SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 2021 – Page 25

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 20:2

20:2a

that area: This phrase in Greek is literally “those parts/districts.” It refers to the regions in the province of Macedonia. Paul probably went to those regions where the churches in Macedonia were. He visited the believers there on his way to Greece. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

these parts (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
those regions (Good News Translation)

20:2b

speaking many words of encouragement: Like in 20:1, this phrase also refers to encouraging the believers. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

encouraged the people with many messages (Good News Translation)
-or-
He said many things to strengthen the followers (New Century Version)

20:2c

he arrived in Greece: The Greek grammar indicates that Paul arrived in Greece after going to those places in Macedonia. Indicate in your translation that Paul arrived in Greece after going to those places in Macedonia. For example:

and finally arrived in Greece (New International Version)

Greece: Here the name Greece refers to a region of Greek towns and land that the Romans conquered and ruled. The Romans called it the province of Achaia. Paul traveled south from Macedonia to reach Greece.

Today the word Greece refers to a country that includes the region of Macedonia. You may want to explain the meaning of this word here. An example footnote is:

Here the name “Greece” refers to a region of Greek towns and land that the Romans called the province of Achaia.

© 2001, 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 20:34

20:34

Paul wanted to show that he did not desire to be paid for his ministry, so he reminded them here that he worked to pay for his own needs while he was with them. Some languages need to indicate that kind of connection with a word or phrase. For example:

⌊On the contrary,⌋ you yourselves know…
-or-

⌊Indeed⌋ you yourselves know…

these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions: Paul probably referred to his work as a tentmaker here. By making tents he earned money. He used that money to buy the things that he and the others with him needed. Other ways to translate this clause are:

these hands of mine have worked to supply the needs of me and those who were with me
-or-
I have worked with these hands of mine to provide everything that my companions and I have needed (Good News Translation)
-or-
I worked to support myself and those who were with me (God’s Word)
-or-
I have worked to earn enough money to meet my needs and those of my companions

these hands of mine: This phrase refers to Paul working hard with his hands. In some languages it is more natural to translate it differently. For example:

I
-or-
I, with my own hands,

have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions: This phrase refers to buying food, paying rent for rooms to stay in, and other daily needs. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

earned money so that I and my companions could pay for things we needed ⌊to live⌋
-or-
worked so that I and my companions had money for our expenses

Some languages will have to list the kinds of needs. For example:

have earned money to pay for food, rooms/lodging/shelter, and whatever else my companions and I needed

my companions: This phrase in Greek is literally “the (people) being with me.” This group probably included Timothy and Erastus (Acts 19:22). There may have been other people who were Paul’s companions. They were his companions because they traveled with him as partners in preaching about Jesus. Other ways to translate this word are:

those who were with me (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
my coworkers

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 21:28

21:28a

Men of Israel: This phrase in Greek is literally “Men, Israelites.” It only refers to one group, the crowd in the temple area. So many English versions combine the two words into one phrase, as the Berean Standard Bible does. But in some languages a literal translation has the correct meaning. For example:

Men/People, Israelites!

They probably expected only men to come and help.

help us: The Berean Standard Bible adds the word us. It is implied from the context.

help: Here this command indicates that the men want help in a situation of urgency and great need. The Jews of Asia thought that Paul taught people that the Jewish religion was wrong (21:28b–c). They also thought that he had defiled the temple (21:28d–e). So they wanted people to help remove Paul from the temple area. They also wanted them to help kill him for those things that they thought he had done.

Here it is best to translate without explaining why they wanted the others to help, because 21:28b–e explains that. Also see General Comment on 21:28a–e below.

21:28b–c

This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place: Here the word against indicates that the Jews from Asia thought that Paul opposed the Jewish people, their law, and their temple. They thought he taught that the Jewish religion was wrong. Other ways to translate this clause are:

This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere to turn against the Jewish people, Moses’ Teachings, and this temple. (God’s Word)
-or-
This is the man who is teaching everybody everywhere to despise our people, our Law and this place. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
this is the one who is teaching all people that we Jews are evil and evil moreover is the law of Moses and our Temple
-or-
this is the man who teaches everyone that our people, our law and this place are worthless
-or-
this is the man who says bad things to everyone about our people, our law and this place

teaches everywhere: Paul had not taught everywhere. But the Jews of Asia used the word everywhere to indicate that they thought that Paul’s teaching had great effect.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that Paul taught every man on earth. If that is true in your language, indicate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

teaches people in all the places he has been

our people: Here this phrase refers to the Jewish people in general. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to the Jews of Asia. If that is true in your language, indicate the correct meaning. For example:

us Jewish people
-or-
the people of Israel (Good News Translation)

21:28c

our law: This phrase refers to the Jewish law. This should be clear from earlier verses. But in some languages a literal translation would refer to something else. If that is true in your language, indicate the correct meaning. For example:

our law ⌊that Moses gave to us⌋
-or-
our ⌊Jewish⌋ law/laws

this place: This phrase refers to the Jewish temple. This should be clear from earlier verses. But in some languages a literal translation would refer to something else. If that is true in your language, indicate the correct meaning. For example:

this Temple (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊our⌋ temple here

21:28d

Furthermore: Here this phrase indicates that the Jews of Asia accused Paul of something else. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

moreover (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
And what is more
-or-
And now he has even brought (Good News Translation)

he has brought: The Jews of Asia claimed that Paul took Greeks into the temple area before this time. There were no Greeks with Paul at this time.

Greeks: Here this word probably refers to people of Greece or people who spoke Greek as their first language. The city of Ephesus (21:29a) was Greek city. Other ways to translate this word are:

people of Greece
-or-
Greek people

Some scholars think it refers more generally to non-Jews here (but it is not the usual Greek word for non-Jews). For example:

Gentiles (Good News Translation)

into the temple: Non-Jews/Gentiles were only allowed in the courtyard of Gentiles. So this phrase implies a part of the temple area where they were not allowed.

21:28e

and defiled this holy place: 21:28e is the implied result of 21:28d. The clause defiled this holy place is not a separate action from “brought Greeks into the temple area.”

In some languages a literal translation of and would wrongly indicate that Paul did two different deeds. If that is true in your language, indicate that 21:28e is the result of 21:28d. For example:

and so defiled this holy place

defiled: This word means “to cause something to become unclean or unacceptable to be used for worship.” The Jewish law did not allow foreigners to enter many of the areas of the temple. If they did enter, they defiled it, because they did not belong to the Jewish religion. Other ways to translate this word are:

made impure/unclean/filthy
-or-
spoiled the holiness/cleanness
-or-
caused this holy place to be unholy/bad
-or-
damaged the holiness of this place

this holy place: This phrase refers to the temple. In your translation you may want to make it clear by saying:

this holy temple

holy: The word holy has the meaning of “dedicated to God,” “reserved for God,” or “set apart for God.” The temple was holy since it was the place where he was present in a special way. It was also the place where people worshiped God. They were not to do other things there. Other ways to translate this word are:

sacred

General Comment on 21:28a–e

Most Jews of that time were very committed to their religion. They would be very upset with someone who said their religion was bad. They were also very committed to keeping the temple area holy.

In some languages people will not realize that these words of the Jews of Asia were meant to make the crowd upset and angry. You may want to:

• Explain this using a footnote. An example footnote is:

The Jews believed that Gentile peoples were ritually unclean and that they would cause the temple to be ritually unclean if they entered it. Jews had the right to kill any Gentile that entered the inner courts of the temple.

• Explain some of this information in your translation. For example:

This is the man who teaches all men everywhere to call our people and our law and this place ⌊evil⌋. And besides, he has brought Greeks into ⌊the parts of⌋ the temple area ⌊where the law does not allow them to go⌋ and so defiled this holy place.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 22:21

22:21

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then is most often translated in English as “and.” For example:

And (Revised Standard Version)

There is some contrast between Paul’s implying that he wanted to stay in Jerusalem (22:19–20) and what Jesus said here. For example:

But (New Living Translation (2004))

Go!: This word refers to leaving Jerusalem (22:18b). Other ways to translate this word are:

Depart (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Leave (New Century Version)

I will send you: The Greek conjunction often translated “because” or “for” introduces this clause. It either introduces a reason or a explanation. For example:

because I will send you
-or-
for I will send you (Revised Standard Version)

Some English versions allow the context to indicate the connection and omit the conjunction, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

the Gentiles: The word Gentiles refers to non-Jewish people. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

non-Jewish people (God’s Word)
-or-
those who are not Jews

See how you translated this phrase in 4:27 or 21:19.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 23:23

Section 23:23–35

Roman soldiers escorted Paul to Caesarea

In this section, the Roman commander knew that he was responsible to guard Paul so that he would remain safe. He knew that some men plotted to kill Paul. So he sent Paul to the Roman governor, Felix, in the city of Caesarea. He sent a large number of soldiers to protect Paul while they traveled there.

The commander also wrote a letter for the soldiers to give to Felix. The letter explained what had happened but the commander changed parts of the story to make Felix think well of him. The commander also said that he did not believe Paul had committed any crime against Roman law.

The soldiers brought Paul safely to Felix in Caesarea. After reading the letter, Felix asked Paul what province he was from. Paul told him that he was from Cilicia. Felix agreed to hear Paul’s case and judge it since the events took place in his province.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Paul Moved to Caesarea (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Paul Is Sent to Governor Felix (Good News Translation)
-or-
Roman soldiers brought Paul safely to the governor at Caesarea

Paragraph 23:23–24

23:23a-b

two of his centurions: The commander ruled over six to ten centurions. The commander chose two of them to take Paul to Caesarea.

centurions: This word refers to first level officers in the Roman army. Each one usually led one hundred soldiers. Translate this word as you did in 10:1 or 23:17.

23:23c

horsemen: Here the word horsemen refers to soldiers who ride on horses. For example:

cavalry (New Jerusalem Bible)

spearmen: The meaning of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spearmen is uncertain. A literal translation is “taking in the right hand.” The Latin (Vulgate) translation (about 400 years after Jesus’ birth) translates it as spearmen. Other ways to translate this word are:

soldiers with spears
-or-
soldiers who use spears

23:23d

to go to Caesarea: Jerusalem is up in the Judean hills at about 760 meters (2,500 feet) in elevation, and Caesarea is on the sea coast. It is a journey of about 120 kilometers (75 miles) and usually took two days.

In some languages it is important to indicate going uphill or downhill. If that is true in your language, you may want to translate the meaning of “downhill” here. For example:

go ⌊down⌋ to Caesarea

Caesarea: Caesarea was a city on the Mediterranean coast of the province of Judea. The Roman ruler of the province, governor Felix (23:24), lived in Caesarea. See how you spelled this name in 8:40 or 21:8.

in the third hour of the night: This phrase in Greek is literally “from the third hour of the night.” It indicates that the soldiers would leave the barracks with Paul three hours after sunset. Sunset at that time of year (June or July) in Jerusalem is about 7:40. The Romans counted twelve hours between sunset and sunrise (about 5:40), which at this time of year would be shorter than the modern definition of a “hour.” So the third hour of the night would be about 10:00 p.m. (22:00). If possible, you should translate literally, as the Berean Standard Bible has done, rather than use the modern time. For example:

At the third hour of the night (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
three hours after sunset

But many English versions translate this phrase as:

nine o’clock

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 24:20

24:20a

let these men state for themselves any crime they found in me: Paul and the Jewish leaders knew that the Sanhedrin did not find Paul guilty of any crime. Paul knew that the Jewish leaders could say nothing. Translate this clause in a way that indicates the correct meaning.

these people here must say what crime they might have found/saw that I actually did

Some languages have a way to express contrary-to-fact. If that is true in your language, use it here. For example:

had they found that I had broken the law they would be able to say what it was

let these men state for themselves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as let…state is a command to speak about something. Paul wants the Jewish leaders to speak if they have anything to say.

let these men: This phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. Most or all of them were present when Lysias brought Paul before the Sanhedrin (22:30, 24:20b).

24:20b

Sanhedrin: The word Sanhedrin is a Greek word that means “council.” Here this phrase refers to the Jewish high council. See how you translated this word in 4:15 or 23:28.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 25:25

25:25a

I found he had done nothing worthy of death: Festus examined the accusations of the Jews and what they said to support those accusations. He also heard Paul’s defense against those accusations. When they finished, he realized that according to Roman law Paul had committed no crime requiring the death penalty. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I realized that he has not committed any crime worthy of someone executing/killing him
-or-
but I for my part discovered nothing that he has done which deserves the death penalty (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
When I judged him, I found no reason to order his death. (New Century Version)

I: This pronoun is emphatic in the Greek clause. For example:

I myself
-or-
as for me, I

worthy of death: In Roman law, breaking certain laws required that the lawbreaker be killed for breaking that law. See the examples above.

25:25b

and since he has now appealed: This clause in Greek is literally “but this one himself having appealed” or “but when this one himself appealed.” It explains the situation for Festus deciding to send Paul to the Emperor (25:25c). Other ways to translate this clause are:

since he himself made an appeal (Good News Translation)
-or-
when he appealed (NET Bible)

See how you translated the word appealed in 25:21.

the Emperor: This phrase in Greek is literally “the revered one.” See how you translated this phrase in 25:21.

25:25c

I decided to send him: This clause in Greek is literally “I decided to send” The word him is clearly implied in the Greek so the Berean Standard Bible adds it.

You may also want to make it clear that Paul was being sent to Rome because that was where the Emperor lived. For example:

I decided to send him to Rome (New International Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 26:30

Paragraph 26:30–32

26:30a-b

(Revised Standard Version🙂 Then the king rose and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them: The Greek clause implies that first the king stood and then the governor, then Bernice, and then finally the others. This showed respect to the leaders in order of highest status to lowest. Other ways to translate these words are:

and immediately the governor ⌊stood⌋. Bernice ⌊then stood⌋ and then those sitting with them ⌊stood⌋.

(Revised Standard Version🙂 Then the king rose:
By standing, the king used his authority and ended the meeting. The king did not want to continue this discussion with Paul. Other ways to translate this clause are:

The king rose (New International Version)
-or-
The king stood (New American Standard Bible)

The Greek clause does not have a conjunction to begin this sentence. This probably implies an abrupt action. The meeting could have continued, but the king decided to end it at this time.

Bernice: See how you spelled this name in 25:13.

Search

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 2021