28One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world, and this took place during the reign of Claudius.
The name that is transliterated as “Agabus” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “hunger” and “wrist.” Agabus prophesied world hunger (Acts 11:28) and Paul’s imprisonment by binding his own feet and hands with Paul’s belts (Acts 21:10 and following). (Source: Missão Kophós )
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 11:28:
Uma: “One of them, his name was Agabus. He stood, and with the leading of the Holy Spirit, he foretold that there would be a big famine in all the Kingdom of Roma. (That famine really happened at the time of the rule of King Klaudius in Roma.)” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “One of them named Agabus, stood up to foretell what had been taught to him by the Spirit of God. Agabus said, ‘A famine will soon arrive in all the places/countries.’ (This famine arrived during the time when King Kalaudi was the leader king.)” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One of these was Agabus, and he was inspired by God. He stood up and he prophesied that there would be a very great famine which would spread all over the world. (And this took place when Claudius was still king in Rome.)” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “One who was named Agabus, he stood-up when-the congregation was-gathered, and the Holy Spirit had-him-prophecy that there was a famine that would arrive in the many-towns/countries on this earth. (This that he prophesied, it was fulfilled during the time of Emperador Claudius.)” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “One day when the believers there were gathered together, one of those prophets stood up whose name was Agabo. Through the inspiring by the Espiritu Santo he told that a big famine would come to the whole land/world. (This truly did happen while Claudio was Impiradur.)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.
“Through the Spirit” is taken by the Good News Translation to mean by the power of the Spirit (see 1.2). This reference to “through the Spirit” may be expressed in many languages as a type of causative “it was the Spirit (or the Holy Spirit) which caused him to predict.” In still other languages one may say “he predicted, the Holy Spirit told him to.” This would indicate the causative force as well as the source of such divine revelation.
Predicted is literally “to indicate” or “to signify” (the word in Greek is related to the root meaning “sign”; see 2.19), but commentators and translators agree that the meaning here is “predict” (see New English Bible; and “foretold” in Revised Standard Version and Phillips).
The Greek term translated here as earth (the same Greek term also occurs in 17.6, 31; 19.27; 24.5) means “the inhabited earth,” or “the civilized world” and is equivalent to “the Roman Empire.”
Claudius was emperor from A.D. 41 to 54, and evidently his reign was characterized by famines in various parts of the known world. In Palestine the famine was particularly severe around A.D. 46. The statement (It came when Claudius was Emperor.) is parenthetical, and so placed in parenthesis by the Good News Translation (also Zürcher Bibel).
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 .
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