4:7a
They had Peter and John brought in: The word They refers to the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law (the Jewish Council). Probably the high priest, as leader of the Council, ordered guards to bring Peter and John from the jail. The guards had the apostles stand in front of the Council members.
had Peter and John brought in: The Greek verb is literally “having placed.” For example:
made the apostles stand (Good News Translation)
The verb implies that the guards brought them from jail. So the Berean Standard Bible translates this verb as had…brought in.
Here the word had indicates that the leaders ordered someone to go and bring Peter and John. They did not go themselves.
Peter and John: The Greek word here is literally “them.” For example:
the two of them
4:7b
began to question them: The leaders began asking Peter and John questions. The clause implies that they had many questions to ask them. 4:7c tells us the first question. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they began to inquire (NET Bible)
-or-
they began asking questions. They ⌊first⌋ asked,
But the leaders only asked one question, because Peter explained everything they wanted to know. So in some languages a simple past tense is more natural. For example:
they asked (Good News Translation)
4:7c
By what power: The word power implies that someone gave Peter and John the power to miraculously heal the lame man. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Who enabled ⌊you(plur) to do this⌋
-or-
Who gave ⌊you⌋ the power
what name did you do this?: Here the word name refers to the authority that a person has. Someone authorized Peter and John to miraculously heal the lame man. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
⌊by⌋ whose authority did you do this?
-or-
Whose name did you use?
you: In this verse in Greek the pronoun you is emphatic. Scholars say that the leaders used it here to belittle the apostles or show scorn to them. If possible indicate that meaning in your translation. For example:
they asked them scornfully, “By what power or what name did you do this?”
do this: This phrase refers to the miraculous healing of the lame man (3:7–8). In many languages a literal translation would not clearly refer to that, because that deed has not been mentioned for many verses. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
heal that man
-or-
make well that lame person
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