for about two hours

The Greek that is translated as “for about two hours” or similar in English is translated in Ankave with a repetition that marks ongoing duration: “nɨra nuro nɨra nuro” means “ceasing they went along saying and went along saying.” (Source: Richard Speece in Notes on Translation 1989. p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Acts 19:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 19:34:

  • Uma: “But instead, when the people saw that he was a Yahudi, they kept on cheering/shouting for two hours in length, they said: ‘Praise Artemis, the anitu of us Efesus people!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But when the people recognized that he was a Yahudi, they kept calling out in unison for two hours always repeating their words, they said, ‘Greatly honored is Artemis, the god of the people of Epesus.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However when they discovered that he was a Jew, they began shouting again, ‘Great is Artemisa whom we Ephesians worship!’ And for two hours they shouted this.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But when they identified that he was a Jew, they shouted in unison (lit. caused-to-be-one what they shouted) for almost two hours saying, ‘Honored be Artemis who is our god here in Efeso.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But since they knew already that he was a Jew, they certainly didn’t listen but all the more determinedly they were shouting, saying, ‘Extremely praiseworthy is Diana whom we taga Efeso worship!’ That’s what they kept on repeating for the space of two hours.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 19:34

The pronoun they refers, of course, to the mob or crowd—for example, “when the crowd recognized that he was a Jew.” This recognition might be based upon appearance, put it could have also been derived from his accent or the manner in which he spoke in defense of himself and his fellow Jews.

This verse would indicate that the Jews were not too well received in Ephesus. “There came one voice from them all” means, as the Good News Translation has translated, they all shouted together the same thing.

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 .