amazed, astonished, marvel

The Greek that is translated as “astonished” or “amazed” or “marvel” in English is translated in Pwo Karen as “stand up very tall.” (In John 5:20, source: David Clark)

Elsewhere it is translated as “confusing the inside of the head” (Mende), “shiver in the liver” (Uduk, Laka), “to lose one’s heart” (Mískito, Tzotzil), “to shake” (Southern Bobo Madaré), “to be with mouth open” (Panao Huánuco Quechua) (source: Bratcher / Nida), “to stand with your mouth open” (Citak) (source: Stringer 2007, p. 120), “ceasing to think with the heart” (Bulu), or “surprise in the heart” (Yamba) (source for this and one above: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. ).

In Mark 5:20 and elsewhere where the astonishment is a response to listening to Jesus, the translation is “listened quietly” in Central Tarahumara, “they forgot listening” (because they were so absorbed in what they heard that they forgot everything else) in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, “it was considered very strange by them” in Tzeltal (source: Bratcher / Nida), “in glad amazement” (to distinguish it from other kinds of amazement) (Quetzaltepec Mixe) (source: Robert Bascom), or “breath evaporated” (Mairasi) (source: Enngavoter 2004).

In Western Dani astonishment is emphasized with direct speech. In Mark 1:22, for instance, it says: “Wi!” yinuk, pi wareegwaarak — “They were all amazed, saying ‘Oh'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )

In Low German it is translated as grote Oken maken or “make big eyes” (sometime followed by: un kreegn dat Stillswiegen: “and became silent”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

In the Kölsch translation (publ. 2017) it is translated as brummte de Lück de Kopp or “the heads of the people buzzed,” Bauklötz jestaunt, lit. “marvel toy blocks,” and vür Staune de Muhl nit mieh zojekräch or “so full of marvel that they couldn’t close their mouths again.”

In the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) it is often translated as baff vor staune or “speechless because of their marvel.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

See also amazed and astonished.

amazed (Luang)

The Greek that is often translated as “amazed” in English has the option of various terms in Luang with different shades of meaning.

For Acts 3:10 and 9:7, ema rtaplelleltarga (“as if they could not speak”) was chosen. This is used for “surprise causing introspection about the meaning of what has occurred and what effect it will have.”

For Mark 16:5, hnedu (“surprised”) was chosen. This is used for “surprise causing a physical jerk of the body.”

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

At the beautiful gate (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1968).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

synagogue, temple (inner), temple (outer)

In many English translations the Greek terms “hieron” (the whole “temple” in Jerusalem or specifically the outer courts open to worshippers) and “naos” (the inner “shrine” or “sanctuary”) are translated with only one word: “temple” (see also for instance “Tempel” in German [for exception see below] and “tempel” in Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans).

Other languages make a distinction: (Click or tap here to see more)

  • Navajo: “house in which worship is carried out” (for naos)
  • Balinese: “inner part of the Great Temple” (“the term ‘inner part’ denoting the hindmost and holiest of the two or three courts that temples on Bali usually possess”) vs. “Great Temple”
  • Telugu: “womb (i.e. interior)-of-the-abode” vs. “abode”
  • Thai: a term denoting the main audience hall of a Buddhist temple compound vs. “environs-of-the-main-audience-hall”
  • Kituba: “place of holiness of house-God Lord” vs. “house-God Lord”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “deep in God’s house” vs. “God’s house” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “inner court of the temple” (Tempelinnenhof) vs. “temple”

Languages that, like English, German, Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans don’t make that distinction include:

  • Mandarin Chinese: “聖殿 Shèng diàn” (“holy palace”)
  • Loma: “the holy place”
  • Pular: “the sacred house” (source for this and the one above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Zarma: “God’s compound”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “big church of the Jews”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “big house on top (i.e. most important)”
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “house that is looked upon as holy, that is sacred, that is taboo and where one may not set foot” (lit. “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” — because taboo is violated — using a term that is also applied to a Muslim mosque) (source for this and the three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Mairasi: Janav Enggwarjer Weso: “Great Above One’s (God’s) House” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: Maya-maya-Kooranyi: “Sacred House” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “the big church of the Israelites”
  • Aguaruna: “the house for talking to God” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Guhu-Samane: “festival longhouse of God” (“The biiri, ‘festival longhouse’, being the religious and social center of the community, is a possible term for ‘temple’. It is not the ‘poro house’ as such. That would be too closely identified with the cult of poro. The physical features of the building, huge and sub-divided, lend it further favor for this consideration. By qualifying it as ‘God’s biiri’ the term has become meaningful and appropriate in the context of the Scriptures.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. )
  • Enga: “God’s restricted access house” (source: Adam Boyd on his blog)

Another distinction that tends to be overlooked in translations is that between hieron (“temple” in English) and sunagógé (“synagogue” in English). Euan Fry (in The Bible Translator 1987, p. 213ff. ) reports on this:

“Many older translations have simply used transliterations of ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ rather than trying to find equivalent terms or meaningful expressions in their own languages. This approach does keep the two terms separate; but it makes the readers depend on explanations given by pastors or teachers for their understanding of the text.

“Translators who have tried to find meaningful equivalents, for the two terms ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ have usually made a distinction between them in one of two ways (which focus on the contrasting components of meaning). One way takes the size and importance of the Temple to make a contrast, so that expressions such as ‘sacred meeting/ worship house of the Jews’ and ‘big sacred meeting/worship house of the Jews’ are used. The other way focuses on the different nature of the religious activity at each of the places, so that expressions such as ‘meeting/worship house of the Jews’ and ‘sacrifice/ceremony place of the Jews’ are used.

“It is not my purpose in this article to discuss how to arrive at the most precise equivalent to cover all the components of meaning of ‘temple’. That is something that each translator really has to work through for himself in the light of the present usage and possibilities in his own language. My chief concern here is that the basic term or terms chosen for ‘temple’ should give the reader of a translation a clear and correct picture of the location referred to in each passage. And I am afraid that in many cases where an equivalent like ‘house of God’ or ‘worship house’ has been chosen, the readers have quite the wrong picture of what going to the Temple or being in the Temple means. (This may be the case for the word ‘temple’ in English too, for many readers.)”

Here are some examples:

  • Bambara: “house of God” (or: “big house of worship”) vs. “worship house” (or: “small houses of worship”)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” (see above) vs. “meeting house for discussing matters concerning religious customs” (and “church” is “house where one meets on Sunday”)
  • Navajo: “house in which worship is carried out” vs. “house of gathering” (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)

    • Bangandu: “the great house of God” vs. “house of prayer” (Source: Ervais Fotso Noumsi in Le Sycomore, 16/1, 2022 )

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Herod’s temple (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing synagogues in New Testament times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Acts 3:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 3:10:

  • Uma: “and they knew that he was the lame person that always begged at the Beautiful Gate every day. No kidding their surprise and their confusion seeing what had happened.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When they recognized that he was surprise, that man who had been sitting begging at the Beautiful Gate of the prayer-house/temple, they were amazed/startled and they wondered greatly as to why he was now able to walk.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “and they recognized that it was that before beggar who was sitting near the church at the gate which was called Beautiful. And they were very surprised at his being made well.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “they recognized that he was the one-who-had-sat begging-alms at the entrance called Beautiful, and they were extremely amazed at what happened to him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because they knew that person, that he was the lame person who was always/often delivered to the Good/Nice Entrance of the Templo to beg-aid, they were really amazed. Their mind/thinking was agitated as to why he could suddenly/unexpectedly walk now.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 3:10

When they recognized him involves a Greek verb tense which describes a process of gradual recognition on the part of the people in the temple. Recognized, particularly in this type of context, may be rendered in some languages as “came to know,” “saw who he was,” or “saw and knew he was the beggar.”

The phrase temple’s “Beautiful Gate” may be rendered in some languages as the “Beautiful Doorway to the house of God.”

No real distinction between the two Greek words translated surprise and amazement can be made. In many languages surprise and amazement are expressed by idiomatic phrases, for example, “they no longer sat with intelligence in their hearts,” “they no longer could think,” “their minds had been grabbed,” or “their mouths were shut.”

The relation between the amazement and what had caused it may need to be expressed as a relation of cause and effect, for example, “they were amazed because of what had happened to the lame man,” or, as in some languages, “what had happened to the lame man caused them to be amazed.”

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 3:10

3:10a

they recognized him: The Greek grammar probably implies that more and more people recognized who the man was as time went on. For example:

more and more of them recognized him

But many English versions only use the past tense like the Berean Standard Bible does.

3:10b

the Beautiful Gate of the temple: See how you translated the similar phrase in 3:2b.

3:10c

they were filled with wonder and amazement: Here the word filled indicates that the crowd was completely wondering and amazed. In some languages the word filled cannot be used to describe wonder and amazement. For example:

they were in complete wonder and amazement

wonder: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wonder usually describes amazement and awe. It is used to describe someone who sees or experiences something very unusual. This unusual thing is often caused by divine power. The people saw the lame man walking and praising God. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

surprised (Good News Translation)
-or-
astonished

amazement: This word describes an intense feeling of surprise and shock mixed with fear or awe. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

shock
-or-
perplexed (New Jerusalem Bible)

General Comment on 3:10c

The words “wonder” and “amazement” are similar in meaning. Together they emphasize the people’s complete wonder and amazement.

In some languages one word includes the meaning of both Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “wonder and amazement.” If that is true in your language, use the one word. If possible, emphasize it. For example:

they were completely surprised

You also may have an idiom for that meaning. For example:

they were surprised/shocked from head to toe

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