ruler

The Greek that is often translated as “ruler” in English has the option of various terms in Luang with different shades of meaning.

For Acts 16:22 and 17:6, maktorna lodna-hairi (“one who holds the rod and the flag”). “The focus of this term is on national or government authorities.”

For Mark 10:42, makkukma-kto’ma (“the one who pinches you”). “An unjust ruler.”

For Acts 4:26, maktorna-makrautu (“one who holds — one who scratches”). “The focus of this term is on the manpower a ruler controls, such as a large army.”

For Acts 5:31, maktoranreria krita o’tani-hairi wuwannu (“one who holds the octopus’s head – the flag’s top”). “This term refers to a ruler of the highest level. This is what God has raised up Jesus to be. The word ‘octopus’ in this natural doublet contains the idea of supreme control. An octopus has so many arms it can be in control of everything at the same time.”

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

turned the world upside down

The now commonly-used English idiom “turned the world upside down” (for a drastic change in one’s outlook, circumstances, or way of life) was first coined in 1611 in the King James Version/Authorized Version (spelled as turned the world vpside downe) in Job 19:20. (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 266)

For other idioms in English that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” (in the sense of a fellow believer), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

See also brothers.

complete verse (Acts 17:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 17:6:

  • Uma: “So, since they did not find them, they vented their anger on Yason himself. They grabbed him along with several other believers in Yesus, and they dragged them to the town judges [sitters]. Upon arrival there, they hooted/jeered, they said: ‘Paulus and these companions of his are confusing people all over the world. Yet they have even come to our town.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But because they did not find them, they dragged Jason and the other disciples of Isa to the officials. They shouted loudly, they said, ‘There have (people) arrived here in our (incl.) city who are troubling all-the-lands/places.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However when they couldn’t find them, they seized Jason and some other believers, and they dragged them to the officials of the town and they shouted out saying, ‘As for these people, they have caused trouble everywhere, and now they are also here in our town.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But they were not able-to-find them, so they dragged-resisting Jason and others who believed to take-them to the rulers of the town, and they said shouting, ‘The people who are disrupting the many-towns, they have also come here,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well since they didn’t find Pablo-and-co there, the one they dragged instead was Jason and some others of the believers, for those are the ones they took to the officials. They were shouting out, saying, ‘Our place has now been reached by those people who are making trouble in each place they go to.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 17:6

The phrase which the Good News Translation has rendered Jason and some other brothers is literally “Jason and some of the brothers” (see Jerusalem Bible). The question is whether Jason was or was not a Christian. Considered solely upon the basis of the Greek text of this verse, one would conclude that Jason was not one of the “brothers.” However, when other passages are taken into consideration, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that Luke may have intended Jason to have been included among the “brothers.” For example, 1.14 mentions the women, and … Mary the mother of Jesus, with the evident indication that Mary is not to be excluded from among the women. Again, the expression the believers and the widows in 9.41 does not imply that the widows were not believers. One may also argue, from the casual way in which Luke has introduced Jason, that he probably should be considered as one of the believers. Otherwise, one would have expected that Luke would have indicated clearly Jason’s relationship to the believing community.

The city authorities (in Greek, the word appears only here and in 17.8) is a technical term used to describe the five or six members of the city council in a Macedonian city. These men have caused trouble everywhere is more literally translated by the New English Bible as “men who have made trouble all over the world.” The word translated “world” by the New English Bible is a word which refers to the civilized world (more specifically the Roman Empire) and is here used in an exaggerated sense. In the idiom of today everywhere seems much more natural.

The our in our city is, of course, inclusive since the Jews were addressing the city authorities.

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 .