devout

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The Greek that is often translated in English as “devout” (or “pious”) is translated in various ways:

  • Lalana Chinantec: “[people who] revere God”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “[people who] obey and worship God”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “[people who] remember God”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “worshipers of God”
  • Tzotzil: “[people who] are zealously doing what they think is God’s word”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “[people who] very much believe what they have been taught about God” (source for this and five above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Chichewa interconfessional translation, publ. 1999: “[people who] love God” (source: Wendland 1998, p. 90)
  • Uma: “[people who] submit to Lord God” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “very religious” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “[people who] are faithful in carrying out the commands of God” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “[people who] are serving God” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “[people who] are indeed devout-worshipers of God” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “[people who] respect God” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Kupsabiny: “[people who] have dedicated themselves to God” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • German: “God-fearing” (gottesfürchtig) or “pious” (fromm)
  • Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “[people who] take their faith very seriously” (source for this and above: Zetzsche)
  • Hausa Common Language Bible: “owners of worshiping God” (source: Hausa Common Language Bible Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “godly” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

See also righteous / righteousness.

complete verse (Acts 2:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:5:

  • Uma: “At that time also, there were in Yerusalem many Yahudi from towns all over the world. Those people were all ones who submitted to Lord God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “At that time there were in Awrusalam Yahudi from the-many-countries in the world. They were very religious people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were Jews there in Jerusalem who had come from every country here on top of the earth, and they were faithful in carrying out the commands of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There were Jews who were serving God who were staying in Jerusalem. They were from all the nations in this world.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, at that time, there were in Jerusalem Jews who came from many different lands here under the heavens. As for those people, they were indeed devout-worshippers of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on Acts 2:5

The narrative is continued in 2.5-13, but it is essential, in light of the shift of viewpoint, that new participants be introduced. Therefore, verse 5 is essentially a means of introducing the crowd which heard the believers speaking in tongues.

The English introductory expression there were provides a good transition, but in some languages it is important to make the link with the preceding more evident, for example, by carrying over the reference to the city of Jerusalem, as “in this city of Jerusalem Jews from everywhere were living.” This reference to the city picks up a specific identification in 1.12, but the same location is implicit in all the preceding sections.

Religious men refers to the Jews living in Jerusalem and not to a category of Gentile believers or others separate from the Jews. An abstract such as religious must often be made more specific, for example, “those who regularly worshiped God” or “those who customarily prayed to God.” Some languages do not have an abstract such as “religious,” but they indicate essentially the same content by a set expression referring to customary worship or prayer.

The phrase every country is here not to be understood in an absolute sense, but in no language are terms such as “all” and “everyone” always construed as absolute.

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 2:5

Paragraph 2:5–13

2:5a–b

there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven: At that time Jews lived in many countries. They grew up speaking the languages of those countries. Some of them had moved to Jerusalem, which was a very important place to religious Jews. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven lived in Jerusalem
-or-

⌊Some of the⌋ God-fearing Jews who were born in every nation under heaven now lived in Jerusalem

2:5a

Now: Here the word Now introduces information that was true during that time in history. The description of 2:5a was not true only on that day.

Some languages introduce all events that occurred in the sequence of the story but do not introduce events that occurred generally at that time. Consider how to introduce this general information in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

At that time there were devout Jews…living in Jerusalem. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Devout Jewish men…were living in Jerusalem. (God’s Word)

dwelling: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dwelling refers to living somewhere. It does not refer to visiting. For example:

living (Good News Translation)

God-fearing Jews: The Greek is literally “Jews, God-fearing men.” The Greek word that is often translated as “men” usually refers to men but can refer to anyone. For example:

Jews, devout men (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Jews…religious people (Good News Translation)

God-fearing: This compound word indicates that these Jews followed the Jewish religion earnestly. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

devout (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
pious
-or-
very religious

2:5b

from every nation: The phrase every nation is an intentional exaggeration. It indicates a large number of countries. In some languages it would not have that meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Translate indicating a large number. For example:

from many nations

You may then want to indicate the literal phrase and explain it in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

Literally “every nation.”

• Translate literally and explain the phrase in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

These words exaggerate to emphasize a large number of nations/countries.

under heaven: The phrase under heaven refers to the whole earth. For example:

in the world (Good News Translation)

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