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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 23:27

23:27a

This man was seized by the Jews: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

The Jews had seized this man (God’s Word)

and they were about to kill him: Here the phrase about to indicates that the Jews were trying to kill Paul but had not killed him yet (21:31). Another way to translate this clause is:

they were trying to kill him

23:27b–c

I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen: The commander said here in his letter (though it was not true) that he learned that Paul was a Roman first, and then for that reason, he went and rescued Paul. Other ways to translate this connection are:

I came up with the detachment and rescued him, because I had learned that he was a Roman citizen (NET Bible)
-or-
I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and rescued him. (Good News Translation)

23:27b

A contrast is implied from the context, so many English versions add the conjunction “but” here. For example:

but I came with my troops and rescued him (New International Version)

troops: This word refers to a group of soldiers. 21:32 does not tell us the number of soldiers, but it was probably many soldiers to make the mob stop beating Paul.

23:27c

I had learned: Here this clause indicates that someone told the commander that Paul was a Roman.

he is a Roman citizen: Paul was a Roman citizen at the time that the commander wrote this letter.

a Roman citizen: The word citizen refers to one of a group of people whom the Roman government gave certain rights and privileges. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

Roman by right
-or-
have Roman citizenship
-or-
legally a person of Rome
-or-
belong to Rome
-or-
on the list of Roman people

See how you translated this phrase in 22:25.

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