The passage quoted from Amos differs significantly from the Hebrew text and has several minor differences from the Septuagint. The argument that James introduces in this passage is based upon the Septuagint and cannot be made upon the basis of the Hebrew text. It is unnecessary to make a comparison of the relationship between the Hebrew text, the Septuagint, and the text as Luke has given it here. The task of the translator is to translate the passage as Luke has given it and to bring out the emphases which he intended.

In translating this passage the Good News Translation has included the words says the Lord in verse 16. This has been done in order to indicate to the reader that the words which are being quoted are the words of the Lord and not merely a promise made by the prophet, as verse 15 might suggest.

The expression after this may be equivalent to “later” or “in the future.”

In many languages it is possible to refer in poetic form to a house as representing a family or lineage, and therefore the figurative expression in verse 16 may be fully comprehensible. However, in other languages there is simply no metaphorical value in this reference to David’s fallen house and therefore the translator is faced with two alternatives. Either he may preserve the figurative expression and indicate in a marginal note the significance of the figure of speech, or he may endeavor to change the figure and speak of David’s lineage rather than his house. In general, however, it is preferable to follow the first alternative when this is possible. In the first place, people expect in poetic discourse to encounter such figurative expressions, and often they are able to understand them far more readily than some translators might imagine. Furthermore, if one is going to change the figure of speech, then there must be radical semantic restructuring which will result in a form of expression quite different from what one is likely to encounter in a corresponding Old Testament text, where the figures of speech will usually need to be preserved more carefully because of the total context.

However, in the translation of the figurative expressions in this verse, there are several complications. If one renders literally raise David’s fallen house, it may simply mean to raise up in the air a house which is in a collapsed condition. It may be necessary, therefore, to translate: “David’s house has collapsed, but I will build it again.” Similarly, in the third line, I will restore its ruins, a literal translation might imply that the person would fix up the ruins while still leaving them in the form of ruins. A more acceptable equivalent may be “I will rebuilt the ruins,” “I will take what has been ruined and make it good again,” or “though it is ruined, I will build it up again.”

Because of the highly repetitious nature of the three lines referring to the reconstruction of the fallen house, it may be necessary to coalesce these into two principal expressions.

In verse 17 the two expressions all other people and all the Gentiles are probably equivalent phrases referring to the Gentiles in contrast to the Jewish people. On the other hand, the Greek expression underlying the phrase all other people may refer to “the rest of the people,” and therefore some scholars make a distinction between the two expressions all other people and all the Gentiles.

The literal expression “and all the nations upon whom my name has been called upon them” has been rendered all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own, since in biblical language to have God’s name called upon someone is to indicate that that person belongs to God.

In verse 18 so says the Lord may be rendered as “this is what the Lord has said.” The expression made this known may be equivalent to “caused people to hear” or “caused people to know.”

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 .