our own native language

The Greek in Acts 2:8 that is translated as “our own native language” or similar in English is translated as “the language we know when we were children” in Eastern Highland Otomi, “as we talk from when we were born” in Morelos Nahuatl, “the Chinantec we have spoken since we were small” in Lalana Chinantec, and “language we began to understand when still a baby” in Chichimeca-Jonaz. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

See also complete verse (Acts 2:8).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Acts 2:8)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (multitude of people talking with one another).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Acts 2:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:8:

  • Uma: “Yet why is it that we hear them speak in our own languages?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Why do we hear them able-to-speak in our (incl.) individual languages?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Why is it that when we hear them speaking, the language that they are using is the language of each one of us?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “How perhaps can it be that each one of us is hearing his own language?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well how can this be, for each of us is hearing being spoken by them the language of the lands we have come from?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Why are they able-to-speak our (incl.) own language?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Mairasi: “How can it be that we hear them speak in our very own language, the language from the village in which we were born?” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Bariai: “Therefore why is it that we (incl.) hear them talking in each of our languages in which our mothers gave birth to us?” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Kupsabiny: “But each one of us is hearing these people talking in his language.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 2:8

In Greek the question in verse 7 is strictly rhetorical (no need for a reply is suggested), but in verse 8 there is a legitimate question, for the men do not understand how they can possibly hear, each in his own language. However, they are directing the question to themselves and to each other.

There is the problem of number in this sentence. Therefore one must often be somewhat more specific, for example, “each one of us hears in his own native language” or “all of us hear in our own native languages.” This solution may not, however, be admissible in some languages, for example, “How is it that each one of us must say, I hear them speaking in my own language?”

For native language one can use an identification-associated place, age, or kinship, for example, “language of my hometown,” “language which I spoke when I was a child,” or “language my parents taught me.”

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 2:8

2:8

How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language?: This is a real question that also expresses surprise. The Jews did not know how the believers were speaking those languages and dialects like native speakers. Here are some other ways to translate this question:

Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our own languages? (New Century Version)
-or-
Then why do we hear them speaking our very own languages? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
how can this be, for each of us is hearing them speak the language of the lands we have come from?

in his own native language: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in his own native language is literally “in our own language in which we were born.” Those Jews were born in those countries and grew up speaking those languages. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

in our own language to which we were born (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
our very own languages (Contemporary English Version)

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