In Highland Puebla Nahuatl there is no immediate equivalent for the Greek that is translated with the English term “heir.” So here an expression is used that means “someone who will receive the property (or: things).” (Source: Nida 1947, p. 200f.) Likewise, in Chimborazo Highland Quichua the translation is “those who receive what belongs to their father” (source: Julia Woodward in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 140ff. ) and in Sayula Popoluca “will receive all that God has for us” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
The Greek in Acts 4:20 that is translated as “we cannot keep from speaking” or similar in English is translated as “it is not possible that we leave off this talking” in Coatlán Mixe, as “by all means we are going to tell” in Isthmus Mixe, and as “if it’s right or it isn’t right, we can’t shut out mouths” in Morelos Nahuatl. (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
“God our Father, you are our Boss, the biggest” Tataltepec Chatino (source for this and all above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
“Lord, Owner of All Power” in Hausa (source: Hausa Common Language Bible Back Translation)
“Lord who is mightier than all” in Hiligaynon (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
The Greek in Acts 6:15 that is translated as “his face was like the face of an angel” or similar in English is translated in Matumbi as “his face changed to look like that of an angel” as in an transformation-like act. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Coatlán Mixe it is translated as “they saw that he was ‘heart-full’ like an angel” and in Lalana Chinantec as “as is the face of an angel, so is the face of Stephen, for it was very radiant.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sailor(s)” in English is translated in Kouya as “worker(s) in the big canoe.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:
Acts chapter 27 was a challenge! It describes Paul’s sea voyage to Italy, and finally Rome. There is a storm at sea and a shipwreck on Malta, and the chapter includes much detailed nautical vocabulary. How do you translate this for a landlocked people group, most of whom have never seen the ocean? All they know are small rivers and dugout canoes.
We knew that we could later insert some illustrations during the final paging process which would help the Kouya readers to picture what was happening, but meanwhile we struggled to find or invent meaningful terms. The ‘ship’ was a ‘big canoe’ and the ‘passengers’ were ‘the people in the big canoe’; the ‘crew’ were the ‘workers in the big canoe’; the ‘pilot’ was the ‘driver of the big canoe’; the ‘big canoe stopping place’ was the ‘harbour’, and the ‘big canoe stopping metal’ was the ‘anchor’!”
In Rincón Zapotec, it is translated as “men having the care of the boat” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), in Newari as “the ones operating the ship” (source: Newari back-translation), and in Toposa as “people who turn the ship” or “workers on the ship” (source: Schröder 2026, p. 141).
The Greek in Acts 16:19 that is translated as “marketplace” in English is translated here in Teutila Cuicatec and San Mateo del Mar Huave as “town hall.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
