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)
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)
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 EnglishThe 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
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.
Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 5:41:
Uma: “Those apostles went away from the gathering. Their hearts were very glad, they said: ‘We are blessed/fortunate, because God has chosen us to be persecuted and reviled because of our following of Yesus.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then the commissioned ones departed from those councilors and they were very glad because they were now considered worthy by God to suffer/endure persecution for their faith/trust in Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the apostles left, and they were very happy because they were considered by God to be able to endure their being shamed because of their trust in Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When the apostles left, their happiness was great because God had counted them worthy to be publicly-shamed for Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well since like that had happened to the apostles, they were very happy as they left the Sanedrin, for they had been given honor by God, for he had allowed/caused them to experience shame because of their being united/tied-together with Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
San Mateo del Mar Huave. “So the apostles when they left the big meeting they were very happy because Father God had caused them to suffer at the hands of the authorities there for Father Jesus.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “When they went out from the council they were happy in their hearts because they had seen suffering because of Jesus.”
Morelos Nahuatl: “The apostles went from the junta with much joy. They rejoiced because God gave them the opportunity to suffer for Jesus’ sake.”
Isthmus Mixe: “Then Jesus’ sent ones came out from before the authorities. They rejoiced that God was pleased with their lives even to considering it appropriate for them to suffer for Jesus.” (Source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-na (御名) or “name (of God)” in the referenced verses.
Left the Council is literally “left from the face of the Council,” another Semitic idiom.
Full of joy is variously expressed in different languages, “they had great joy,” “they rejoiced very much,” “they were very, very happy,” or idiomatically as “their hearts were very sweet” or “their livers were cool.”
The concept of worthy is difficult to render satisfactorily in a number of languages. In some contexts it is equivalent to “to be able to be” or “to be important enough.” In this context the equivalent may be “considered them good enough to suffer.”
The expression suffer disgrace is rendered as “to suffer punishment,” “to suffer being whipped,” or “to be punished.”
For the name of Jesus in this context may be rendered “for Jesus’ sake.”
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 .
The Greek of this verse begins with two words that mean “certainly therefore” or just “therefore.” For example:
Therefore, truly, -or-
And so (New Jerusalem Bible)
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing: The Greek is more literally “they were going out, rejoicing, from the presence of the Sanhedrin.” It indicates that the apostles rejoiced while they were going from the room of the Sanhedrin.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they went out from before the Sanhedrin, rejoicing as they went -or-
They rejoiced as they went out from the Sanhedrin chamber/room
Sanhedrin: See how you translated this word in 5:21 or 5:34.
5:41b
they had been counted worthy: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
God had considered them worthy (Good News Translation)
counted worthy: Here this phrase refers to God thinking that the apostles deserved to be honored. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
considered worthy (God’s Word) -or-
given the honor (New Century Version)
suffering disgrace: This phrase refers to experiencing things that cause disgrace or shame. Being flogged was a disgrace because it was a punishment for criminals and other bad people. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
suffer dishonor (Revised Standard Version) -or-
be dishonored (LEB) -or-
be shamed
for the Name: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for indicates that the apostles suffering disgrace somehow benefits the Name (of Jesus). Here are some other ways to translate this:
for the sake of the Name -or-
to the benefit of the Name
the Name: This phrase refers to Jesus and all that he is. But Luke did not add “of Jesus,” probably because he wanted this phrase to imply that, of all people ever, this is the most important Name.
If people in your language will not know who this phrase refers to, you may want to:
• Add a footnote to explain. Here is an example footnote:
This refers to Jesus. His name is the most important.
• Explain who it refers to in your translation. For example:
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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