Meanwhile may be rendered in some languages as an entire clause, “while this was happening” or “while they were talking.”

Kept on knocking (Jerusalem Bible “was still knocking”) carries through the force of the Greek verb tenses, and they opened the door at last expresses quite accurately the force of the Greek aorist participle “when they had opened.”

The subject of the verb opened may need to be identified as “the people inside” or “some of the people inside.”

The term for amazed should be one expressing a very strong reaction, for example, “utterly astounded” or “completely amazed.”

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 .