Acts 5:30, slew and hanged

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Q. Was Christ killed and (then) hanged on a tree as the King James Bible says, or was Christ killed by hanging him on a tree? Does not the KJV suggest that Jesus was hung on a tree following his being killed? Do modern English versions more accurately translate this verse?

A. First, the KJB does not say “slew and then hanged.” That is a misreading. Consider the answer, and some further commentary on the phrase “whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.” It is unnecessary to claim that either the KJV or modern English versions “more accurately” translate this verse. Both are accurate and correct in the sense that they convey the meaning of the text. The King James & earlier English translations, as well as some modern translations, in their own ways accurately reflect what Peter and the apostles said. The words joined by “and” in the KJV are διεχειρίσασθε (slew, having laid hands on) and κρεμάσαντες (hanged, having hanged). Both are aorist participles. There are multiple ways to translate Greek participial phrases into English. One must realize that English and Greek do not necessarily use participles in the same way.

• KJV: “whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.”
• ESV: “whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.”
• LSB: “whom you put to death by hanging Him on a tree.”
• NASB: “whom you put to death by hanging Him on a cross.”
• NET: “whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.”
• NIV: “whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.”
• NKJV: “whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.”
• WEB: “whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.”

Now, all that said, I agree with Mark Brown, who pointed out that such controversy over Acts 5:30 is a solution looking for a problem. A problem we did not have. Christian readers were not floundering around trying to figure out what this verse meant until some modern version swooped in to save the day. (Looking at the 60 some-odd versions at Bible Gateway, it looks like the Revised Standard Version of 1946 may have been the first major translation to include “by hanging.”) The KJV reading that we have is heir to the English translation tradition going back to Tyndale. For example, the readings in Tyndale, Coverdale, Matthew, Taverner, the Great Bible, Geneva, Bishops, and KJV are as follows.

• TYN: “whom ye slewe ād hanged on tre”
• CVD: “whō ye slewe ād hanged on tre”
• MTW: “whom ye slewe and hanged on tre”
• TVR: “whom ye slewe and hanged on tree”
• GRT: “whom ye slewe, and hanged on tre”
• GNV: “whome ye slew, & hanged on a tre”
• BSP: “whom ye slewe, & hanged on tree”
• KJV: “whom yee slew and hanged on tree”

I have not checked any of the non-descript translations between 1526 and 1885, but it seems that common English Bible readers were able to understand this verse quite well until 1881/1885, when the English Revision committee changed the phrase to “whom ye slew, hanging him on a tree” (which could also be misunderstood). The Bible commentary edited by Charles John Ellicott, who would become one of the English Bible revisers, never batted an eye over “slew and hanged” in its comments: “Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.—This synonym for crucifying comes from the LXX version of Deuteronomy 21:23, where it is used in a wider sense, including analogous forms of punishment, such as hanging or impaling.”

We do not interpret this verse (or Acts 10:39, q.v.) outside of its context in Acts or the New Testament. If so, we might raise other problems looking for a solution. Does “hang” mean he was hung by the neck until dead? Does tree mean a tree out in the woods? Does “killed” or “murdered” mean an act of man apart of God? And so on. We do not know these answers to these questions by one verse seated on a throne. We know the answers in their immediate contexts and wider biblical context. Same with “slew and hanged” (two parts of one and the same act), “slew, hanging him” (a clause of relation), or “put to death by hanging” (the manner of execution).

Some Greek versions.

All have ο θεος των πατερων ημων ηγειρεν ιησουν ον υμεις διεχειρισασθε κρεμασαντες επι ξυλου. This is not a case of textual variation. The differences are translational choices.

• TR1550: ο θεος των πατερων ημων ηγειρεν ιησουν ον υμεις διεχειρισασθε κρεμασαντες επι ξυλου
• WHNU: ο θεος των πατερων ημων ηγειρεν ιησουν ον υμεις διεχειρισασθε κρεμασαντες επι ξυλου
• TR1894: ο θεος των πατερων ημων ηγειρεν ιησουν ον υμεις διεχειρισασθε κρεμασαντες επι ξυλου
• SBLGNT: ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἤγειρεν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ὑμεῖς διεχειρίσασθε κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου·
• THGNT: ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἤγειρεν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς διεχειρίσασθε κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου·
• NA/UBS:  ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἤγειρεν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ὑμεῖς διεχειρίσασθε κρεμάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου

Final comments.

There are probably a few sincere readers who have misunderstood this statement. We should be glad to help. However, within the Bible version debates this truly is a solution looking for a problem. All the debaters know what the verse means.

The point of slew and hanged on a tree is about Jesus being made a curse (Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13). Not only did the Jews have the Romans kill Jesus, but he was also hanged on a tree, by this signifying he was cursed. (Also the English word “slew” could be more broadly used in 1611, as was the Greek word διεχειρίσασθε from which it was translated.)

We should refuse to adopt and then debate someone else’s misunderstanding of this passage, and then debate said passage based on your misunderstanding. It is true they slew their Messiah, the Christ. It is  true that he was hanged on a tree. There is no issue with the King James translation, only the misunderstanding of  reading it as if it says that they slew him, then hanged him on the tree instead of what is written.