that very night

The Greek in Acts 17:10 that is translated as “that very night” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with sofort im Schutze der Dunkelheit or “immediately under the cover of darkness.”

Silas / Silvanus

The Greek that is transliterated as “Silas” or “Silvanus” in English means “lover of words,” “of the forest” (source: Cornwall / Smith 1997).

The Greek form of Silvanus (Σιλουανός) likely reflects the Latin spelling (Silvanus) of a more typical Greek name Silas (Σιλᾶς). Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire, whereas Greek was the lingua franca used in most parts of the ancient world. It was very common for a person with wide travel experience in New Testament times to have more than one name; Paul would be another example (Saul and Paul). Ancient Latin pronounced “v” as “w” in modern English; because the Greek used in New Testament times did not have a letter with “w” sound, the diphthong “ου” (pronounced as “oo”) would be its closest equivalent. This explains the relationship between the spelling Σιλουανός and its Latin equivalent Silvanus. (Source: Simon Wong)

In Spanish Sign Language both names are translated with a sign depicting “chains falling off,” referring to Acts 16:26. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Silas / Silvanus” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

More information on Silas .

Paul

The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English means “little.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In American Sign Language it is translated 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)


“Paul (and Saul)” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that is based on contemporary depictions and refers to the presumed baldness of the top of his head. The description originates from the 2nd-century apocryphal text titled Acts of Paul and Thecla , which represents the earliest and most detailed physical characterization of the apostle in Christian tradition (see also the icon below). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Paul” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Paul,” the second part refers to “apostle” (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Following is a Georgian Orthodox icon of Paul the Apostle from the 14th century (located in the Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi).

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.

Source for the image and description below: The Stained Glass Windows of Messiah Episcopal Church

“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 )

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Paul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Paul .

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

synagogue, temple (inner), temple (outer)

In many English translations the Greek terms “hieron” (the whole “temple” in Jerusalem or specifically the outer courts open to worshippers) and “naos” (the inner “shrine” or “sanctuary”) are translated with only one word: “temple” (see also for instance “Tempel” in German [for exception see below] and “tempel” in Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans).

Other languages make a distinction: (Click or tap here to see more)

  • Navajo (Dinė): “house in which worship is carried out” (for naos)
  • Balinese: “inner part of the Great Temple” (“the term ‘inner part’ denoting the hindmost and holiest of the two or three courts that temples on Bali usually possess”) vs. “Great Temple”
  • Telugu: “womb (i.e. interior)-of-the-abode” vs. “abode”
  • Thai: a term denoting the main audience hall of a Buddhist temple compound vs. “environs-of-the-main-audience-hall”
  • Kituba: “place of holiness of house-God Lord” vs. “house-God Lord”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “deep in God’s house” vs. “God’s house” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “inner court of the temple” (Tempelinnenhof) vs. “temple”

Languages that, like English, German, Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans, don’t make that distinction include:

  • Mandarin Chinese: “聖殿 Shèng diàn” (“holy palace”)
  • Loma: “the holy place”
  • Pular: “the sacred house” (source for this and the one above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Zarma: “God’s compound”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “big church of the Jews”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “big house on top (i.e. most important)”
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “house that is looked upon as holy, that is sacred, that is taboo and where one may not set foot” (lit. “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” — because taboo is violated — using a term that is also applied to a Muslim mosque) (source for this and the three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Mairasi: Janav Enggwarjer Weso: “Great Above One’s (God’s) House” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: Maya-maya-Kooranyi: “Sacred House” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “the big church of the Israelites”
  • Aguaruna: “the house for talking to God” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Guhu-Samane: “festival longhouse of God” (“The biiri, ‘festival longhouse’, being the religious and social center of the community, is a possible term for ‘temple’. It is not the ‘poro house’ as such. That would be too closely identified with the cult of poro. The physical features of the building, huge and sub-divided, lend it further favor for this consideration. By qualifying it as ‘God’s biiri’ the term has become meaningful and appropriate in the context of the Scriptures.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. )
  • Enga: “God’s restricted access house” (source: Adam Boyd on his blog )

Another distinction that tends to be overlooked in translations is that between hieron (“temple” in English) and sunagógé (“synagogue” in English). Euan Fry (in The Bible Translator 1987, p. 213ff. ) reports on this:

“Many older translations have simply used transliterations of ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ rather than trying to find equivalent terms or meaningful expressions in their own languages. This approach does keep the two terms separate; but it makes the readers depend on explanations given by pastors or teachers for their understanding of the text.

“Translators who have tried to find meaningful equivalents, for the two terms ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ have usually made a distinction between them in one of two ways (which focus on the contrasting components of meaning). One way takes the size and importance of the Temple to make a contrast, so that expressions such as ‘sacred meeting/ worship house of the Jews’ and ‘big sacred meeting/worship house of the Jews’ are used. The other way focuses on the different nature of the religious activity at each of the places, so that expressions such as ‘meeting/worship house of the Jews’ and ‘sacrifice/ceremony place of the Jews’ are used.

“It is not my purpose in this article to discuss how to arrive at the most precise equivalent to cover all the components of meaning of ‘temple’. That is something that each translator really has to work through for himself in the light of the present usage and possibilities in his own language. My chief concern here is that the basic term or terms chosen for ‘temple’ should give the reader of a translation a clear and correct picture of the location referred to in each passage. And I am afraid that in many cases where an equivalent like ‘house of God’ or ‘worship house’ has been chosen, the readers have quite the wrong picture of what going to the Temple or being in the Temple means. (This may be the case for the word ‘temple’ in English too, for many readers.)”

Here are some examples:

  • Bambara: “house of God” (or: “big house of worship”) vs. “worship house” (or: “small houses of worship”)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” (see above) vs. “meeting house for discussing matters concerning religious customs” (and “church” is “house where one meets on Sunday”)
  • Navajo (Dinė): “house in which worship is carried out” vs. “house of gathering” (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)

    • Bangandu: “the great house of God” vs. “house of prayer” (Source: Ervais Fotso Noumsi in Le Sycomore, 16/1, 2022 )

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Herod’s temple (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing synagogues in New Testament times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Acts 17:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 17:10:

  • Uma: “That night, their one-faith relatives in Tesalonika said to Paulus and Silas: ‘It is better if you go away from here.’ So, they indeed left, going to the town of Berea. When they arrived in Berea, they went to the Yahudi house of prayer.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When it was evening, Paul and Silas were told by their fellow disciples of Isa to leave for Berea. When they arrived in Berea, they went to the Yahudi prayer-house.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to the village of Berea. And when they arrived, they went to the church of the Jews.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When it was night, the brothers caused-Pablo and Silas -to-set-out to go to Berea. Arriving there then, they went to the synagogue of the Jews.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That night, the believers there in Tesalonica caused Pablo and Silas to go. They caused them to move to Berea. When they arrived there, they went into the worship-place of the Jews and taught again.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 17:10

The literal Greek expression “through night” obviously refers to that very night, so that the entire expression “immediately through night” is rendered as soon as night came. The brothers most likely refers to the entire Christian community of Thessalonica and not merely to the ones who had been released (v. 9). Berea was about 60 miles west of Thessalonica and south of the Ignatian Way.

The second part of verse 10 simply indicates that, as was his custom, Paul visited the Jewish synagogue as one of the first things which he did upon arrival in any new town or community.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 17:10

Section 17:10–15

Paul and Silas went to Berea

In this section, Jason and the other believers sent Paul and Silas at night to Berea. They preached about Jesus to the Jews there. The Berean Jews were eager to hear the message that Jesus was the Christ. They searched the Scriptures to verify what Paul said. Many Jews and Greeks believed in Jesus.

But the Jews from Thessalonica heard what happened there, so they went and caused trouble. The believers sent Paul to Athens with some believers from their group. Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. But when Paul reached Athens, he asked the believers with him to return and tell Silas and Timothy to come to him soon.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Paul preached in Berea, but Jews from Thessalonica came and caused trouble
-or-
People in Berea Welcome the Message (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
In Berea (New International Version)

Paragraph 17:10–12

17:10a

As soon as night had fallen: This phrase in Greek is literally “immediately during the night.” The word “immediately” probably indicates that the believers sent Paul and Silas that night. They did not wait a day or two before sending them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
That very night (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The brothers sent Paul and Silas…at once, during the night. (NET Bible)

the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea: This was a journey of about seventy kilometers (40 miles). This is a one or two day walk.

Berea: This name refers to a city in Macedonia.

the brothers: This refers generally to believers in Thessalonica.

Paul and Silas: Timothy went to Berea too (17:14b). But since he was not named here, he probably went the next morning or some days later. There was no rush for him to leave, because the Jews only named Paul and Silas in the trouble that day.

You should name only Paul and Silas here. But if readers are confused about Timothy being in Berea but not mentioned here, you may want to explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Timothy went to Berea too (17:14b). But since he was not named here, he probably went later.

17:10b

On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue: They probably went on the first Sabbath day after their arrival in the town.

they went: The Greek tense probably indicates they went more than once to the Jewish synagogue. They probably went every Sabbath. For example:

they began going

the Jewish synagogue: A synagogue was a building where Jews gathered to pray, read scripture, teach, and worship. In some languages, the word synagogue already indicates a building for Jews. For example:

the synagogue (Good News Translation)

See how you translated the word synagogue in 6:9 or 17:1.

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