SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 134

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:31

15:31a

‘Son, you are always with me,’ the father said: The Berean Standard Bible has placed the words the father said at the end of the quotation. In Greek, the words “And he said” are at the beginning of the verse. You should place the quote introduction where it is natural in your language.

Son: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Son is a different word from the word that was translated as “son” in 15:31a. It was an affectionate way for the father to address his son. Another way to translate this is:

dear son (New Living Translation (2004))

Use a term of address that is natural in your language.

you are always with me: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you are always with me means “you live here with me all the time.” The father was implying that the older son had never been away from home, so there was no need for a special occasion to celebrate his return.

15:31b

all that is mine is yours: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all that is mine is yours means “all my property belongs to you.” The father had already divided his property and given both of the sons their shares. The younger son had spent his share, so all that the father had left rightfully belonged to the older son.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 16:31

16:31a

Then Abraham said to him: In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then in order to introduce what happened next. Several other versions (Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004)) translate it as “But” in order to introduce a contrast between what the rich man asked and what Abraham replied. Several other versions (English Standard Version, NET Bible, New International Version) do not translate this conjunction explicitly. This word introduces Abraham’s reply. This reply disagrees with what the rich man had just said. Indicate that in a natural way in your language.

Abraham said: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Abraham said is literally “he said.” In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit who was speaking. For example:

But Abraham said to him (New Century Version)

If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets: The clause If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets expresses a condition that Abraham and the rich man both knew to be true. The brothers were paying no attention to the warnings of Moses and the prophets. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear. For example:

Since they are not listening to Moses and the Prophets…

16:31b

they will not be persuaded: The clause they will not be persuaded is passive. It also contains implied information. The implied information is:

they will not be convinced/persuaded ⌊that they need to repent⌋

In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb. For example:

they will not believe/realize ⌊that they must repent⌋

In some languages you may need to reorder the clauses in this verb and indicate who would not convince them. See the General Comment on 16:31b–c below for suggestions.

16:31c

even if someone rises from the dead: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as even if introduces an event that would be even more amazing than a messenger from the dead visiting the brothers. Abraham was saying that even if a dead person came back to life again, the brothers would still not believe his message and repent.

General Comment on 16:31b–c

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the parts of 16:31b–c. For example:

31ceven someone rising from the dead 31bwill not convince them ⌊to repent⌋
-or-

31ca person who dies and then lives again 31bwill not be enough to persuade them

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 17:32

17:32

Remember Lot’s wife!: Jesus wanted his disciples to remember what happened to Lot’s wife as a warning that they should not delay. Lot’s wife looked back toward Sodom while she, Lot, and their daughters were escaping. When she looked back, she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). If your readers do not know what happened to Lot’s wife, it may be possible to imply that something bad happened to her by saying:

Remember(plur) ⌊what happened to⌋ Lot’s wife!
-or-
Remember ⌊how/why⌋ Lot’s wife ⌊died⌋!

You may also want to include a footnote or cross-reference in your translation. For example:

Jesus is warning His followers not to make the same mistake that Lot’s wife made. She disobeyed God’s command to not look back and turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). We also need to obey Jesus’ commands without hesitation. See a related warning in Luke 9:62. (Translator’s Reference Translation)

Remember: Here Jesus wanted his disciples to think about what happened to Lot’s wife and to be warned by it. In some languages a different verb may be more natural. For example:

Think about
-or-
Consider
-or-
Learn from

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:27

18:27

But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God”: The clause What is impossible with man is possible with God indicates that God can do what people cannot do. In this context, Jesus was saying that it is impossible for anyone to save himself, but it is possible for God to save him. Some ways to translate this are:

God can do things that are not possible for people to do. (New Century Version)
-or-
There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
People cannot do anything ⌊to cause God to save them⌋. But God himself can ⌊save them⌋.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 19:27

19:27a

The Berean Standard Bible follows the Greek text and puts the object of the verb “bring” near the beginning of the verse. This object is the topic of the sentence. In some languages it may be necessary to change this order. See the General Comment on 19:27a–b for a suggestion.

And: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And is probably used here to indicate that the king was about to deal with a different matter. He had finished hearing the servants’ reports. He would now turn his attention to the citizens who did not want him to rule over them (19:14). Other English versions have translated this as:

But as for (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Now, as for (Good News Translation)
-or-
And now about (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Now where are (New Century Version)

Indicate this change of focus in a natural way in your language. The king was probably still speaking to his attendants who were standing nearby. In some languages it may be natural to change the focus by introducing them again. For example:

Then he said to his attendants, “Now I want you to bring…”

these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as these enemies of mine refers to the citizens mentioned in 19:14. These people were enemies because they hated the nobleman. They did not want him to be their king. Another way to translate this part of the verse is:

my enemies who were unwilling for me to rule over them

In some languages it may be helpful to use a separate sentence for part of this information. For example:

…the people who hated/opposed me. They did not want me to rule over them.

In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech to express what the enemies wanted. For example:

the people who hated me. They said, “We do not want him to be our king.”

19:27b

bring them here: Here the king ordered his men to bring his enemies to him. The text does not indicate exactly where the enemies were. They may have been nearby, or the king’s men may have needed to go out and search for them. In some languages it may be necessary to make the action more explicit here. For example:

⌊Go⌋ ⌊find them⌋ and bring them here.
-or-

⌊Go⌋ ⌊arrest them⌋ and bring them here.

and slay them in front of me: The king ordered his attendants to execute his enemies who were mentioned in 19:27a. The king’s command implies that he wanted the execution to happen in his presence as he watched. In cultures of that time period, it was common for rebels to be executed in the king’s presence. Other ways to translate this are:

Kill them while I watch! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
…slaughter them in my presence. (Revised English Bible)

slay them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as slay refers to killing violently. In that culture such killing was often done with a sword. Other ways to translate it are:

slaughter (Revised English Bible)
-or-
execute (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 19:27a–b

It may be more natural in some languages to change the order of these clauses. For example:

27bBring ⌊to me⌋ 27amy enemies who did not want me to rule over them, 27band kill them in front of me.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 20:11

20:11a

So he sent another servant: In Greek, this clause is literally “And he proceeded to send another slave,” as in the New American Standard Bible. It tells what the owner of the vineyard did when his servant returned without any grapes. He sent another servant. In some languages it may be helpful to use a different conjunction or a phrase or clause to introduce the event. For example:

So/Then he sent a different servant.
-or-
After ⌊that servant returned empty-handed⌋, the owner sent another servant.
-or-
He tried again and sent a second servant… (Revised English Bible)

20:11b–c

but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed: The farmers/tenants also abused this slave/servant that the master sent to them. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

…that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed. (NET Bible)
-or-
They insulted him and beat him. Then they made him return to his master without any grapes.

beat: The word beat is the same Greek word that was used in 20:10d.

treated him shamefully: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as treated…shamefully means “dishonored, insulted.” It refers to treating a person badly in order to humiliate him. By treating the servant with contempt in that way, the farmers/tenants were also treating his master, the owner, with contempt. In some languages there may be an idiom to express this meaning. Some other ways to translate the meaning are:

treated him outrageously (NET Bible)
-or-
manhandling him disgracefully (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
They insulted him terribly (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 20:43

20:43

until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet: God spoke in a figurative way here. This clause is a promise that God will conquer the Messiah’s enemies and put them completely under the Messiah’s control. He compared the Messiah to a king who sits on his throne and rests his feet on the back or neck of an enemy king. That action shows that he has conquered the enemy king and completely controls him and his people. Some other ways to translate this are:

while I put your enemies completely under your control
-or-
while I humble your enemies and

make them like a stool for your feet

until: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as until here means “during the time that” or “while.” The text does not say what the Messiah would do after God had defeated his enemies. But it does not mean that the Messiah would no longer sit at God’s right side after God had defeated the Messiah’s enemies.

a footstool for Your feet: A footstool was a small table or cushion that a person could rest his feet on while he was sitting. The Lord would make the Messiah’s enemies like a footstool for his feet.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 21:28

21:28a

When these things begin to happen: The phrase these things probably refers to the signs of the coming of the Son of Man described in 21:25–26. It may also include some of the other things that Jesus mentioned in 21:10–24. Some other ways to translate 21:28a are:

When all this begins to happen
-or-
When these signs/events begin to occur

21:28b

stand up and lift up your heads: Here Jesus told his disciples what they should do when the signs in 21:25–26 begin to happen. These instructions are especially for all of Jesus’ followers who will be alive on earth at that time, both men and women.

The phrases stand up and lift up your heads are symbolic actions. They symbolize courage and confident expectation. In this context Jesus implied that when his disciples see the signs, they should be courageous and confident. The signs will show that he will return to earth soon.

Some other ways to translate these symbolic actions are:

• Translate the actions and indicate the meaning. For example:

Stand ⌊courageously⌋ and lift your heads ⌊with confidence⌋.

• Use similar actions or idioms in your culture that express this same meaning. For example:

make strong your hearts and look-up
-or-
strengthen and make-happy your minds

• Use only one action to express the meaning. For example:

stand with confidence (God’s Word)

• Translate the meaning without the actions. For example:

be courageous and confident

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

stand up: Scholars interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stand up in two ways:

(1) It means stand up. Here is another way to translate this:

stand erect (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, English Standard Version)

(2) It means look up. Here is another way to translate this:

look up (Revised Standard Version)

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

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

lift up your heads: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lift up your heads means to hold your head upright as a sign of courage. In some languages a literal translation may imply a wrong meaning (like having pride rather than courage). If this is true in your language, translate the meaning in a different way. See the suggestions in the note on “stand up and lift up your heads” earlier in 21:28b.

21:28c

because your redemption is drawing near: This clause gives the reason that the disciples should gain new courage. The signs that they will see indicate that they will soon be redeemed.

In some languages it is necessary to translate redemption as a verb. Some ways to do this are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

the time when you will be redeemed is drawing near
-or-
you will soon be redeemed

• Use an active verb and supply God as the subject. For example:

⌊God⌋ is about to redeem you.

redemption: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as redemption refers to freeing or rescuing someone. In this case it refers to God freeing his people from evil and from the suffering that evil people and powers have caused them. Some ways to translate redemption are:

the time when God will free you (New Century Version)
-or-
your salvation/deliverance
-or-
You will soon be set free (Contemporary English Version)

If you must say what the people will be freed from, use a general term like “your sufferings/troubles.” For example:

you will be freed from your suffering.

See “redeem,” sense B1(b), in Key Biblical Terms.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013