complete verse (Acts 21:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:34:

  • Uma: “There were some who said like this, there were some who said like that. Because it was so noisy, he never could find out what had really happened earlier. That is why he commanded the soldiers to take Paulus inside the soldiers’ house, so that he could be investigated there.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Some from among the many people shouted answering like that, others also shouted answering like this. There was great confusion that’s why the colonel did not know what really had happened. So-then he commanded his soldiers to bring Paul into the fort.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the people answered shouting, however, everyone answered something different. And since it was a terrible tumult, the captain could not get clear in his mind what had really happened. Therefore he commanded the soldiers that they carry Paul into the fort.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But mutually-different is what they were shouting in reply, while-simultaneously they were-all-making-a-racket, so he had no way to come-to-know the truth of it. When that was so, he commanded the soldiers that they take Pablo to their barracks (RL kampo).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What each was saying couldn’t be known/decifered for they were all shouting out differing answers. Well, since the trouble was like that now, the highest-ranking-officer didn’t know what was the truth. Without anything further, he caused Pablo to be brought by the soldiers to their walled camp.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 21:34

There is no question regarding the meaning of the words which the Good News Translation has rendered could not find out exactly what had happened, but this is rendered variously by the different translations: “impossible for him to get any positive information” (Jerusalem Bible), “could not be certain of the facts” (Phillips), and “could not get at the truth” (New English Bible). The fort (see Jerusalem Bible and La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée “the fortress”; Revised Standard Version, Phillips, and New English Bible “the barracks”) is most probably a reference to the place where the Roman soldiers were garrisoned, that is, the Antonia. The Antonia, which overlooked the temple area, was connected with it by two flights of stairs.

The expression there was such confusion may be rendered as “because people were saying so many different things, the commander could not find out.”

The final phrase, he ordered his men to take Paul up into the fort, may be rendered as direct discourse in a number of languages—for example, “he ordered his men, Take Paul up into the fortress,” The term fort may be rendered as “strong building,” “protected building,” or even “building which could be defended.”

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 .