complete verse (Acts 21:36)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:36:

  • Uma: “The many people kept following, and they shouted/jeered: ‘Just kill him!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For they were following after Paul and shouting, ‘Kill him.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “and they shouted out saying, ‘Let’s kill him!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “and they were-accompanying them shouting, ‘Let’s kill-him!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because as for that crowd, they followed-right-behind the soldiers, calling out, ‘Kill him! Don’t let him live!'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “They were as thick as hornets shouting: ‘Kill that man'” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Translation commentary on Acts 21:36

The pronoun they which begins verse 36 must, of course, refer to the Jews, not to the soldiers.

It is agreed among the commentators that the words “away with him” (so King James Version, Revised Standard Version) mean kill him (Good News Translation, Phillips, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible). The imperative expression kill him is not directed to the soldiers. The Jews were not simply asking the Romans to kill him. Rather, it was a declaration of their own intent, and therefore in many languages must be rendered as “let us kill him” or “come, we must kill him.”

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 .