amazed / astonished / marvel

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The Greek that is translated as “astonished” or “amazed” or “marvel” in English is translated in Pwo Karen as “stand up very tall.” (In John 5:20, source: David Clark)

Elsewhere it is translated as “confusing the inside of the head” (Mende), “shiver in the liver” (Uduk, Laka), “to lose one’s heart” (Mískito, Tzotzil), “to shake” (Southern Bobo Madaré), “to be with mouth open” (Panao Huánuco Quechua) (source: Bratcher / Nida), “to stand with your mouth open” (Citak) (source: Stringer 2007, p. 120), “ceasing to think with the heart” (Bulu), “surprise in the heart” (Yamba) (source for this and one above: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. ), or “have one’s mouth full” (Maan (source: Don Slager).

In Mark 5:20 and elsewhere where the astonishment is a response to listening to Jesus, the translation is “listen quietly” in Central Tarahumara, “forget listening” (because they were so absorbed in what they heard that they forgot everything else) in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, “it was considered very strange by them” in Tzeltal (source: Bratcher / Nida), “in glad amazement” (to distinguish it from other kinds of amazement) (Quetzaltepec Mixe) (source: Robert Bascom), or “breath evaporated (or “escaped”)” (Mairasi) (source: Enngavoter 2004).

In Western Dani astonishment is emphasized with direct speech. In Mark 1:22, for instance, it says: “Wi!” yinuk, pi wareegwaarak — “They were all amazed, saying ‘Oh'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )

In Low German it is translated as grote Oken maken or “make big eyes” (sometime followed by: un kreegn dat Stillswiegen: “and became silent”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

In the Kölsch translation (Boch 2017) it is translated as brummte de Lück de Kopp or “the heads of the people buzzed,” Bauklötz jestaunt, lit. “marvel toy blocks,” and vür Staune de Muhl nit mieh zojekräch or “so full of marvel that they couldn’t close their mouths again.”

In the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) it is often translated as baff vor staune or “speechless because of their marvel.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

See also amazed and astonished, astonished (Mark 6:51), and I’m astonished.

complete verse (Acts 9:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 9:21:

  • Uma: “The people were surprised to hear Saulus, they said: ‘How could this be? Because he is the one the other day who murdered the people who worshipped Yesus in Yerusalem. And his intention in coming here was to also arrest those here and carry them to the leading priests in Yerusalem to be punished.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All who heard him were greatly amazed. They said, ‘This hep is the man/person there in Awrusalam who persecuted whoever prayed to Isa. And his purpose hep in coming to Damaskus is really to seize whoever follows the teaching of Isa and to bring them back to Awrusalam to the priests.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And all who heard him were amazed, and they asked each other saying, ‘Isn’t this that person who was ill treating all in Jerusalem who worshipped Jesus? The reason they say he came here to Damascus is that he will arrest all who believe in Jesus, and he will tie them up, and he will take them to Jerusalem. And he will bring them before the chief priests.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “All who heard were amazed. ‘Isn’t that the one who was persecuting the ones who worship Jesus in Jerusalem? Was not indeed his purpose-in-coming here, to arrest the believers to take (them) to the leaders of the priests in Jerusalem?’ they said inquiring-of-each-other.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “All who heard really were amazed. They were saying, ‘Expl., isn’t it so that this is that person who extremely persecutes all the taga Jerusalem who worship and pray to this Jesus? And isn’t it so that that also is why he came here, to take tied-up to Jerusalem the believers here, for they would be caused to stand in the presence of the chiefs of the priests?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on Acts 9:21

As the Good News Translation makes clear, the Greek is in the form of a question which expects a “yes” answer; but the Good News Translation has divided this question into two parts for ease of understanding. In many languages one must specify to whom the question was addressed. Therefore, one can say “asked one another.”

In some instances one must make somewhat more specific the reference intended in the phrase on this name, for example, “Jesus.”

On the phrase arresting them and taking them back see verse 2. Killing (corresponding to a Greek word which appears only here and in Galatians 1.13 and 23) literally means “pillage,” or “destroy” (see New English Bible “trying to destroy”). Other translations see in this word an expression of the fact of the persecution rather than its outcome: “organized the attack” (Jerusalem Bible), “so bitterly persecuted” (Phillips), and “carried on a merciless campaign against” (Barclay).

Though these two questions are framed in such a way as to appear to be asking for information, they are in reality rhetorical questions indicating clearly a positive answer. In many languages the closest equivalent is a strong affirmative statement—for example, “This is certainly the man who in Jerusalem was killing those who worshiped Jesus. He surely came here for the very purpose of arresting such people and taking them back to the chief 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 .