complete verse (Acts 18:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 18:15:

  • Uma: “But this, it’s just arguments mentioning words and names in the laws of your own religion. So, you take care of it yourselves. I, I refuse to!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But because the thing you are arguing about is about words and about names of people and about the law of your religion, you settle it yourselves. I don’t want to settle matters like this.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But since it is only about your arguing about names and your law, I have no business fooling with that. You be the ones to settle it because I am not the one to settle something like that.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But since your cause-of-complaint concerns only the meaning/interpretation of words and the names of people and the law that you follow, you just-go-ahead-and (lit. even-if you) take-charge-of/be-responsible-for that, because I refuse.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “However, since what you are quarreling about is apparently only as to who is referred to in your handed-down laws, or what is meant by the words contained there, you be responsible for it. I won’t go along with it for I don’t want to judge concerning those things.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

law

The Greek that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (wsource: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
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Translation commentary on Acts 18:15

The pronominal reference of it may be difficult to represent readily in some receptor languages. One may use an expression such as “this accusation involved an argument about….” When, however, one cannot employ a noun such as argument, the appropriate equivalent may be “but since you are only arguing about words.”

The phrase your own law may be rendered as “the rules that apply only to you” or “the laws that only you people follow.”

You yourselves must settle it actually translates a future tense, but in Greek the future is sometimes used as the equivalent of an imperative. I will not be the judge of such things is said in such a way that “judge” is the emphatic element, literally “a judge of these things I am not willing to be.” The use of a term such as judge, referring to such issues as were presented by the Jews before Gallio, is rendered in some languages as “decide such matters” or “say what is right and what is wrong.”

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 .