Areopagus

The name that is transliterated as “Areopagus” in English means “Martial peak.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that depicts the Acropolis and the Council (left hand), while the right hand refers to the public. The Areopagus was part of the Acropolis of Athens where important issues such as politics and culture were discussed. (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Areopagus” in Libras (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see this article in Christianity Today .

See also Dionysius.

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 .

complete verse (Acts 17:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 17:22:

  • Uma: “From there, Paulus stood up in front of those gathered on Areopagus Mountain and he said: ‘Atena people! I see that in all your behavior you are very religious.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Paul stood up in front of the councilors and he said, ‘You men/people of Aten, I have observed that you are really very religious.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Paul stood up before the court of Areopagus and he said, ‘As for you Athenians, I understand that you are very faithful to your beliefs.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Pablo stood-up in-front-of them and said, ‘You from-Athens, I know (deference particle) that you are thorough/careful in worshipping your gods,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore Pablo stood up in the presence of that crowd gathered there at the Areopago and began to speak. He said, ‘You taga Atenas, I really am observing that you here are devoutly-worshipful people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

those / all (gata) (Japanese honorifics)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In these verses, the Greek that is translated as “those” or “who” or similar in English is translated as kata-gata (方々), combining “people” — kata — and the formal plural suffix -gata. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Acts 17:22

In some languages a transitional particle such as “so” or “hence” may be necessary at this point in the text so as to indicate that Paul, in response to those in the meeting of the Areopagus, was now addressing the group. Such a particle would be equivalent to the structure of the Greek sentence itself.

In front of the meeting of the Areopagus (see Jerusalem Bible “before the whole Council of the Areopagus,” New English Bible “before the Court of Areopagus”) is a much more natural expression in English than a literal rendering such as “standing in the middle of the Areopagus.” Luke intends to say that Paul stood before the group to speak to them, rather than that Paul stood up in the middle of the hill of Ares.

In a number of languages one cannot employ an expression of direct address such as Men of Athens! without implying the Paul is in some way ordering, or calling to, such persons. However, this expression may be incorporated as the goal of the verb said—for example, “and said to the men of Athens,” after which the direct discourse begins. In some languages there may be a contradiction in the use of the expression “men” when in verse 34 it is indicated that a woman by the name of Damaris responded positively to what Paul said. It may be necessary, therefore, to employ a term such as “people of Athens”; but in many languages an expression for “men” may, by implication, also include women.

Commentators are divided in their opinion as to whether Luke intended to say very religious (in a good sense) or “superstitious” (in a bad sense). However, the Good News Translation, New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation*, Moffatt, Phillips, and Barclay all accept the former alternative. In some languages it is not easy to provide an appropriate equivalent for the expression very religious. In some cases one may simply translate “worship various gods very much,” “are very much interested in the gods,” or “have great respect for many gods.”

If one adopts the interpretation of “superstitious,” a rendering might be “you are very fearful of many gods.”

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 17:22

Paragraph 17:22–23

17:22a

Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: The Greek words are literally “And/Then Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said.” The phrase “in the midst of” indicates that Paul stood before the council, or perhaps the council sat in a semicircle and Paul stood near the center. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
So Paul stood before the whole council of the Areopagus and made this speech: (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Then Paul ⌊went and⌋ stood in the place to address the ⌊council of⌋ Areopagus. He said,

stood up: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stood up often means “stop walking.” Here, Paul was probably standing with the philosophers, then he walked to the place where people spoke to the council and he stood there. Other ways to translate this Greek word are:

standing (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
went and stood/stopped

the Areopagus: The word Areopagus refers the city council of Athens. This word occurs in 17:19a. The Revised English Bible translates it here with the same phrase:

the Council of the Areopagus (Revised English Bible)

However, the Good News Translation uses an explanatory phrase in 17:19a (“the city council, the Areopagus”). The Good News Translation shortens it here to:

the city council (Good News Translation)

17:22b

Men of Athens: This was the usual respectful way to begin a speech in Athens. It politely speaks directly to the council. Paul spoke to the men of the council, but was not excluding the women who may have been listening.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly exclude women or imply that no women were present. If that is true in your language, you may want to use the word for “people.” For example:

People of Athens (New Century Version)

I see that in every way you are very religious: Earlier Paul was distressed by all the idols. But here he spoke to leaders of the city. He wanted them to listen, so he did not imply that he was distressed here. He only told them that he observed that they were very religious. It was well known that the people of Athens were very religious. This clause does not imply a compliment or an insult. Consider how to translate this clause in that way.

in every way you are very religious: The phrase in every way refers to the ways that the people of Athens honored their gods. They used every method that they knew, included praying to them, worshiping them, and offering sacrifices to them. For example:

you are very religious in all respects (NET Bible)

In some languages being very religious already implies in every way. For example, the Good News Translation only says:

you Athenians are very religious (Good News Translation)

you are very religious: This clause indicates that the people of Athens often honored their many gods. They followed all the ways that the religion for each god required. Other ways to translate this clause are:

you faithfully do your religious activities
-or-
you thoroughly worship your gods
-or-
you know it is important to worship all your gods

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