complete verse (Acts 18:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 18:15:

  • Uma: “But this, it’s just arguments mentioning words and names in the laws of your own religion. So, you take care of it yourselves. I, I refuse to!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But because the thing you are arguing about is about words and about names of people and about the law of your religion, you settle it yourselves. I don’t want to settle matters like this.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But since it is only about your arguing about names and your law, I have no business fooling with that. You be the ones to settle it because I am not the one to settle something like that.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But since your cause-of-complaint concerns only the meaning/interpretation of words and the names of people and the law that you follow, you just-go-ahead-and (lit. even-if you) take-charge-of/be-responsible-for that, because I refuse.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “However, since what you are quarreling about is apparently only as to who is referred to in your handed-down laws, or what is meant by the words contained there, you be responsible for it. I won’t go along with it for I don’t want to judge concerning those things.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

law

The Greek that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (wsource: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 18:15

The pronominal reference of it may be difficult to represent readily in some receptor languages. One may use an expression such as “this accusation involved an argument about….” When, however, one cannot employ a noun such as argument, the appropriate equivalent may be “but since you are only arguing about words.”

The phrase your own law may be rendered as “the rules that apply only to you” or “the laws that only you people follow.”

You yourselves must settle it actually translates a future tense, but in Greek the future is sometimes used as the equivalent of an imperative. I will not be the judge of such things is said in such a way that “judge” is the emphatic element, literally “a judge of these things I am not willing to be.” The use of a term such as judge, referring to such issues as were presented by the Jews before Gallio, is rendered in some languages as “decide such matters” or “say what is right and what is wrong.”

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 18:15

18:15a

since: The Greek word is often translated as “if.” But it is likely true that Gallio is certain that the matter between the Jews and Paul is only disagreements about words and names and the Jewish law. Therefore many English versions translate the Greek word as since.

it is a dispute about: The pronoun it refers to the accusation against Paul. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

this concerns (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the things you are saying are (New Century Version)

words: These questions are matters of religion. Gallio saw this dispute only as a matter of the Jewish religion. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as words usually implies that these words cause arguments. For example:

⌊controversial⌋ words
-or-
words ⌊of religion⌋ ⌊that cause arguments⌋

names: This word may imply the argument that Paul said that Jesus should be named the Christ (18:5c) but the Jews disagreed. It is not known how much Gallio, as a Roman, knew about the problems that the Jews had with Christian beliefs. So you should translate the word literally.

your own law: This phrase refers to the Jewish laws.

18:15b

settle it yourselves: The Greek words here are literally “you will see (to it) yourselves.” The future tense here is used as a command from an official to those under his authority. The command tells the Jews to resolve the problem themselves. Other ways to translate this clause are:

see to it yourselves (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
you must deal with it yourselves (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
you will have to take care of it (Contemporary English Version)

18:15c

I refuse to be a judge of such things: The Greek words are literally “a judge, I, of these things, (I) do not intend/want to be.” It emphasizes “a judge, I, of these things.” It asserts strongly that Gallio has no desire at all to judge these matters of religion. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I myself have no intention of being a judge of these matters/questions
-or-
I, as judge of these things? I refuse.
-or-
No way do I want to judge these things!

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