complete verse (Acts 23:27)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 23:27:

  • Uma: “With this letter, I send to Father a person named Paulus. This Paulus was arrested by the Yahudi people and they really almost killed him. But I heard that he was a Roma person. That is why I went with my soldiers and snatched him from their midst.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Sir, this person was seized by the Yahudi and was about to be killed by them. When I knew that he was a Roman, I went with my soldiers to help him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “This man which I am sending to you was seized by the Jews and they wanted to kill him. But I heard that he was a citizen of the town of Rome; therefore I took the soldiers and I went to him and took him so that he might not be killed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That (near addressee) person whom I have caused-to-be-escorted to you (sing.), the Jews captured and almost killed-him. But I and my soldiers, we (excl.) went to rescue-him, because we found-out that he was a Romano.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There-with-you is the person I am having delivered to you. As for that person, he was arrested by the Jews. They wanted hopefully to kill him, but when I found out that he was a Romano, I and my soldiers went and saved him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 23:27

The Jews seized this man and were about to kill him translates a passive construction in Greek: “this man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them.” The reference to his having discovered that Paul was a Roman citizens and therefore went to rescue him is, of course, a misrepresentation of the facts. But this is so typical of bureaucratic correspondence that there is every reason to believe it to be an accurate report of what Lysias wrote.

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 .