Acts 5:27 – TIPs

apostle, apostles

The Greek term that is usually translated as “apostle(s)” in English is (back-) translated in the following ways:

Eastern Highland Otomi, Tzeltal, Western Kanjobal, Western Highland Purepecha, Navajo (Dinė), Copainalá Zoque, Chol, Balanta-Kentohe, English (original meaning of “apostle”): “the sent ones”
Kituba, Pamona, Mezquital Otomi, Central Pame: “messengers”
Ngäbere: “word carriers”
Southern Subanen: “those commanded to carry the message”
San Blas Kuna: “witnesses to God” (meaning “those who speak up and out for God” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida, except Balanta-Kentohe: Rob Koops)
Mairasi: sasiri atatuemnev nesovnaa or “sent witnesses” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Ekari: “one-who-goes-and-tells-for-someone” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Khmer: Christtout (“messenger representing Christ”) or when Jesus addresses them: Tout robas Preah Ang (“his messengers-representatives”) (source: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 233ff. )
Pwo Karen: “eyeballs” (i.e., “right-hand men”) (source: David Clark)
Tzeltal, Coatlán Mixe: “spreader-of-words”
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “one who goes about preaching the good word” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Noongar: Moorta Ngany Waangki-Koorl or “People I (Jesus) Send” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Ayutla Mixtec: “those who bore the word of God’s mouth”
Chichimeca-Jonaz: “elders messengers” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Yakan: “commissioned ones” (source: Yakan Back Translation) — note that Scot McKnight in the English The Second Testament (publ. 2023) translates it as commissioners
Tenango Otomi: “(Jesus’) representatives” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Tsamakko: “ones-who-work-for-Christ” (source: Chris Pluger)

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as commissioner.

In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “authority” to differentiate it from disciple. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)

“apostles” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

council

The Greek that is translated as “council” or “Council” in English is (back-) translated in a variety of ways:

Tzeltal: “officials who gather together”
Copainalá Zoque: “those who think together”
Amaganad Ifugao: “those who take charge of the affairs” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
Ekari: “place for speech-making/discussion”
Tae’: “great assembly”
Sranan Tongo, Javanese: “(high) tribunal”
Marathi: “assembly of their Judgement-court” (source for this and three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Lalana Chinantec: “the people who judge”
Chichimeca-Jonaz: “the elders who give them advice”
Morelos Nahuatl: “junta”
Isthmus Mixe: “church judges”
San Mateo del Mar Huave: “big meeting” (source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated in the following ways:

Yatzachi Zapotec: “the ruler of the priests of our nation”
Chol: “very great priest” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Ayutla Mixtec: “first over the priests”
Desano: “chief of the priests” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
Uma: “Big Priest” (source: Uma Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Acts 5:27)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 5:27:

Uma: “So they took those apostles and brought-them-before the judges. The Big Priest advised them, he said:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They brought the commissioned ones there to face the councilors. Then they were investigated by the leading priest. He said,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they arrived, they made the apostles go before the leaders, and the high priest said to them,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “They took the apostles to the gathering-place of the leaders of the Jews, and they had-them-stand before them. Then the highest priest scolded (them) saying,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When they again arrived at that meeting-place, the apostles were caused to be in the presence of the members of the Sanedrin. They were interrogated by the Most-important Priest.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 5:27

In view of the paragraph break beginning with verse 27 it may be necessary to specify who they are, that is, “the officer and the guards.”

Brought … in may be rendered as “caused them to go in where the Council was meeting.” It is frequently necessary to specify the place when an adverbial form such as in is used.

The term questioned must be altered in a number of languages since what follows is not a question but an accusation.

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 5:27

Paragraph 5:27–32

5:27a

They brought them in: This clause indicates that the captain and his officers finished bringing the apostles to the Sanhedrin.

If the verb “brought” that you used in 5:26 already indicates that they had finished bring the apostles, refer to after that event here. For example:

After they brought the apostles

They: Here the pronoun They refers to the captain and the officers.

made them stand: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible literally stands as made…stand indicates that the captain and his officers made the apostles stand in front of the Jewish leaders. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

stood them (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
made them appear (New International Version)

Sanhedrin: See how you translated this word in 5:21.

5:27b

where the high priest interrogated them: The Greek is more literally “and the high priest questioned them.” Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

And the high priest questioned them (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
The high priest questioned them (New Revised Standard Version)

high priest: See how you translated this phrase in 5:21.

interrogated: Here this word probably refers to how a judge talks with defendants in court. A judge would both question the defendants and tell them things. Use your usual word for this kind of talking. For example:

questioned (New International Version)
-or-
investigated

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Sung version of Acts 5

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Verse: Acts 5:27