Paul (icon)

Following is a Georgian Orthodox icon of Paul the Apostle from the 14th century (located in the Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

See also Paul.

Paul

The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Paul (and Saul)” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Paul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Paul (icon).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Paul .

complete verse (Acts 17:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 17:22:

  • Uma: “From there, Paulus stood up in front of those gathered on Areopagus Mountain and he said: ‘Atena people! I see that in all your behavior you are very religious.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Paul stood up in front of the councilors and he said, ‘You men/people of Aten, I have observed that you are really very religious.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Paul stood up before the court of Areopagus and he said, ‘As for you Athenians, I understand that you are very faithful to your beliefs.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Pablo stood-up in-front-of them and said, ‘You from-Athens, I know (deference particle) that you are thorough/careful in worshipping your gods,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore Pablo stood up in the presence of that crowd gathered there at the Areopago and began to speak. He said, ‘You taga Atenas, I really am observing that you here are devoutly-worshipful people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

those / all (gata) (Japanese honorifics)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In these verses, the Greek that is translated as “those” or “who” or similar in English is translated as kata-gata (方々), combining “people” — kata — and the formal plural suffix -gata. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Acts 17:22

In some languages a transitional particle such as “so” or “hence” may be necessary at this point in the text so as to indicate that Paul, in response to those in the meeting of the Areopagus, was now addressing the group. Such a particle would be equivalent to the structure of the Greek sentence itself.

In front of the meeting of the Areopagus (see Jerusalem Bible “before the whole Council of the Areopagus,” New English Bible “before the Court of Areopagus”) is a much more natural expression in English than a literal rendering such as “standing in the middle of the Areopagus.” Luke intends to say that Paul stood before the group to speak to them, rather than that Paul stood up in the middle of the hill of Ares.

In a number of languages one cannot employ an expression of direct address such as Men of Athens! without implying the Paul is in some way ordering, or calling to, such persons. However, this expression may be incorporated as the goal of the verb said—for example, “and said to the men of Athens,” after which the direct discourse begins. In some languages there may be a contradiction in the use of the expression “men” when in verse 34 it is indicated that a woman by the name of Damaris responded positively to what Paul said. It may be necessary, therefore, to employ a term such as “people of Athens”; but in many languages an expression for “men” may, by implication, also include women.

Commentators are divided in their opinion as to whether Luke intended to say very religious (in a good sense) or “superstitious” (in a bad sense). However, the Good News Translation, New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation*, Moffatt, Phillips, and Barclay all accept the former alternative. In some languages it is not easy to provide an appropriate equivalent for the expression very religious. In some cases one may simply translate “worship various gods very much,” “are very much interested in the gods,” or “have great respect for many gods.”

If one adopts the interpretation of “superstitious,” a rendering might be “you are very fearful of many gods.”

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 .