tanner

The Greek that is translated in English as “tanner” is translated as “someone who fixes animal skins” in Eastern Highland Otomi. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (Acts 9:43)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 9:43:

  • Uma: “After that, Petrus stayed in Yope for several more nights, dwelling in the house of a worker of leather goods named Simon.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Petros stayed yet in Joppa for some time. He was there in the house of Simon, a man whose work was fixing animal skins.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Peter, he stayed on there in the house of a person named Simon who was a maker of useful things from skin which he dried.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As for Pedro, he stayed a measurable-number of (i.e. quite a few) days in Joppa at the house of Simon who worked with leather.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Pedro stayed a long time there in Jope. Where he stayed was at the house of Simon who was a preparer of animal hides.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 9:43

Verse 43 serves as a transitional section. In the first place, it begins with a Greek verb often translated “it came pass” or “it happened that,” and this marks the beginning of another episode (Chapter 10.1-48). At the same time, this verse serves as a kind of conclusion to the preceding account of what happened to Dorcas in Joppa. The information, however, that Peter was staying with a leatherworker named Simon is important for understanding information given in 10.6.

The term leatherworker is essentially a “tanner,” in other words, one who tans the hides of animals. This does not imply that he is the one who makes articles out of leather, as a sandal maker or shoe cobbler would be. A tanner’s trade was considered unclean by the Jews, since it involved handling skins of animals they considered ceremonially unclean.

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 .