soldier

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “soldier” in English didn’t have a direct equivalent in Enlhet so it was translated with “those that bind us” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. ) and in Noongar it is mammarapa-bakadjiny or “men of fighting” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

prison

The Greek, Hebrew and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “prison” is translated in Dehu as moapokamo or “house for tying up people” (source: Maurice Leenhardt in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 97ff. ) and in Noongar as maya-maya dedinyang or “house shut” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also public prison.

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 12:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 12:6:

  • Uma: “One night, Petrus was sleeping between two soldiers, and his hands were tied on both sides with chains. There were also soldiers guarding the door of the jail. Herodes’s plan was that the next morning his case would be tried in the eyes of the people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The night before Herod was going to bring Petros to the people, Petros was sleeping between two guards. He was chained with two chains. There were also guards outside watching the gate of the prison.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then on the night of which the morning after Herod would bring Peter out before the people, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was fastened by two chains, and there were also some soldiers who had been placed to watch at the door of the prison.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There was one-night the next-day-of-which was Herod’s planned time-to-judge and have-Pedro -killed. As-for Pedro, he was sleeping in-between two guards. He was furthermore bound with two chains while-simultaneously the door of the prison was guarded.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then when the night came which was before the morning when Pedro would be sentenced/judged, he was sleeping between two soldiers. He was tied too with two chains, and there were also guards at the entrance.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 12:6

The intimation of this verse is that Peter was chained to each of the two guards who slept beside him. It may be useful to indicate specifically how Peter was bound by the two chains, namely, “one chain bound him to a guard on one side and another chain bound him to a guard on the other side.”

The reference to guards on duty at the prison gate may be translated as “soldiers were guarding the door to the prison.”

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 .