26:11a
I frequently had them punished in the synagogues: This clause in Greek is literally “throughout all the synagogues often punishing them.” The word “often” probably indicates that Paul punished Christians on many occasions. This clause also describes what Paul was doing when he tried to force them to blaspheme (26:11b). Other ways to translate this clause are:
And I punished them often in all the synagogues (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
And as I punished them often in all the synagogues (New American Standard Bible)
punished: This word refers to causing someone to feel pain or suffering because of an evil deed that he has done. Paul believed that Jesus followers blasphemed God when they said that Jesus was the Christ and God’s Son. The punishment was either a beating with a stick or a whipping. Translate this word in a way that allows one or both of those kinds of punishment.
synagogues: Here the word “synagogue” refers to a building where Jews would teach and discuss religious matters. See how you translated this word in 9:20 or 24:12.
26:11b
and I tried to make them blaspheme: This clause in Greek is literally “I was forcing them to blaspheme.” The tense on the verb probably indicates doing this to many Christians.
There are two ways to interpret this clause:
(1) Paul was able to make Christians say something offensive to Jews and their view of God, like “Jesus is the Son of God.” This sense would be like Matthew 26:63–65.
(2) Paul tried to make Christians say something offensive about Jesus, like “Jesus is not the Christ.” For example:
and tried to make them speak against Jesus (New Century Version)
(Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
Some other English versions probably imply interpretation (2) when they add tried. Many scholars support it. But Paul, when he was a Pharisee,
(a) would have had the same thinking as the priests in Matthew 26:63–65, when they believed that Jesus blasphemed God when he agreed that he was God’s Son.
(b) The Greek connects punishing with blaspheming. But Paul would not have punished those who blasphemed Jesus, but rather would have let them go.
(c) If it is “tried to force,” it should be “tried to persecute” in 26:11c, because the Greek grammar on the two verbs are the same. But no English version or scholar supports that.
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) for the above reasons. Some ways to translate are:
I forced them to blaspheme ⌊God⌋
-or-
I made them insult ⌊God⌋
But the believers blasphemed God only as Paul as a Pharisee thought they would, because they said that Jesus was the Christ and the Son of God. In many languages this would need to be explained:
• In your translation. For example:
I forced them to blaspheme ⌊God⌋ ⌊by saying that Jesus is his son⌋
-or-
I made them insult ⌊God⌋ ⌊by saying that Jesus is his son⌋
• In a footnote. An example footnote is:
Paul, as a Pharisee, would consider that believers saying that Jesus is God’s son insults God. But Christians believe that Jesus is God’s Son.
However, if the major language version follows interpretation (2), you may want to follow that. For example:
tried to make them blaspheme (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
to get them to curse Jesus (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I used to try and force them to deny their Lord (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
26:11c
In my raging fury against them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as raging fury refers to extreme anger, perhaps even to the point where the person can no longer think properly. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
in my obsession against them (New International Version)
-or-
my fury against them was so extreme that (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
I was extremely angry toward them
I even went to foreign cities to persecute them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as persecute has several meanings:
(1) It means pursue here. For example:
I even pursued them into foreign cities (New Jerusalem Bible)
(New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
(2) It means persecute here. For example:
I persecuted them even to foreign cities (Revised Standard Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Good News Translation, King James Version, English Standard Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the Greek phrase that means “even as far as to” makes more sense with “pursue” than “persecute.”
Other ways to translate this clause according to interpretation (1) are:
I pursued them even to foreign cities (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I even chased after them into foreign cities
foreign cities: This refers to cities outside of Israel. Damascus (26:12a) was a foreign city to the Jews. Other ways to translate this word are:
cities of other countries/lands
-or-
cities outside of Israel
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