Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Peter – rock.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Peter .

complete verse (Acts 10:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 10:26:

  • Uma: “But Petrus forbade him, he pulled him up again, and said to him: ‘Don’t do like that! Stand up. I am also just a man like you.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But Petros caused him to stand up. Petros said to him, ‘Stand up. I am just a human/man like you.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “however Peter made him stand up saying, ‘Stand up becausae I am only a man just like you.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But Pedro, he had-him -stand-up saying, ‘Stand-up, because I also, I am a mere person.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But he was at once caused to stand up by Pedro who said, ‘Don’t do like that. Stand up, for as for me, I am indeed man/human like you.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Teutila Cuicatec: ” . . . I too am a man it is not right for you to worship me because I am a worldling just like you.”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “Peter raised up Cornelius, he said: ‘Get up. we are both just people.'” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Japanese benefactives (otachi)

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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, otachi (お立ち) or “stand” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Acts 10:26

Made him rise is an expression for “caused him to stand up.” In saying that he was only a man Peter is obviously emphasizing that he is not an angel and therefore does not merit any kind of special regard or worship as suggested by Cornelius’ actions described in verse 25.

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 .