SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:18

Paragraph 1:18–20

1:18a

“How can I be sure of this?”: The Greek question that the Berean Standard Bible translates as How can I be sure of this? is literally, “By what will I know this?” Zechariah wanted the angel to say or do something to prove that what he said was true. The question showed that Zechariah did not really believe the angel’s promise that he would have a son (1:13). Some other ways to ask this question are:

How can I know that this is true?
-or-
What will prove to me that this ⌊will really happen⌋?
-or-
What proof is there for this?

1:18b

This part of the verse gives Zechariah’s reasons for doubting what the angel said. The Greek text introduces these reasons with a conjunction. Introduce them in a way that is natural in your language. In some languages, a conjunction may not be needed.

I am an old man: The clause I am an old man implies that Zechariah was past the age by which men usually father a child.

and my wife is well along in years: The phrase well along in years is an idiom that means “old.” Zechariah was implying that his wife was too old to give birth to a child. Some versions make this explicit. For example:

my wife is beyond her childbearing years (God’s Word)

Use an acceptable way in your culture for a man to say this.

General Comment on 1:18a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reverse the order of 1:18a and 1:18b. For example:

18bI am an old man, and my wife is well along in years. 18a⌊So⌋ how can I be sure of this?

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:50

1:50

His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation: In the Greek text, this verse is more literally, “And his mercy (is) into generations and generations to/for those who fear him.”

This clause indicates that God shows mercy forever to people who fear him. He shows his mercy to each generation. English versions translate this in different ways, but the meaning is the same. For example:

from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him (Good News Translation)
-or-
his mercy is on those who fear him in each generation
-or-
from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him (NET Bible)

You should translate this in the way that is most natural in your language.

mercy: The word mercy means compassion for those who suffer or are in need. Some ways to translate this are:

compassion
-or-
pity

In some languages it may be more natural to translate this word with a verb phrase or a descriptive phrase. For example:

is kind
-or-
graciously helps

In some languages there may be an idiom that expresses this. For example, two English idioms are:

his heart is touched by those who fear him
-or-
he feels for those who fear him

to those who fear Him: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fear here means to respect or to revere. People who fear God know that he is great, and they are afraid to offend him. They have an attitude of submission and awe toward him.

Some other ways to translate to those who fear Him are:

to those who honor him (Good News Translation)
-or-
to those who revere him

from generation to generation: The phrase from generation to generation is a poetic phrase. In this context it indicates that God continues to show mercy to each generation of his people forever. He is merciful to all people who fear him in each generation. This means that he shows mercy to parents, and he also shows this mercy to their children and to their grandchildren. This continues for many generations. This verse is a general statement about what God is like, so the phrase includes generations before and after Mary’s time.

If this poetic phrase is very long and complicated to translate in your language, you may want to simplify it. Some models to follow are:

He always shows mercy (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God will show his mercy forever and ever (New Century Version)
-or-
His mercy never stops/changes

See the note on the similar expression “all generations” in 1:48b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:2

2:2

This verse tells what was happening in the history of the world at the time when Jesus was born. Some versions, such as the New International Version, put this verse in parentheses to show that it is background information. Consider how your language would indicate that 2:2 is background information.

2:2a–b

the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria: Scholars understand this sentence in different ways. The two main interpretations are:

(1) This was the first census in the Roman Empire. It happened while Quirinius was governor. For example:

This was the first registration; it was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. (New Century Version)

(Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor. This meaning implies that there was at least one later census while he was governor. For example:

This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. (God’s Word)

(Berean Standard Bible, God’s Word, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

census: The word census is the noun form of the Greek verb that means “register, enroll” that was used in 2:1b. Other words for census are “registration” and “enrollment.”

In some languages it may be more natural to use a verb phrase here. For example:

they wrote people’s names in a book

Quirinius: Quirinius is the name of a man. He was one of the Roman leaders who served Caesar. He governed a province that Rome ruled at that time.

governor: A governor was the leader of a province or country. The emperor had appointed him to this position.

Syria: Syria was one of many provinces or districts that the Romans ruled. It was a more powerful province than Judea and Galilee. In some languages it may be helpful to make it explicit that Syria was a province. For example:

⌊the province of⌋ Syria

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:34

2:34a

Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: There are two actions here:

(a) Simeon blessed them;

(b) Simeon talked to Mary.

Notice that 2:34b–2:35b is the prophecy that Simeon spoke to Mary. It is not the content of the blessing. Luke did not record the words of the blessing. Use a natural way in your language to indicate that Simeon’s prophecy to Mary was separate from the blessing. One way to do this in English is:

Simeon blessed them, and then he said to Mary

blessed: The word blessed means to ask God to “do good to someone” or “favor someone.” See bless, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

them: The pronoun them refers to Mary and Joseph.

2:34b

Behold: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Behold is the same word that it translates as “now” in 1:20, as “Behold” in 1:31, and as “Look” in 1:36. Some English versions do not explicitly translate the word. Decide what would be most natural to do in your language.

this Child is appointed to cause: The phrase appointed to cause indicates here that God had planned for Jesus to cause the things described in 2:34b to happen. Jesus would fulfill God’s plan. Some other ways to translate this are:

This child is destined to cause
-or-

⌊God⌋ has planned for this child to cause

the rise and fall of many in Israel: The phrase the rise and fall of many in Israel, literally “the falling and rising of many in Israel,” refers to what will happen to two groups of people in Israel. One group will fall, and another group will rise. In this context, it indicates that Jesus will cause one group to fall and he will cause the other group to rise.

In some languages, it may be more natural to reverse the order of the words fall and rise. For example:

for the rise of many in Israel and the fall of many others

the rise: The word rise is used as a figure of speech here. It refers to being blessed or saved. This is what would happen to people who accepted Jesus as the Christ/Messiah. Because they believed Jesus, God would bless and save them and allow them to share his glory.

In some languages, a literal translation of this figure of speech would communicate a wrong meaning. If this is true in your language, you should translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example, some other ways to translate the word rise here are:

will be saved (God’s Word)
-or-
blessing

fall: The word fall is also used as a figure of speech here. It refers to being condemned or destroyed. This is what would happen to people who refused to believe that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah. Because they refuse to believe Jesus, God will judge, condemn, or destroy these people.

In some languages, a literal translation of this figure of speech will communicate a wrong meaning. If this is true in your language, you should translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example, some other ways to translate the word fall here are:

destruction (Good News Translation)
-or-
will be condemned (God’s Word)

2:34c–35b

In the Greek text, 2:34c and 2:35b are connected. Some Bibles, including the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, and New Revised Standard Version, change the Greek order of the clauses in 2:35a and 2:35b so that 2:35b will immediately follow 2:34c. Other versions, such as the New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, and English Standard Version, follow the Greek order. Compare the order of the clauses in the Revised Standard Version and New International Version below:

34cand for a sign that is spoken against

35b(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also),

35athat thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. (Revised Standard Version)

34cand to be a sign that will be spoken against

35aso that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

35bAnd a sword will pierce your own soul too. (New International Version)

You should use the order that expresses the meaning in a clear and natural way in your language.

2:34c

and to be a sign: The phrase to be a sign is a second thing that Simeon said to Mary about God’s plan for Jesus. Jesus would also be a sign to people. In some languages, you may need to repeat some information from 2:34b. For example:

⌊God also appointed him⌋ to be a sign
-or-
He will be a sign from God (Good News Translation)

Connect this part of the verse to the context in a natural way in your language.

a sign: Jesus was like a sign or symbol that indicated that God was beginning to fulfill his promises to Israel.

If you need to translate sign as a verb, one possibility is:

he will indicate/show ⌊God’s plan⌋

that will be spoken against: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as spoken against also means “to oppose.” Jesus would be a sign that many people would “oppose” or “speak against.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:14

Paragraph 3:14

3:14a

soldiers: It is not clear whether these soldiers were Jewish or Roman or Samaritan. But they were able to take money from people wrongly.

And what should we do?: In the Greek text this question emphasizes the pronoun we. One way to show this in translation might be to say:

And us—what should we do?

3:14b

Do not take money by force or false accusation: This part of the verse indicates that the soldiers should not get money from people by violence or by accusing them falsely. Some ways to translate this are:

Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation (NET Bible)
-or-
Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation (New Revised Standard Version)

Do not take money by force: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Do not take money by force is literally “Do not shake violently.” John was telling the soldiers that they should not use violence or intimidate people in order to get money from them. Some ways to translate this are:

Do not intimidate people to give you their money.
-or-
Do not threaten people with violence so that they will give you money not to harm them.
-or-
Don’t take money from anyone by force (Good News Translation)

or false accusation: In this context the phrase or false accusation refers to trying to get money from someone by saying that he committed a crime that he did not commit. When the court charged the innocent person money for that crime, the soldier who accused him would get part of the money.

Some ways to translate this are:

and you must not try to get money by charging any person with a crime he did not commit
-or-
Do not ⌊try to get money by⌋ lying about people

In some translations it may be helpful to include a footnote about this. For example, the NET Bible has this note:

…someone could bring charges against an individual and be paid a part of the fine imposed by the court. Soldiers could do this to supplement their pay, and would thus be tempted to make false accusations.

he said: The Berean Standard Bible has placed the words he said in the middle of what John told the soldiers. Place these words where it is natural in your language.

3:14c

In this part of the verse John told soldiers what they should do, after telling them what not to do in 3:14b. Some versions start a new sentence or clause here, including the Berean Standard Bible. Other versions, such as the New International Version, connect 3:14c to 3:14b with a dash. Do what is natural in your language for this context.

Be content with your wages: The phrase Be content with your wages means “be satisfied with what you are paid.” The word wages refers to money that the government gave to a soldier to buy food and other necessities. Soldiers were not paid very much money. John told them to be content with that amount.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Be satisfied with your pay (God’s Word)
-or-
Consider your wages to be adequate
-or-
Do not desire to be paid more than ⌊the government⌋ pays you

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:19

4:19

This verse tells the fourth thing that God had sent the Messiah to proclaim. In some languages it may be necessary to repeat the verb “sent” from 4:18c. For example:

⌊He has sent me⌋ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor: The phrase to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor means “to announce that this is the year of the Lord’s favor.”

This phrase certainly reminded people of the Old Testament year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10). This was a special year of freedom and forgiveness for Israelites. The year of Jubilee foreshadowed the time when the Messiah would proclaim God’s forgiveness of people.

to proclaim: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaim is the same verb as in 4:18c. It means “to announce, to tell, to send out news about something.”

the year of the Lord’s favor: There are two ways to interpret the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the year of the Lord’s favor:

(1) It means the year when the Lord will show his favor to people. For example:

the time when the Lord will show his kindness (New Century Version)

(New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, New Century Version; and probably Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Revised English Bible)

(2) It means the year that the Lord has favored, that is, the year that the Lord has chosen, or the year that is acceptable to him. For example:

This is the year the Lord has chosen (Contemporary English Version)

(King James Version, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

year: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as year has a general meaning here. It refers to a period of time. In this context it refers to the time of the Messiah’s ministry when the Lord will show his favor. It probably does not refer specifically to a literal calendar year. For this reason, it is good to translate the word in a general way. For example:

to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness (New Century Version)

the Lord’s favor: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Lord’s favor refers to the Lord’s kindness. God will show his kindness or show that he is kind. For example:

the Lord will show his kindness (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:7

5:7a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So introduces what the fishermen did next. Because 5:7a describes the result of the miracle that had just happened, some English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, translate this Greek word as “so.” Because this is also what happened next, other versions, such as the Contemporary English Version, translate this word as “Then.” Other versions do not translate this word. Connect 5:7a to 5:6 in a way that is natural in your language.

they signaled: The words they signaled means that Simon and the men in the boat with him motioned to men who were in another boat. They probably motioned by waving their arms for those in the other boat to come and help them. The fishermen in the other boat were probably too far away to hear their shouting.

Some other ways to translate this are:

they motioned with their arms
-or-
they waved their arms/hands
-or-
they called by waving their arms

partners: The word partners here refers to James and John. They were in the other boat, and they were Simon’s companions and fellow fishermen. These men may have been Simon’s business partners, or they may have been merely friends with the same job.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

fellow fisherman
-or-
companions

5:7b–c

they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink is literally “they came and filled both boats so as to be sinking them.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Their partners came and filled both boats until the boats nearly sank. (God’s Word)
-or-
A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
They came and filled both the boats to sinking point. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

5:7b

they came and filled both boats: The subject of the verb came is different from the subject of the verb filled. The subject of came refers to the fishermen in the second boat. The subject of filled refers to the fishermen working in both boats.

You may need to make the change of subject clear. For example:

The men came, and together they filled the two boats (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they came and they all filled both boats

5:7c

they began to sink: The clause they began to sink means that the boats started to fill with water. This happened because the fishermen put so many fish in the boats. Luke 5:11a shows that the boats did not completely sink.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:39

5:39

This is the third short parable or illustration. Like the previous parable, it is about wine and wineskins. However, this parable makes a different point. Jesus said that people who had drunk old wine did not want to drink new wine. He was really talking about people who were content with the old ways and teaching of Jewish religion. He said that they were unwilling to consider the new ways and teaching that he had brought.

5:39a

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces a third illustration. In this illustration, Jesus criticized those who wanted to keep to the old traditions.

Introduce this illustration in a way that is natural in your language. You can use the same word that you did in 5:37. You should make it clear that this is a third illustration. It is different from the previous illustration about wine and wineskins. Another way to translate this is:

Also

no one after drinking old wine wants new: This is a general statement of something that is true of most people. Use a natural form in your language to make a general statement. For example:

People who have drunk old wine do not want to drink new wine.
-or-
…you don’t want new wine after drinking old wine. (Good News Translation)

new: This Greek word for new is the same word that was used in 5:37a and 5:37b. It refers to wine that has been pressed recently from grapes and is not yet fermented or strongly fermented.

5:39b

for he says, ‘The old is better.’: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as says here could also mean “thinks” or “believes.”

The old is better:
In this statement, people are comparing new wine with old wine. The statement is literally “the old is good,” meaning that it is good when compared with the new. Many English versions translate “good” as “better” (for example, the Berean Standard Bible and the New International Version). Express this comparison in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 5:39

You may want to add a footnote to explain some of the meaning of Jesus’ illustration about the wine. Some sample footnotes are:

Jesus was using a parable to talk about people who were content with the old ways and teaching of Jewish religion. He implied that they were unwilling to consider the new ways and teaching that he had brought.
-or-
Here old wine represents the old ways and teaching of the Jewish religion. New wine represents the new ways and teaching of Jesus. Jesus implied that people were unwilling to consider the news ways because they thought that the old ways were better.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013