SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 121

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:7

1:7a

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is a common conjunction that is often translated as “and” in English. Some English versions translate it here as “But.” That is natural in English in this context. The conjunction contrasts the righteous life of Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:6) with the fact that they had no children. Connect 1:7 to 1:6 in a way that is natural in your language. In some languages, a conjunction may not be needed. For example:

They had no children (New Living Translation (2004))

children: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as children is literally “child” (as in the Revised Standard Version). In modern English, it is more natural to use the plural form children. You can use the form that is most natural in your language here.

barren: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as barren describes a woman who is not able to conceive or give birth to a child. Another way to translate this is:

not able to have children

1:7b

they were both well along in years: In this context the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as well along in years means that Zechariah and Elizabeth were old. They were past the age when they would normally be able to have children. Another way to translate this is:

she and Zechariah were both very old (Good News Translation)

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:39

Section 1:39–45

Mary visited Elizabeth

Soon after the angel visited Mary in Galilee, she went to visit her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth lived in a town in Judea. Mary probably traveled from three to five days to reach there. The Holy Spirit revealed to Elizabeth that Mary was carrying the Christ/Messiah in her womb. This was confirmed also by Elizabeth’s baby, John, who leaped for joy in her womb. Elizabeth declared that Mary was blessed more than all women because God had chosen her for such an honor.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Elizabeth affirmed that God had blessed Mary
-or-
Elizabeth recognized that Mary would be the mother of the Christ

Paragraph 1:39–45

1:39a

In those days: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as In those days means “at that time.” The word “days” is an idiom for a time period; it does not refer to specific days. After the angel left Mary, she was probably eager to see Elizabeth. She probably left as soon as she could prepare for the journey. Perhaps only a few days passed.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Soon afterward (God’s Word)
-or-
A few days later (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
A short time later (Contemporary English Version)

Mary got ready and hurried: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Mary got ready and hurried is literally “rising up, Mary went with haste.” Luke often used the verb “rising up” to describe beginning an action or preparing for it. Here it does not refer literally to standing up. Some ways to translate it in this context are:

Mary set out and hurried away (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Mary prepared ⌊for a trip⌋ and hurried

In some languages it may not be necessary to translate this idea explicitly. For example:

Mary hurried to a town (Contemporary English Version)

1:39b

to a town in the hill country of Judah: This town was where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived. Luke did not give the name of the town. The distance from Nazareth to that town in the hill country was between 100 and 150 kilometers (70–100 miles). Mary would have walked or traveled by donkey.

Judah: Judah was one of the provinces or districts that Rome ruled. It was one of the areas where Jews lived.

The word Judah occurs both here and in 1:65b, but it is spelled differently in Greek. Some English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, show the difference in spelling and transliterate this word as “Judah” here and “Judea” in 1:65b. However, since both spellings refer to the same province, it is recommended that you spell it the same way in both places.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:71

1:71a–b

In this verse Zechariah spoke again about the salvation that he mentioned in 1:69. In 1:69 he referred to the “horn of salvation,” which represents the mighty Savior whom God provided. Here in 1:71 Zechariah implied that this Savior would deliver the Israelites from their enemies and those who hated them. In some languages it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here and repeat this information. For example:

⌊He has provided⌋ salvation from our enemies…
-or-
Now we will be saved from our enemies… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
He will save us from our enemies…

Be sure that your translation of this verse fits with the way you translated 1:69. In some languages you may want to repeat part of 1:69a. For example:

⌊He has sent us a mighty Savior who⌋ 71will save us from our enemies.

salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us: The phrase our enemies and the phrase all who hate us refer to the same group of people. So this verse is saying the same thing in two ways. This was common in Hebrew poetry.

In some languages, a literal translation might cause readers to think that these were two different groups of people. In those languages it may be necessary to combine the two phrases. For example:

salvation from all our enemies, those who hate us
-or-
salvation from all our enemies, who hate us
-or-
salvation from all who hate us

This verse is similar to Psalm 106:10, “He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.”

salvation: The word salvation is repeated from “horn of salvation” in 1:69a. Zechariah now spoke more specifically about being saved from their enemies. If possible, use the same word or expression that you used for salvation/save/Savior in 1:69a.

See also save in the Glossary (see the note on salvation).

and from the hand of all who hate us: Here the word hand is used in a figurative sense to mean “power, authority, and control.” Some other ways to translate from the hand of all who hate us are:

from the power/authority of all who hate us
-or-
from being under the control of all those who hate us

There is a similar figurative use of the word hand in 1:66c. The difference here is that the power is used to harm and control people, not to help them. The same figure will be used again in 1:74a.

General Comment on 1:68b–71

In these verses, Zechariah spoke about what God was doing at the time when he was speaking. He was keeping the promises that he had made through his prophets long before that time. God had promised that he would send a Savior and that someone would come before the Savior to prepare for him. John was the person who came before the Savior, Jesus. His birth indicated that the Savior would also be coming soon.

In some languages it may clearer to change the order of the clauses in 1:68b–71. For example:

70Just as God said through his holy prophets of ancient times, 68bhe has visited his people to deliver them. 69aHe has given us a mighty Savior 69bfrom the house of his servant David. 71aHe will save us from our enemies, 71bfrom the power of all who hate us.
-or-

70God ⌊has done⌋ just as/what he promised ⌊he would do⌋ through his holy prophets ⌊who lived⌋ long ago. 68bHe has come to us, his people, to help us and has begun to deliver us. 69He will send to us a powerful one descended from his servant ⌊King⌋ David to rescue us. 71aHe will deliver us from the power of all our enemies who hate us.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:23

2:23

This verse provides background information. Several English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, indicate this by putting the verse in parentheses. You should indicate that this is background information in a way that is natural in your language.

2:23a

as it is written: Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to present Jesus to the Lord, as the Lord’s law said that they must do. The law said that each firstborn son must belong to the Lord.

This refers to the law recorded in Exodus 13:2, 13:12–13, 13:15.

the Law of the Lord: The term the Law of the Lord refers to the same Law as “the Law of Moses” in 2:22a. The Bible uses both terms to refer to the Law that God gave to the people of Israel through Moses.

Some other ways to say the Law of the Lord are:

the Lord’s law
-or-
God’s law
-or-
the law that the Lord gave ⌊to the Israelites⌋

2:23b

firstborn male: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as firstborn male is literally “male opening a womb” (compare the Revised Standard Version). This refers to a baby boy who is the first child that a mother has.

shall be consecrated to the Lord: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as shall be consecrated to the Lord is literally “shall be called holy to the Lord” (as in the Revised Standard Version). In this context, the form of the verb “shall be called” functions as a type of command. It means “he must/should be called holy to the Lord.”

In this context, the phrase “called holy” means that he must actually be holy, that is, he must be consecrated to the Lord. It does not mean that someone will call or name the baby “holy to the Lord.” Some ways to translate the phrase shall be consecrated to the Lord are:

must be consecrated to the Lord (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
is to be dedicated to the Lord. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Consecrate to the Lord…

consecrated: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as consecrated is literally “holy.” Here it indicates that firstborn Israelite boys belonged to God for his service. Other ways to express this are:

set apart for
-or-
belong to

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:3

3:3a

In 3:3, Luke told what John did in response to God speaking to him in the previous verse (3:2). Some ways to connect these verses in English are:

Then John went (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
So John went (Good News Translation)
-or-
And he went (Revised English Bible)

This verse begins with a conjunction in Greek that is often translated as “and.” Here it may indicate that John went into the region around the Jordan River in response to the “word” that “came” to him from God. To show this, some versions (such as the Contemporary English Version) translate this conjunction as “So.” But in some languages, a conjunction may not be needed (as in the Berean Standard Bible). Introduce what John did in a way that is natural in your language.

He went into all the region around the Jordan: Some English versions, such as the New International Version, say “country” here instead of region. John was preaching in the general area around the Jordan River. Some other ways to say this are:

He went all over the area around the Jordan River (New Century Version)
-or-
John traveled throughout the region around the Jordan River. (God’s Word)
-or-
Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River (New Living Translation (2004))

3:3b

preaching: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as preaching means to tell people something important publicly. John was proclaiming God’s message to the crowds who came to listen. Some other ways to translate preaching in this context are:

announcing
-or-
proclaiming
-or-
declaring
-or-
telling people

In some languages it may be natural to start a new clause or sentence here. For example:

He told people about (God’s Word)

3:3c

a baptism of repentance: The phrase a baptism of repentance means “a baptism that shows repentance.” Baptism was a way for people to show that they were changing their sinful attitudes and actions.

John was telling people to repent and be baptized. So in some languages it may be necessary to reverse the order of the actions. For example:

repent and be baptized

The phrase a baptism of repentance expresses the content of John’s preaching (3:3b). In some languages it may be necessary to use direct speech here. For example:

telling the people, “Turn back to God and be baptized…” (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it may not be natural or even possible to use the passive verb “be baptized.” In those languages it may be possible to say:

repent and I will baptize you

baptism: The word baptism refers to a ceremonial washing to purify someone or something. In this context baptism is connected to a person being purified from sin. It is an initiation into a new spiritual condition.

You should translate the noun baptism in a similar way as you translate the verb “baptize.” Here are some ways to translate baptism:

• Use a descriptive phrase:

sacred washing
-or-
purification/initiation ⌊for God⌋
-or-
entering water

• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already part of your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:

God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
initiation washing for God

• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. In some areas this term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English.

In some languages you may need to use a verb to translate baptism. For example:

⌊ritually⌋ wash/clean
-or-
initiate ⌊people⌋ in/with water
-or-
purify people in God’s ceremonial bath

See baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

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

Some ways to translate repentance are:

changing heart/mind
-or-
rejecting sin

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

turning from sin to God
-or-
leaving sin behind

In some languages it may be more natural to translate repentance here with an independent verb or verb phrase. For example:

turn from sin
-or-

reject sin and obey God

for the forgiveness of sins: The phrase for the forgiveness of sins indicates purpose. People needed to repent and be baptized so that they would receive forgiveness of sins. In some languages it may be necessary to translate the noun forgiveness as a verb and provide a subject:

so that ⌊God⌋ will forgive ⌊your⌋ sins
-or-
so that ⌊God⌋ will forgive ⌊them for their⌋ sins

forgiveness of sins: The phrase forgiveness of sins means that God chooses not to punish a person for the evil things that he has done and thought. God cancels the guilt of the person and treats him as if he had never sinned. Some ways to translate forgiveness of sins are:

canceling sins
-or-
erasing guilt
-or-
releasing from punishment for sins

In some languages it may be necessary to translate the noun forgiveness with an independent verb. Some ways to do this are:

erase guilt
-or-
wipe away sins

In some languages there may be an idiom for forgiveness of sins.

In some languages, it is more natural to say “forgive people,” rather than to “forgive sins.” For example:

forgive/pardon ⌊people⌋ for their sins

See forgive in Key Biblical Terms.

sins: The word sins refers to offenses against God or another person. These sins include acts, thoughts, and attitudes that are not what God wants or approves. A person can also offend God by not doing what God wants him to do.

Try to translate sins with a term that can include any wrongdoing against God. Here are problems to avoid:

(a) The term should not imply that only serious crimes like murder or stealing are sins. Other offenses like gossip and greed are also sins.

(b) The term should not include accidents or mistakes that are not against God’s will.

Some ways to translate sins are:

wrong acts
-or-
offenses ⌊against God⌋
-or-
evil deeds

In some languages it may be natural to translate sins with a phrase that includes a verb. For example:

wrong things that they have done

General Comment on 3:3a–c

In some languages it may be more natural to use direct speech:

John went preaching to people in all the country around the Jordan River. He said, “You must repent and be baptized so that God will forgive your sins.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:8

4:8a

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But 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, Good News Translation, and NET Bible, do not translate this conjunction here. Connect 4:8a to 4:7b in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus answered: As in 4:4a, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as answered here means “replied” or “responded.” Jesus was not answering a question. He was responding to the devil as the devil tried to tempt him to sin.

Jesus’ response implied that he was refusing to do what Satan had wanted. You may need to make this clear in your translation. For example:

Jesus ⌊refused. He⌋ said

It is written: As in 4:4a, Jesus used the phrase It is written to introduce words from the Old Testament Scriptures. Some other ways to translate this are:

Scripture says (Revised English Bible)
-or-
It is written in the Scriptures (New Century Version)

4:8b

Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only: The clause Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only is a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:13. These words were a command to each of the people of Israel. In Greek, the verbs Worship and serve and the pronoun your are singular. However, since the command is given to everyone, in some languages it may be more natural to use the plural forms:

You(plur) must worship the Lord, who is your(plur) God, and obey only him.

Jesus quoted this command in order to tell Satan that he would never worship Satan. Jesus was declaring that he himself would obey the Scriptures and worship only the true God. See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

Worship…serve: The two Greek verbs that most English versions translate here as Worship and serve have similar meanings. To Worship God means to bow before him and revere/respect him. (See the note on “worship me” in 4:7a). To serve God refers here to doing acts of worship to honor him.

These two verbs work together to describe how people should act toward God. Some ways to translate these verbs are:

You shall do homage to the Lord your God and worship him alone. (Revised English Bible)
-or-

Revere/Respect the Lord your God and worship only him.
-or-
You must esteem God…honoring him alone in all you do.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:40

Paragraph 4:40–41

4:40a

At sunset: The phrase At sunset refers to sundown. It was about six o’clock in the evening. This was the time when the Sabbath day ended and the first day of the week began. Some other ways to translate this are:

When the sun went down (New Century Version)
-or-
After sunset (Good News Translation)

The Jewish law did not allow people to work on the Sabbath, and Jews considered carrying a sick person to be work. So they waited until the Sabbath ended to do this.

You may want to make explicit that this was the end of the Jewish Sabbath. For example:

⌊As the Sabbath day was ending⌋ at sunset

You may instead decide to make this clearer by including a footnote here. For example:

At sunset, the Jews considered the day to end and another day to begin.
-or-
At sunset, the Sabbath Day ended. These people had not brought their sick relatives/friends to Jesus earlier, because they did not want to break Jewish rules. These rules prohibited work on the Sabbath, and they considered carrying sick people to Jesus to be work.

4:40b

all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus: This clause is active in Greek. It says literally “All who had sick ones with various diseases brought them to him.” For example:

all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him (Revised Standard Version)

The Greek text does not explicitly state the relationship between the “sick ones” and those who brought them to Jesus. It says literally, “All who had sick ones….” Here, the word “had” probably refers to the fact that they took care of these sick people. So these “sick ones” were probably relatives or close friends who were sick.

Some ways to translate this are:

all who had friends who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus (Good News Translation)
-or-
people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
people brought those who were sick to Jesus (New Century Version)

all: In Greek, the word all actually refers to all the people who were well and who had sick relatives or friends. For example:

all those who had any relatives sick with various diseases (NET Bible)

The Berean Standard Bible has used the word all to refer to those who were sick. This is a different way to express the same meaning. Translate this in the way that is most natural in your language.

who were ill with various diseases: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ill with various diseases does not mean that each sick person had many diseases. It means that among them, the sick people had different types of disease. Some English versions combine “sick ones” and “various diseases” into one phrase. Some other ways to translate this are:

people with all kinds of diseases (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
friends ill with diseases of one kind or another (Revised English Bible)
-or-
friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another (New Jerusalem Bible)

4:40c

laying His hands on each one, He healed them: The clause laying His hands on each one means that Jesus touched each person as he healed them. He often touched people when he healed them.

The text does not say that they were healed because he touched them or by him touching them. So it is recommended that you say that “he laid his hands on each one and healed them.” For example:

he placed his hands on every one of them and healed them all (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:28

5:28

and: In Greek, a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as and connects 5:27c and 5:28. However, 5:28 is the result of Jesus’ command in 5:27c. So in some languages, it may more natural to introduce this result with a different conjunction. For example:

So (New Living Translation (2004))

Another way to connect these verses is:

Then

In other languages, no conjunction may be necessary here.

Levi got up, left everything, and followed Him: In Greek, the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as got up, left everything, and followed Him is literally “abandoning all things, rising up, he followed him.”

In English, it is not natural to say “he abandoned everything” before saying “he got up.” For this reason, a number of English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, have changed the order.

left everything: The phrase left everything in this context means “left/abandoned his work as a tax collector.” It appears from the following verses that Levi still had his own house and personal money.

This phrase emphasizes Levi’s commitment to follow Jesus. See also the note on “left everything” at 5:11b.

followed Him: In this context the phrase followed Him indicates that Levi became a disciple of Jesus. See the note on “Follow me” at 5:27c.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013