Translation commentary on Acts 20:4

Sopater may be Sosipater, who is mentioned in Romans 16.21, though this is rather questionable. Aristarchus is mentioned also in 19.29 and 27.2. Secundus is mentioned only here in the New Testament. Regarding Gaius from Derbe, see the comments on 19.29. Timothy (who came from Lystra, 16.1) is so well known to the readers that he receives no further qualification. Tychicus is mentioned also in Ephesians 6.21; Colossians 4.7; 2 Timothy 4.12; Titus 3.12. Trophimus appears again in 21.29 (see also 2 Timothy 4.20).

The grammatical structure of this fourth verse is typically Greek, but it must be rather significantly altered if this it is to be translated readily into some languages. Note that according to the grammatical structure it is only Sopater who went with Paul. Then we have the addition of other persons: Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus. In many languages one simply cannot use this type of structure. Rather, one must say “Several persons went with him. These included Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus, from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica….”

In a number of languages there are very convenient devices for identifying a person’s relationship to his home town. Sometimes this is even done by a kind of adjectival ending to the name of the town. However, in other languages one must simply say “who came from Berea” or “who came from Thessalonica.”

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 20:4

20:4a

Paul was accompanied by Sopater:
The Greek words are literally “and accompanying him, Sopater…” The Greek words indicate that the seven men named in this verse went with Paul to Syria.

This clause is passive. Some languages cannot use a passive clause. For example:

• Use an active clause. For example:

Sopater…accompanied Paul (God’s Word)

• Use an intransitive verb. For example:

Sopater…went with him; so did… (Good News Translation)
-or-
The men who went with him were Sopater… (New Century Version)
-or-
Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
His companions on the journey were Sopater… (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

accompanied: Sopater joined Paul in whatever town in Greece they were staying (some scholars think it was Corinth). He went with him probably as far as Jerusalem but maybe only has far as Macedonia. Do not explain how far Sopater went.

son of Pyrrhus: Pyrrhus was the father of Sopater. In some languages it is more natural to indicate that Pyrrhus was the father. For example:

whose father is/was Pyrrhus

from Berea: The Greek word is literally “(a) Berean.” It probably indicates that Pyrrhus was from Berea. But it likely indicates that Sopater was from Berea as well. In English the “-n” ending means “a person of.” Use the form in our language that indicates Sopater was from Berea. For example:

a Berean
-or-
a person of Berea

Berea: See how you spelled this name in 17:10.

20:4b

Thessalonica: See how you spelled this name in 17:1.

20:4c

Derbe: See how you spelled this name in 14:6.

20:4d

the province of Asia: The Berean Standard Bible adds the phrase province of. At that time the name Asia referred to a region in what is now the western part of the country of Turkey. But in English the name now refers to the region of the world that includes the country of China. So the Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions add the phrase province of to indicate the correct meaning. See how you translated this phrase in 2:9 or 19:22.

province: Here this word refers to a large area of land that the Romans conquered or ruled, that is not in Italy. It may refer to land that used to be ruled by another country, an independent country or to a group of countries. The Roman rulers put another Roman as the ruler over that province. Consider how to translate this word here.

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