David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Elizabeth” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

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

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

Translation commentary on Acts 23:1

In some languages it is awkward to say looked straight at the Council. On the contrary, one must address such “straight looks” at members of the Council; therefore, “he looked straight at the men who were in the Council.”

On my brothers (literally “men brothers”) see 1.16.

An adequate term to express the meaning of conscience is not easy to find in some languages. In fact, such expressions may be highly idiomatic—for example, “the little man who stands within me,” “my internal shadow,” or “the echo of my heart.” What is important about a term for conscience is that it represents one’s most basic concerns about behavior and values. In some languages it is simply equivalent to “heart” and in this particular context it may be translated as “in my heart I have no serious questions about my whole life before God.” In other languages one may say “my heart does not cause me questions” or “within myself I do not have doubts about my whole life before God.”

The phrase my whole life may be rendered as “the way I have lived during all my life” or “what I have done during my whole life.”

In a number of languages, before God must be rendered as “with God looking on” or “before the eyes of God.” What is important here is that Paul brings God as a witness to what he has done during all his life.

To this very day (literally “up to this day”) has been rendered by the New English Bible as “and still live today.” Both the Good News Translation and the New English Bible are so in order to indicate that Paul had not stopped living with a good conscience before God, which might otherwise be implied by the phrase “up to this day.”

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 2:31

2:31a

Foreseeing this: The Greek text is literally “having foreseen.” It indicates that David knew ahead of time what his words meant. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Seeing what was ahead (New International Version)
-or-
David saw what God was going to do in the future (Good News Translation)
-or-
with foreknowledge (New Jerusalem Bible)

2:31b

David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ: This refers to the Old Testament quote in 2:27a–b. This phrase indicates that David’s from the Psalms were really about Jesus and his resurrection. Peter told what the promise was again in 2:31c–d.

the resurrection of the Christ: The word resurrection refers here to the time when God would cause the Christ to live again. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Christ rising from the dead
-or-
that Christ would be raised to life (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊God⌋ causing the Christ to live again

See how you translated the word resurrection in 1:22.

the Christ: This phrase is used here as a title. It is not just one of Jesus’ names. The Jews used this title to refer to the special person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior. This title is the Greek translation of the Hebrew title “the Messiah,” and the two titles have the same meaning.

Here are some other ways to translate the Christ:

• Use a title or a descriptive phrase in your language that has the same meaning as Christ. For example:

Messiah
-or-
Promised Deliverer
-or-
the Rescuer-King whom God sent

• Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:

Christ, the appointed one
-or-
Cristo, the savior whom God promised to send

• Transliterate it and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:

the Kirisita

If you do not indicate the meaning of the Christ in the text, you may want to include a footnote to explain the meaning of the Christ. Or you may want to explain the meaning in a glossary. Here is an example glossary entry:

The title “the Christ” refers to the King and Savior whom God had promised to send.

2:31c

that He was not abandoned to Hades: Here the word that introduces what David said about regarding the resurrection of the Christ. Peter used indirect speech and so used the pronoun He. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

namely, he was not abandoned to the grave

He was not abandoned: The clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

God would not leave him (New Living Translation (2004))

He: This pronoun refers to Jesus, the Christ.

abandoned: Translate this verb as you did in 2:27a. Peter used the past tense here because the fulfillment of the prophecy, God raising Jesus, had already occurred.

Hades: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Hades means “the place of the dead.” Translate this word as you did in 2:27a.

2:31d

nor did His body see decay: This clause uses the same verb phrase as in 2:27b. Peter used the past tense here because the fulfillment of that prophecy already occurred. Translate the verb phrase see decay as you did in 2:27b.

© 2001, 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 23:1

Paragraph 23:1–3

23:1a

Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin: The Greek word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as looked directly means “looked intently” or “stared.” Paul briefly studied the men of the Sanhedrin as he looked at them. He was probably trying to guess how they felt about him. When he looked intently at them here, he probably was not challenging them or showing he did not respect them. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Paul looked steadily at the Sanhedrin (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Paul looked at the Jewish council (New Century Version)

23:1b

Brothers: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Brothers is literally “Men, brothers.” The address is a polite way to begin speaking to the men of the Sanhedrin. The address Brothers indicates that Paul was also a Jew. Paul did not use “and fathers” here. That probably indicates that Paul presented himself as being equal to them.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to Paul’s actual brothers. If that is true in your language, use whatever terms are natural for addressing people from the same ethnic group, who are equal in social status. For example:

You men who are Israelites as I am
-or-
My relatives!
-or-
My fellow Israelites (Good News Translation)

I have conducted myself before God: This clause in Greek is literally “I have lived before God.” Other ways to translate this clause are:

I have lived among others as God wants me to
-or-
I have lived before God (Revised Standard Version)

23:1c

in all good conscience: The word conscience refers to the part of a person that helps him know what is right and what is wrong to think or do. A person’s conscience causes him to feel ashamed or guilty when he does something wrong. It also makes him feel good when he does what is right. Paul knows that his past deeds were good. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

with my conscience being good about what I have done
-or-
my mind/thoughts are clean
-or-
I have been doing is what I thought was good

See how you translated conscience in 1 Corinthians 8:7, 1 Timothy 1:5, or Titus 1:15.

to this day: This phrase refers to the whole time that Paul lived. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

all my life
-or-
always (New Living Translation (2004))

Do not translate in a way that would indicate or imply that after this time Paul would do bad things and therefore stop living with a good conscience.

© 2001, 2021 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.