Commentators disagree as to why Luke mentioned that there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. It seems quite probable, however, that Luke did this in order to explain one of reasons that Eutychus fell off to sleep: the many lamps burning must have made the room hot and stuffy and contributed to Eutychus’ sleepy condition.

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 .

There is no question regarding the meaning of the words which the Good News Translation has rendered could not find out exactly what had happened, but this is rendered variously by the different translations: “impossible for him to get any positive information” (Jerusalem Bible), “could not be certain of the facts” (Phillips), and “could not get at the truth” (New English Bible). The fort (see Jerusalem Bible and La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée “the fortress”; Revised Standard Version, Phillips, and New English Bible “the barracks”) is most probably a reference to the place where the Roman soldiers were garrisoned, that is, the Antonia. The Antonia, which overlooked the temple area, was connected with it by two flights of stairs.

The expression there was such confusion may be rendered as “because people were saying so many different things, the commander could not find out.”

The final phrase, he ordered his men to take Paul up into the fort, may be rendered as direct discourse in a number of languages—for example, “he ordered his men, Take Paul up into the fortress,” The term fort may be rendered as “strong building,” “protected building,” or even “building which could be defended.”

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 this context the term officer is more or less equivalent to “captain” in a modern army, while commander would be equivalent to “colonel.” In languages in which no such distinctions are made, one can always say “soldier” and “one who commands the soldiers.”

What are you doing? is rendered by most translations as “What are you going to do?” The question itself may indicate either action in progress or contemplated action.

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 next day the foot soldiers returned, since the road from Antipatris to Caesarea was in predominantly Gentile territory, and Paul would no longer have needed such a large guard to protect him.

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 .

Brought their charges against translates the same verb which appeared in 23.15. This expression brought their charges against is rendered in some languages as “accused Paul of having violated various laws” or “told Festus, This man Paul has committed various crimes.” A term such as “various” or “some” must be introduced in some languages in order to indicate the indefinite nature of these particular charges.

The sense of the verb used in verse 2 seems to be that of begged (so also Phillips, An American Translation*, Moffatt; Jerusalem Bible “urgently asking”) rather than merely “asked” (New English Bible). The tense of the verb indicates action in progress, that is, “they were begging Festus.” Both in this verse and in the following verse the Good News Translation has made pronominal subjects explicit; here “him” has been rendered as Festus, and in the following verse “him” has been rendered as Paul. In trying to relate the verb begged to the favor which was asked of Festus, it is often useful to place the content of what was requested in the form of direct discourse—for example, “they begged Festus, Please cause Paul to come here to Jerusalem.” The use of a term such as “please” not only suggests the concept of favor but also reinforces the meaning of begged. In some languages a term such as favor is translated as “to do good for them,” “to do them a kindness,” or “to be helpful to them.”

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 very promise that is in Greek a pronoun phrase referring back to the word promise in the preceding verse. Since it appears to be emphatic in the present setting, the Good News Translation has rendered it by the very promise. The very promise may be rendered as “the same promise.” However, promise may need to be expresses as a verb—for example, “all twelve tribes of our people hope to receive that which God has promised.” In view of this type of restructuring, it may be important to place the clause as they worship God day and night at the beginning of verse 7.

In the Greek sentence worship has no specified object, though it is clear that God is intended.

The expression day and night (literally “night and day”) is used also in 20.31; in Luke 2.37 it is said of Anna that day and night she worshiped God. In some languages a literal translations of day and night would imply that the Jews worshiped day and night continuously and did nothing else. The implication, of course, is “as they habitually worshiped God” or “… continually worshiped God.”

It may be necessary to transform the noun hope in the phrase this hope into a verb—for example, “because they hope in this way.”

Your Majesty (so also New English Bible and An American Translation*) is rendered “O king” by most translators. American English in particular is deficient in terms used to address royalty, though your Majesty appears much more natural for the reader of American English than does “O king.” In some languages the equivalent of “O king” would simply be “you who have power,” “you who sit on the stool,” or “you who carry the spear.”

By the Jews is in an emphatic position in the Greek sentence structure. In Greek “the” does not appear before “Jews,” and some have taken this to mean something like “and by Jews themselves,” so as to indicate a very surprising turn on the part of the Jews who denied this hope (so New English 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 .

The coast is literally “it” in Greek; the reference, of course, is to the southern coast of Crete. There is some question as to whether the phrase with great difficulty should be taken with the verb we kept close to or with the verb came, as the Good News Translation has done. Most translators take it with the first of these two verbs (for example, An American Translation* “with difficulty coasted along it and reached a place”).

In all of these “we” passages there is the possibility of the reader assuming that those identified by we were the sailors. One must, therefore, in some languages translate as “the ship in which we were going kept close to the coast” or “the ship in which we were, traveled along very close to the land.”

Safe Harbors appears in most translations as “Fair Havens.” Both Safe Harbors and Lasea were towns located on the southern side of Crete about midway. The name Safe Harbors may be translated as “harbors for protecting ships” or “harbors where ships could remain safe.”

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 .