Translation commentary on Acts 4:24

The expression joined together in prayer is rendered in some languages as “prayed to God with one heart” or “joined their words as they prayed to God.”

The direct address to God must in some languages be represented as “You who are Master and Creator of heaven….”

Master translates a word which may also mean “Lord” or “Sovereign.” The word appears only here in Acts, and Luke uses it elsewhere only in 2.29 of his Gospel. In the New Testament it occurs also in 2 Peter 2.1; Jude 4; and Revelation 6.10. It means essentially the same thing as the word customarily translated “Lord.” An equivalent of Master is simply “Lord” in the sense of “one who controls or rules over.” The phrase Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them reflects the wording of Exodus 20.11. A term for Creator may be simply “you who made.”

The reference here to heaven is not the abode of God so much as the celestial universe, which in many languages is simply “the sky.”

The phrase all that is in them may be taken as a reference to “all that live in them,” that is, to the plants, animals, and men who dwell in these three areas.

A term for sea should, if at all possible, include any body of water. From the standpoint of the Hebrew usage this would be either salt water or fresh water. This means that in some instances where specifically different words are used it may be necessary to employ “oceans and lakes.” Otherwise, by omitting one term, one might imply that God had created only certain bodies of water.

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 4:24

Paragraph 4:24–30

4:24a

When the believers heard this: The word this refers to what Peter and John told them. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

After they heard that/it
-or-
When they heard the report

the believers: The phrase the believers here refers to all the believers there, except Peter and John.

they lifted up their voices to God with one accord: This clause in Greek is literally, “with-one-mind they-lifted voice to God.” They all had the same attitudes of praise, trust, and desire to be bold, as the prayer of 4:24b–30b indicates. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they raised their voices together in prayer to God (New International Version)
-or-
they all joined together in prayer to God (Good News Translation)

lifted their voices: The phrase lifted their voices means that they spoke to God.

4:24b

“Sovereign Lord,” they said: The Berean Standard Bible placed the phrase they said in the middle of the spoken words. Place it where it would be most natural in your language. For example:

and said, “Master (New American Standard Bible)

The words they said introduces the words of the prayer. For example:

saying: “Sovereign Lord
-or-

24aWhen they heard this, they, with loud voices, prayed together to God: 24b“Sovereign Lord

Sovereign Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Sovereign Lord indicates here that God has power and authority over all people. Here are some other ways to translate this Greek word:

Master (Good News Translation)
-or-
Almighty Lord/God

they said: This phrase indicates that someone spoke and all the others were in agreement with what he said. In some languages they said would indicate that the believers all said the same words at the same time. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:

someone said for all of them

heaven: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as heaven refers to the sky. It does not refer to the place where God lives.

everything in them: The word everything refers to the land, plants, and every living creature. The word in indicates that these things are on or in the heaven/sky or the earth/land or the sea/oceans. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

all that is in them (Good News Translation)
-or-
all that they contain

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