There is usually no difficulty in finding an appropriate term for stirred up since this is such a normal kind of activity in so many societies. One can always employ some descriptive equivalent such as “caused them to oppose.”

Leading men indicates the chief citizens of the community and does not necessarily have any reference to the city officials. Such leading men may simply be “the important men” or “the big men of the city.”

Of high social standing (see Jerusalem Bible “of the upper classes”) translates a term which means “prominent” or “noble.” The word may also mean “rich,” as is suggested by comparing the use of this word in Mark 15.43 with its parallel in Matthew 27.57 where “rich” appears. The Greek text does not state whether the women … who worshiped God (“women sympathizers” New American Bible, “religious and respectable women” Phillips, and “devout women” Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible) were Gentiles or Jews. From the context one would assume that these were Gentile women. In most languages the functional equivalent of high social standing would be represented by a phrase such as “rich women” or “women of rich families.”

Started a persecution may be equivalent to “caused the people to persecute” or “caused the people to attack Paul and Barnabas.”

Threw them out may be rendered as “caused them to flee” or “caused them to leave.” The phrase must not be translated in such a way as to imply literal throwing.

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 .