Translation commentary on Acts 19:29

Although “confusion” (Moffatt, Revised Standard Version, New English Bible) correctly represents the original meaning of the word used by Luke, the present context seems to demand something stronger, and so the Good News Translation and others have translated it uproar (Phillips, Jerusalem Bible). In many languages, however, one cannot speak of “an uproar spreading.” Rather, one must say “more and more people throughout the whole city began to shout.”

In Greek the subject of grabbed is left undefined, and most translators have simply stated “they grabbed.” It is clear from the context that the people of the city are referred to (see An American Translation* “the people”), though in the present setting they are acting as a mob (so also Jerusalem Bible).

Gaius and Aristarchus are here defined as two Macedonians, while in 20.4 Aristarchus is said to have come from Thessalonica and Gaius from Derbe. But Gaius was a quite common name (see Romans 16.23; 1 Corinthians 1.14; 3 John 1), and it is very possible that two different persons are referred to in this chapter and in the following.

With them translates the same adverbial expression as was rendered gathered in 1.14 (see the discussion there).

In translating the expression rushed with them, it is important to avoid the impression that Gaius and Aristarchus rushed along with them. Rather, “they were caused to rush to the theater” or “they dragged them quickly to the theater.”

The theater in Ephesus was quite large; its seating capacity has been estimated at almost 26,000. In translating theater it is important to avoid any term which would suggest simply a cinema. Although in ancient times theaters were constructed primarily for the presentation of public events, including drama, they were also used for town meetings. Unless one is prepared to have an adequate marginal note to explain the significance of a theater, it may useful in this passage to use a descriptive equivalent of theater by translating “to the place where the people in the city gathered.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 20:20

As with the two preceding verses, so verses 20 and 21 are one long sentence in Greek. The Good News Translation, along with others (see New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible), takes the main verb in verse 20 to mean hold back, and so understands as its object anything that would be of help to you. If this is done, the rest of verse 20 may be taken either (1) as an explanation of what Paul did in order to be of help to them (so New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible), or (2) as a reference to time, as in the Good News Translation: as I preached and taught you in public and in your homes. Others understand the verb hold back in the sense of “be silent about (out of fear),” and take the remainder of the verse as an explanation of what resulted from Paul’s unwillingness to shrink back in fear: “I never shrank from telling you anything that was for your good, nor from teaching you in public or at your houses” (An American Translation*; see also Revised Standard Version).

Did not hold back anything is equivalent in some languages to “did not keep from telling you” or “did not just keep for myself.”

In some languages the verbs preached and taught may require a specific indication of the content of the preaching and teaching—for example, “I preached and taught you the message about the Lord Jesus.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 21:14

We gave up (so also New English Bible; see Jerusalem Bible “we gave up the attempt”) is literally “we became silent.” The Good News Translation translation has at least two advantages: (1) in the present context the meaning of “to become silent” is that they no longer tried to convince Paul; and (2) the tense of the verb suggests that they gave up doing something they were in the process of doing. We gave up may be simply rendered as “we stopped trying to convince him” or “we stopped saying to him, You should not go.”

May the Lord’s will be done actually translates a third person imperative in Greek, something which is difficult to express in many languages, including English. Somehow the translation should indicate that this reflects a strong resolution on the part of the people, and not merely a resignation in light of some impossible circumstances, as may be suggested by “the Lord’s will be done” (New English Bible). The closest equivalent in some languages is to say “we pray that the Lord’s will may be done” or “we pray that everything will happen just as the Lord wants it.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 22:6

On this verse see 9.3. In the previous account, in Chapter 9, the note of time, about midday, is not mentioned, nor it is indicated there that the light was bright. The word rendered bright (see also Jerusalem Bible) is literally “sufficient,” and so some translations render it “great” (see Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Phillips).

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 23:9

The Good News Translation connects the shouting mentioned in this verse with the quarrel mentioned in verse 7: the shouting became louder (so Jerusalem Bible). It is also possible to do as the New English Bible has done: “so a great uproar broke out.” One can, of course, translate in such a way as to specify the participants who were doing the shouting—for example, “the Sadducees and Pharisees started shouting louder and louder.”

Teachers of the Law is a term which is rendered “scribes” by most translators (New English Bible “doctors of the law”). These people were, in fact, much more than the English word “scribe” would indicate; they were recognized teachers of the Jewish Law, and usually, though not always, they belonged to the Pharisaic party.

Protested strongly (see Phillips “protested violently”) is a much stronger word than “contended” (Revised Standard Version) or “insisted” (An American Translation*) might suggest.

We cannot find a thing wrong with this man may be rendered as “we have not discovered anything which will cause this man to be condemned” or “we have not found anything wrong that he has done.”

Perhaps a spirit or an angel really did speak to him implies that the Pharisees believed that Paul was spoken to by an angel or a spirit.

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 24:9

Joined in has been rendered by Phillips as “kept joining in,” an attempt to bring out the continuous force of the Greek imperfect tense. The verb rendered said that indicates the making of an assertion to challenge the truth of what someone else has said; in Phillips and the Jerusalem Bible it appears as “asserting,” and in the New English Bible as “alleging.” Jews joined in the accusation may be rendered as “Jews also made the same accusations against Paul” or “the Jews also accused Paul of the same things.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 25:14

Explained Paul’s situation to the king is translated by most as “lay Paul’s case before the king.” The particular emphasis (whether of Paul’s “situation” or his “case”) is determined by what Festus tells the king in the following verses. In rendering Paul’s situation, one may say “how it was with Paul” or “how Paul had made his appeal to the Emperor,” since this is really the crucial issue in Paul’s case.

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 .

Translation commentary on Acts 26:19

I did not disobey the vision is an emphatic way of saying “I obeyed the vision.” In many languages, however, it is quite misleading to talk about did not disobey. The double negative will be misunderstood in many instances as merely an emphatic expression for “disobey.” Therefore it may be much better to employ a strong positive “I certainly obeyed the vision.”

The vision I had from heaven (literally “the heavenly vision”) is a reference to the heavenly being who appeared to Paul. For Paul this was a decisive fact; it was impossible for him to disobey the command from heaven. In some languages it is difficult to speak of a vision coming from heaven. Rather, one must employ some such wording as “the vision of a person who came from heaven” or “the vision of one who came from heaven.”

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 .