married status

In Purari society everyone marries, so the question was raised why Philip’s daughters were unmarried. The final rendering into Purari tended to imply that they were all under 18, in order to avoid the implication that they were all so undesirable that nobody wanted to marry them.

wonder

The Greek that is often translated as “wonder” into English is different from the term that is translated as “miracle” (see miracle) since it “usually involves some unusual phenomena in nature which are a portent of dire woe or extraordinary blessing.” In Huichol these are “awe-inspiring things,” in Yucateco they are “things which show what is coming,” and in Eastern Highland Otomi the expression must be cast into the form of a verb phrase “they will amaze the people.”

complete verse (Acts 21:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:9:

  • Uma: “He had four children, all unmarried-girls, and all prophets–meaning, ones who had ability to utter God’s Word.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He had four unmarried daughters who spread/made-known words of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He had four unmarried daughters who were inspired by God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They also had four children who were young-ladies who were prophets.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for that Felipe, he had four unmarried daughters. They were acknowledged as prophets for they were always being inspired by the Espiritu Santo with what God was causing to be told to the people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 21:9

A number of commentators and translators understand Luke’s phrase “virgins daughters” to mean simply unmarried daughters (see Moffatt, An American Translation*, New English Bible, Phillips, Revised Standard Version).

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 .