow. This is implied later on in verse 7, but one can state “because the wind was against us, we sailed slowly for several days.”

Arrived off the town of Cnidus means that they came near to the town of Cnidus, though they did not land there.

The wind would not let us go any farther in that direction may be rendered as “because the wind was blowing against us, we could not go any farther in that direction.”

The sheltered side of the island of Crete was the southern side. No one would have dared to sail on the northern side of the island.

Though many languages have a term for Cape, it may be necessary in some languages to use some kind of descriptive equivalent: “a point of land sticking out into the water,” “a hill that extends out into the water,” or “a part of land which goes out into the water.”

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 one does not speak of “a day coming.” One can, however, say “it became light” or “the sun was almost up.”

The sailors makes explicit the Greek pronominal subject “they.” It is not surprising that the sailors did not recognize the coast, for the storm had carried them away from their usual sailing route.

Most translators understand the Greek word to mean bay, though some understand it in the sense of “a creek” (King James Version, Moffatt). The only way the sailors felt it would be possible to save the ship would be to run the ship aground there, and so that is what they tried.

If possible may be related to the process of running the ship aground by translating “decided that they would try to run the ship aground.”

Run the ship aground is rendered in some languages as “cause the ship to reach the land,” “cause the ship to touch the land underneath the water,” or “cause the ship to go against the ground under the water.”

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 .

And Paul concluded must be rendered in some languages as “and Paul also said before they left.” Otherwise it might appear that this was Paul’s final judgment on the Jews after they had departed.

In this verse, as in 13.48 and 18.6, a proclamation of God’s message to the Gentiles is initiated by the refusal on the part of the Jews to hear it. You are to know is a very strong and solemn expression (see 2.14; 4.10; 13.38). The equivalent rendering of you are to know may be “you must know.” In some languages this can only be adequately reproduced as “I must tell you so that you will know.”

The phrase “the salvation of God” has been taken by the Good News Translation with the meaning God’s message of salvation (see also An American Translation*). From the context it is quite evident that Paul’s emphasis is on the message of salvation rather than on salvation itself, though in the final analysis these two ideas cannot be separated from one another. God’s message of salvation may be rendered as “the message about salvation that comes from God.” However, in such a phrase it must be perfectly clear that it is the message that comes from God, though theologically speaking, it is also the salvation which proceeds from God. To make this perfectly clear, one may translate “the message that God has proclaimed about his saving people.” In some languages, however, one cannot speak about “sending a message.” One can only “send a messenger” or “send a person to speak a message.” Therefore, in this clause one may translate: “those who announce what God has said about salvation have been sent to the Gentiles.”

In the statement they will listen, the they is emphatic.

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 .

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 .