SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 2021 – Page 14

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 22:16

22:16a

And now what are you waiting for?: This is a rhetorical question. It encourages Paul to do something right away. That deed is explained in 22:16b. It is not a rebuke. Translate this clause with that meaning. Some ways are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

And now what more are you waiting for?

• As a statement. For example:

And now, do not wait any longer.

22:16b

Get up: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Get up refers to rising from the floor, a bed. or a chair. So Ananias commanded him to stand. For example:

Rise (Revised Standard Version)

be baptized: This clause is a passive command. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

Have ⌊someone⌋ baptize you
-or-
Ask/Tell ⌊someone⌋ to baptize you

baptized: Here this word refers to the Christian ritual that uses water. See how you translated this word in 1:5 or 19:5.

wash your sins away: The phrase wash your sins away is a figure of speech. It means “have your sins forgiven.” If possible, translate with a word that connects well with the rite of baptism. Other ways to translate this clause are:

have your sins washed away
-or-
let ⌊God⌋ wash away your sins
-or-
be cleansed/purified from your sins
-or-
let ⌊God⌋ cleanse you from sinning, like washing dirt away

sins: This word refers to anything that people do that God does not want them to do. This includes doing or thinking anything evil. It also includes not doing something that God wants people to do.

calling on His name: Here this phrase probably refers to asking for help from Jesus. The person would probably ask him to forgive his sins and help him to obey. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

as you call on his name (God’s Word)
-or-
by praying to him (Good News Translation)

His name: Here, by using the name Paul referred to that person and all that he is. In some languages it is more natural to refer to the person. For example:

him

His: As in 22:15, Paul referred here to Jesus, whom he called “the Righteous One” in 22:14, but did not name him. Paul wanted to tell his whole story to the Jewish crowd but he was concerned that they might riot again. So he avoided naming Jesus here. You should not name Jesus here.

General Comment on 22:16b

The context implies that Paul did as Ananias said. In some languages it is more natural to indicate that in your translation. For example:

calling on his name.’ ⌊So I got up and was baptized.⌋

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 22:27

22:27a

Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?: The first clause is a command. The last clause is the question. In some languages it is more natural to make the two clauses into two sentences. For example:

Tell me. Are you a Roman citizen?

Tell me: This command demands that Paul reply. Other ways to translate this clause are:

You must answer me.
-or-
Answer me.

The commander was not being rude here. In some languages a literal translation would be rude. If that is true in your language, you may want to make the command a polite request. For example:

Please answer me.

are you a Roman citizen?: This is a real question. The commander wanted to hear for himself what Paul said.

22:27b

“Yes,” he answered: The Berean Standard Bible placed the phrase he answered after the spoken word Yes. Place it where it would be most natural in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 23:29

23:29a

I found that the accusation involved: The Greek words here are literally “whom I found being accused concerning.” It indicates that the commander listened to what was said when Paul stood before the Sanhedrin (22:30–23:10). From what was said, the commander decided that the Jews accused Paul of disobeying Jewish laws. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Whom I perceived to be accused of (King James Version)
-or-
I found that he was accused about (Revised Standard Version)

found: Here this word means “discovered.” The commander listened to what everyone said in the Sanhedrin meeting (23:1–23:9) and learned of what the Jews accused Paul.

accusation: The Greek word is literally “being accused.” Some Jews accused Paul of disobeying Jewish law.

questions about their own law: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as questions refers to issues about which people do not agree. So these were questions that caused people to disagree. For example:

disputed points of the Law (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
controversial matters (Revised English Bible)

23:29b

there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment: Here the commander referred to Roman law. Some Jews thought that Paul deserved to die according to Jewish law. But according to Roman law, the commander saw no reason why he should kill Paul or put him in jail to punish him.

In some languages translating literally would still refer to Jewish law here. If that is true in your language, indicate the correct meaning. For example:

there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment ⌊according to Roman law⌋

charge: Here the word charge means “what someone is accused of doing.”

worthy: Here this word means “deserving of.” The commander found no accusation against Paul that required him to consider killing him as punishment. Other ways to translate this word are:

merited (Revised English Bible)
-or-
deserved (New International Version)
-or-

for which he should die (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he has no sin/crime that would suffice for his death or imprisonment
-or-
there’s nothing he has done which makes it essential that he be

imprisonment: This Greek word is literally “bonds.” In Roman law it would usually refer to chains attached to the arms or legs as punishment for breaking the law. It implies someone controlling where he went and what he did. Usually a punishment of bonds included hard labor, such as working in a mine. Other ways to translate this word are:

be put in jail (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
jail (New Century Version)
-or-
putting him in chains ⌊to punish him⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 24:26

24:26a

At the same time: This phrase indicates that Felix promised to listen further to Paul talk about faith in Christ Jesus (24:24), but At the same time he hoped Paul would bribe him to leave prison.

he was hoping: Here the English word hoping refers to wanting something to happen. The word does not mean “confidently expect” here.

Paul would offer him a bribe: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a bribe is literally “money.” The English word bribe indicates that the money would be paid to an official to do something illegal or immoral (like cheating).

Felix hoped for money from Paul so that Felix would release him from prison before any trial. In Roman law, a bribe was illegal. But some Roman leaders, including Felix, accepted bribes. Other ways to translate this Greek word are:

Paul would bribe him (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Paul would secretly/illegally pay him ⌊to be released from custody/prison⌋

24:26b

he sent for Paul frequently and talked with him: Each time Felix and Paul talked, he hoped Paul would bribe him. But at the same time he may have been interested in hearing about this new religion that Paul followed.

General Comment on 24:26a–b

24:27 indicates that Paul did not bribe Felix to leave prison, because he remained there the whole time Felix was governor. In some languages, a literal translation would wrongly indicate or imply that Paul bribed Felix. If so, you may want to explain that Paul did not bribe him. For example:

At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. ⌊But Paul never bribed him.⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 26:4

Paragraph 26:4–8

26:4a

This verse in Greek starts with two words that indicate that Paul began the main part of his talk. Some languages have a word or phrase to introduce the main or most important part of the talk. If that is true in your language, consider whether to use it here.

all the Jews: Probably most or nearly all of the Jews knew about Paul. Paul exaggerated here to indicate it would be easy to find someone who knew about him. In some languages, it is more natural to avoid the exaggeration. For example:

Very many Jews
-or-
Nearly all Jews ⌊in Jerusalem and Judea⌋

Jews: Paul was also a Jew. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly imply that Paul was not a Jew. If so, include the implied information. For example:

⌊my fellow⌋ Jews

know how I have lived: This phrase refers to the manner in which Paul lived. He was probably obedient and a good student. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

My manner of life (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
how I have lived (Good News Translation)
-or-
what kind of life I have lived (Contemporary English Version)

youth: This word probably refers to the age of five or six. Paul’s parents probably took him to Jerusalem to begin school there. Use a word for a youth of that age here.

26:4b

from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people and in Jerusalem: This phrase explains the time and place for the phrase “how I have lived from the earliest days of my youth.” Paul made it clear that he was referring to his time in the Roman province of Cilicia, where he was born, and Jerusalem. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
at first in my own country and then in Jerusalem (Good News Translation)
-or-
from the beginning in my own country and later in Jerusalem (New Century Version)

from the earliest days of my youth, among my own people: This phrase probably refers to the time from his birth in Tarsus in the Roman province of Cilicia until he moved to Jerusalem.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 27:4

27:4a

Luke does not say how long the ship stayed at Sidon. It could have been less than an hour or more than a day. Do not say how much later it was.

After putting out from there, we sailed: It is implied that Paul and Luke returned to the ship. In some languages it is more natural to include that implied information. For example:

⌊We returned to the ship and⌋ from there/Sidon we put out to sea again

27:4b

we sailed to the lee of Cyprus: At that time of year the winds usually blew from somewhere between west and northwest in this region. The word lee refers to the downwind side of something. The lee of an island is sheltered somewhat from the wind. Here it refers to the southeast and east coast of the island of Cyprus up to the northeast tip of the island (the right side of the island on the picture below). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

sailed downwind of Cyprus
-or-
sailed under the shelter of Cyprus (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
traveled by ship along the sheltered side of the island of Cyprus

In some languages people are not familiar with sailing ships. If so, you may want to describe where they were. For example:

passed to the east of Cyprus
-or-
passed Cyprus on our left

Cyprus: Cyprus is a large island northwest of Israel. See how you spelled this name in 15:39.

because the winds were against us: The ship’s captain wanted to travel northwest. But the winds blew from the west or northwest at that time of year. A sailing ship cannot sail directly into the wind. Other ways to translate this clause are:

because the winds were blowing against us (Good News Translation)
-or-
because the winds were contrary (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
because the wind blew/came from the direction we wanted to go ⌊and so we could not sail that direction⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 27:36

27:36

They were all encouraged and took some food themselves: Luke wrote this book. He was on the ship with Paul. While he probably ate at this time, the focus is on the people of the ship.

They were all encouraged: After seeing Paul’s example, the people felt better about their chances to live through this storm.

food: This refers to any kind of food. The people probably did not cook. The food may have included the grain mentioned in 27:38.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 28:24

28:24

Some of them were convinced by what he said: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were convinced indicates that Paul was successful in convincing some of the Jews. They believed what Paul said about Jesus.

This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

What he said convinced some
-or-
Paul convinced some ⌊of them⌋ with what he said
-or-
Some ⌊of them⌋ believed Paul
-or-
Some ⌊of them⌋ said, “We believe what you say about Jesus.”

others refused to believe: The word believe refers here to believing that what Paul said was true. These other Jews did not believe that what Paul said was true.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 2021