complete verse (Acts 10:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 10:20:

  • Uma: “Hurry down. Don’t let your heart be uncertain to follow them, because I [emphatic] am the one who ordered them.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Get up and go down. Do not hesitate to go with them because I was the one who sent them here.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Go down quickly, and don’t you be reluctant to go with them because I am the one who sent them.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Go-down, and do not doubt to go-with them, because I of-course am the one who sent them.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Go downstairs now, and don’t hesitate in going with them for I myself am the origin of their being sent here.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Acts 10:20

It is interesting to note that the Spirit (see v. 19) is used here in direct parallel with voice in verses 13 and 15 which Peter addresses as Lord in verse 14. Note also that the Spirit speaks of something done by an angel (see v. 3). Notice the same interchange between an angel and the Spirit in the narrative about Philip (8.26, 29). Both here in verse 20 and in the following verse the pronoun I is emphatic in the sentence structure.

In rendering the expression I have sent them it may be necessary to shift the viewpoint and employ “I have caused them to come.” Obviously the verb send would imply the viewpoint of Cornelius, while “come” would represent the viewpoint of Peter of Joppa. In some languages it is necessary to retain the viewpoint of the immediate discourse rather than shift to an earlier episode in a story.

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 .