complete verse (Acts 5:38)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 5:38:

  • Uma: “So, relatives, here are my words: let’s not do anything to those followers of Yesus out there. Just leave them alone. Because if their teaching and plans are just from mankind, they will of course collapse of themselves.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “That’s why I am advising/instructing you now about this matter/problem,’ Gamaliel said. ‘Do not fight these men. Leave them alone. Because if their thoughts and this they are doing is from man/humans, it will not prosper (lit. it will have no future).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore, my advice to you now is: let’s not do anything to these people, but rather let’s pay no attention to them. Because if what they are doing and teaching only comes from man, it will come to nothing also.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore what I say to you now, why-don’t we (lit. even if we) release and leave-them -alone, because if it’s just people’s thoughts/minds that their purposes and actions are coming from, it cannot-continue.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore now, this is what I say to you that you don’t interfere with these people. Just leave them alone. For if this which they are persevering in is only from man, of course this also won’t come to anything. Just like that in the past.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

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. )

respectful form of "say/speak" (mōshiageru)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mōshiageru (申し上げる), the respectful form of iu (言う) or “say / speak” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Acts 5:38

In this case now translates a Greek expression which means “now” or “as far as the present situation is concerned.” It is the same phrase which is translated “now” in 4.29; and it appears in 17.30; 20.32; 27.22. A related expression appears in 24.25.

Do not take any action against is equivalent to “do nothing against” or “do nothing to harm.”

The clause if this plan and work of theirs is a man-made thing is often not easy to translate, since man-made can only be expressed by making people the subject of the clause, for example, “if only people have made these plans and do the work” or “if it is only a man who is commanding this plan and their work.”

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 5:38

5:38a

So: The Greek word here is usually translated as “and.” In 5:35b–37c Gamaliel gave two examples of what happened to groups with new ideas when their leader died. In 5:38b he gave his advice about the apostles as a group now that their leader (Jesus) has died. Consider what kind of connection is appropriate in your language. For example:

Therefore (New International Version)
-or-
And so (New Century Version)
-or-
So then

in the present case: This refers to the situation with the apostles. Here are some other ways to translate this:

in this case (Good News Translation)
-or-
about this situation

I advise you: The Greek is more literally “I say to you.” The words 5:38b are Gamaliel’s advice about what the Jewish leaders should do with the apostles. But the words of 5:38c–39b are his reasons for the advice he gave. For example:

I tell you (Revised Standard Version)

5:38b

Leave these men alone: The Greek is more literally “stay away from them.” Gamaliel told the leaders to avoid the apostles. Here are some other ways to translate this command:

keep away from these men (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Avoid these men

Let them go: Here Gamaliel told the Jewish leaders to allow the apostles to leave the meeting room of the Sanhedrin. Here is another way to translate that meaning:

Allow them to leave

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Let…go can also mean “move away from.” For example, the Good News Translation and some other English versions say:

Leave them alone (Good News Translation)

But this is close to the same meaning as “Leave these men alone,” as in the previous command. So Let them go is probably the right meaning here.

5:38c

For: This word introduces the reason why the Jewish leaders should leave the apostles alone and let them go (5:38b).

if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin: The Greek is more literally “if this purpose/plan or this work is from men/people.” Gamaliel spoke here of one possible situation in his opinion. He did not know if the purpose or activity of the apostles was of human origin.

purpose: This word refers to what someone intends to do. For example:

plan (Revised Standard Version)

endeavor: This word refers to what someone does. For example:

doing these things (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
activity (New International Version)

of human origin: The Greek is more literally “from men/people.” It indicates that people (not God, 5:39) thought or planned these things that the apostles were doing. Here are some other ways to translate this:

originates with people (NET Bible)
-or-
from human authority (New Century Version)

This phrase is in the front of the Greek clause to emphasize it. If possible, emphasize this phrase.

it will fail: The Greek is more literally “it will be overthrown.” The basic meaning is to throw something to the ground to ruin it. Here it indicates that someone or some people will make this plan result in nothing and he or they will make the apostles stop doing these things. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

it will be overthrown (New American Standard Bible)
-or-

⌊someone⌋ will overthrow/destroy it

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