SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 128

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:13

11:13

In the Greek, as in the Berean Standard Bible, this verse is one long and complicated sentence. It includes several steps in a logical argument with one main conclusion:

(a) People are evil.

(b) However, people know how to give good gifts to their children.

(d) Therefore, God most certainly knows how to give good gifts to his children.

Consider how people make this type of argument in your culture.

11:13a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So is a logical connector. It introduces the conclusion to this paragraph. Some other ways to introduce this conclusion are:

then (New International Version)
-or-
Therefore

If you make 11:13a a separate sentence (see General Comment on 11:13a below), it is possible to place this conjunction in 11:13b. For example:

13aEven though you’re evil, you know how to give good things to your children. 13bSo how much more… (God’s Word)

In other languages, a specific conjunction may not be necessary to introduce this verse as a conclusion. For example:

As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children… (Contemporary English Version)

if you…know how to give good gifts to your children: This phrase is literally “If you…know to give good gifts to your children.” The Berean Standard Bible has added the word how to make it natural English.

This conditional (“if”) clause implies that the people knew how to give good gifts to their children, and, in fact, gave them good gifts regularly. There is no doubt about this. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

• Translate the “If” as “Because.” For example:

Because you know to give good gifts to your children

• Translate the clause without a word like “if.” For example:

you know how to give good things to your children (Good News Translation)

Translate this clause in a way that is most natural in your language.

who are evil: The clause who are evil means “in spite of the fact that you are evil.” Jesus was not condemning his disciples here. He was simply stating that all people are sinful. Another way to translate this is:

Even though you are bad… (New Century Version)

evil: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as evil also means “bad,” “sinful,” or “wicked.”

General Comment on 11:13a

In some languages it may be helpful to make this into a separate sentence. For example:

As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. (Good News Translation)

Some other ways to translate this are:

If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children… (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
You are sinful, but you know how to give good things to your children.

11:13b

how much more will your Father in heaven: Here a contrast is made between the nature of man and the nature of God: man is sinful and (it is implied that) God is good. The first part of the contrast (that man is sinful) was stated explicitly in 11:13a. If it is necessary to make the second half of the contrast explicit in your language, you may say:

how much more will your Father in heaven ⌊who is good⌋…
-or-

⌊But⌋ your heavenly father ⌊is good⌋. It is even more certain that…

how much more: The phrase how much more compares two things. It compares God’s willingness/readiness and man’s willingness to give good gifts. (The comparison is not between the sizes of the gifts.) If man gives good gifts, God will even more certainly give good gifts.

Some other ways to translate this are:

But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
What about your heavenly Father? He is even more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
-or-
It is absolutely certain that your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

your Father in heaven: The phrase your Father in heaven refers to God. Here heaven refers to the place where God lives.

See heaven, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

11:13c

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him: This means that God will give the best of all gifts to those who ask him. He will give them his own Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the best gift because God gives everything that is good through his Spirit.

give the Holy Spirit: Since the Holy Spirit is a being and not a thing, in some languages it may be better to use a verb such as “send” instead of give.

Holy Spirit: The term Holy Spirit also occurs in 10:21a. See the note there for information about translating this term.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:45

Paragraph 11:45–52

11:45a

One of the experts in the law: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as experts in the law refers to men who studied, interpreted, and taught the Jewish law. This included the laws that God gave to Moses as well as the “oral law” that the Jewish religious leaders had added over time.

This word is sometimes translated as:

lawyer (Revised Standard Version)

However, the function of a lawyer today is quite different from the function of an “expert in the law” in Jesus’ time. The main function of the experts in the law was to teach the laws of Moses. This function should be in focus in your translation of this term. Some other ways to translate this term are:

teachers of the Law of Moses
-or-
teachers of religious law
-or-
experts on the law

This same word occurs in 10:25a. See expert in the law in the Glossary.

told Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as told is literally “answered.” However, the man was not answering a question. He was offended by what Jesus had said about the Pharisees. He spoke up in response to Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees. Some other ways to translate this word are:

said to him (Good News Translation)
-or-
spoke up (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
responded

11:45b

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.

Consider what term of respect people use in your area for religious teachers who are leaders. It may be appropriate to use a term other than Teacher if you would naturally use a different term of address.

In some languages, a person shows respect by a blessing rather than a term. For example “May God add to your days.”

This word Teacher also occurs in 10:25c–d.

when You say these things, You insult us as well: Most of the experts in the law were also Pharisees. So what Jesus said against the Pharisees would also be against them.

In some languages it may be more natural to use past tense verbs here, because these clauses refer to what Jesus had already said. For example:

when you said these things, you also insulted us

these things: The phrase these things refers to what Jesus had just said about the Pharisees. If you need to make this explicit in your language, you could say something like:

when you talk in this way about the Pharisees

You insult us as well: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as insult means “criticize or speak badly of someone in a way that dishonors or offends them.” Another way to translate this clause is:

you are also causing us(excl) law experts to be shamed

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:23

12:23

For: In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For. The conjunction introduces a reason why Jesus’ disciples should not worry about food and clothes. Express this reason connection in a natural way in your language. In some languages a connector may not be needed.

life is more than food, and the body more than clothes: This clause indicates that a person’s life is more important than things like food and clothes that he needs. For example:

Life is much more important than food, and the body much more important than clothes. (Good News Translation)

This statement is ambiguous. It can imply that:

(a) Since God gives the disciples their lives (the more important thing), they can also trust him to supply the food and clothing (the less important things) that they need for their lives.

(b) Life has much more meaning than food and clothes, and the disciples should focus on that meaning.

Jesus taught both these ideas in this chapter, and both ideas may be implied here. If possible, translate so that both ideas may be understood. In some languages it may be necessary to make this implied reasoning explicit, either in the text or in a footnote. For example:

Your life is more valuable than what you eat, and your body is more valuable than what you wear. ⌊Since God has given you both your life and your body, you can certainly trust him to also give you these things that you need.⌋

In some languages it may be necessary to translate life as a verb. You could possibly translate food as a verb in order to match this and say something like:

For living involves so much more than eating

General Comment on 12:23

In some languages it may be more natural to combine the clauses of 12:23. As in 12:22c, it may not be necessary to mention “body” explicitly. For example:

For life is far more important than food and clothing.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:55

12:55a–b

And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is: In Israel, the hot and dry weather comes from the south and east. Whenever the wind would blow into Israel from that direction, the people knew that it would soon become hot. And that is what would happen.

Some languages use verbs to refer to wind and temperature. For example:

When it brings-wind from the south, you say that it will-become-hot.

Use natural expressions in your language for wind and weather.

you say, ‘It will be hot’: As in the previous verse, in some languages it may be more natural to use an indirect quotation here. For example:

you say/predict that it is going to be hot

and it is: The phrase and it is means “and the weather soon becomes hot” or “and the temperature soon rises.” As in the previous verse, the Berean Standard Bible uses a general expression to indicate that the person’s prediction was accurate. You may also use a specific expression for warmer weather that is natural in your language.

General Comment on 12:54–55

In some languages it will be helpful to add a footnote that explains the weather situation in Israel. For example:

In the land of Israel, the rain comes from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea in the west. In the south of the country there is a large desert area, so when the wind comes from the south, the weather becomes hot.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 13:28

Paragraph 13:28–30

In this paragraph Jesus stopped talking in a parable and began talking directly about God’s kingdom. He spoke about two kinds of people: those who will be in God’s kingdom and those who will be in a place of punishment outside of God’s kingdom. Matthew 8:11–12 is a parallel passage.

13:28a

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth: The people who are left outside God’s kingdom will cry and gnash their teeth. If you must provide a subject, you should provide “you(plur),” because that is what Jesus used in the next verse part:

You(plur) will weep there and gnash your teeth.

The Greek text says literally that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth “there” or “in that place.” In this context, the word “there” probably refers to outside the kingdom of God, as 13:28c indicates. In some languages the context may already indicate this, and a word such as “there” will be unnecessary. For example:

Then there will be weeping… (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
How you will cry… (Good News Translation)

Another way to avoid an unnatural or wrong use of “there” is to reorder the parts of this verse. See the General Comment on 13:28a–c at the end of 13:28c.

gnashing of teeth: The phrase gnashing of teeth is a symbolic action. It refers to a person who grinds his teeth together as an expression of anger, bitterness, and resentment. If in your culture the gnashing of teeth would not be understood in this way, some other ways to translate it are:

• Keep the symbolic action but provide an explanation. For example:

you will gnash your teeth ⌊in anger⌋

• Translate the meaning without the action. For example:

you will be bitterly angry

• Use an action that would be meaningful in your culture. For example:

you will stamp your feet

13:28b

when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God: Jesus was referring here to the future time in the kingdom of God. At that time, people will see how God will bless the faithful believers from the past. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the first ancestors of the Jews. They and the prophets were people who would definitely be included in the kingdom of God. The text does not imply that they were the only people who would be in the kingdom. They would be there along with all other faithful believers who had died.

all the prophets: The phrase all the prophets here refers to all the faithful prophets of God. It does not include the false prophets or prophets of other deities.

prophets: The word prophets describes men and women who spoke on behalf of God. They told people what God revealed to them. Some ways to translate prophets are:

spokesmen for God
-or-
men who speak God’s words
-or-
God’s message-speakers

The word prophets also occurs in 11:47b. See also prophet in the Glossary.

in the kingdom of God: In most contexts the phrase the kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or country that he rules over. However, 13:28–29 has the metaphor of people gathering from all directions to sit down at a feast. Here, the emphasis is on being inside or outside the area of God’s rule, and being included or excluded from a particular group whom God rules.

Some ways to translate in the kingdom of God here are:

included among those whom God rules and cares for
-or-
in the ⌊good⌋ place where God rules

The term kingdom of God also occurs in 13:18a, but there the context is different.

13:28c

but you yourselves are thrown out: The phrase you yourselves refers to all the people in the crowd who did not obey God and believe in Jesus. They would be excluded from joining their ancestors in the kingdom of God.

are thrown out: In this context, the term that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as thrown out means “excluded” or “banished.” It means that God will keep these people outside his kingdom. In this context it does not imply that these people were once in God’s kingdom and were then thrown out. Other ways to translate this verse part are:

and you yourselves are driven away (Revised English Bible)
-or-
and you yourselves excluded, outside (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

General Comment on 13:28a–c

Weeping and gnashing of teeth is the result of being excluded from God’s kingdom and seeing others inside it. In some languages it may be more natural to reorder this verse so that one or both of these causes precede the result. For example:

28bYou will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, 28cbut ⌊God⌋ will not permit you to enter. 28aThen/So you will cry and gnash your teeth ⌊in anger⌋.
-or-

28cThen when you have been thrown outside, 28ayou will weep and grit your teeth 28bbecause you will see Abraham and Isaac and all the prophets in God’s kingdom. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

28cWhen you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets there in the good place where God is king, 28ayou will weep and grind your teeth, 28cbecause as for you, you will be excluded/outside.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 14:25

Section 14:25–35

A disciple of Jesus must be ready to suffer for him

In the previous section, Jesus warned people about the danger of rejecting God’s invitation to join his kingdom. In this section he told them two parables to advise them that they should not underestimate the suffering and difficulties which they would face if they decided to truly be his disciples.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

The Cost of Being a Disciple (New International Version)
-or-
Do not underestimate the hardship of being a disciple

Paragraph 14:25–27

14:25a

In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction that many English versions translate as “Now.” This conjunction is not an expression of time. It introduces the next event, which happened at a different time and place from the preceding section. The Berean Standard Bible does not translate this conjunction. Since this is the start of a new section, it may be good style to indicate a general time setting. For example:

Once, when great crowds (Revised English Bible)
-or-
On one occasion, many people

Large crowds were…traveling with Jesus: Many people were accompanying Jesus. They were walking along behind him as he traveled. Although other verses indicate that he was traveling toward Jerusalem, you should only make this information explicit if it is necessary in your language.

14:25b

He turned and said to them: The phrase turned and said to them implies that Jesus was walking in front of the crowds of people who were following him. Then he stopped and turned to face them.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:22

15:22a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces something his father said which was in complete contrast to what the son had been saying. The son had said he was not worthy to be called a son, but the father told the slaves to treat him like a son. Translate the contrast in a natural way in your language.

the father said to his servants: The text does not specify where the servants were. They may have followed the father from the house, or the father may have spoken to them after he returned to the house with his son. If possible, translate in a way that allows both possibilities. For example:

the father called to his servants (Good News Translation)
-or-
the father turned to ⌊some of⌋ his servants and ordered ⌊them⌋ (Translator’s Reference Translation)

his servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants also means “slaves” (as in the New Revised Standard Version). Here this word refers to household servants. These people were owned by another person. Unlike the hired men mentioned in 15:17b and 15:19b, they worked for their owner/master without receiving pay.

The word “servant” also occurs in 14:17b. But in that context it was not necessary to distinguish household servants from hired workers. Be sure that the term you use here fits this context.

15:22b

Quick!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Quick! can also be translated as “At once.” It means that the slaves were not to delay or take a long time. For example:

Hurry! (Good News Translation)

Bring the best robe: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the best robe refers to the finest/best robe that the father had in the house. A robe was a long loose garment worn on top of one’s other clothes on formal occasions. The best robe would have been one that belonged to the father himself. In languages that do not have a word for “robe,” you may use a more general word. For example:

the best clothes (Contemporary English Version)

put it on him: The father told his slaves to dress his son in this best robe. This was a way to show honor to the son. In some languages the idea of putting a robe on someone may be expressed as:

cause him to wear it

Use an expression that would be appropriate in your language for servants helping a grown son to put on a robe.

15:22c

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet: By giving these orders, the father was honoring his son and showing that he loved him and cared about him. In some languages phrases like on his finger and on his feet may not be needed here. For example:

Give him a ring and sandals to wear.

Other languages may use causatives. For example:

Cause him to wear a ring and cause him to wear sandals/shoes.

Consider how your language would express these ideas.

ring: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ring was probably a signet ring that a man wore on his finger as a sign of honor and authority.

sandals: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sandals refers here to open shoes that were tied to a person’s feet with straps.

If people in your area are not familiar with sandals, you may use the term for a similar kind of local footwear. For example:

shoes (Good News Translation)
-or-
thongs

The word sandals also occurs in 10:4a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 16:22

Paragraph 16:22–23

In this paragraph, the setting of the parable changes. This paragraph describes the situation of the poor man and the rich man in the places where their spirits went after they died.

16:22a

One day: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as One day is more literally “Now it happened that.” Some versions, such as the New American Standard Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, translate it that way. This phrase introduces an important event, the death of the poor man. This event is a turning point in the story. Many modern English versions do not translate this phrase explicitly. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

The time came when (New International Version)
-or-
Later (New Century Version)
-or-
Finally (New Living Translation (2004))

Use a natural way in your language to introduce this event.

the beggar died: The word beggar is the same word as in 16:20a and refers back to Lazarus.

16:22b

was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side: The clause was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side means that some angels took or accompanied the poor man’s soul/spirit to be with Abraham. The verse does not say what happened to the poor man’s body.

the angels: The phrase the angels refers to some angels, not all the angels. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

angels (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
there were angels
-or-
some angels

angels: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels means “messengers.” It refers here to spirit-beings who serve God. Some ways to translate this term are:

• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:

messengers ⌊from God/heaven⌋
-or-

⌊good/holy⌋ spirit-beings
-or-
spirit-being servants of God

• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.

• In some areas the churches may use a borrowed term or a transliterated word for angels. If some people do not understand the right meaning from this word, you may need to indicate the meaning. For example:

angelos messengers ⌊from God⌋
-or-
sacred angelos spirits

Be sure that your term for angels is different from your terms for “prophet” and “apostle.” See angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

was carried: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carried means to carry or take away from one place to another. The expression “the beggar…was carried” refers to the poor man’s inner being (his soul or spirit), not his body. In some languages, using a word such as carried may wrongly imply that the angels carried the poor man’s body. Some other ways to translate the phrase was carried are:

took him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
led/accompanied his soul/spirit

to Abraham’s side: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Abraham’s side is literally “Abraham’s bosom/chest.” This was a Jewish expression that figuratively referred to God’s people having close fellowship with their great ancestor, Abraham. For example:

to be with Abraham (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
to the place of honor next to Abraham (Contemporary English Version)

Many scholars think that this expression specifically implies a place of honor next to Abraham at the Messianic feast. (See 13:28–29, which mentions Abraham in connection with the feast in the kingdom of God.) For example:

to sit beside Abraham at the feast in heaven (Good News Translation)

However, other scholars think that the expression “Abraham’s bosom” implies close fellowship with Abraham, but not necessarily a feast. The parable itself does not mention a feast. It is recommended that you avoid specifying a feast and its location “in heaven.” Scholars do not agree exactly where the spirits of righteous dead people were located, and the verse does not make this detail explicit.

16:22c

And the rich man also died: Jesus did not say when the rich man died. This does not matter, but it was probably after Lazarus died.

and was buried: The verb was buried is a passive verb. If it is more natural to use an active verb in your language, you may supply “his family” or “people” as the subject. For example:

and ⌊his family⌋ buried him

In some languages it may be more natural to speak of a person’s body being buried. For example:

and his body/corpse was buried

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013