serve

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In Quetzaltepec Mixe, “serve” is translated as “obey.” (Source: Robert Bascom)

complete verse (Acts 1:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 1:25:

  • Uma: “After that, they prayed, they said: ‘Lord, you (sing.) know all the hearts of people. Yudas, he fell from his work as your (sing.) messenger, and he was judged according to his actions. That is why we (excl.) request, Lord, point out to us (excl.) from these two which one you (sing.) have chosen to replace Yudas.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “in order that he can do the work that you have given to the people you have commissioned. This work was left-behind by Judas and he went to the place that is right/fitting for him.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “to be an apostle to take the place of Judas. Because Judas, he abandoned that which was given him to do, and he went to his proper going-home place.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “to take-over the apostleship of Judas, because he turned-his-back-on his serving as apostle and went to the place befitting him.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “to replace Judas in this service and apostleship of his. For as for Judas, he gave-up/let-go, and has gone to the place which is really suited to him.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 1:25

This place of service as an apostle translates “the place of this ministry and of apostleship.” But in a Greek construction of this type it is quite proper to take the second noun as a qualifier of the first, and so this phrase could be understood as the ministry which an apostle performs. Evidently this expression is an expansion and further qualification of the similar phrase used in verse 17. In some languages this place of service as an apostle is equivalent to “doing the work of an apostle.”

Due to the relatively complex relations of the events in this sentence, involving as they do several shifts of subjects, it may be necessary to divide the sentence into at least two parts, for example, (1) “So then, Lord, make us to know which one of these two men you have chosen so that he can do the work of an apostle,” and (2) “This is the work that Judas left to go to the place where he belongs.” In other languages the break may be as follows, “… whom you have chosen to be an apostle in Judas’ place. Because Judas left us to go to the place where he should be.”

The place where he belongs is literally “his own place,” but the meaning is that Judas went to the place which was proper for him, that is, he got what he deserved.

The translation of belongs may in some languages be expressed either in terms of “where he should be” or “to a place which he deserves” (with the connotation that it is punishment).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .