complete verse (Acts 19:33)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 19:33:

  • Uma: “A Yahudi person named Aleksander stood up wanting to speak, because he was the one ordered by the Yahudi people to speak to the people. He motioned to the people to be quiet, because he wanted to speak his defense.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then there was a man named Iskandal whom the Yahudi caused to go in front and told to speak to the people. Some of the people thought-mistakenly that he was the cause of the trouble. Then he made a sign with his hand so they would listen, because he was about to speak.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Some felt that Alexander was the one who had done something wrong, because why did the Jews bring him up in front. And as for Alexander, he lifted up his hands as a sign that he had something to say as an explanation to the people.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So the Jews, they had-one of their companions who was Alexander -stand in front of the many-people to clarify-to them, because they were afraid in case the many-people would accuse them. Alexander motioned to quiet koma the people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When it was now like that, the Jews there became afraid. Therefore, what they did was, they caused one of their own kind who was Alejandro to stand in the midst of that crowd so that he could cause to be comprehended by them that it wasn’t the Jews who were where that trouble originated. When Alejandro stood up, he motioned to that crowd with his hand/arm that they no longer make a noise for he wanted to speak.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 19:33

The Greek of this sentence is certainly not clear. First, the verb which the Good News Translation has translated concluded … was responsible may mean either “to conclude” or “to instruct, advise.” Second, one would normally expect that the verb would have a double object when used with a person, that is, the person and the content of what was included or instructed. However, in the present sentence the second object is lacking, and Alexander is the only object of the verb. If one translates the text as it stands, one must conclude that the crowd either explained something to Alexander (see New English Bible) or that the crowd concluded something about Alexander (so Good News Translation). Phillips and Jerusalem Bible base their translation on an alternative manuscript reading. This verb appears in two other places in Acts (9.22; 16.10). In 16.10 it definitely means “conclude” or “decide”; while its use in 9.22 (rendered his proofs … were so convincing) may be taken to support either position, that is, that Paul was teaching or that he was concluding (proving) that Jesus was the Messiah. Luke gives no reason why Alexander wanted to make a speech of defense; there are no grounds for assuming that he wanted to defend Paul, and his entire relationship to the uproar is obscure.

It is difficult to translate was responsible without knowing precisely the relationship of Alexander to the issues in question; and since the Greek text does not make this clear, one can only attempt to use some meaningful equivalent which will be as general in implication as possible. However, in some languages one cannot avoid specifying the particular nature of the responsibility. In some instances the closest equivalent is “was important with respect to what had happened” or “was involved in what had happened.” It may even be possible to translate this expression as “had something to say”—perhaps the most general way of talking about Alexander’s role.

Motioned with his hand may be translated in such a way as to indicate that this particular gesture was designed to quiet the crowd or to induce them to listen to him. On the other hand, it may be necessary to supplement this mention of the gesture by “motioned with his hand so that people would keep quiet.”

Since we do not know Alexander’s role, it is difficult in some languages to translate the term defense. However, since Jews were known as opponents of idolatry, and since any riot in favor of Artemis might be interpreted by some people as an indirect attack upon the Jews, it may be that Alexander was put forward by Jews in order to explain to the crowd that the Jews themselves were not responsible for what had happened. If this was the situation, one may translate make a speech of defense as “speak to the people to show that he and his companions were not guilty of what had happened.” In a number of languages it is necessary to speak of a defense in terms of “saying that one is not guilty.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 19:33

19:33a

The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward: Here the word pushed can have its literal meaning or the figurative meaning of “force someone to do something he does not want to do.” It is not clear which meaning is correct here. The Jews made an effort to put Alexander in front of the crowd so that he could speak. Some versions translate the figurative meaning. For example:

the Jews made him go up to the front (Good News Translation)

The Jews in the crowd: Not every person in the crowd instructed Alexander about what to say. For example:

some of the crowd shouted (New International Version)

Alexander: Alexander was probably a Jew. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate or imply that Alexander was not a Jew. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain it in your translation. For example:

Alexander, ⌊one of them,⌋

forward: This phrase refers to the place where someone could speak and be heard by everyone in the amphitheater. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the front of the crowd (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the speaking place

19:33b

to explain himself: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to explain himself has several meanings. There are several ways to interpret the Greek word. The two main ways are:

(1) It means instruct or advise here. For example:

told him to explain the situation (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, English Standard Version)

(2) It means conclude. Some people concluded that Alexander was involved in the trouble or responsible for it.

concluded that Alexander was responsible (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, God’s Word, NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

19:33c

he motioned for silence: This clause in Greek is literally “he waved/moved his hand.” It implies that Alexander did this in order to ask the crowd to be quiet. Use the usual word or phrase in your language for asking for a crowd to be quiet. For example:

he gestured ⌊to the crowd⌋ for silence
-or-
he made a motion/sign with his hand ⌊for the crowd⌋ to become quiet

You may want to use the gesture in your language that signals a crowd to be quiet. See how you translated the word “motioned” in 12:17 or 13:16.

so he could make his defense: The phrase does not say how Alexander would make his defense. If possible, do not say in your translation what Alexander would have said.

In some languages what is defended must be said. Alexander probably would have said that the Jews had not caused this trouble and the trouble was connected to Paul. If that is true in your language, refer generally to the cause of the uproar. For example:

in order to defend ⌊himself and his fellow Jews⌋ ⌊about the trouble⌋ ⌊in the city⌋

the people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as people is literally “assembly.” It is the same word as in 19:30a that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “assembly.” It refers to the people gathered in the amphitheater.

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