SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 19:38

19:38a–b

if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available: The word if is used rhetorically. The city clerk knew that Demetrius was upset with Paul and had caused this uproar in the city. The city clerk explained what Demetrius should have done. He perhaps implied that Demetrius did not have a proper complaint. It is probably an implied rebuke for causing the uproar. If possible, translate this as an implied rebuke. For example:

Supposing Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls.
-or-
Do Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody? ⌊Then they should realize that⌋ the courts are open and there are proconsuls.

19:38a

So: This word introduces what the city clerk concludes should happen. Introduce the conclusion naturally in your language. For example:

So then, (New American Standard Bible)

his fellow craftsmen: This phrase in Greek is literally “the craftsmen with him.” It refers to the craftsmen in 19:24. It probably includes the workmen of related trades in 19:25. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the craftsmen he has with him (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
the craftsmen who are with him (New American Standard Bible)

have a complaint against anyone: The word complaint refers to accusing someone of wrongdoing. A person with a complaint against someone can take him to court. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

have an accusation against anyone (Good News Translation)
-or-
accuse someone of breaking the law
-or-
have a charge (New Century Version)
-or-
have evidence-to-present for a person’s crime

19:38b

proconsuls: The proconsuls were governors of the province under Roman rule. They were also the highest judges in the province. The city clerk implies that such a lawsuit as Demetrius might present against Paul might go as high as the highest judge in the province.

Many languages will not have a word that refers to this kind of official. The office of judge is the important part here. For example:

even⌋ the highest judges of the province
-or-
provincial judges

19:38c

Let them bring charges against one another there: This clause in Greek is literally “let (them) bring charges against one another.” It indicates that if two groups have a problem, either group can accuse the other group in court. It probably refers generally to anyone accusing someone in court. But the city clerk implies here that Demetrius and the other craftsmen should accuse Paul in court, if they want to accuse him of something. Other ways to translate this clause are:

They can press charges. (New International Version)
-or-
let the parties bring their charges and countercharges (Revised English Bible)
-or-
let them accuse each other in court

© 2001, 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

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