complete verse (Acts 25:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 25:7:

  • Uma: “When Paulus arrived, the Yahudi people who came from Yerusalem stood surrounding him, and they said their accusations. They accused him of many kinds of evil wrongs, but there was no straightness in [i.e., it was not clear / they couldn’t prove] those accusations of theirs.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Paul arrived, he was surrounded by the Yahudi who had arrived from Awrusalam. They accused him with strong accusations, but they had no proofs.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Paul arrived, he was surrounded by the Jews who had come from Jerusalem, and they accused him of some very bad things. However they could not prove that their accusations against him were true.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When he arrived, the Jews who came-from Jerusalem surrounded-him charging him with many serious (lit. heavy) crimes, but they had no way to confirm the crimes they made-him-responsible-for (lit. made-him-carry).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Pablo arrived there, he was surrounded by those Jews who had come from Jerusalem. Very many were the serious/heavy things they came out with against him. But they couldn’t give proof.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on Acts 25:7

The two verses 7 and 8 are one sentence in Greek, beginning with the participle “when he arrived.” Since the subject of verse 7 is different from the subject of the previous verse, it is helpful to identify “he” as Paul. The Good News Translation understands the force of the verb to be started making; most translators render merely “making.” The phrase making many serious charges against him may be rendered as “accused him of many serious crimes” or “said, This man has done many bad things.”

Since the last clause of this verse states something which was not true of the charges, it may be important to introduce this with some kind of adversative conjunction—for example, “but they were not able to prove these charges” or “but they were not able to show that what they said about Paul was true.”

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 25:7

25:7a

When Paul arrived: This clause refers to Paul arriving and standing in the place where the accused person stands so his trial could begin. For example:

And when he had come (Revised Standard Version)

25:7b

the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem: This phrase refers to the people whom the Jewish leaders sent. They came to accuse Paul in this case.

25:7c

bringing: The Greek tense on the verb probably indicates that the Jewish leaders spoke for some time. For example:

started making (Good News Translation)

serious: Here the word serious refers to crimes that would require severe punishment. Other ways to translate this word are:

weighty
-or-
terrible
-or-
very bad

25:7d

that they could not prove: The Greek tense on the verb probably indicates that for the whole time that the Jewish leaders spoke, they were unable to prove any of their accusations. Other ways to translate this clause are:

of which they could prove none of them
-or-
but they could not prove a single one

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