SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 108

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:38

24:38a

“Why are you troubled,” Jesus asked: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus asked are more literally “and he said to them.” The Berean Standard Bible places these words in the middle of what Jesus said. This is good English style. However, in some languages, it may be necessary to put these words where they are in the Greek, at the beginning of 24:38a. For example:

He said to them, “Why are you troubled…” (New International Version)

Why are you troubled: This is a rhetorical question. It indicates that there was no reason for the disciples to be troubled. It is a gentle way to say that they should not be troubled. Some ways to translate the rhetorical question are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

How is it that you are troubled/frightened?
-or-
Is there any reason for you to be afraid? ⌊No!⌋

• As a statement or command. For example:

There is no reason for you to be afraid.
-or-
Do not be troubled/frightened.

Translate the meaning in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus asked: This clause introduces Jesus’ response to the disciples’ fear. Jesus asked them two rhetorical questions. Some other ways to introduce these questions are:

Then he said to them (NET Bible)
-or-
But Jesus said (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
He asked them (God’s Word)

Notice that the Contemporary English Version example begins with “But.” This implies that the disciples’ fear contrasts with the faith and joy that they should be feeling when they saw Jesus. Introduce the rhetorical questions in a natural way in your language.

24:38b

and why do doubts arise in your hearts?: This is a rhetorical question. It implies that there was no reason to doubt that he was really alive. They could now see him with their own eyes. It is a gentle way to say that they should stop doubting that he is alive.

Some ways to translate this rhetorical question are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

How is it that you have these doubts?
-or-
Is there any reason for you to doubt ⌊me⌋?

• As a statement or command. For example:

There is no reason for you to have these doubts.
-or-
Do not continue to doubt ⌊that I am alive⌋.

Translate the meaning in a way that is natural in your language.

doubts arise in your hearts: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as doubts arise in your hearts is an idiom. It has the same meaning as the verb “doubt.” Some ways to translate it are:

• Translate the meaning directly without using an idiom. For example:

you doubt (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you doubt what you see (New Century Version)

• Use an idiom that has the same meaning in your language. For example:

your hearts filled with doubt (New Living Translation (2004))

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:4

1:4

so that you may know: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces the purpose for which Luke wrote to Theophilus. He wrote in order that Theophilus would know that everything that he had been taught about Jesus was true. The word may is one way to express purpose in this context. It does not indicate uncertainty. Some other ways to translate so that you may know are:

so you can be certain (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to help you know (New Century Version)

Express this purpose in a natural way in your language. In some languages, it may be natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

I do this so that you will know (Good News Translation)

the certainty of the things you have been taught: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the certainty means “the reliability.” It describes something as worthy of trust. Luke wanted Theophilus to be confident that the things that he had learned about Jesus were true. Some other ways to translate this are:

that what you have been taught is true (New Century Version)
-or-
that the teaching you received is reliable

the things you have been taught: The phrase the things you have been taught refers to the history and teachings of Jesus that believers had taught or told Theophilus. It is passive in form. It may be more natural in your language to use an active form. For example:

the things that others have taught you

General Comment on 1:1–4

Luke inserted the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “most excellent Theophilus” into the middle of the long sentence in 1:3–4. If it is not natural in your language to do this, here are other options:

• Translate the name Theophilus and the description “most excellent” at the beginning of 1:1. For example:

Great Theophilus, many….

• Use a natural way to begin a letter in your language and translate the description “most excellent” in 1:3 or in 1:4. For example:

1aDear Theophilus, many…. 3dSo it seemed good to me, too, to write to you who are highly respected….
-or-

1a
⌊I am writing this book for you,⌋ Theophilus. Many ⌊others⌋…. 4aso that you whom people greatly esteem….

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:36

1:36a

Look: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look is the same word that it translates as “now” in 1:20 and as “Behold” in 1:31. This word often functions to focus attention on what follows and to indicate that this is important or amazing. Here it draws attention to the fact that Elizabeth is pregnant. This is something completely unexpected.

Some ways to translate the word in this context are:

And behold (English Standard Version)
-or-
And listen
-or-
And I tell you this too (New Jerusalem Bible)

even Elizabeth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as even means “also.” In this context it emphasizes something amazing that is true of Elizabeth as well as of Mary. Elizabeth is another example of someone who became pregnant through God’s power, since she was too old to have children. Use a natural way in your language to express this emphasis. Other ways to do this in English are:

has herself conceived a son (Revised English Bible)
-or-
has also become pregnant with a son

your relative: The text does not say how Elizabeth and Mary were related. So it is good to translate relative in a general way. Another way to translate this is:

kinswoman (Revised English Bible)

has conceived a son: Some other ways to translate the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has conceived a son are:

is…pregnant with a son (New Century Version)
-or-
is going to have a child (New International Version)

in her old age: The phrase in her old age means “even though she is old.” Mary already knew Elizabeth and knew that she was past the normal age of childbearing. The angel did not tell her new information concerning Elizabeth’s age.

1:36b

she who was called barren: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as she who was called barren indicates how people described Elizabeth because she did not have any children. It is also an idiom. She was not just called barren; she had actually been barren.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Everyone thought she could not have a baby (New Century Version)
-or-
She was not able to have children before (NLV)
-or-
It is said that she cannot have children (Good News Translation)

Notice that the Berean Standard Bible uses a past tense form here, but the Greek uses a present form. The Good News Translation reading quoted just above reflects this. Use a natural form in your language for this context.

barren: The word barren describes a woman who is not able to conceive or bear a child. Among the Jews it was considered disgraceful for a married woman to be barren. Many Jewish women felt ashamed if they were not able to have children. Translate using language that will be sensitive and respectful for public reading.

is in her sixth month: The phrase is in her sixth month means that Elizabeth had begun her sixth month of being pregnant.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:68

1:68a

Blessed be the Lord: Zechariah used the Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Blessed be the Lord to express praise and thanks to God. He implied that God was worthy of praise and that everyone should speak wonderful things about him. Some other ways to translate this are:

Let us praise the Lord (New Century Version)
-or-
Praise belongs to the Lord
-or-
The Lord is worthy of praise

See bless, Meaning 4, in the Glossary. See also Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

the God of Israel: The phrase the God of Israel means “the God whom the people of Israel serve/worship.” Since Zechariah was an Israelite, in some languages it may be necessary to translate this as:

the God whom ⌊we⌋ Israelites ⌊serve/worship⌋

1:68b–69

At the time when Zechariah spoke, God had not yet delivered his people. But Zechariah knew that God had started to deliver them. He knew this because the angel had promised that his son John would “make ready a people prepared” (1:17) for the Deliverer whom God would send. In 1:68b–69 Zechariah used verb forms that would normally imply that God had already delivered the people. Hebrew prophets often spoke in that way to emphasize that the events about which they prophesied would certainly happen.

In some languages, speaking in that way may wrongly imply that the events had already happened. If that is true in your language, you may need to translate the verbs in a different way. Use a form in your language that describes either:

(a) a process that has begun (but is not yet finished), or

(b) a series of events that is described as one single event. Some of the events in the series may be past and others may be present or future.

See the introduction to Section 1:67–80 for more information. Some other ways to translate the events in 1:68b–69 are:

…he has come and has begun to redeem his people. He is raising up a horn of salvation…
-or-
…he has come and is redeeming his people. He is raising up a horn of salvation…
-or-
…he will certainly come and will redeem his people. He will raise up a horn of salvation…

You may also want to include a footnote in your translation to explain these things.

1:68b

because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces a reason why the Lord is worthy of praise. This part of the verse explains why Zechariah praised God in 1:68a. Connect 1:68a and 1:68b in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed. For example:

68aPraise the Lord, the God of Israel! 68bHe has come to save his people. (Contemporary English Version)

He has visited and redeemed His people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as visited means that God had come near to his people to help them. He would help them by redeeming them. Some other ways to translate this are:

he has come to help his people and has given them freedom (New Century Version)
-or-
he has come ⌊to take care of⌋ his people and redeem them
-or-
he has turned to his people and set them free (Revised English Bible)

redeemed His people: The verb redeemed means “rescued, set free, delivered.” If you must say from whom or what God had redeemed His people, you should supply “from their enemies.” This is made explicit in 1:71.

This phrase is similar to Psalm 111:9, “He provided redemption for his people.”

His people: Zechariah was an Israelite, one of God’s people. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that explicitly. For example:

us(incl) his people

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:20

2:20a–b

returned: If it is more natural in your language to say to where the shepherds returned, you can say:

returned to the field(s)
-or-
returned to their flock of sheep

glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen: The phrase glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen indicates that the shepherds talked about how great and good God was to cause those events.

glorifying and praising God: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorifying and praising have almost the same meaning here. The meaning is that the shepherds honored and praised God. The same Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as praising was also used in 2:13.

The author used two words with the same meaning in order to emphasize the idea. In some languages it may be more natural to express this emphasis in another way. For example:

greatly praised God

glorifying: The word glorifying means “honoring, extolling, praising.” In this context the shepherds were honoring and praising God. They were talking about how God showed his greatness and glory through all that they had heard and seen (2:20b). See glory, sense C1, in Key Biblical Terms.

all they had heard and seen: The phrase all they had heard and seen refers to the baby in the manger, what the angel had said about him, and how the angels had praised God.

2:20c

just as the angel had told them: This clause is passive in Greek, literally “just as it was told to them.” It is similar to the phrase in 2:17b that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “they had received about Him.” In Greek the phrase is more literally “that had been told to them.” In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb and indicate who told the shepherds the message. If that is true in your language, you may indicate that the angel told the shepherds (2:9–12). For example:

exactly as ⌊the angel⌋ had told them ⌊it would happen⌋

General Comment on 2:20a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:20a after 2:20b–c. For example:

20bAll the things that the shepherds heard and saw 20cwere just as they had been told. 20aSo they returned, glorifying and praising God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:52

2:52a

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature: In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of wisdom and stature here. For example:

Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom (Good News Translation)

grew: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grew is literally “increased.” In this context, Jesus increased in wisdom and size. This indicates that Jesus grew and developed. He was becoming mature.

wisdom: The word wisdom here means the ability to think clearly and sensibly, to understand matters, and to be able to act wisely based on that understanding. In the Bible, wisdom often refers to godly wisdom. A person who has godly wisdom understands what God says and what God wants people to do. The wise person acts on the basis of that understanding.

stature: The word stature refers here to Jesus’ body. Jesus was growing and maturing physically. He was becoming a man.

2:52b

and in favor with God and man: The phrase and in favor with God and man means that God approved of him and people also approved of him. That approval from God and man increased as Jesus grew. Other ways to say this are:

He gained favor from God and people. (God’s Word)
-or-
increased…in divine and human favor (New Revised Standard Version)

favor: In this context favor refers to an attitude that people had toward Jesus. They were pleased with him and appreciated him.

man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man is literally “people,” including both males and females. For example:

gained favor from…people (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:5

Paragraph 4:5–8

In this paragraph, Luke reported another way that the devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempted Jesus to make an agreement with him.

4:5a

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then is a conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version and NET Bible, do not translate this conjunction here. But since the events in this paragraph occur after the events in 4:3–4, in some languages, it may be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word or phrase. That is why the Berean Standard Bible and other translations (NET Bible, Good News Translation, etc.) translate the conjunction as “then.” Connect 4:4a to 4:3b in a way that is natural in your language.

the devil led Him up: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as led Him up can also be translated as “took him up,” as in the Good News Translation. Another way to translate this is:

brought him up

up to a high place: The phrase to a high place is not in Greek. Some English versions add a phrase to explain the specific meaning of the word up in this context.

The parallel passage in Matthew 4:8 says that the devil took Jesus to “a very high mountain.” In some languages a word such as up alone may imply a wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to use a more specific phrase, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. However, since Luke did not include the phrase to a high place, you do not have to translate it here unless your language requires it.

4:5b

and showed Him: The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. This was a supernatural showing.

in an instant: The phrase in an instant means that Jesus saw all the countries at once. Some other ways to translate this are:

in a moment
-or-
in single/brief moment of time

all the kingdoms of the world: The phrase all the kingdoms of the world means “all the countries/nations on the earth.” For example:

all the nations on earth (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:37

4:37

And: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Since the events in 4:37 happened as a result of the events in 4:31–36, some versions indicate that 4:37 is the result by translating this conjunction as “So.” For example:

So the news about him (NET Bible)

Other versions begin this verse without a conjunction.

the news about Jesus spread: The phrase the news about Jesus spread means that people told other people what Jesus had said and done. A similar phrase occurs in 4:14b.

throughout the surrounding region: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as throughout the surrounding region is literally “into every place of the surrounding region.” This included the towns and the more rural areas.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

to every place in the whole area (New Century Version)
-or-
all over that part of the country (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
through every village in the entire region (New Living Translation (2004))

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013