20but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from whatever has been strangled and from blood.
The Greek that is translated as “should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with “abstaining from meat sacrificed to idols, no mixed marriages with pagans and no consumption of meat from animals that had not been slaughtered according to shechita regulations so that the blood can flow out completely, or the consumption of blood.”
The Greek that is translated as “sexual immorality” or “fornication” or similar is translated much more specifically in some languages. Morelos Nahuatl has “let a man not yield himself to another woman except only to his wife. Also let a woman not yield herself to another man except only to her husband” or in Lalana Chinantec as “not proper for them to mix themselves with other women. The same is true of women for other men also.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Low German as Hurenkram or “things related to prostitution (and/or sleeping around)” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006) and in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) typically as Sexgier or “sex cravings” (exceptions: Acts 15:10 and 15:29).
The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “idol(s)” in English is translated in Central Subanen as ledawan or “images.” (Source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
In German, typically the term Götze is used. Originally this was used as a term of endearment for Gott (“God” — see here ), later for “icon” and “image, likeness.” Luther started to use it in the 16th century in the meaning of “false god, idol.”
Other terms that are used in German include Götzenbild(er) (“image[s] of idols”) or Bildnis (“image” — Protestant) / Kultbild (“cultish image” — Catholic) (used for instance in Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8). The latest revision of the Catholic Einheitsübersetzung (publ. 2016) also uses the neologism Nichtse (“nothings”) in 1 Chron. 16:26 and Psalm 96:5. (Source: Zetzsche)
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, Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan (in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.) select the inclusive form (including the members of the Council). SIL International Translation Department (1999) states that the use of the exclusive form is possible as well, excluding the laity.
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 15:20:
Uma: “However, it is better that we write a letter, we request that they not eat food that was used-in-worship-of idols, not eat blood and not eat meat that the blood has not been taken out of first. And we also tell them not to behave wrongly with young-women or with others’ wives. [to behave wrongly is a figure of speech primarily used of sexual matters].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But we (incl.) should send them a letter telling them that they should not eat anything offered to images of gods, they should not commit adultery, they should not eat strangled animals, and they should not eat blood.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But rather, let’s write to them and let’s tell them that they should not eat food which is forbidden for it has been offered to false gods, and they should also not mess with someone who is not their spouse, and they should not also eat blood or that which is butchered that has not been allowed to bleed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Let’s just (lit. Even-if we) write to them to tell them not to eat-for-viand what was offered to idols (lit. false/imitation gods), because it is taboo to us, not to sleep-with anyone who is not their spouse, and furthermore not to eat-for-viand blood or a strangled animal, because its blood has not been removed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “On the contrary, what is good is, we will send them a letter. Only these things are what we will put in it, that they are not to eat meat which has been used by others in their worship of their pretend gods, they are also not to eat blood or meat which hasn’t been bled, and another thing, they are to taboo all kinds of immorality with one not their spouse.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
There are textual problems regarding certain aspects of this verse and two related verses (15.29; 21.25), and the difficulties relate primarily to the nature of the prohibitions contained in the apostolic decree, whether ethical, ceremonial, or a combination of both.
The demands which James suggested should be placed upon the Gentiles were of four kinds. The first two demands related to sins for which the Gentiles were notorious, that is, idolatry and sexual immorality; while the other two related to matters which would endanger (table) fellowship between the Gentiles and Jewish Christians, that is, eating animals that had been strangled and eating blood. Most commentators agree that the expression “pollutions of idols” has a specific reference to food that is unclean because it has been offered to idols. This would be a quite difficult command for the Gentiles to obey, inasmuch as it demanded that they no longer participate in any of the feasts given in the names of pagan gods, and it would possibility mean that they could no longer purchase meat from the public markets, since much of the meat sold in the public markets had come from idol temples.
The term unclean in this context must not be rendered as “dirty.” The meaning is “religiously defiled,” that is, from the standpoint of the standards of the Christian community. In a number of languages this passage may be most conveniently and effectively translated as “not to eat any food that should not be eaten because it has been offered to idols.”
The expression offered to idols may be translated as “brought as a gift to idols” or “sacrificed in honor to idols.”
The command to keep themselves from immorality may refer (1) to the marriage relationships such as were forbidden in Leviticus 18.6-18 or (2) to sexual immorality, since this was often connected with idolatrous worship.
The Jews believed that the life essence of an animal was contained in its blood, and therefore people were forbidden to eat it. This is why they could neither eat strangled animals, since these still had the blood in them, nor could they eat blood by itself. In order to avoid a possible breach in the (table) fellowship between the Jews and the Gentiles, James thought it wise to forbid the Gentiles to continue to eat blood.
The expression not to eat any animal that has been strangled may require some marginal explanation, or it may be more appropriate in some languages to speak of “not eating any animal whose blood has not been drained out.” It is the “draining out of the blood” which is obviously the essential element, and strangled is only of indirect reference to the existence of the blood in the meat. One can, however, retain strangled and the functional equivalent, as in “not eating any animal whose blood has not been drained out, since it was strangled.”
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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