The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez and Greek that is often translated in English as “Hades” or “Sheol” is translated in the German Luther Bible 2017 (and pre-1912) as Totenreich or “realm (or: kingdom) of the dead” in these verses. (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
In Chuj it is translated as “among the dead,” in San Mateo Del Mar Huave as “the place where are the dead,” and in Coatlán Mixe as “the grave.” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek in Acts 7:19 that is translated into English as “forced our ancestors to abandon their infants” or similar is translated as “commanded that the little boys should be thrown to a bad place” in San Mateo Del Mar Huave, as “as soon as their sons were born they were to go and throw them out” in Teutila Cuicatec, as “were ordered by force to carry away their children to die” in Isthmus Mixe, and as “made them leave their children to one side alone to die” in Morelos Nahuatl. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek that is translated as “trance” in English is translated in Yamba and Bulu as “(my/his) heart was swinging back and forth.” (Source: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. )
In Lalana Chinantec it is translated as “about the same thing as dreaming.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek in Acts 1:24 that is translated in English as “(you) know everyone’s heart” or similar is translated in Enlhet as “(you) know everyone’s innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
It is translated as “who knowest the hearts of all men you know what the hearts of all the people in the world are like” in Lalana Chinantec, as “you know the hearts of all” in Morelos Nahuatl, as “you know what is in our hearts” in Chuj, and as “you know all people’s hearts and minds” in Isthmus Mixe. (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek in Acts 2:8 that is translated as “our own native language” or similar in English is translated as “the language we know when we were children” in Eastern Highland Otomi, “as we talk from when we were born” in Morelos Nahuatl, “the Chinantec we have spoken since we were small” in Lalana Chinantec, and “language we began to understand when still a baby” in Chichimeca-Jonaz. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek that is translated as “Pentecost” in English is translated in Huichol as “festival of the 7th week” It was rendered thus because the name of Pentecost would be equated with a sect only, and a harvest festival in late May would strain credibility. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that refers to the fire of the Holy Spirit. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as “the fiftieth day after Passover, on the Jewish Pentecost” (in Acts 2:1).
In Huichol, it is translated as “festival of the 7th week,” “because the name of ‘Pentecost’ would be equated only with [Pentecostal Christians], and a harvest festival in late May would strain credibility.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek that is usually translated as “scribe” in English “were more than mere writers of the law. They were the trained interpreters of the law and expounders of tradition.”
Tboli: “one who taught the law God before caused Moses to write” (or “one who taught the law of Moses”) (source for this and 5 above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Noongar: Mammarapa-Warrinyang or “law man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “one who writes and explains Great Above One’s (=God’s) prohibitions” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Chichewa: “teacher of Laws” (source: Ernst Wendland)
Lalana Chinantec: “one who is a teacher of the law which God gave to Moses back then”
Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “one who know well the law” (Source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Huixtán Tzotzil: “one who mistakenly thought he was teaching God’s commandments”(Huixtán Tzotzil frequently uses the verb -cuy to express “to mistakenly think something” from the point of view of the speaker; source: Marion M. Cowan in Notes on Translation 20/1966, pp. 6ff.)
Germandas Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “theologian” and the 1998 translation by Walter Jens: “interpreter of scriptures” (Schriftausleger)
English translation by Scot McKnight (The Second Testament, publ. 2023): Covenant Code scholar
In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “expert” and “law.” (Source: Anna Smith)
“Scribe” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL , used with permission)
