complete verse (Acts 17:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 17:8:

  • Uma: “Hearing those words, the hearts of the masses with the hearts of the judges too became really hot.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because of those their words, the crowds were rioting including the officials.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then when the officials and the people heard this, their breaths became very bad.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When the rulers and the many-people heard that-aforementioned accusation, they were extremely worried.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The heads of that crowd were really troubled, including the officials, when they heard that which was said.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 17:8

The expression threw … in an uproar may be equivalent to “caused a terrible disturbance among” or “caused complete confusion for.” In this instance the crowd is not primarily the mob that had been formed previously, but the crowd that had gathered as a result of the violence done to Jason and the other brothers in their being dragged before the city authorities.

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 17:8

17:8a–b

On hearing this, the crowd and city officials were greatly disturbed: The Greek words are literally “they shook/stirred the crowd and the city officials, hearing these (things).” It indicates that the crowd and the city officials heard what the leaders of the mob said and it made them distressed and troubled. The leaders of the mob purposely said those things to make the city leaders distressed with the Christians. Other ways to translate this are:

These words made the crowd and the city officials upset/angry.
-or-
Hearing this, the citizens and the city councillors were alarmed (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. (Revised Standard Version)

17:8b

the crowd and city officials: The city officials were probably at the public area that the Berean Standard Bible usually translates as “marketplace” (16:19d). This was the usual place where the city officials worked. The public area had the market and other kinds of public activities. In this public area were many people. The word crowd refers to the people in the public area. It does not refer to the mob that went to Jason’s house, because they were already angry and rioting.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to the mob. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain it in your translation. For example:

the crowds ⌊at the public square⌋ and the city officials

city officials: This is the same Greek word as in 17:6b. Translate it here as you did there.

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