SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 109

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:3

8:3a

Joanna the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza: Some other ways to spell the name Chuza are:

Chusa
-or-
Kuza

Herod’s household manager: Chuza’s job was probably to manage King Herod’s personal business affairs. Some ways to translate Herod’s household manager here are:

Herod’s steward (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Herod’s business manager (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Herod’s chief official

8:3b

and many others: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as many others refers to many other women besides the three just named. See also the note at 8:2a on “some women.”

8:3c

These women: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as These women is literally “who.” It is a form that refers specifically to women. It probably refers to all of the women in 8:2–3, both those whose names are mentioned and the “many others.”

were ministering to them:
The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were ministering to them means “served them.” In this context it means that the women paid for the things that Jesus and the twelve apostles needed. The Greek verb indicates that the women did this regularly or continually. Other ways to say this are:

provided for their financial needs
-or-
provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples (God’s Word)
-or-
paid for what they needed

out of their own means: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of their own means means “from their possessions/things.” In this context it indicates that the women used their own money to buy food and other things that Jesus and his twelve apostles needed. Other ways to say this could be:

out of their own resources
-or-
with their own money

their: The word their refers specifically to the women who are referred to in 8:2–3.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:35

8:35a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So here introduces what happened next as a result of what the herdsmen reported. Some English versions say “and” (New International Version), while others (English Standard Version) say “then.” Some versions (Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004)) do not use a conjunction. Connect 8:35a to 8:34 in a way that is natural in your language.

the people went out: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the people went out is literally “they went out.” It refers in general to the inhabitants of the city and countryside who heard the report of the herdsmen. In some languages it will be more natural to supply a subject such as “people” or “everyone,” as many English versions do.

went out to see what had happened: This phrase indicates that people left the places where they were in order to go and see what had happened. They wanted to see for themselves what the herdsmen had told them about. Compare 8:35c–d, which indicates that they arrived where Jesus was.

8:35b

They came to Jesus: This verse part begins with a Greek conjunction that many English versions, such as the English Standard Version and NET Bible, translate as “and.” Other versions, such as the New International Version and Contemporary English Version, translate it as as “when” to indicate the sequence of events. Some versions do not translate this conjunction. Translate this in a way that is natural in your language.

Some languages may need to state first that the people arrived at the place where Jesus was and then that they came to him. For example:

When they got to the place where Jesus was, they came to him

8:35c–d

found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind: In this context found the man indicates that they came to the place where the man was. It indicates especially that they noticed that he was sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. The word found does not imply that he was lost. Another way to translate this is:

saw/discovered that the man whom the demons had released was now sitting at Jesus’ feet, wearing clothes, and in his right mind

the man whom the demons had left: This phrase refers back to the man whom Jesus had released from the demons’ control. Refer to him in a natural way in your language. Some ways to do this are:

the man, whom the evil spirits had left (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
the man (New Century Version)
-or-
the man who had been freed from the demons (New Living Translation (2004))

See the note on “a demon-possessed man” at 8:27b.

demons: This is the same word as 8:27b, 8:30c, and 8:33a.

sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind: Of the three things said about the man, probably the fact that he was in his right mind is the most important. Consider if it would be more natural in your language to place this first in the list rather than last. For example:

in his right mind, dressed, and sitting ⌊calmly⌋ at Jesus’ feet

sitting at Jesus’ feet: The man was sitting on the ground in front of Jesus. This was how people often sat in the presence of a teacher, and it implies a humble, submissive attitude. The people could see that the man was sitting quietly and peacefully. He was no longer wild and uncontrollable. Use a natural expression in your language to describe his position. Consider also if you have an expression that describes both the position and attitude of a learner with his teacher or master.

in his right mind: The phrase in his right mind indicates that the man’s mind was normal. He was no longer insane. In many languages this is expressed by an idiom. Other ways to say this are:

his mind was right/healed
-or-
his mind had returned
-or-
he was thinking/acting normally

8:35e

and they were afraid: Although the people were looking at the rescued man, they were afraid because of Jesus. This is made clear in 8:37a–b. When Jesus delivered the man from the demons, he showed that he had great supernatural power. This caused the people to fear him. Translate they were afraid with a natural expression that describes this type of “fear” or “dread” in your language. See how you translated the similar words and emotion at 8:25a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:11

9:11a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here introduces something that happened to disturb or interrupt Jesus’ plans. Some English versions use an introductory clause instead of a conjunction here. For example:

When the crowds heard about it (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to connect this verse with 9:10.

the crowds found out: The phrase found out indicates that the people had heard/discovered where Jesus had gone. Here is a way to show that:

the crowds found out where Jesus was going (New Living Translation (2004))

the crowds: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the crowds refers to many people who are together in a place.

The Berean Standard Bible uses a plural form here, as the Greek text does, to indicate that the crowd was very large. The plural form probably does not indicate that the author was referring to more than one distinct group of people. Some other ways to translate the crowds here are:

many people
-or-
the crowd
-or-
a lot of people (Contemporary English Version)

followed Him: The crowds went in the direction that they knew Jesus was going. The parallel passages in Matthew and Mark indicate that Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake in a boat. So your translation should not imply that the crowds were walking behind Jesus. Another way to translate the meaning of followed Him here is:

also went there

9:11b

He welcomed them: The clause He welcomed them means that Jesus received the crowds kindly and politely. He did not send them away, even though he had planned to be alone with his disciples.

spoke to them about the kingdom of God: The phrase the kingdom of God refers to God’s reign or rule over his people. For more information, see the note on “to proclaim the kingdom of God” in 9:2.

9:11c

He healed those who needed healing: The phrase healed those who needed healing means “healed those people who were sick.” For example:

cured those who were sick (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:43

9:43a

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as And introduces the concluding result of this story. Some English versions do not translate this word. Other ways to translate this conclusion are:

And so
-or-
As a result
-or-
When the people saw this

they were all astonished at the greatness of God: The phrase they…all refers to all the people who were present when Jesus healed the boy. The clause they were all astonished at the greatness of God indicates that all the people there were amazed at God’s power. They had seen Jesus heal the boy, and they understood that Jesus had used this power to heal the boy.

In some languages people may not understand the connection between Jesus healing the boy and the people being amazed at God’s greatness. If that is true in your language, you may need to make it explicit. For example:

⌊The way that Jesus showed⌋ God’s great power amazed all the people.

greatness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as greatness refers here to God’s great power. Other ways to translate it are:

the mighty power of God (Good News Translation)
-or-
the powerful way that God ⌊had acted⌋

Section 9:43b–45

Jesus predicted his death a second time

In 9:22 Jesus told his disciples that his enemies would reject and kill him and that God would cause him to live again. Here in 9:43b–45, Jesus told his disciples the same thing again. But they still did not understand what he was talking about.

Luke placed this section immediately after the healing of the boy with an unclean spirit (9:37–43a). He did this in order to contrast the people’s amazement at the wonderful things Jesus was doing with the future suffering that Jesus knew he must endure. However, this section does not occur immediately following the miracle in the preceding section. According to the parallel passage in Mark, Jesus and his disciples left on a trip through Galilee. It was on this trip that Jesus spoke to them the second time about his coming death.

Other examples for this section heading are:

Jesus again predicted that he would die and come back to life
-or-
Death and resurrection foretold a second time
-or-
Jesus again tells his disciples that he will be killed but then God will raise him from the dead

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 17:22–23 and Mark 9:30–32.

Paragraph 9:43b–45

9:43b

In Greek, 9:43b begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “but.” The Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions do not translate this conjunction.

As mentioned in the section introduction, this section that predicts Jesus’ death contrasts with the fact that people were amazed at what Jesus had been doing. You should show this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus was doing: The clause While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus was doing indicates that the people were amazed at all the things that Jesus had been doing and teaching. It was not only the miracle of healing the boy that amazed them. See the introduction to Section 9:43b–45. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Amid the general astonishment at all he was doing (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Everyone was amazed at all the things that Jesus was doing. (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:13

Paragraph 10:13–16

Jesus had just been talking to his disciples about how God would punish the people who rejected the message that his disciples preached (10:10–12). Here in 10:13–16 Jesus expressed his sorrow at the terrible punishment that awaited the people. These people had already heard him and had seen him do miracles, but they still refused to repent and believe him.

10:13a

Woe to you, Chorazin!: This is a figure of speech. Jesus was addressing the town of Chorazin as though it were a person. In some languages it may be necessary to make it clear that Jesus was actually talking about the people of the town. For example:

You people of Chorazin

At this time Jesus was not in Chorazin and its people were not actually present. If it is not natural in your language to address people who are not present, you may need to translate this as:

Woe to the people of Chorazin!

The exclamation Woe to you, Chorazin! expressed that Jesus was sad because of the things that would happen to the people of Chorazin. God would punish them. See the note on the same exclamation in 6:24a. Other ways to translate this exclamation are:

How terrible for you, Korazin! (New Century Version)
-or-
What horrors await you, Korazin! (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
How sad/awful! ⌊God will punish⌋ you/the people of Korazin severely.

Chorazin: Chorazin was probably a town by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus preached and did some of his miracles. It may have been a village near Capernaum. Here is another way to spell the name of this town:

Korazin (New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version)

You may use either spelling as a basis for the way you write this name in your language. Both names are pronounced the same way.

10:13b

Bethsaida: Bethsaida was another town whose people had seen and heard Jesus and had apparently also rejected him. This town was also by Lake Galilee and probably near Capernaum. It was mentioned in 9:10. Be sure that you spell this name the same way in both verses.

General Comment on 10:13a–b

In some languages it may be natural to combine these verse parts. For example:

What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
How terrible it will be for the people of Korazin and Bethsaida!

10:13c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason why God would punish the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida more severely than he punished the people of Tyre and Sidon. Some English versions do not translate this conjunction.

The reason why God would punish them is only implied here. The reason is that they did not repent when they saw the miracles that Jesus performed. In some languages it may be necessary to make this reason explicit at the end of 10:13a or at the beginning of 10:13c. For example:

because ⌊you refuse to repent/believe⌋ (Translator’s Reference Translation)

if the miracles that were performed in you: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were performed is a passive verb. The implied subject of this verb is Jesus. Some ways to translate this verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

the miracles done in you (New Jerusalem Bible)

• As an active verb, with or without the implied subject. For example:

the miracles I did in you (New Century Version)
-or-
the miracles that took place in your towns (Contemporary English Version)

Translate this in the way that is most natural in your language.

miracles: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as miracles is literally “powers.” A miracle is an action that requires great power to accomplish. When a human being does a miracle, he must use greater power than human beings normally have. Jesus used God’s power to do miracles, and these miracles demonstrated that he came from God.

Some other ways to translate miracles are:

mighty works
-or-
amazing acts ⌊done with/by God’s power⌋
-or-
wonderful actions that only God can do

in you: The phrase in you here means “in the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida.” In your translation, if Jesus is addressing the people of these towns rather than the towns themselves, you may need to translate this as:

among you(plur)
-or-
in your towns

if the miracles…had been performed in Tyre and Sidon: This clause implies that Jesus did not do miracles like these in Tyre and Sidon. In some languages it may again be necessary to make it explicit that Jesus was the subject:

if ⌊I⌋ had performed in Tyre and Sidon the miracles

Tyre and Sidon: Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel. These cities had rejected God long ago and were well-known for their wicked lives. See Isaiah chapter 23, Ezekiel chapters 26–28, and Amos 1:9–15. You may want to supply this background information in a footnote. It may also be appropriate to make some of this information explicit in the text. For example:

⌊the Gentile cities of⌋ Tyre and Sidon
-or-

⌊the wicked people of⌋ Tyre and Sidon

10:13d

they would have repented long ago: If the people of Tyre and Sidon had seen the miracles of Jesus, they would have quickly repented of their sins. But Jesus did not do these miracles in Tyre and Sidon, so the people there did not repent.

repented: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repented means that a person “changed his mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible, it refers specifically to a person’s changing his mind and heart about sin and about God. When a person repents, he is sorry for his past sins. He decides to stop sinning and obey God.

Some ways to translate repented in this context are:

changed their thinking/minds/hearts
-or-
rejected their sins

In some languages, you may have an idiom for this type of change. For example:

turned from sin to God
-or-
left their sinning behind

The term “repentance” first occurs in Luke in 3:3c.

long ago: In this context the phrase long ago probably implies that if the people of Tyre and Sidon had seen Jesus’ miracles, they would not have waited a long time to repent. They would have repented quickly, without delay.

General Comment on 10:13c–d

These verse parts refer to something that could have happened but did not happen. They contain a condition (“if” clause) that was not fulfilled. In some languages it may be more natural to translate these verse parts as two sentences. For example:

13cThe people of Tyre and Sidon never saw miracles like the ones I performed in your cities. If they had seen them, 13dthey would have repented.

In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the order of 10:13c–d:

13dThe people of Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago 13cif they had seen miracles like those that were performed in Bethsaida and Korazin.

10:13e

sitting in sackcloth and ashes: The phrase sitting in sackcloth and ashes means “sat down in ashes while wearing sackcloth.” In Jesus’ time it was the custom for people to show that they were sad or sorry for their sins by wearing sackcloth that was rough and uncomfortable. They sprinkled ashes on their heads and shoulders and sat down among the ashes. If this is not the custom in your language area, or if it does not have the same meaning, it may be necessary to make this purpose explicit. For example:

they would have worn rough, uncomfortable clothes and sat in ashes ⌊to show how sorry they were for their sins⌋
-or-
clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse (New Living Translation (2004))

The New Living Translation (2004) and some other English versions do not make explicit that the people were “sitting.” The position of the people does not affect the meaning of this cultural gesture. You may omit this detail if it is awkward to specify it in your language.

sackcloth: The word sackcloth refers to rough cloth that was usually used to make sacks. The cloth was made from animal hair. People sewed it into shirts, but these shirts would have been uncomfortable to wear. Other ways to translate sackcloth are:

rough cloth (New Century Version)
-or-
coarse clothes made of animal hair

ashes: The word ashes refers to what is left after wood has been burned in a fire. People would normally throw these ashes onto the trash heap.

General Comment on 10:13d–e

The reason why the people put on sackcloth and ashes was to show that they had repented. In some languages it may be natural to reorder 10:13d–e so that the relation between them is clear. For example:

13eThey would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves 13dto show they had changed. (New Century Version)
-or-

13e…the people there would have long ago sat down, put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes on themselves, 13dto show that they had turned from their sins! (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:3

11:3

Give us each day our daily bread: This clause means “Each day, give to us the bread/food that we need for that day.” It is a request to God to provide the food that we need each day. Some other ways to translate this are:

⌊We pray that you will⌋ give to us each day the bread that we need for that day.
-or-
Each day, ⌊please⌋ give to us the food that we need.

This phrase is not exactly the same as in Matthew 6:11.

bread: For the Jewish people of Jesus’ time, bread was the most important food. In this context, the word bread represents “food” in general. If people in your area will not understand a literal translation of bread in this way, you may translate bread more generically as “food.” For example:

food (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:35

11:35

Be careful: The command Be careful functions as a warning. Some other ways to translate this warning are:

See to it (New International Version)
-or-
Make certain (Good News Translation)

then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then introduces a command that Jesus made as a logical result of what he had just said. It is not a time word. Other ways to translate this word are:

Therefore (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
So (New Century Version)

that the light within you is not darkness: There are at least two translation issues in this clause:

Issue 1—Implied Information

This clause is an apparent contradiction, since light cannot be darkness. The implied meaning is probably “that ⌊what you think is⌋ the light within you is not ⌊actually⌋ darkness.” In some languages it may be necessary to make this implied information explicit. For example:

that ⌊what you consider to be⌋ inner light is not ⌊really⌋ darkness
-or-
that the light you think you have is not actually darkness (New Living Translation (2004))

Issue 2—Meaning of the metaphor

This clause contains the metaphors of “light” and “darkness,” but the meaning of the metaphors is not stated explicitly. Here the “light” represents the truth. Jesus was telling the people to be sure that their knowledge or understanding of the truth, especially the truth about himself, was correct. If their understanding was not correct, it was like darkness.

You should try to keep the figures of light and darkness in your translation if possible. One way to do this is to use a simile. For example:

be careful lest you think that you are like a person who has light inside him and understands the truth but actually you are like a person who is dark inside

If it is not possible to keep the figures of light and darkness, one possible way to translate this is:

be careful that what you think is the truth is actually true and not false

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:13

Section 12:13–21

Jesus warned the people not to be greedy

In the previous section Jesus was speaking to his disciples. In this section a man in the crowd interrupted and asked Jesus to settle a quarrel between him and his brother about an inheritance. Jesus used this situation as an opportunity to warn the crowd about being greedy and selfish. He told them a parable about a rich man who kept all his riches for himself. God called him a fool and judged him for it.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

The Parable About The Rich Fool
-or-
A Rich Fool (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Jesus Warns Against Selfishness (New Century Version)

This parable is only in the Gospel of Luke.

Paragraph 12:13–21

12:13a

This verse introduces an interruption to what Jesus was saying. In some languages it may be necessary to provide a connection to the preceding context. For example:

Just then…

Someone in the crowd: The context makes it clear that this Someone was a man, and if it is natural in your language you may make that explicit at this point. For example:

A man in the crowd (New Jerusalem Bible)

12:13b

Teacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:

Sir Teacher
-or-
Sir
-or-
Master

Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher. Be sure also to translate the man’s request in a polite way.

The word Teacher last occurred in 11:45b.

tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me: This man had apparently been arguing with his older brother. Their father must have died and the older brother had not given the younger brother his share of the land, money, and other possessions that their father had left. The younger brother who was speaking wanted Jesus to use his authority to help him get what he considered his fair share of this inheritance.

my brother: This was probably the man’s older brother and his only brother. If you need to make explicit whether or not he was older, you should say:

my ⌊older⌋ brother

inheritance: An inheritance is the money, land, and other possessions a man leaves when he dies. In Jewish culture, this inheritance normally went to his sons. The oldest son would receive twice as much as each of the other sons would receive.

Other ways to translate the request in 12:13b are:

⌊Please⌋ order my ⌊older⌋ brother to share/divide our family property with me.
-or-

⌊Please⌋ tell my brother to give me my ⌊proper⌋ share of the inheritance ⌊from our father⌋.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013