complete verse (Acts 26:32)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 26:32:

  • Uma: “King Agripa said to Festus: ‘Actually, if he had not requested-to-be-taken-up his case to Kaisar, we could just release him.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Agarippa said to Pestus, ‘That man could have been freed if he had not said that he wants to be judged by the Leader King.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Agrippa said also to Festus, ‘If only he had not appealed for help to the king in Rome because it’s possible that he should be set free.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “King Agrippa also said to Governor Festus, ‘He could be released if he hadn’t appealed his case to the Emperor.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then Agripa said to Festo, ‘If only he hadn’t said that he wanted to appeal to the Impiradur, that person could have freedom/release.’ (Note: All 1st person plural pronouns in this chapter are exclusive unless otherwise marked.)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 26:32

This man could have been released if he had not appealed to the Emperor is a statement by which Luke intends to verify not only the innocence of Paul but the truthfulness of the Christian message. Could have been released is emphatic in the Greek sentence structure. The treatment of this kind of condition, which is contrary to fact (that is to say, Paul had appealed to the Emperor and therefore could not be released), poses certain problems in translation into some receptor languages. In some languages one must say, for example, “if he had not appealed to the Emperor, but he has, then he could have been released, but now he cannot be released.” In certain other languages, however, this type of condition contrary to fact is represented as causal—for example, “but because he has appealed to the Emperor, this man cannot be released.”

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 .