In Greek there is no expressed object of the verb saw; many translations, as the Good News Translation, prefer to understand the people as the object of the verb, though it is possible to understand the object as being the total experience of the people rushing toward Peter (see Barclay, Phillips “when Peter saw this”).

The expression men of Israel is a means of identifying Peter with those to whom he speaks and would include both men and women. In some languages this is simply equivalent to “fellow tribesmen” or even “my relatives” (if this involves the extended ethnic unit). (See also 2.14.)

The term Israel may be used in most languages as a rough equivalent to the identification of the tribal or national unit. Sometimes this is specifically indicated in terms of descent, for example, “my kinsmen descended from Israel.” In other instances it implies an ethnic unit, such as “people of my tribe called Israel.”

A translation of surprised can be precisely the same as has occurred in the previous verses (vv. 10 and 11).

An expression for stare at us may be “look at us so strong” or even “see us and see nothing else.”

Do you think that it was by means of our own power or godliness that we made this man walk? is much more natural in English than would be a literal translation of the Greek, “Do you think that our own power or godliness has made this man walk?”

The expression by means of our own power or godliness is more often than not expressed as a cause since both power and godliness must frequently be introduced by verbal expressions, for example, “because we are so strong personally and because we worship God so well” or “because we have special power or because we are so good before God.”

In a number of languages there is an expression for “spiritual power.” This is the type of power that the medicine man has in working miracles or in the control of natural phenomena. It is often a useful equivalent at this point.

The term godliness refers to one’s own personal piety and religiosity, and therefore an expression which speaks of a person’s “goodness before God” or “manner of worshiping well” may be an adequate functional equivalent.

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 .