widow

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “widow” in English is translated in West Kewa as ona wasa or “woman shadow.” (Source: Karl J. Franklin in Notes on Translation 70/1978, pp. 13ff.)

The etymological meaning of the Hebrew almanah (אַלְמָנָה) is likely “pain, ache,” the Greek chéra (χήρα) is likely “to leave behind,” “abandon,” and the English widow (as well as related terms in languages such as Dutch, German, Sanskrit, Welsh, or Persian) is “to separate,” “divide” (source: Wiktionary).

See also widows.

clothes

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “clothes” or similar in English is translated in Enlhet as “crawling-in-stuff” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ) and in Noongar as bwoka or “Kangaroo skin” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

See also Peter – rock.

complete verse (Acts 9:39)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 9:39:

  • Uma: “So, Petrus did follow along with them. When they arrived in Yope, they immediately accompanied him going to the wake for the dead person. All the widows surrounded Petrus. They cried and showed him the shirts and clothes that Dorkas had sewn for them while she was still alive.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Petros knew that, immediately he got ready and went with them. When (they) arrived at Joppa, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows surrounded him weeping. They showed to him the shirts and jackets that Dorkas had sewn for them when she was alive.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Peter left, going with them. And when Peter arrived he went with them to the room up above. And there were there some widow women and they gathered around crying. And they showed him the shirts that Dorcas had sewed while she was still alive.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Pedro stood-up and went-with them. Upon their arrival, they led (him) to the room where the dead-one was located. And then the weeping widows who were there crowded-around (him), while showing-and-showing him the clothes that Dorcas had sewed before her death.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore, when it had been told to Pedro, he went with them. When he arrived in Jope, he was taken to that upstairs room where the one who had died was laid out. When he had gone in, the widow women all approached him who were crying there. They showed him all the kinds of clothes which Dorcas had sewn, which was her aid to them while she was still alive.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 9:39

In the expression shirts and coats, the first word describes the garment which was worn next to the body, while the second term refers to the outer garment (the same word as was used in 7.58). Shirt and coat (see New English Bible and An American Translation*) seem to be the nearest natural equivalents in modern English. On the other hand, it is important not to employ terms which only designate clothing worn by men. After all, the clothing was most certainly for the widows.

Was alive is the meaning of “while she was with them.”

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 .