apostle, apostles

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The Greek term that is usually translated as “apostle(s)” in English is (back-) translated in the following ways:

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as commissioner.

In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “authority” to differentiate it from disciple. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“apostles” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

council

The Greek that is translated as “council” or “Council” in English is (back-) translated in a variety of ways:

happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Ajami Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

complete verse (Acts 5:41)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 5:41:

  • Uma: “Those apostles went away from the gathering. Their hearts were very glad, they said: ‘We are blessed/fortunate, because God has chosen us to be persecuted and reviled because of our following of Yesus.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then the commissioned ones departed from those councilors and they were very glad because they were now considered worthy by God to suffer/endure persecution for their faith/trust in Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the apostles left, and they were very happy because they were considered by God to be able to endure their being shamed because of their trust in Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When the apostles left, their happiness was great because God had counted them worthy to be publicly-shamed for Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well since like that had happened to the apostles, they were very happy as they left the Sanedrin, for they had been given honor by God, for he had allowed/caused them to experience shame because of their being united/tied-together with Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave. “So the apostles when they left the big meeting they were very happy because Father God had caused them to suffer at the hands of the authorities there for Father Jesus.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “When they went out from the council they were happy in their hearts because they had seen suffering because of Jesus.”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “The apostles went from the junta with much joy. They rejoiced because God gave them the opportunity to suffer for Jesus’ sake.”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “Then Jesus’ sent ones came out from before the authorities. They rejoiced that God was pleased with their lives even to considering it appropriate for them to suffer for Jesus.” (Source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

Translation commentary on Acts 5:41

Left the Council is literally “left from the face of the Council,” another Semitic idiom.

Full of joy is variously expressed in different languages, “they had great joy,” “they rejoiced very much,” “they were very, very happy,” or idiomatically as “their hearts were very sweet” or “their livers were cool.”

The concept of worthy is difficult to render satisfactorily in a number of languages. In some contexts it is equivalent to “to be able to be” or “to be important enough.” In this context the equivalent may be “considered them good enough to suffer.”

The expression suffer disgrace is rendered as “to suffer punishment,” “to suffer being whipped,” or “to be punished.”

For the name of Jesus in this context may be rendered “for Jesus’ sake.”

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 .