Acts 4:17

in the name of, on the account of his (or: my) name

Some of the Hebrew and Greek phrases that are translated in English in association with “name,” including “in the name of,” “in my name,” “in your name,” “on the account of my name,” “on the account of your name” (according to a classification by Robert Bratcher in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 72ff. , phrases that belong to the categories of “Agency or instrumentality” and “Representation”) present a number of challenges in other languages.

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Eugene Nida (1947, p 178ff.) explains this way:

“The biblical attitudes toward human personality are of great theological importance. There is, however, only one word which produces any considerable difficulty in other languages. This is the word ‘name.’ The great difference attached to the significance of the name of a person in the Bible times in contrast with our own culture is very important. Note such phrases as ‘whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,’ John 14:13, ‘believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,’ John 3:18, and ‘life through his name,’ John 20:31. These expressions are generally difficult for us to understand, for the word ‘name’ does not mean the same to us as it meant to those of Bible times. To them the name was the symbolization of the authority and personality of the individual who possessed the name. To us a name is far less important. It may be changed whenever one can convince a judge that another name might be more economically advantageous. The name is also a legal method of giving one’s written assent to certain business transactions, but to us it is not the symbol of the personality.”

The translation in Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl typically is “in someone’s authority” (for instance “I have come in my Father’s name” in John 5:43 becomes “I have come on my Father’s authority”) (source Nida 1947, p. 179), or in Highland Puebla Nahuatl with the more paraphrastic equivalent “as though on orders from you” or in Tzeltal as “by your authority, so he said” (both examples for Mark 9:38 and 39, see Bratcher / Nida).

In Guhu-Samane, Mark 11:9 (in English: “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”) is translated as “Blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes.” “In the name of the Lord” caused “puzzlement [because] “has he just assumed the name of the Lord, valid or otherwise? [But] with ‘blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes’ the strong bond between the namesake and the important ancestor for whom named entitles the namesake to the deference due the ancestor. Thought very proper in this context.” (Source: Ernest L. Richert in Notes on Translation December 1963: p. 4-7; reprinted in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )

Barclay Newman (see The Bible Translator 1974, pp, 432ff. ) reports on different solutions for the translation of the Today’s Malay Version (Alkitab Berita Baik, 1987):

In Malay “the phrase ‘in my name’ is problematic (…) since it sounds like the use of magic. For this reason [the English] Today’s English Version (Good News Bible) was followed at such passages as John 5:43 and 10:25, where ‘in the name of my Father’ is translated as ‘with my Father’s authority’ and ‘by my Father’s authority’ [respectively]. In John 12:13 ‘in the name of the Lord’ has become ‘in his (the Lord’s) behalf,’ following the common language German translation Die Gute Nachricht. In John 14:13, ‘because you are my followers’ is used, in John in 15:16, 16:23 and 24 ‘as my followers,’ in John 17:11 ‘by your own power, the power you gave me,’ and in John 14:26 ‘in my place.'”

Other translations for “in the name of Jesus Christ” include “in the authority of Jesus Christ” (Isthmus Mixe), “calling on Jesus Christ” (Teutila Cuicatec), “calling the name of Jesus Christ over you” (Ayutla Mixtec), “because of Jesus” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “by the power of the name of Jesus Christ” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), or “the word of Jesus Christ is strong” (Lalana Chinantec). (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Acts 4:17)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (members of the Council talking among themselves).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Acts 4:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:17:

Uma: “But so that not all the people hear their teaching, it is better that we threaten/scare them and forbid them, so they no longer continue to teach anyone mentioning Yesus.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But,’ they said, ‘in order that this will not become any further known, let us (incl.) instruct them that they should not speak to anyone about Isa.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Let’s tell them that they must no longer teach the believing in the name of Jesus to anybody so that this, their teaching, may not spread to the people.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Let’s threaten them so they do not repeat to say the name of Jesus when they are talking to the many-people, lest others increasingly find-out-about-it.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Of course we don’t want the number to increase very much of those who will know this, therefore what would be good is, we will tell them strictly not to teach anyone any more concerning that Jesus.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Lalana Chinantec: “But there is great danger of the word of Jesus spreading. We’ll tell those people that never again should they speak about Jesus. ‘We’ll just see what will happen,’ we will say, ‘if you continue to speak with people about Jesus.’ That’s the agreement that the people who judge reached.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Translation commentary on Acts 4:17

Since the contents of verse 17 contrast abruptly with the contents of verse 16, a conjunction such as but, “on the other hand,” or “on the contrary” may be useful.

In a number of languages the purpose of an activity always follows that event. In such cases, it would mean that the first clause in verse 17 (in the Good News Translation) must be placed at the end of the verse.

In many languages one cannot speak of a matter spreading. Rather, can must say “in order that more people will not hear about it.”

The equivalent of a hortatory such as let us warn is in many languages an obligatory mode, for example, “we must warn” or “it is necessary that we warn.” There is, of course, nothing permissive in the use of the form let in English.

The last part of verse 17 must frequently be expressed as direct discourse, “we must warn them, You must never again speak to anyone using the name of Jesus.” (See also 4.21.)

In the name of Jesus is literally “upon (the basis of) this name.” The name referred to is that of Jesus, and the Greek preposition “upon (the basis of)” is equivalent in meaning to “in.”

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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Verse: Acts 4:17