complete verse (Acts 23:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 23:7:

  • Uma: “Hearing that, the Parisi the Saduki people [began to] argue with one another, with the result that they were no longer in agreement.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “After he said this, the Pariseo and the Sadduseo began to discuss/argue. That’s why the council members were now divided (in opinion).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when he said this the Sadducees and the Pharisees began to have a dispute and all of them were divided.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When he said that, that was when-the Pharisees and Saducees -began to quarrel, because their minds were divided.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When he had said that, the Pariseo and the Saduceo got into a fierce argument. Those people gathered there were now divided.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 23:7

The force of the Greek verb construction in this sentence is to indicate the initiation of an action, and so the Good News Translation has translated started to quarrel (see also Moffatt “a quarrel broke out”). The phrase started to quarrel may simply be translated as “started to talk against each other”; and the group was divided may be rendered as “the group became two groups.”

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 .