generation

The Greek that is translated into English as “(this) generation” is translated as “the people now” into Chol, “those who are in space now” into Tzeltal or “you people” into Tlahuitoltepec Mixe. (Source: Bratcher / Nida; Mixe: Robert Bascom)

Generic terms for the Greek that is translated as “generation” include “(people of one) layer” (Ekari, Toraja-Sa’dan, Batak Toba), or “one storey of growing” (Highland Totonac, using a term also denoting a storey or floor of a building). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)

See also generations and all generations.

complete verse (Acts 2:40)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:40:

  • Uma: “Many other were the word of Petrus to the crowd, he advised them and warned them, he said: ‘Repent! No longer follow the evil people who live at this time, so that you do not receive the punishment of God that will strike them.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Petros said much more to them and he begged them, he said, ‘Help yourselves so that you will not be punished like the people now/of these days who are bad/evil.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were many arguments which Peter used to advise them. He said, ‘Avoid the punishment of God on these people today whose customs are bad.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There was much more that Pedro said, advising and warning them so that they would hopefully be-persuaded. ‘You should escape the punishment of the stubbornly-unteachable people nowadays,’ he said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Much more was said by Pedro which was his testimony and warning and he spoke-emphatically to them, saying, ‘Now make sure that you will be saved, no longer included with people whose nature/ways are evil, who really will be punished by God.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Desano: “He said many things to them, speaking well to them, seeking the good of the people so that they would not be mixed with the evil people.”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “Peter told them many more words. They were thus counseled: ‘Turn away from evil people lest you perish with them.'”

    • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “And in regard to that he told them more, he gave them advice, he said: ‘You leave off that which is wicked, that which all the people do.’ he tells them.” (Source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Translation commentary on Acts 2:40

Made his appeal to them is a strengthened form of the verb “testify” and may also have the meaning “testify by argument.” It is not always easy to find two words for verbal appeals, for example, “made an appeal … urged,” which are strong and at the same time not completely redundant. However, to introduce the phrase many other words, and at the same time to provide the appropriate measure of emphasis, one may sometimes employ a negative expression followed by a positive, such as “this was not all that he said to them; he urged them strongly with many other words.” Though this is not a close formal correspondence, it may be an excellent dynamic equivalence, for by means of a negative-positive expression some languages succeed in reproducing the heavily loaded expression contained in the Greek text. In some languages, however, one “cannot urge with words” (in which “words” is used as instruments). One can, on the other hand, “urge by speaking more.”

Save yourselves from the punishment coming to this wicked people represents what in the Greek text is literally “save yourselves from this wicked people.” But what Peter means is that those who hear are to try to save themselves from the fate which God will bring upon the wicked people who have crucified Jesus. In languages in which “punishment” must be treated as a verb, one can restructure the sentence to read, “save yourselves, so that you will not be punished as this wicked people are going to be punished.” Some languages require a shift from “punishment,” as an outwardly imposed event, to “suffering,” with its focus upon the person directly involved (this is particularly true if the agent of the punishment is not specified). Accordingly, one may translate as “save yourselves; then you will not suffer the way these wicked people will suffer.” The expression wicked people (literally “crooked generation”) comes from Deuteronomy 32.5 and Psalm 78.8. The reference to this wicked people must be made more explicit in some languages, for example, “the wicked people here in this country” or “the bad people who killed Jesus.” In the first instance, the identification is geographical (the people of that country) and in the second instance, the identification is behavioral (those who specifically rejected and crucified Jesus). In either event, the dynamic equivalent is essentially the same. It is, of course, also possible to employ a temporal identification, such as “all the people living now,” but this is in some respects somewhat too wide, for Luke’s focus at this point is upon the Jewish nation.

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 .