The Greek that is translated as “tear clothes” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with reißen sich die Kleider vom Leib or “tear clothes off themselves.”
They explain (p. 25): “In Jewish mourning rituals, clothes are torn to show solidarity with the deceased and to show that one no longer wishes to live on; the dress symbolizes social existence. Whoever tears the clothes from his body annuls participation and community. Our translation therefore makes it clear that the tearing of clothes in these cases is directly related to the idolatry of people described in the context, which is considered the worst atrocity. Here, ‘mourning’ encompasses more than sadness, but rather lamentation, protest, renunciation and repentance all in one.”
San Blas Kuna: “witnesses to God” (meaning “those who speak up and out for God” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida, except Balanta-Kentohe: Rob Koops)
Mairasi: sasiri atatuemnev nesovnaa or “sent witnesses” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Khmer: Christtout (“messenger representing Christ”) or when Jesus addresses them: Tout robas Preah Ang (“his messengers-representatives”) (source: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 233ff. )
Pwo Karen: “eyeballs” (i.e., “right-hand men”) (source: David Clark)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “one who goes about preaching the good word” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Noongar: Moorta Ngany Waangki-Koorl or “People I (Jesus) Send” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Ayutla Mixtec: “those who bore the word of God’s mouth”
Chichimeca-Jonaz: “elders messengers” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Yakan: “commissioned ones” (source: Yakan Back Translation) — note that Scot McKnight in the EnglishThe Second Testament (publ. 2023) translates it as commissioners
Tenango Otomi: “(Jesus’) representatives” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Tsamakko: “ones-who-work-for-Christ” (source: Chris Pluger)
Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as commissioner.
In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “authority” to differentiate it from disciple. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“apostles” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The Greek in Acts 14:14 that is translated as “tore their clothes” in English is translated as “showed their distress” in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac, as “tore their own clothing to show how sad they were” in Sierra de Juárez Zapotec, and as “tore their shirts” (said thus to avoid the idea of showing nakedness) in Garifuna. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “clothes” or similar in English is translated in Enlhet as “crawling-in-stuff” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ) and in Noongar as bwoka or “Kangaroo skin” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
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: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Barnabas” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
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: Ruth Anna 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)
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 following is a contemporary stained glass window from the Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota by Peter Dohmen. Individual glass pieces were made in Germany in accordance with Dohmen’s design, using a technique first developed by Irish monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.
“This window is dedicated to St. Paul, the great apostle and missionary, for whom our city is named. At the top of the window is a ship which symbolizes the many missionary journeys of Paul — the Church is our ship, which carries us over the way of life. In the lower section we see Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw a great light and heard our Lord’s voice, which called him to discipleship.”
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 14:14:
Uma: “But [what] actually [happened was], when Barnabas and Paulus heard what their intention was, they tore their clothes, a sign of their distress [lit., a sign that their hearts were difficult], and they ran into the midst of the many people, speaking loudly, they said:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But when Paul and Barnabas knew of this that they were about to do, they tore their clothes, as a sign that they were not pleased. They ran to the center of the crowd/many people and they shouted,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Paul and Barnabas learned this, that that was what the people were going to do, they two ripped their shirts because they would show that they are really disgusted with that kind of activity. And they ran there toward the people, and they said,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But upon Barnabas and Pablo’s coming-to-know that that’s what the many-people were doing, they ripped their clothes to show their anger and sorrow, while-simultaneously they ran to where-the many-people -were, shouting,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But, when Pablo-and-companion realized what those people intended to do, they tore their clothes for they were intensely trying to prevent them doing like that. They really rushed among that crowd. They were shouting out to stop, saying,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
This verse begins with the phrase “the apostles Barnabas and Paul” (Good News TranslationBarnabas and Paul), but since “the apostles” was stated explicitly as the object of the intended sacrifice in the preceding verse, it is unnecessary to repeat this qualifier. In the Greek text the verb heard has no expressed object, but the reference is to all that was described in verse 13; therefore the Good News Translation has given what they were about to do as the object of heard.
Barnabas and Paul tore their clothes as a protest against the intended action of the crowd. In Jewish rabbinic literature, the tearing of one’s clothes is given as the proper reaction towards blasphemy (see Mark 14.63); but perhaps also the apostles realized that if they behaved in this fashion, they might more easily convince the crowds that they were merely men, and not gods.
The tearing of clothes obviously has quite different cultural meanings in different societies. It may be necessary to have some kind of marginal note at this point to explain to the reader precisely what is involved in this action of tearing the clothes. Such an action might, in fact, suggest to many people that Paul and Barnabas had simply become insane. In some languages one can suggest something of the purpose of tearing the clothes by translating as “they tore their clothes in protest” or “they tore their clothes to show they did not approve of what was happening.” However, this supplement to the text is not sufficient in most instances, and some marginal note is necessary.
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 .
.jpg){kind=link}
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.