Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
The name that is transliterated as “Sceva” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “seven” (for Sceva’s seven sons) and “driving out” (demons). (Source: Missão Kophós )
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 19:14:
Uma: “At that time there were also in Efesus several Yahudi people who were traveling around expelling demons that had entered people. Among them were seven men, all children of a leading priest named Skewa. One time, those seven tried to expel a demon from a person by naming the name of the Lord Yesus. They said: ‘With the name of Yesus whom Paulus carries, you (sing.) leave!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then, there were seven brothers who ‘medicined’ like that. Their father was Eskeba, the leading priest of the Yahudi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The ones who did this were the seven sons of a Jewish high priest whose name was Sceva.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “There were seven children of Sceva a leader of the priests of the Jews who did that.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for those expellers, there were seven of them, all brothers. Their father was a chief of the priests, whose name was Esceva.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Nothing further is known of the Sceva mentioned in this verse. It may be that he actually was a Jewish High Priest, or it may be that he knew the sacred name that was mentioned in the holy place of the Jews.
Who were doing this may need to be rendered as “who were commanding evil spirits to come out.”
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 .
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this: This verse is literally “(There) were seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, doing this.” It introduces an example of Jews driving out evil spirits (19:13). For example:
Among those who did this were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. (New Jerusalem Bible)
The word “certain” probably indicates that Luke did not expect his readers to know who Sceva was.
Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest: Among the Jewish priests, all their leaders came from certain families. The phrase chief priest indicates that Sceva was from one of those families. He was not the official high priest, the leader of all the priests. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
Seven sons of Sceva, a leader of the Jewish priests
For additional help translating chief priest, see Chief Priests, sense 2 in Key Biblical Terms.
were doing this: The word this refers to using the name of Jesus to force evil spirits to leave (19:13). In some languages the word “that” would be more natural. For example:
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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