elder (of the community)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated as “elders” in English is translated in the Danish Bibelen 2020 as folkets ledere or “leaders of the people.”

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators, explains: “The term ‘elder’ turned out to pose a particularly thorny problem. In traditional bibles, you can find elders all of over the place and they never pose a problem for a translator, they are just always elders. But how to find a contemporary term for this semi-official, complex position? This may have been our longest-standing problem. A couple of times we thought we had the solution, and then implemented it throughout the texts, only to find out that it didn’t work. Like when we used city council or village council, depending on the context. In the end we felt that the texts didn’t work with such official terms, and throughout the years in the desert, these terms didn’t make much sense. Other suggestions were ‘the eldest and wisest’, ‘the respected citizens’, ‘the Israelites with a certain position in society’, ‘the elder council’ –- and let me point out that these terms sound better in Danish than in English (‘de fremtrædende borgere,’ ‘de mest fremtrædende israelitter,’ ‘alle israelitter med en vis position,’ ‘de ældste og de klogeste,’ ‘ældsterådet’). In the end we just said ‘leaders of the people.’ After a lot of hand-wringing, it turned out that we actually found a term that worked well. So, we had to give up conveying the fact that they were old, but the most important point is that they were community leaders.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

The German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates likewise as “leader of the people” (Anführer des Volkes).

John (the disciple)

The term that is transliterated as “John (the disciple)” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying “beloved,” referring to John 13:23 et al. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“John” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts John’s head resting on Jesus’ chest, referring to John 13:23.


“John” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign for “young.” This refers to the traditional belief that he was the youngest of the apostles and the fact that he was younger than his brother James (see relative age of James and John. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“John” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

See also John the Evangelist (icon).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: The Apostle John .

complete verse (Acts 4:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:23:

  • Uma: “After Petrus and Yohanes were released, they went and met with their companions, and told what the chief priests and other Yahudi leaders had said to them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When they were set free, Petros and Yahiya went to their companions and they told them all that the leading priests and the elders had said.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Peter and company were set free, they went back to their companion believers, and they told them what had been said to them by the leaders of the sacrificers and the elders.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Pedro and Juan were released, they went right to the location of their companions who believed and reported to them what the leaders of the priests and the elders had said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Pedro and Juan came out, they went straight to their companion believers. They related all which had been said by the chiefs of the priests and the important tribal-chiefs.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 4:23

The clause as soon as they were set free is purely transitional, in order to link what follows to what precedes.

To their group translates the phrase “to their own (people),” that is, to those who were believers. “To their friends,” used in several translations, is not explicit enough to define the meaning of the group to which the disciples returned.

What the chief priests and the elders had said refers to the threats in verses 17 and 21. The chief priests are simply “the leaders of the priests” or “those who command the priests.”

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 4:23

Section 4:23–31

The believers prayed to speak boldly about Jesus

In this section, Peter and John went to meet with the other believers and told them what the Jewish leaders had said to them. The believers prayed to God. At the end of their prayer they asked him to help them to speak boldly about Jesus, and they prayed that Jesus would help them to heal people and do other miracles. God indicated that he had answered their prayer by shaking the place where they had gathered. Also, his Spirit enabled them to continue boldly telling people the message from God about Jesus.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The believers prayed for boldness and power
-or-
The believers prayed about the leaders who oppose them

Paragraph 4:23

4:23a

On their release: This phrase in Greek is literally “having been released.” In Greek, this verb is passive. Here are some ways to translate it:

• As a passive clause. For example:

When they were released (Revised Standard Version)

• As an active clause. For example:

When the leaders released them

• Without using a verb, as the Berean Standard Bible.

release: This word has the same meaning as in “they let them go” in 4:21. Translate it in the same or similar way here.

their own people: This phrase refers to the other believers who were in Jerusalem. It includes the other apostles. It implies that the believers were like family to Peter and John.

4:23b

reported: This word refers to fully telling about something. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

informed
-or-
told in detail

everything that: This phrase in Greek is literally “what-things.” It refers to what the leaders said to Peter and John in 4:7–21. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

what (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
all that (New International Version)

chief priests: A Jewish priest was a religious leader who:

(a) sacrificed animals and other things to God for the people,

(b) did other rituals for the people,

(c) led the people in worshiping God,

(d) taught the people about God.

The priests worked mainly at the temple or in the temple area. The phrase chief priests refers to the leaders among these priests. Here are some other ways to translate chief priests:

the leading/ruling priests
-or-
the elders among the Jewish sacrificers

elders: See how you translated this word in 4:5.

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