Paul

The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Paul (and Saul)” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Paul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

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

Following is a Georgian Orthodox icon of Paul the Apostle from the 14th century (located in the Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

The following is a contemporary stained glass window from the Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota by Peter Dohmen. Individual glass pieces were made in Germany in accordance with Dohmen’s design, using a technique first developed by Irish monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Source for the image and description below: The Stained Glass Windows of Messiah Episcopal Church

“This window is dedicated to St. Paul, the great apostle and missionary, for whom our city is named. At the top of the window is a ship which symbolizes the many missionary journeys of Paul — the Church is our ship, which carries us over the way of life. In the lower section we see Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw a great light and heard our Lord’s voice, which called him to discipleship.”

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Paul .

complete verse (Acts 23:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 23:10:

  • Uma: “From there, their arguing grew bigger-and-bigger, with the result that the head of the soldiers became afraid/nervous lest Paulus be torn apart. He ordered his soldiers to go get Paulus and take him back to the soldiers’ house.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Their arguing became even stronger therefore the colonel was afraid they might pull Paul apart. So he commanded his soldiers to go down and grab Paul from them and bring him back into the fort.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then their dispute increased. Therefore the captain commanded the soldiers that they snatch Paul away from the people and return him to the fort. Because he was afraid that they might tear Paul apart.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When that was so, they worsened their quarrelling until the commander was worried lest they tear-Pablo -apart in their mutual-snatching-at him. So he commanded that soldiers go to snatch Pablo from them to take-him to their barracks.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When they were now fighting/quarreling like that, the highest-ranking-officer of soldiers became afraid, for maybe Pablo would be torn in pieces by that crowd. Therefore he sent down his soldiers and caused Pablo to be snatched from that crowd and then they took him inside their wall again.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 23:10

In the clause the argument became so violent, the term argument translates the same word that was rendered quarrel in verse 7. Moffatt translates the clause, “the quarrel then became so violent.” This reference to the argument serves as a link between the preceding paragraph and the decision of the commander to return Paul to the fort.

As in a number of instances, a verb such as ordered may require direct discourse—for example, “he ordered his soldiers, Go down into the group and get Paul away from them.”

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 23:10

Paragraph 23:10

23:10a

The dispute grew so violent: This clause in Greek is literally “And much became the dispute.” It emphasizes the word “much.” The dispute that began in 23:7 became angrier and louder. Other ways to translate this clause are:

When the argument became so great (NET Bible)
-or-
The argument became fierce (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Everyone started yelling and arguing more and more

Some English versions see the meaning of “much” as being described by “they would tear Paul to pieces” (23:10b). So they see it implying violence. For example:

The argument became so violent (Good News Translation)
-or-
The argument was beginning to turn into such a fight that the commander was afraid the Jews would tear Paul to pieces (New Century Version)

23:10b

the commander: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as commander means “leader of one thousand.” A thousand soldiers is implied here. See how you translated this word in 21:31 or 22:30.

they would tear Paul to pieces: This clause is active. Some languages must use a passive clause. For example:

Paul would be torn to pieces by them (New International Version)

they: Here the pronoun they refers to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

tear…to pieces: This phrase refers to pulling on something so hard that it tears into two pieces. Here the Sadducees were wanting to arrest him and the Pharisees were wanting to rescue him from the Sadducees. The commander and his soldiers probably rescued Paul before anyone actually hurt Paul.

23:10c

He: Here the pronoun He refers to the commander.

the soldiers: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as soldiers refers to a small group of soldiers, perhaps as few as five or as many as twenty men. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the detachment (NET Bible)
-or-
some soldiers
-or-
a group of soldiers

go down: This phrase indicates that the soldiers were on higher ground than Paul was. They went downhill or down steps. The soldiers probably also had to enter the mob to reach Paul.

23:10d

remove him by force: The Berean Standard Bible adds the phrase by force. The Sadducees and the Pharisees had no right to keep Paul away from the Roman soldiers. So it is not clear that force was needed in this context. For example:

to…get Paul away from them (Good News Translation)
-or-
pull him out of the crowd (Revised English Bible)

him: Here the pronoun him refers to Paul.

23:10e

bring him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bring can also mean “take” or “lead.” The commander was probably in the room with Paul and the Sanhedrin. For example:

take him (Good News Translation)

barracks: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as barracks means “a place where soldiers lived.” Here it refers to the stone fortress next to the temple. See how you translated this word in 22:24.

General Comment on 23:10c–e

23:10c–e implies that the soldiers did what the commander ordered them to do. Some languages need to say this explicitly in the translation. For example:

He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. ⌊And they did.⌋

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