Cnidus

The name that is transliterated as “Cnidus” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines the signs for “angry” (the meaning of the name) and “strong wind” because Paul and his companions encountered a strong gale in Cnidus that prevented them from docking in that region (see Acts 27:7). (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Cnidus” in Libras (source )

Salmon

The name that is transliterated as “Salmon” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “investiture” (the meaning of the name) and “descendants” (his descendants are Boaz and Obed). (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Salmon” in Libras (source )

More information under Salmon (biblical figure) .

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

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Acts 27:7)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Acts 27:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:7:

  • Uma: “For several days the ship traveled very slowly. We barely arrived in the town of Knidus. From there, because the blowing of the wind kept on being not good, we did not continue our journey according to what had originally been directed. That’s why our ship passed by the Salmone Peninsula, and went along the coast of the island of Kreta, so that we would not be hit too hard by wind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Our (excl.) going was very slow and difficult for several days, until we (excl.) arrived close to the town Kinidus. Then because the contrary wind was strong, we could not advance going there; therefore we (excl.) went to the open-sea toward Salmone Point (Tõng) and took shelter behind/on-the-other-side (direction of wind) of Kerete island.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Our travel was very slow and after several days then we were finally able to pass by the town of Cnidus, however we really had a hard time. Since we were still meeting the force of the wind, we changed our path, and we passed on the side of the island of Crete which is sheltered from the wind, and we passed the beach that is called Salmone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Our (excl.) ride/vehicle went-slowly, because it was caused-difficulty by the wind, so it was a long-time then we (excl.) arrived-directly-across-from the town at Cnidus. Whereupon the wind became-stronger until the ship was not able-to-advance (word used for movement of shellfish), so we (excl.) revised our (excl.) course, and proceeded (lit. walked-it) on the sheltered side of Creta to pass-by Salmone.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Our voyage took several days for the wind was always/often contrary. It took us a long time to be able to reach opposite Gnido. And then after we had come opposite there, we could no longer take-the-direct-route. Therefore we took-a-wide-diversion, going across to the island of Creta, opposite Salmon.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 27:7

It may be necessary to indicate why the sailing was so slow. This is implied later on in verse 7, but one can state “because the wind was against us, we sailed slowly for several days.”

Arrived off the town of Cnidus means that they came near to the town of Cnidus, though they did not land there.

The wind would not let us go any farther in that direction may be rendered as “because the wind was blowing against us, we could not go any farther in that direction.”

The sheltered side of the island of Crete was the southern side. No one would have dared to sail on the northern side of the island.

Though many languages have a term for Cape, it may be necessary in some languages to use some kind of descriptive equivalent: “a point of land sticking out into the water,” “a hill that extends out into the water,” or “a part of land which goes out into the water.”

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 27:7

27:7a

After sailing slowly: The ship’s captain wanted to go west and a little north. But the wind was probably from that same direction. To sail a boat towards the wind, the sailors would change the angle of the sails and sail far to the left of the direction of the wind. In that way the ship can catch the wind to move forward. Then they would change the angle of the sails and sail far to the right. The ship would slowly gain distance in the desired direction (see diagram below). Therefore progress in the desired direction would be made slowly. Other ways to translate this clause are:

We made forward progress slowly
-or-
We moved slowly in the desired direction

many days: With a wind from a helpful direction, the trip would only take two days. But with a headwind, the trip could take five days, ten days, or more. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

numerous days
-or-
a lot of days

27:7b

we arrived off Cnidus: In Greek this phrase could be literally translated as “with difficulty, we having arrived off Cnidus.” The Berean Standard Bible does not translate the Greek word in this clause which means “with difficulty,” probably because it translates the Greek word in 27a which means “sailing slowly” and therefore is letting the translation of that Greek word imply that the sailing was accomplished “with difficulty.” Do what is most natural in your language.

The headwind made it hard for them to sail in the direction they wanted to. For example:

with great difficulty finally arrived off the town of Cnidus (Good News Translation)

arrived off Cnidus: Here the word off refers to coming near to Cnidus. The ship did not go all the way to Cnidus.

coming near Cnidus
-or-
not quite arriving at Cnidus

Cnidus: This name refers to a city. The English letters “cn” are from the Greek “kn.” Both letters were probably pronounced. In some languages, a vowel must be placed between these letters to pronounce both letters. For example:

Cenidus/Kenidus

It was probably a medium-sized city at that time. In many languages people are not familiar with this name. If so, you may want to:

• Explain it in your translation. For example:

⌊the city of⌋ Cnidus

• Explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Cnidus was a city.

Do not use a word that refers only to large, modern cities of today.

27:7c

When the wind impeded us: They could no longer sail to the west. Perhaps the wind grew stronger so that they no longer made any progress in the direction that they desired to go. So they had to change direction.

27:7d

we sailed to the lee of Crete: Here the word lee refers to east and south of Crete. It is the large island in lower left of the photo above.

Crete: Crete is a large island west of Cyprus. It is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) east to west.

opposite Salmone: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as opposite means “off” (“near”) as in 27:7b.

Salmone: In the Greek language the “e” was probably pronounced, unlike the usual pronunciation in English. For example, the Madak NT says:

Salmoni (Madak NT)

This name refers to a point of land jutting from the island into the sea. It is on the eastern shore of Crete. In many languages people are not familiar with this name. If so, you may want to:

• Explain it in your translation. For example:

⌊point/cape⌋ Salmone

• Explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Salmone was the name for a point/cape on the eastern shore of Crete.

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