46Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the gentiles.
Lloyd Peckham explains the Mairasi translation: “In secret stories, not knowable to women nor children, there was a magical fruit of life. If referred to vaguely, without specifying the specific ‘fruit,’ it can be an expression for eternity.”
The phrase that is translated into English as “spoke out boldly” is translated into Afar as intî qasuk ken lih yabteeh: “spoke with them having red eyes.” (Source: Loren Bliese)
In Low German is is translated as keen Bladd vörn Mund nähmen, lit. “cover the mouth with nothing” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
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 )
The term that is transliterated as “Barnabas” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a combination of the signs for the letter B and “encourage” (referring to Acts 11:23). (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Barnabas” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Barnabas (source: Bible Lands 2012)
The Greek that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).
Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).
The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the Jews in Pisidian Antioch).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 13:46:
Uma: “But Paulus and Barnabas became even braver speaking. They said to the Yahudi people: ‘The fitting thing is that the Word of God must be announced first to you Yahudi people. But inasmuch as you [emphatic] do not want to receive it, then you yourselves make it clear that you are not fit to receive eternal life. So as of now, we (excl.) leave you, going to take the Word of God to people who are not Yahudi people!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But Paul and Barnabas became bolder to speak. They said, ‘It is hep to you, the tribe of Isra’il, to whom the word/message of God should first be told. But because you do not accept it, and don’t consider yourselves worthy to be given everlasting life, na, we (excl.) are now going to the people of other tribes.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And in spite of this, Paul and Barnabas were not afraid, because they said to the Jews, ‘It is necessary that we tell you Jews first what God causes people to understand. However, since you don’t accept it, you show that you are not worthy to be given eternal life. We are not going to preach the good news to you anymore, rather we are going to those who aren’t Jews.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Whereupon Pablo and Barnabas made-bold to say, ‘It is necessary that you Jews first be the ones-to whom-we (excl.) -tell the word of God. But because you reject-it, you yourselves are the ones counting-as/considering yourselves as not worthy to join-in-experiencing life that is-forever. Therefore now we (excl.) will indeed leave you to go to the Gentiles.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But Pablo and Bernabe spoke with boldness. They said, ‘It’s necessary that you were the first to be able to hear this word of God which we (excl.) are teaching. But, since it’s like that that you are rejecting it, it’s like you are judging yourselves, that you are not fit to be given life which has no ending. Therefore, now, it’s no longer you whom we (excl.) will teach, but on the contrary those who are not Jews.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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