The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom), in Yagaria with oune or “shadow, reflection” (source: Renck, p. 81), and in Elhomwe as “heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
The Mandarin Chineselínghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )
In Chichewa, moyo means both “soul” and “life.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 3:23:
Uma: “Whoever does not follow what that prophet says, he will not be counted as one of God’s people, he must be killed.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Whoever will not listen to that prophet, he will be separated from among the people who belong to God and he will perish.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he who does not obey him, the one inspired by God, he will be removed and will not be included among the people whom God indwells,’ said Moses long ago.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Whoever does not believe/obey will be separated from God’s people to be punished forever.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For whoever won’t follow/obey this prophet, the punishment of him will be really heavy, for he will be removed from the people of God.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Lalana Chinantec: “‘God will cause to perish all the people that will not listen to his words. They will no longer be with the people of God.’ That’s what Moses said back then.”
Morelos Nahuatl: “Whoever does not obey that prophet God will wipe him out from among his people.”
Tataltepec Chatino: “If there is one person who does not want to hear his word, God will forget that person (refers to God’s final judgment).” (Source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
Cherokee: adolehosgi (ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ) or “discoverer of things,” a “term that was was traditionally applied to Cherokee medicine men or women who used divining.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 49)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
In Greek this verse is a free rendering of what is said in Deuteronomy 18.19 and Leviticus 23.29. Anyone here is literally “every soul.”
As noted in the previous verse, the implications of listen to here are essentially obedience or heeding, for example, “anyone who does not heed what the prophet says.” In a number of languages referring to an individual in terms of a particular potential activity may be rendered as a condition, such as “if a person does not heed….” Will be separated from God’s people and destroyed renders the Greek “will be destroyed out from the people.” The people referred to are God’s people; and the preposition “out from” indicates that those persons who are to be put to death will be separated from God’s people and then put to death.
In some languages this statement of excommunication in terms of separated from God’s people is quite difficult in the passive voice since it might imply that God himself had excommunicated the individual. This problem is dealt with in some languages by saying “he must leave God’s people” or “he will no longer be a part of God’s people.” This prevents the passage from being overly specific.
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 .
Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊God⌋ will completely cut off from among his people anyone who does not listen to the prophet.
3:23b
will be completely cut off from among his people: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as completely cut off is more literally “utterly destroyed.” It implies that the disobedient person would be destroyed so completely that nothing is left of him. This implies that he would be lost forever to his people. Here are some other ways to translate these words:
will be utterly destroyed (New American Standard Bible) -or-
will be destroyed and thus removed from the people (NET Bible)
his people: The Greek is literally “the people.” Here it refers to the people with whom God had made his covenant. In the Old Testament it would refer to the Jews as God’s chosen people.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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