The term that is transliterated as “John (the disciple)” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying “beloved,” referring to John 13:23 et al. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“John” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign for “young.” This refers to the traditional belief that he was the youngest of the apostles and the fact that he was younger than his brother James (see relative age of James and John. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:3:
Uma: “That is why they caught/arrested those two apostles, and they put them in jail. Because it was almost dark, that is why they detained them there until the next morning.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Therefore, they seized Petros and Yahiya. Because that was already evening/late afternoon, they imprisoned them until the morning.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they arrested Peter and John, and since it was already quite late in the afternoon, they put them in prison because they would have them wait until morning.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “That being so, they held-them -tightly and took them to the prison so that on the next day (lit. its-tomorrow) they would then try them, because it was already getting-to-be-night.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Therefore what those who had arrived did was, they arrested Pedro and Juan, and because it was already late afternoon, they just jailed them. They would interrogate them next day.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Sierra de Juárez Zapotec: “They put them in jail the night before hearing the complaint against them because it was late in the day when they laid hold on them.”
Desano: “They put them in jail and left them there because it was already very late in the day, and they were going to bring them out the next day.”
Lalana Chinantec: “They put them in jail for one night, because it was nightfall-there was no longer time to judge them.” (Source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
A transitional item to show the conclusion or result of a previous situation is effectively expressed by so.
Since the process of arresting is so common all over the world, there are usually no problems involved. However, in some languages it is literally “they grabbed hold of them,” “they tied them up,” or “they surrounded them.”
The institution of jails is likewise widespread in the world, but in some so-called primitive areas a number of interesting idioms are employed, for example, “the house of darkness,” “the house of iron,” or “the house with chains.”
The clause since it was already late must, of course, refer to the time of day. This is expressed in a number of languages as “since the sun was already going down.”
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 .
They seized Peter and John: The word They refers to the religious leaders. This clause in Greek is literally “they laid the hands on them.” The chief of the temple police arrested them, with the support of the priests and Sadducees who came with him. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they laid hands on them (King James Version) -or-
they arrested them (Good News Translation) -or-
The Jewish leaders grabbed Peter and John (New Century Version)
4:3b
and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day: The word because introduces the reason that they put Peter and John in jail until the next day. Here are some other ways to translate this:
and they put them in jail until the next day, because it was evening -or-
but it was evening, so they put them in jail until the next day
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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