37Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune replied, “Do you know Greek?
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:37:
Uma: “When they were almost entering the soldiers’ house, Paulus said to the head of the soldiers: ‘May I speak for just a moment, please?’ The head of the soldiers said: ‘Do you (sing.) know the Yunani language?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “As they were about to bring Paul inside the fort, Paul spoke to the colonel, he said, ‘Can I speak to you?’ The colonel answered, he said, ‘So you know how to speak Girik?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as they were going inside the fort, Paul said to the captain, he said, ‘Is it possible that I might have a word with you?’ And the captain said, ‘So you know how to speak Greek?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When they had almost caused-Pablo -to-enter their barracks, he said to the commander, ‘There is something I would say to you (sing.) please.’ The commander was surprised, because Griego is what-he-spoke, and he said, ‘Why (surprised realization particle) you (sing.) know how to speak Griego.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Just as Pablo was being taken into that walled camp of the soldiers, he said to that highest-ranking-officer, ‘If possible/acceptable, there’s something I want to say to you.’ ‘Apparently you know the Griego language,’ said that highest-ranking-officer.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Spanish uses a formal vs. informal second-person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Spanish Bibles all use only the informal second-person pronoun (tú), with the exception of Dios Habla Hoy (third edition: 1996) which also uses the formal pronoun (usted). In the referenced verses, the formal form is used.
Sources and for more information: P. Ellingworth in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 143ff. and R. Ross in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 217ff.
It may be necessary to make clear that the pronoun they at the beginning of this verse refers to the soldiers—for example, “as the soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort.”
Paul’s question to the commander of the soldiers, May I say something to you?, is rendered as direct discourse in most translations, though it appears as indirect discourse in the Jerusalem Bible.
Do you speak Greek? is not really a question asking for information, for the commander obviously understood from Paul’s statement to him that he did speak Greek. Therefore, this question must be rendered in some languages as “then you obviously speak Greek” or “then you must speak Greek.” If the question is changed into a statement, the verb relating to the commander’s comment must be changed from asked to “said.”
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 .
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