apostle, apostles

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The Greek term that is usually translated as “apostle(s)” in English is (back-) translated in the following ways:

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as commissioner.

In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “authority” to differentiate it from disciple. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

lay hands on

The Greek that is translated as “lay hands on (someone)” in English is translated in Tae’ with “‘He-pressed-down,’ a verb that in former times was used with the specific meaning of ‘to press down one’s hand on a person’s head,’ in order to fortify his soul after a dangerous experience, but in Christian usage came to refer to the gesture made when blessing a person.”

complete verse (Acts 8:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 8:18:

  • Uma: “Simon saw that whomever Petrus and Yohanes laid-hands-on, they did get the Holy Spirit. That’s why Simon took his money to Petrus and Yohanes,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given to the people when the commissioned ones laid their hands on them, he went to Petros and Yahiya offering money.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Simon saw that people were inspired by the Holy Spirit if the two apostles laid their hands on them. And then he wanted to give them money.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit entered them upon-the apostles’ -laying-hands-on-them, he showed money” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, when Simon that former powerful-spirit-medium, observed that those who had believed were indwelt by the Espiritu Santo through the putting hands on by the apostles, he put money down for he wanted to learn-the-skill. He said,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Spirit (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

See also Holy Spirit

Translation commentary on Acts 8:18

The passive expression rendered as had been given suggests that God is the agent of the giving. If this phrase must be shifted into an active form, one can therefore translate that “God had given the Spirit to them when the apostles placed their hands on them.”

When the apostles placed their hands on them is not merely a statement of time, but indicates “by means of placing their hands on them” (see New English Bible and Revised Standard Version “through the laying on of the apostles’ hands”). To Peter and John translates “to them” of the Greek text.

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 .