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)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 23:5:
Uma: “Paulus answered: ‘I didn’t know that he was the Big Priest. Yet there is indeed something written in the Holy Book that says: ‘Don’t speak harshly of the leader(s) of our village.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Paul answered, he said, ‘My brothers, I did not know that he is the leader priest. I know that it is written hep in the holy-book saying, ‘Do not speak evil of your leader.’ ‘” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Paul answered, ‘I did not know that he was the high sacrificer because I know that the written word of God says that you should not insult the one who leads you.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Pablo said then in reply, ‘Brothers, had I known that he was the highest priest, I wouldn’t have shamed him, because there is admittedly something written in the word of God that says, ‘Do not (sing.) speak-evil-of the leader of your town/country.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Pablo replied, ‘Brethren, I didn’t know that he is apparently the Most-important Priest. If I had known, why would I have spoken like that since it is indeed contained in the writing, ‘Do not speak harshly to the one in authority who is ruling over you’?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Teutila Cuicatec: “Paul said: ‘My brothers, it is written in God’s word: ‘Don’t speak angrily against the leader of your home town.’ But it didn’t enter my head that that man is the high priest.'” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Questions have been raised regarding the nature of Paul’s statement in this verse. Some think that Paul was speaking sarcastically, while others insist that he was speaking in earnest. In support of the latter theory is a realization that Paul is in a judicial situation and introduces his remarks with the rather formal expression my brothers. Also in support of this thesis is the fact that Paul quotes from Exodus 22.28, and it is not likely that Paul would have used Scripture in a less than solemn fashion.
The ruler of your people must usually be rendered in such a way as to indicate that the phrase your people is the goal of “the ruling”; therefore, “the one who is ruling your people.” On the other hand, in this particular context ruler refers to position of prominence and it may be rendered more effectively in some languages as “the one who among all your people is the ruler.”
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 .
Brothers: Here the Greek word is literally “brothers.” Paul began speaking in a polite way to the men who spoke to him in 23:4. The address Brothers indicates that Paul was also a Jew.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to Paul’s actual brothers. If that is true in your language, use whatever terms are natural for addressing people from the same ethnic group, who are equal socially. For example:
Colleagues -or-
Relatives -or-
My fellow Israelites (Good News Translation)
I was not aware that he was the high priest: Many scholars believe that Paul admitted that he was wrong to say what he did in 23:3. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I did not know…that he was the high priest (Revised Standard Version) -or-
I was not aware…that he was high priest (New American Standard Bible)
Paul probably said this to apologize indirectly. For example, the New Living Translation (2004) makes the apology clearer:
I’m sorry,…I didn’t realize he was the high priest (New Living Translation (2004))
It is not clear why Paul did not recognize him. Do not indicate why in your translation.
23:5b
for: This conjunction introduces an explanation as to why Paul now understands that he should not have spoken 23:3. In some languages the connection needs to made clear. For example:
⌊I should not have said that,⌋ for
In some languages it is more natural to allow the context to indicate the connection and omit the conjunction.
it is written: This clause indicates that Paul quoted the Old Testament (Exodus 22:28). Other ways to translate this clause are:
it is written ⌊in Scripture⌋ -or-
⌊Moses⌋ wrote ⌊in the Scriptures⌋ -or-
⌊the Law of Moses⌋ states
Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people: In the Greek, this command is to one person. Exodus 22:28 is also to one person.
In some languages, a command for all people to follow must use a plural form. For example:
Do not speak(plur) evilly about the ruler of your(plur) people. -or-
We must not speak evil words about the ruler of our(incl) people. -or-
People/They must not speak evilly about the ruler of their people.
speak evil: This phrase refers to saying bad things about someone. An example is when Paul called the high priest a “whitewashed wall” (23:3). It is not the same as cursing someone. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
say bad things -or-
speak harshly -or-
insult
the ruler: Here the saying about a ruler is general and does not refer to one specific ruler. For example:
a ruler (Revised Standard Version)
General Comment on 23:5b
The part of 23:5b in quotes is a quote from Exodus 22:28. If you footnote the location of quotes from the Old Testament, you may want to do so here.
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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