Chios

The name that is transliterated as “Chios” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with the sign for “covered in snow” (the name means “snowy” and a white-blossomed tree covers the island with its white petals every year). (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Chios” in Libras (source )

More information under Chios .

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

Samos

The name that is transliterated as “Samos” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that refers to the geographical shape of the region and “sandy slope” (an interpretation of the meaning of the name). (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Samos” in Libras (source )

More information under Samos .

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Acts 20:15)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Acts 20:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 20:15:

  • Uma: “From there, we (excl.) continued on, and the next day arrived at the land that was across from the island of Khios. The next day we (excl.) arrived at the island of Samos, and the next day arrived in the town of Miletus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (excl.) sailed again from there and the following day we arrived there near Kiyos. The next day we stopped-briefly at Samos and on the second day, we arrived at Miletus.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Paul decided that we would pass by the town of Ephesus so that we would not have to spend a long time in the province of Asia. Paul was in a hurry because he wanted to arrive in the town of Jerusalem before the day of Pentecost. We left Mitylene and one night later we passed by the island of Chios, and one night later we passed by the island of Samos, and one night later than that we came into the town of Miletus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The next-day then, we (excl.) set-out from there, and we (excl.) passed-by Kios. On the second day, we stopped-by at Samos, and on the third then, we went-directly to Miletus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “We(excl.) left there, and next day arrived opposite Chios. Next day, Samos is where we (excl.) came to. On the fourth day, we (excl.) arrived at Mileto.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 20:15

Although the root meaning of the verb rendered arrived means “to pass by,” it may also have the meaning of “to cross over to,” and therefore “to arrive.” In any case, most translators understand the meaning of the verb in its present context to be “arrived.”

Chios is one of the larger Aegean islands off the coast of Asia; it was a free state under the Roman administration.

The route taken by the ship was the most natural to follow; to have gone by Ephesus would have required extra sailing time and distance. Samos was also one of the larger Aegean islands, and, like Chios, it was a free state. It lay slightly south of Ephesus. Evidently it was felt that to sail directly from Chios to Miletus was too long a journey, and therefore the trip was broken by a stop at Samos. Miletus was a town located about 30 miles south of Ephesus.

In place of the reading and the following day some manuscripts read “and after stopping at Trogyllium, the following day” (see Jerusalem Bible; Revised Standard Version note, New English Bible alternative reading). The committee preparing the UBS text did not include this in its apparatus. The apparent reason for its inclusion in some ancient manuscripts is that the trip from Samos to Miletus would have been regarded as being too long for a single day.

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 .