SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 2021 – Page 65

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 4:2

4:2a

greatly disturbed: This clause in Greek indicates that the Jewish religious leaders were greatly annoyed and angry with the apostles. The Sadducees did not believe that God resurrected people (4:2c). The priests were likely Sadducees as well. They were already convinced that Jesus was not the Christ. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

They were extremely annoyed (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
These men were angry (Contemporary English Version)

4:2b

that: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that introduces the reason for the reaction from the priests, captain of the temple guard, and Sadducees. In some languages, it may be more natural to put the reason (4:2b–c) before the result (4:2a). For example:

2bThe apostles were teaching the people 2cand proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead, therefore 2athe leaders were greatly disturbed.

they were teaching the people: Peter and John were teaching the people about Jesus. In some languages a literal translation would indicate teaching in general and not about Jesus. If that is true in your language, add the implied information. For example:

apostles were teaching the people ⌊about Jesus⌋

they: Here they refers to Peter and John only, not to the apostles in general. For example:

those ⌊two⌋

4:2c

proclaiming: This word means “announcing” or “speaking out about.”

in Jesus the resurrection of the dead: Peter and John spoke here about the resurrection of Jesus as the first example of what will be a general resurrection in the last days. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

⌊God⌋ had resurrected Jesus from the dead ⌊people⌋
-or-
Jesus had been resurrected from the dead

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 4:34

4:34a

4:34a in Greek starts with the conjunction that is usually translated as “for.” It introduces an example of God’s grace (4:33) or possibly an example of sharing everything the believers had (4:32c). For example:

For (New American Standard Bible)

There were no needy ones among them: This clause in Greek is literally “not anyone was needy.” The words needy ones refer to people who are poor and lack things, such as food, clothing, or shelter. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

There was no one in the group who was in need (Good News Translation)
-or-
None among them lacked for anything

4:34b

because: This word introduces an explanation or example for why there were no needy persons.

those who owned lands or houses would sell their property: The Greek indicates that the selling of lands and houses happened more than once. Various people sold various houses or various pieces of land at various times. Here are some other ways to translate this:

those who were owners of land or houses were selling them (NET Bible)
-or-
various people sold their houses or pieces of land at various times

those who owned lands or houses: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those who owned is literally “as many as were owners.” It implies “all.” But Luke does not mean that all the believers eventually became homeless. It probably means that believers who were wealthy sold their extra land or homes. But Luke probably used “as many as” to indicate unity of purpose.

lands: The Greek word here refers to places where there was not a city. town, or village.

4:34c

bring the proceeds from the sales: This clause indicates that the believers brought the full amount of the sale price to give to the apostles. For example:

brought the proceeds of what was sold (English Standard Version)
-or-
brought the whole amount of the sale price

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 5:29

5:29a

But Peter and the other apostles replied: The Greek is more literally “Replying(sing), Peter and the apostles said(plur).” The Greek word “replying,” marked as singular, probably indicates that Peter spoke for all the apostles. For example:

Peter, speaking for the apostles, replied
-or-
Peter replied for the apostles (Revised English Bible)
-or-
But Peter, speaking for himself and the other apostles, replied (Translation for Translators)

But the other English versions and Back Translations available to this author do not separate Peter from the other apostles in that way.

Peter and the other apostles: The Berean Standard Bible adds the word other because in English “Peter and the apostles” can imply that Peter was not an apostle. But he was. Some languages, like Greek, do not need to add the word other for the correct meaning. For example:

Peter together with the apostles

replied: The Greek word here does not require that a question be in the previous verse. The English word replied can also work in that way. Here are some other ways to translate this word according to that meaning:

responded and said
-or-
said in response

5:29b

We must obey God rather than men: The Greek is more literally “it is necessary to obey God rather than men.” If someone says to do something contrary to what God said to do, we must do what God said to do. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

It is necessary to obey God rather than men! (LEB)
-or-
The only thing to do is to obey God, even if the commands of people conflict with his commands

men: Here the word men is general, referring to women too.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 15:5

15:5a

But: There is contrast between the believers accepting Paul and Barnabas (15:4b) and the believing Pharisees challenging their belief and practice about circumcision (15:5). The Berean Standard Bible indicates this contrast by translating the Greek conjunction here as But.

However, this would not be considered contrast in some languages. For example:

And then

some believers from the party of the Pharisees: This refers to men who were Pharisees or had been Pharisees. More recently they had believed in Jesus. But they still believed many of the things that the Pharisees believed. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

some people from/of the group of the Pharisees who had believed
-or-
certain members of the Pharisees’ party who had become believers (New Jerusalem Bible)

the party of the Pharisees: The word party refers to a group within a larger group. The Pharisees were a group of Jews who believed certain things that were different from other Jews. The word here does not imply that Luke thinks such a party is wrong. Do not use a word that will be understood primarily as a political party. Another way to translate this word is:

a/the group called the Pharisees

See how you translated the word party in 5:17.

Pharisees: The Pharisees were one group within the Jewish religion. They were very careful to follow all the Jewish traditions, as well as obeying the laws that God had given to Moses. See how you translated this word in 5:34.

15:5b–c

The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses: In Greek, this clause is literally: “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command (them) to obey the law of Moses.” Here the phrase “It is necessary” refers to something that is required to be done. These Pharisee believers in Jesus thought that God still required anyone who followed him to follow all the Old Testament laws. Other ways to translate this clause are:

It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses. (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-

⌊God⌋ requires that the non-Jewish believers be circumcised and be commanded to obey Moses’ laws.

15:5b

The Gentiles must be circumcised: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be circumcised is active. It is literally “It is necessary to circumcise them,” as in the Revised Standard Version. Other ways to translate this clause are:

It is necessary for them to be circumcised (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-

⌊someone⌋ must circumcise them

The Gentiles: In this context, this refers to non-Jews who believe in Jesus. In some languages it will be helpful to make this clear. For example:

The Gentile converts (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
non-Jewish believers (New Century Version)

15:5c

the law of Moses: This phrase refers to the laws that God told Moses. They are in first five books of the Old Testament. But here the phrase probably includes the rest of the Old Testament as well. Some other ways to translate this are:

the law that God gave to Moses
-or-
the law that Moses wrote

See how you translated this phrase in 13:39.

law: The singular word law refers to all the laws that God told Moses as a group. In some languages it is more natural to use the plural here. For example:

laws

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 15:37

15:37

wanted: The Greek is literally “was wanting.” Barnabas was wanting to take John Mark during this time. He wanted to do this so much that he would not agree with Paul. So he and Paul went separate ways (15:39). Other ways to translate this word are:

was wanting
-or-

⌊really⌋ wanted

John, also called Mark: John was his Jewish name and Mark was his Roman name. The verb called is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

John, whom ⌊people⌋ also called Mark

John: This name is spelled Iōannēs in the Greek language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 16:28

16:28

Paul called out in a loud voice: This clause in Greek is literally “Paul shouted/called-out with a great voice.” For example:

Paul shouted at the top of his voice (Good News Translation)

The Berean Standard Bible allows the meaning “with a great voice” to be implied by the words called out in a loud voice.

Do not harm yourself! We are all here!: The Greek conjunction that is often translated “for” introduces the second clause. The second clause explains why the jailer should not harm himself. For example:

Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. (Revised Standard Version)

The Berean Standard Bible allows the context to indicate that the second clause is the reason and omits the Greek conjunction.

Do not harm yourself!: This clause in Greek is literally “Do nothing bad to yourself.” Paul somehow understood that the jailer was about to kill himself, so told him to not do that. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Don’t hurt yourself! (God’s Word)
-or-
Stop! Don’t kill yourself! (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 17:20

17:20a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as For introduces this verse. It introduces an explanation why the leaders wanted to hear this new teaching (17:19c).

In some languages it may be more natural to omit the Greek conjunction.

you are bringing some strange notions to our ears: The phrase bringing…to our ears is an idiom for telling something. In the marketplace, Paul told them the gospel about Jesus and about God resurrecting people. In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:

You have been telling us some strange ideas
-or-
You are saying some rather strange things (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
We have heard you say some strange things (Contemporary English Version)

strange: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strange refers to something surprising or startling. The philosophers had never heard anything like the gospel about Jesus before. For example:

startling (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
surprising (NET Bible)

17:20b

and: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and is usually translated as “so.” It introduces the result of the philosophers hearing strange ideas.

we want to know what they mean: This clause in Greek is literally “we desire to know what these things wish to mean.” The philosophers did not know the meaning of Paul’s teachings and they wanted to know it. Other ways to translate this clause are:

we wish to know…what these things mean (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
we would like to find out what they mean (New Jerusalem Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 18:18

Section 18:18–22

Paul went to Ephesus, Caesarea, and Antioch

In this section, Paul stayed in Corinth for a while longer, then started his journey to Syria. He stopped in Ephesus but stayed only a short time. He then went to Caesarea. He made a brief visit to the believers in Jerusalem. Then he went to Antioch in Syria.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Paul went back to Antioch via Ephesus and Caesarea
-or-
Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria
-or-
The Return to Antioch (Good News Translation)

Paragraph 18:18–22

18:18a

quite some time: This phrase in Greek is literally “enough/many days.” It may have been a few weeks or a few months. For example:

many days (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
quite a while (God’s Word)

18:18b

saying goodbye: This clause in Greek is literally “having said goodbye to.” Paul left the brothers with proper farewells. For example:

took leave of (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
said good-bye to (New Living Translation (2004))

the brothers: This refers to believers, both men and women. See how you translated this word in 15:1 or 17:14.

18:18c

sailed for Syria: The tense on the Greek verb probably indicates that Paul began his journey to Syria at this time. The final destination of the journey was Syria. He stopped in Ephesus (18:19). For example:

set sail for Syria (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
started his journey by boat to Syria

Syria: This name refers to a Roman province. See how you spelled this word in 15:23.

18:18d

He had his head shaved: This clause refers to cutting Paul’s hair with scissors near the skin. For example:

he had his hair cut short (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

The Greek verb may indicate that Paul cut his own hair or that someone cut it for him. In some languages a word referring to the person cutting the hair must be supplied. For example:

he had ⌊someone⌋ cut his hair off
-or-
Paul cut off his hair (New Century Version)

Cenchrea: Cenchrea was a city on the east coast of Achaia. It is about ten kilometers (six miles) from Corinth. At Cenchrea Paul could find a ship headed east toward Syria.

18:18e

to keep a vow he had made: During the time of this kind of vow, the person did not cut his hair. The sign that the vow was complete was to cut his hair. In some languages a literal translation would not clearly explain why Paul cut his hair. For example:

because of a vow he had taken ⌊and now the vow was complete⌋

a vow he had made: The word vow refers to a solemn promise. Paul promised something to God. The verse does not say what the vow was. Other ways to translate this word are:

he had made a promise to God (New Century Version)
-or-
he had taken a solemn vow (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
he was under a vow (English Standard Version)

General Comment on 18:18b–e

Here the Berean Standard Bible has reordered the Greek clauses in order to put them in sequence. The New International Version follows the Greek order:

18bThen he left the brothers and sisters 18eand sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. 18cBefore he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae 18dbecause of a vow he had taken. (New International Version)

However, Paul had his hair cut off (18:18c) before sailing for Syria (18:18e). Also, Paul made the vow (18:18d) at least a month before he had his hair cut off (18:18c). In some languages following the order that the events occurred is necessary or more natural, as in the Berean Standard Bible. Here is another way to translate this:

⌊Some time before⌋ 18dhe had taken a vow. 18bHe left the brothers ⌊and went to⌋ 18cCenchrea. There he had his hair cut off to show the vow had ended. 18eThen he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 2021