John (the disciple)

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 Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts John’s head resting on Jesus’ chest, referring to John 13:23.


“John” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

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)


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

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

See also John the Evangelist (icon).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: The Apostle John .

complete verse (Acts 4:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:7:

  • Uma: “[When] they were all there, they commanded for Petrus and Yohanes to be carried here in front of them. When they arrived there, those judges [sitters] asked, asking Petrus and Yohanes, they said: ‘From where is your power to heal that lame person? Who gave you that power?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then they commanded Petros and Yahiya to be brought to them. They questioned them, they said, ‘How did you do that? What power or whose name did you (pl.) use?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they brought before them Peter and John, and they asked them, ‘What is this power that was used to heal this person who couldn’t walk? And who gave you this power?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They had-Pedro and Juan -stand before them, and they investigated them saying, ‘Where did your power to heal this lame-one come from? Whose name did you use?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When they had gathered, they caused those two apostles to stand in their presence and then questioned them. They said, ‘What is this knowledge/acquired-skill by which you were able to make well that lame person? Who gave you this skill?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

    • Teutila Cuicatec: “Then they ordered Peter and John to be brought and placed before them. They asked them, ‘what authority do you have? Who commanded you to do these different things?'”
    Tataltepec Chatino: “They went to get out Peter and John to judge them before the authorities. Those elders asked them: ‘How did you cure this lame man?’ they said. ‘Who gave you permission to cure?'” (Source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on Acts 4:7

It seems to have been customary for the Jewish Council to have sat in a semicircle with the accused persons standing before them. Whatever the reason for the arrest, it becomes immediately evident that the concern of the Council is to learn by what authority the apostles performed the miracle on the lame man. Within the composition of Acts itself the question put to the disciples serves primarily as a literary technique for introducing another message by Peter. As given in the Greek, the emphatic element in the question is you; and in order to make this evident to the reader, the Good News Translation has prefaced the questions regarding the power and the name with the question, How did you do this?

The expression they made the apostles stand before them is a causative of commanding and therefore in many languages it must be rendered as “they commanded the apostles, Stand before us.” In some instances it may be necessary to identify the particular apostles concerned as “Peter and John.”

In most languages there is no difficulty involved in having a multiple subject for a verb such as “asked.” However, this is not possible in other languages and therefore one must say “one of them asked,” since presumably only one person would be speaking on behalf of the others.

The question How did you do this? may need to be made somewhat more specific since the reference to the healing of the lame man is somewhat removed from this verse, for example, “How did you make the lame man well?” or “How did you make the lame man walk?”

In most instances a term such as power must either be qualified as belonging to some person or being of a particular character. Therefore, “By whose power did you do this?” or “By what kind of power did you do this?” In some languages, however, a term such as power as used in this more or less abstract sense, is not available. Therefore, one must translate “How is it you were able to do this?” or “Who made you strong enough to do this?” This type of reference to “strength” must, of course, be understood as being more than physical prowess.

The expression whose name did you use? must be made slightly more specific in some languages as “whose name did you pronounce when you did this?” or “whose name did you say when you healed the man?”

In many languages, however, the use of name has very little meaning, and therefore a more satisfactory equivalent is “by whose authority” or “who gave you the right.”

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 4:7

4:7a

They had Peter and John brought in: The word They refers to the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law (the Jewish Council). Probably the high priest, as leader of the Council, ordered guards to bring Peter and John from the jail. The guards had the apostles stand in front of the Council members.

had Peter and John brought in: The Greek verb is literally “having placed.” For example:

made the apostles stand (Good News Translation)

The verb implies that the guards brought them from jail. So the Berean Standard Bible translates this verb as had…brought in.

Here the word had indicates that the leaders ordered someone to go and bring Peter and John. They did not go themselves.

Peter and John: The Greek word here is literally “them.” For example:

the two of them

4:7b

began to question them: The leaders began asking Peter and John questions. The clause implies that they had many questions to ask them. 4:7c tells us the first question. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they began to inquire (NET Bible)
-or-
they began asking questions. They ⌊first⌋ asked,

But the leaders only asked one question, because Peter explained everything they wanted to know. So in some languages a simple past tense is more natural. For example:

they asked (Good News Translation)

4:7c

By what power: The word power implies that someone gave Peter and John the power to miraculously heal the lame man. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Who enabled ⌊you(plur) to do this⌋
-or-
Who gave ⌊you⌋ the power

what name did you do this?: Here the word name refers to the authority that a person has. Someone authorized Peter and John to miraculously heal the lame man. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

⌊by⌋ whose authority did you do this?
-or-
Whose name did you use?

you: In this verse in Greek the pronoun you is emphatic. Scholars say that the leaders used it here to belittle the apostles or show scorn to them. If possible indicate that meaning in your translation. For example:

they asked them scornfully, “By what power or what name did you do this?”

do this: This phrase refers to the miraculous healing of the lame man (3:7–8). In many languages a literal translation would not clearly refer to that, because that deed has not been mentioned for many verses. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

heal that man
-or-
make well that lame person

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