SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:28

1:28a

In 1:26 God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary. In this verse, the angel arrived. Connect this verse to the preceding verses in a clear way in your language.

The angel appeared to her and said: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as appeared is literally “entered.” It implies that the angel entered Mary’s house or room. It can also be translated with a more general word such as “came” or “went.” Some ways to translate this part of the verse are:

When he came to her, he said
-or-
The angel arrived and entered the place where she was. He greeted her, saying

1:28b

Greetings: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Greetings literally means “Rejoice!” It was a common greeting and showed that the angel came as a friend. Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a common greeting in your language. It should be a natural way for someone of authority to greet a young woman. For example:

Peace be with you! (Good News Translation)

(That is a common Jewish greeting.)

• Translate the literal meaning of the greeting. For example:

Rejoice!
-or-
Be joyful!

• Mention only the fact that the angel greeted her without putting the greeting in the quotation. For example:

he greeted her and said (God’s Word)

Notice how the God’s Word puts the verb “greeted” before the verb “said” here.

In 1:30a the angel addressed Mary by name. In some languages it may be natural to use her name here also. For example:

Greetings, Mary.

you who are highly favored: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you who are highly favored is literally “favored [one/person].” The angel used this word as a title to address Mary directly. For example:

Greetings, favored woman! (New Living Translation (2004))

The Greek verb favored is passive. In this context it indicates that God had shown great favor or kindness to Mary. This kindness was that he had chosen her to be the mother of the Christ.

Some ways to translate this are:

God has been very kind to you.
-or-
God has greatly favored you.
-or-
privileged-one
-or-
You are truly blessed! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God has given you a great gift/grace.

See grace, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

1:28c

There is a textual issue in this part of the verse:

(1) The earliest Greek manuscripts have only “The Lord is with you.” For example:

The Lord is with you. (New American Standard Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts add “Blessed are you among women.” For example:

…the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (King James Version)

(King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), as the majority of English versions do. However, if the national language version in your area follows option (2), you may want to mention it in a footnote. For example, the New Living Translation (2004) has this footnote:

Some manuscripts add “Blessed are you among women.”

The Lord is with you: The clause The Lord is with you means that the Lord was present with Mary. He was watching over her to bless her. The word Lord refers to God.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:60

1:60a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here is often translated as “and.” It introduces the fact that Elizabeth did not agree with the people that the baby would be called “Zechariah.” Many English versions express this as a contrast and use the conjunction “but.” In other languages a conjunction that indicates contrast may not be necessary. Connect these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

his mother: The phrase his mother refers to Elizabeth, the baby’s mother. Your translation should not imply that it refers to Zechariah’s mother. In some languages it may be helpful to add the name “Elizabeth” to make this clear.

replied: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as replied is literally “answered and said” (as in the New American Standard Bible). In Greek the verb “answered” implies that Elizabeth was responding to what the people said. It does not imply that she was answering a question. In some languages it may be more natural in just have one verb of speech here. For example:

but his mother said (Revised Standard Version)

No!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as No! is an exclamation. It emphasizes that Elizabeth disagreed with what the people said and contradicted it. If the word No! would imply the answer to a question here, you may need to use a different expression to show that Elizabeth disagreed with the people. For example:

Absolutely not! (God’s Word)
-or-
His name will definitely not be Zechariah!
-or-
Indeed, he will not be named Zechariah.

1:60b

In the Greek text 1:60b begins with a conjunction that expresses strong contrast. It introduces Elizabeth’s statement that the baby must be given a different name from the one that her visitors expected. The Berean Standard Bible has not translated this conjunction. Try to translate it with a word or phrase that (politely) contradicts a previous statement, for example:

On the contrary
-or-
Instead/rather
-or-
But

He shall be called John: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He shall be called John uses the future tense to indicate that the choice of the baby’s name has been firmly decided and will not be changed. Some other ways to express this are:

His name is John! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He must be named John. (NET Bible)

The Greek text did not say who would call or name the baby John. If you must supply such information, it is recommended that you use a general word such as “we” or “people.” For example:

We must name him John.
-or-
People must call him John.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:12

2:12a

And this will be a sign to you: The angel gave the shepherds a sign to help them know that the baby was the Messiah. They needed a sign, because they would find the Messiah in an unusual place in humble conditions. Because it was so unusual to find a newborn baby in conditions such as those, the sign proved that the baby who had just been born in Bethlehem was Christ the Lord. Some ways to translate this are:

11bHe is Christ, the Lord. 12aLet this prove it to you: (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
Here is a sign ⌊that he is Christ the Lord⌋.
-or-
This will show that ⌊he is Christ the Lord⌋.

And this: The word this refers to what the angel was about to tell the shepherds in 2:12b–c, that the shepherds would find Christ wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

a sign: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sign refers to an unusual event/miracle that has a meaning or proves that something is true. In this context, it is unusual to find any baby lying in a manger, especially the Messiah! The angel gave this as proof that the baby, Jesus, was Christ the Lord.

2:12b

You will find a baby: The clause You will find a baby implies that the shepherds would first have to search for a baby. They would not accidentally find him.

wrapped in swaddling cloths: The phrase wrapped in swaddling cloths is the same expression as in 2:7a. It was a Jewish custom to wrap newborn babies in strips of cloth. This kept them warm, and it also kept their arms and legs straight.

If your language requires you to say who wrapped the baby in cloths, you may say that his mother did. For example:

You will find a baby ⌊whose mother⌋ has wrapped ⌊him⌋ in cloths.

2:12c

manger: A manger was a feeding box or trough for animals, especially for large animals such as cattle and horses. People made this feeding box out of wood or stone. The word manger also occurs in 2:7c.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:44

2:44a

This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “but.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. The Berean Standard Bible has not translated this conjunction, and some other versions such as the New International Version and God’s Word also do not translate it. Connect 2:44a to 2:43c in a way that is natural in your language.

Assuming He was in their company: Joseph and Mary thought that Jesus was traveling with the same group of people that they were traveling with. See the introduction to Section 2:41–52 for more information about how this happened.

in their company: In some languages, the phrase in their company will suggest that Jesus was personally present with Joseph and Mary. This was not the case. To avoid this idea, you could translate the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as company as:

group
-or-
group of travelers

2:44b

they traveled on for a day: The clause they traveled on for a day indicates that Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem and traveled until the end of that day. They probably camped with the other travelers somewhere near the road, or they may have stayed in a guesthouse. That is when they realized that Jesus was not with them.

2:44c

relatives: The relatives probably included brothers and sisters of Joseph and Mary and the children of these brothers and sisters (Jesus’ cousins).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:24-

3:24a

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi: This verse part literally says “of Matthat, of Levi, of Melki.” Consider if it is natural in your language to continue to supply the phrase “the son,” as the Berean Standard Bible has done.

In some languages it may be necessary to use each name twice, once as the father, and once as the son. For example:

⌊Heli was⌋ the son of Matthat, ⌊and⌋ ⌊Matthat was⌋ the son of Levi, ⌊and⌋ ⌊Levi was⌋ the son of Melki.

3:24b–38

The rest of the list of names continues in this same way through 3:38. For this reason, the Display meaning lines show a sample translation only for 3:23d, 3:24a, and 3:24b. Continue your translation to the end of the chapter, using the model that is natural for your language.

There are no notes for the rest of this list of ancestors except where names are different between the Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation or the Revised Standard Version.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:29

4:29a

They got up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as got up has several senses. It can mean simply “stand up.” It can also refer to beginning an action or preparing for the action. In this context the people in the synagogue stood up, and they also began a hostile action against Jesus. Translate this in a natural way in your language for this context. See also the note on 1:39a where this verb is used of Mary preparing for her trip to see Elizabeth.

drove Him out of the town: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as drove Him out of the town is literally they “threw/cast him out of town.” This means that they “forced him to leave the town.” A crowd of people surrounded Jesus and forcibly took him with them out of the town.

Some other ways to translate this are:

forced him out of the town (NET Bible)
-or-
threw him out of town (Contemporary English Version)

4:29b

led Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as led Him here uses the same verb that it translates as “led” in 4:9a.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

forced Jesus ⌊to go with them⌋
-or-
pushed him

to the brow of the hill on which the town was built: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as brow refers to the edge or top of a cliff. The town of Nazareth had been built on a hill. For example:

to the edge of the cliff on which the town was built (New Century Version)

4:29c

in order to throw Him over the cliff: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as throw…over the cliff implies that the people of Nazareth intended to kill Jesus. They intended to kill him by pushing him off the cliff. Some other ways to translate this are:

They meant to throw him over the cliff (Good News Translation)
-or-
They intended to push him over the cliff (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:17

Section 5:17–26

Jesus healed a paralyzed man

In this section, Luke focused on Jesus’ authority. Jesus used his authority from God to forgive the paralyzed man’s sins. The religious leaders questioned that authority. Jesus proved his authority to forgive sin when he healed the paralyzed man.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus showed that he had authority to forgive sins
-or-
Jesus forgave the sins of a paralyzed man and healed him

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 9:1–8 and Mark 2:1–12.

Paragraph 5:17–19

5:17a

One day: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as One day is literally: “On one of the days.” It introduces a new event and indicates that it happened sometime during the same period of time as the preceding events. Some ways to translate this are:

At about that time
-or-
One day around that time
-or-
On one of those days (Revised Standard Version)

Jesus was teaching: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus here is the pronoun “he.” It refers to Jesus. Introduce him in this section in a natural way in your language.

was teaching: It may be necessary to make explicit what Jesus was teaching and to whom he was speaking. For example:

as Jesus was teaching ⌊the word of God⌋ ⌊to the people⌋

It is clear from the verses that follow that Jesus was teaching inside a house. In some languages it may be more natural to include where Jesus was in this verse. For example, you could say:

as he was teaching ⌊in a house⌋

5:17b

the Pharisees: The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group or party. It was very important to them to obey all of the Jewish religious laws carefully and in detail. Here are some ways to translate this word:

• Transliterate the word Pharisees according to the sounds of your language and indicate that it refers to a group of people. For example:

Farisi members
-or-
Parise adherents

• Transliterate the word Pharisees and indicate that it refers to a group of people with certain beliefs. For example:

people belonging to the Farise religious sect/group
-or-
members of the Jewish group called the Farasi

See Pharisee, sense A, in Key Biblical Terms. You may also want to include an explanation of Pharisees in the glossary of your translation.

teachers of the law: The teachers of the law were scholars who studied, taught, and interpreted the law of Moses, as well as related Jewish laws and traditions. Most teachers of the law were Pharisees, but not all Pharisees were teachers of the law. Some ways to translate this term are:

experts in the Law of Moses (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
teachers of religious law (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
experts on the law

See teacher of the law in the Glossary.

were sitting there: The phrase were sitting there means “were present.” The emphasis is on the fact that the religious leaders were there listening rather than on their posture. For example:

were present (God’s Word)
-or-
were there (New Century Version)

from Jerusalem and from every village of Galilee and Judea: Galilee and Judea are regions or provinces. Jerusalem is a city in Judea. Some ways to translate this are:

from every village in Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem (New Living Translation (2004))

from every village of Galilee and Judea: The phrase from every village of Galilee and Judea is a figure of speech called a hyperbole. Luke did not literally mean every single village. He meant that these religious leaders had come from many different villages in Israel. If your readers would tend to understand every village literally, some ways to translate this are:

from many villages of Galilee and Judea
-or-
from villages all over Galilee and Judea

5:17c

and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick: The clause and the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal the sick indicates that God’s power was with Jesus. This power enabled Jesus to prove that he was God by healing sick people.

Some ways to translate this are:

The Lord was giving Jesus the power to heal people. (New Century Version)
-or-
God had given Jesus the power to heal the sick (Contemporary English Version)

the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “master” or “one who has authority over others.” In this context the Lord refers to God. Other ways to translate Lord are:

Master/Chief
-or-
Ruler

In some languages, people may not naturally use a word that means “master” to refer to God. If speakers of your language do not understand that your word for “Lord” refers to God in this context, here are other ways to translate it:

• Use your word for God.

• Use your word for God and indicate that he is the Lord. For example:

God the Lord
-or-
Master God

If you include the word for God in your translation of Lord, you may want to include a footnote to give the literal Greek meaning. For example:

Here the Greek text is literally “Lord.”

See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:10

6:10a

And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man: In Greek, this is literally “and looking around at them all, he said to him.” Most English versions make explicit that Jesus waited until he had looked at them all before he spoke to the man. For example:

He looked around at them all, and then said to the man (New International Version)
-or-

After looking around at them all, he said to the man (NET Bible)

Jesus looked at everyone while he waited to see if anyone would answer his question. The parallel passage in Mark makes it explicit that no one said anything (Mark 3:4).

6:10b

Stretch out your hand: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Stretch out means “to extend” or “to hold out straight.”

hand: See the note on hand at 6:6b.

6:10c

He did so: The phrase He did so means here that the man stretched out his hand/arm.

and it was restored: In this context the word restored means “healed.” The man’s hand was made strong and well. For example:

and it was healed (New Century Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013