centurion

The Greek that is translated as “centurion” in English is translated in Noongar as “boss of the Roman soldiers (lit.: ‘men of fighting’)” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Uma as “Roman army warchief” (source: Uma Back Translation), in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “a person who was not a Jew, the captain of a hundred soldiers” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), and in Mairasi “leader of Roman warriors” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Roman Centurion .

soldier

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “soldier” in English didn’t have a direct equivalent in Enlhet so it was translated with “those that bind us” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. ) and in Noongar it is mammarapa-bakadjiny or “men of fighting” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

spearman

The Greek in Acts 23:23 that is translated as “spearmen” in English is translated as “soldiers who will carry sharp sticks” in Lalana Chinantec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as Leichtbewaffnete or “lightly armed ones.”

complete verse (Acts 23:23)

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

  • Uma: “After that, that head of the soldiers called two of his warchiefs and said to them: ‘Prepare two hundred regular soldiers and seventy horse-riding soldiers, and two hundred spear-bearing soldiers also. Also prepare a horse [or horses–ambiguous] for Paulus to ride. At nine o’clock tonight you leave for Kaisarea, taking Paulus to Governor Feliks. And guard him well so that nothing happens to him on the way.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then the colonel called two of his lieutenants and he said to them, ‘Call two hundred soldiers, command them to get ready to travel to Kesarea tonight at nine o’clock. Take along also two hundred soldiers armed with spears and seventy riding-horses.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now as for the captain, he called two of his trusted men, and he said to them, ‘Get ready two hundred soldiers because I am sending you to the town of Caesarea. Take along also seventy riders and two hundred carrying spears. It is necessary that you get them ready by nine o’clock later in the evening because that will be the time you will leave.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then the commander called two captains and said to them, ‘Get-ready two hundred soldiers and two hundred spearmen and seventy horsemen so that you will escort Pablo to Cesarea. Set-out at nine o’clock at night.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “After that child had left, that highest-ranking-officer called two people who were captains of one hundred soliers each and said to them, ‘Cause all your men to get ready and add to them seventy horsemen and two hundred spearsmen and deliver Pablo to Cesarea. You will leave when it is really night.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 23:23

In Greek, verses 23-25 comprise one sentence. Most translators, however, divide this sentence into several parts for the sake of clarity.

The first reference to two hundred soldiers identifies the most common kind of soldier, namely, those which in ancient time employed a shield and sword. In addition, there were seventy soldiers who rode horseback.

The word rendered spearmen is of uncertain meaning, though many translators render it in this way. The term spearmen may be translated as “soldiers who fought with spears.”

Get … ready … and be ready to leave translates the verb rendered by many other translators as “get ready.” Nine o’clock tonight is literally “the third hour of the night.” Since the night would have begun around six o’clock, the Good News Translation is in agreement with most other translations. However, the Revised Standard Version has rendered the translation literally, and the New English Bible has “three hours after sunset.” In most languages it is increasingly more useful to employ generally accepted expressions for time, whether “nine o’clock at night” or “at twenty-one o’clock” (if in the language the twenty-four hour system of reckoning is more general). However, in a number of languages a local system of determining time is widely employed, and since it often seems far more natural, particularly for this kind of context, its use is certainly to be encouraged.

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 23:23

Section 23:23–35

Roman soldiers escorted Paul to Caesarea

In this section, the Roman commander knew that he was responsible to guard Paul so that he would remain safe. He knew that some men plotted to kill Paul. So he sent Paul to the Roman governor, Felix, in the city of Caesarea. He sent a large number of soldiers to protect Paul while they traveled there.

The commander also wrote a letter for the soldiers to give to Felix. The letter explained what had happened but the commander changed parts of the story to make Felix think well of him. The commander also said that he did not believe Paul had committed any crime against Roman law.

The soldiers brought Paul safely to Felix in Caesarea. After reading the letter, Felix asked Paul what province he was from. Paul told him that he was from Cilicia. Felix agreed to hear Paul’s case and judge it since the events took place in his province.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Paul Moved to Caesarea (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Paul Is Sent to Governor Felix (Good News Translation)
-or-
Roman soldiers brought Paul safely to the governor at Caesarea

Paragraph 23:23–24

23:23a-b

two of his centurions: The commander ruled over six to ten centurions. The commander chose two of them to take Paul to Caesarea.

centurions: This word refers to first level officers in the Roman army. Each one usually led one hundred soldiers. Translate this word as you did in 10:1 or 23:17.

23:23c

horsemen: Here the word horsemen refers to soldiers who ride on horses. For example:

cavalry (New Jerusalem Bible)

spearmen: The meaning of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spearmen is uncertain. A literal translation is “taking in the right hand.” The Latin (Vulgate) translation (about 400 years after Jesus’ birth) translates it as spearmen. Other ways to translate this word are:

soldiers with spears
-or-
soldiers who use spears

23:23d

to go to Caesarea: Jerusalem is up in the Judean hills at about 760 meters (2,500 feet) in elevation, and Caesarea is on the sea coast. It is a journey of about 120 kilometers (75 miles) and usually took two days.

In some languages it is important to indicate going uphill or downhill. If that is true in your language, you may want to translate the meaning of “downhill” here. For example:

go ⌊down⌋ to Caesarea

Caesarea: Caesarea was a city on the Mediterranean coast of the province of Judea. The Roman ruler of the province, governor Felix (23:24), lived in Caesarea. See how you spelled this name in 8:40 or 21:8.

in the third hour of the night: This phrase in Greek is literally “from the third hour of the night.” It indicates that the soldiers would leave the barracks with Paul three hours after sunset. Sunset at that time of year (June or July) in Jerusalem is about 7:40. The Romans counted twelve hours between sunset and sunrise (about 5:40), which at this time of year would be shorter than the modern definition of a “hour.” So the third hour of the night would be about 10:00 p.m. (22:00). If possible, you should translate literally, as the Berean Standard Bible has done, rather than use the modern time. For example:

At the third hour of the night (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
three hours after sunset

But many English versions translate this phrase as:

nine o’clock

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