come into one's heart

The Greek in Acts 7:23 that is translated as “come into one’s heart” in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “think in one’s heart.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

years (age)

In Aekyom, years are counted as “turtles” (ambum).

Norm Mundhenk tells this story:

“Recently I was checking some New Testament material in the Aekyom language of western Papua New Guinea. It seemed relatively clear until suddenly we came to a passage that started, ‘When Jesus had 12 turtles, …’ Surely I had misunderstood what they said.
“‘Did you say that Jesus had 12 turtles?’
“‘Let us explain! Around here there is a certain time every year when river turtles come up on the banks and lay their eggs. Because this is so regular, it can be used as a way of counting years. Someone’s age is said to be how many turtles that person has. So when we say that Jesus had 12 turtles, we mean that Jesus was 12 years old.’
“It was of course the familiar story of Jesus’ trip with his parents to Jerusalem. And certainly, as we all know, Jesus did indeed have 12 turtles at that time!”

In Tok Pisin, krismas (derived from “christmas”) is taken as the fixed annual marker, so Jesus had 12 “christmases” (Jisas i gat 12-pela krismas pinis) or Abram (in Gen. 12:4) had 75 (Abram i gat 75 krismas) (source: Norm Mundhenk). In Noongar it is biroka kadak or “summers had” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also advanced in years.

complete verse (Acts 7:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 7:23:

  • Uma: “‘When Musa’s age was a full forty years, he had an intention, wanting to visit his fellow relatives descendants of Israel.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘When Musa was forty years old,’ Estepan said, ‘he decided/thought-of to go and visit his fellow Yahudi, the nation/tribe of Isra’il.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When Moses was forty years old he decided to go and visit his companions who were descendants of Israel.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘When Moses was forty years old, he decided to go visit his companions who were descendants of Israel.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Moises’ age was forty years, he decided to look at the situation of his own people (lit. fellow-bodies), the descendants of Israel.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 7:23

When Moses was forty years old translates “but as a time of forty years was being filled for him.” The Good News Translation is representative of what most translators have done, though the New English Bible has “he was approaching the age of forty”; and Moffatt has “when he had completed his fortieth year” (see King James Version). The Greek phrase itself apparently means “when he was about forty years old.”

“It came upon his heart” is merely a Semitic way of saying he decided (see Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) or “it occurred to him” (Moffatt, An American Translation*, New English Bible).

Although most translations have to visit, the Greek verb may mean “to look into the conditions of” (New English Bible).

His fellow Israelites is literally “his brothers, the sons of Israel.”

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 .