complete verse (Acts 3:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 3:17:

  • Uma: “‘Relatives! You yourselves with our leaders are the ones that killed Yesus. But I know, that which you did, you did because you [of course] did not know its meaning.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘My brothers,’ Petros said, ‘I know that what you and your leaders did to Isa, you did/happened-to-do because you were ignorant.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And now, Brethren, I know that you and those over us (incl.), you did this bad thing to Jesus because you did not know who he was.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘You companions, I admittedly know that when you had-Jesus -killed, you did not know that he was the one God sent. Even your leaders, they also did not know.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now, brethren, I know that you didn’t comprehend, neither did our leaders, who Jesus really is, that’s why you did this evil.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Lalana Chinantec: “Companions, I know that you didn’t realize what you were doing. The same is true of your rulers also.”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “And now I know that you killed him because you didn’t know what you were doing as also your authorities did not know what they did.” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Acts 3:17

The transitional expression and now indicates that the speaker, though treating the same general theme, is approaching it from a somewhat different perspective, namely, the implication of what has happened for the people in question. This aspect is reinforced by the introduction of the expression my brothers. In a number of languages this is simply equivalent to “fellow tribesmen,” “relatives,” or even “friends.” The use of a specific term such as “brothers” in this more general meaning is relatively restricted.

The leaders are the chief priests and the scribes who took the leading part in accusing Jesus before Pilate.

The translation of the expression because of your ignorance is not easy since it can be interpreted in so many different ways. This is certainly no reference to the general ignorance of the people. It is simply “because you didn’t understand really what you were doing” or, as in some languages, “you didn’t understand the meaning of what you were doing.” These people obviously knew what they were doing in betraying and rejecting Jesus, but they did not understand the significance of what they were doing. It is this aspect of ignorance which must be made quite clear.

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 3:17

Paragraph 3:17–26

3:17a

And now, brothers: The phrase And now, brothers introduces the next part of Peter’s speech. The word now is not used as a time word here. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Well now, brethren
-or-
Relatives!
-or-

⌊Peter continued, saying,⌋ “Now, brothers

brothers: Here this word means “fellow Jews.” By using this word, Peter showed that he has not rejected them. It does not refer to actual brothers of the same parents. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

my fellow countrymen
-or-
my friends (Good News Translation)

you acted in ignorance: The words you acted in ignorance refer to their killing Jesus because they did not know that he truly was the Christ. They acted out of wrong expectations for the Christ. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

you had no idea what you were really doing
-or-
you did not understand what you were doing

In some languages the verb acted is too general. People would not think that it refers to killing Jesus. If that is true in your language, refer to killing Jesus. For example:

what you…did to Jesus was due to your ignorance (Good News Translation)
-or-
in ignorance you did ⌊that to Jesus⌋
-or-
you acted in ignorance ⌊when you killed Jesus⌋

3:17b

as did your leaders: This clause indicates that the leaders also acted in ignorance that Jesus was truly the Christ. But it indicates that this information is extra information. It is not the main point. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

as did also your rulers (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Even your leaders, they also did not know.

your leaders: Peter was a Jew and spoke to Jews.

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