SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 136

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:49

7:49a

But: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Many English versions do not use a conjunction here. Other versions use various conjunctions to connect the verses: “And” (King James Version), “Then” (Revised Standard Version), and “But” (New Revised Standard Version). This verse tells the reaction of the guests to the statement in 7:48. It comes between two things that Jesus said to the woman in 7:48 and 7:50. Connect these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

those at the table began to say to themselves: This clause introduces the question in 7:49b. There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as say to themselves here:

(1) It refers to thoughts. The guests thought about the question in 7:49b without speaking out loud. For example:

say to themselves (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Revised English Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, God’s Word)

(2) It refers to spoken words. The guests spoke to each another about the question in 7:49b. For example:

saying to one another (Contemporary English Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This view is favored by the majority of Bible scholars. The same Greek expression is used in 7:39a, where it is clear that the thought was not spoken aloud. Some other ways to translate this are:

asked themselves
-or-
thought (God’s Word)

those at the table: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those at the table is literally “the ones who were reclining with (him).” This refers to the other men who were guests at the feast. Refer to them in a way that in natural in your language.

7:49b

Who is this who even forgives sins?: This is a rhetorical question. It does not imply that the people did not know who Jesus was. It expresses their surprise and disapproval that Jesus declared that the woman’s sins were forgiven. They believed that only God had the authority to forgive sins. There are two ways to translate this:

• As a rhetorical question that implies surprise or disapproval. For example:

Who does this man think he is, going around forgiving sins? (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Who is this who dares to forgive sins? (Contemporary English Version)

• As an exclamation that implies surprise or disapproval. For example:

This man dares to say that he forgives sins! ⌊That is shocking!⌋
-or-
I cannot understand why/how this man says that he forgives sins!

The people who said this did not believe that Jesus had authority to forgive sins. You may need to make this explicit in your translation by saying something like:

Who is this man who claims the authority ⌊that only God has⌋ to forgive sins?
-or-
I am amazed/shocked that this man believes that he can even forgive sins!
-or-
This man does not have authority to forgive sins! ⌊Only God does.⌋

even: The word even emphasizes the greatness of the authority that Jesus was claiming. He claimed to have authority even to forgive sins. The people thought that only God had that authority, and to claim the authority to forgive sins was like claiming to be God. Since they did not believe that Jesus was God, they were offended. Some other ways to say this could be:

Who is this man who claims such ⌊divine⌋ authority as to forgive sins?
-or-
Who is this man who goes so far as to forgive sins?

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:31

8:31

the demons: At this point, the pronoun in Greek switches from “he” to “they,” referring to the many demons who were speaking through the man. For clarity, the Berean Standard Bible translates this pronoun as the demons.

kept begging Jesus: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as kept begging means to “plead for” something. This word is used when a request is earnestly desired. The Greek verb form probably indicates repeated action. It implies that the demons begged Jesus many times. Some ways to translate this are:

begged him repeatedly (New International Version)
-or-
were now begging (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
were begging (New American Standard Bible)

not to order them to go into the Abyss: This request implies that the demons expected Jesus to command them to go into the Abyss. To obey this command, the demons would also have to leave the man. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

they begged him that ⌊after they left the man⌋ he would not order them to go into the Abyss

Abyss: The word Abyss is a transliteration of the Greek word abussos. It means a very deep pit, and it may imply a pit that has no bottom. Here this word refers to the place where unclean spirits are kept while waiting for their final punishment. The Jews thought of this place as being deep under the ground. Some ways you could translate this are:

the bottomless pit (God’s Word)
-or-
the prison for evil spirits
-or-
the place where God keeps evil spirits for punishment
-or-
the deep pit, where they would be punished (Contemporary English Version)

You may want to include a note to explain more about the Abyss. For example:

Jews believed that the place of the dead was deep underground. It was also the place where unclean spirits were kept while they waited for the day when God would punish them.

General Comment on 8:31

In some languages it may be best to translate the demons’ request in this verse as direct speech. For example:

they begged him repeatedly, “Do not send us(excl) into the Abyss!”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:7

Section 9:7–9

Herod was confused by the reports about Jesus

Herod the governor heard about the amazing things that Jesus and his apostles were doing. However, Herod did not know what that implied about the kind of person that Jesus was. People said that Jesus was a prophet who had become alive again (9:19), but they could not decide which prophet he was. Some people thought that Jesus was John the Baptizer. Herod had caused John to be executed, and he was confused about who Jesus was and how he got his power.

Some other headings for this section are:

Herod’s confusion about Jesus
-or-
Herod was worried

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 14:1–12 and Mark 6:14–29.

Paragraph 9:7–9

9:7a

When: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as When introduces a change of topic in this story. It does not refer to present time. Some English versions do not translate this word here. Some other ways to introduce the topic are:

When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Herod, the governor, heard about all the things that were happening (New Century Version)

Herod: This Herod was Herod Antipas. His father was Herod the Great.

the tetrarch: A tetrarch was the ruler or governor of a fourth part of a kingdom. When Herod the Great died, Caesar divided the land that he ruled. Caesar appointed some of Herod’s sons to rule different parts. Herod Antipas became the ruler of the province/district called Galilee.

The focus here is not on the meaning of the word tetrarch. For this reason, you may translate tetrarch in a general way. You may want to make “Galilee” explicit in order to distinguish this Herod from the other rulers in the New Testament who were also named Herod. For example:

Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Herod, the leader/governor ⌊of Galilee⌋
-or-
Herod ruled/governed ⌊the province called Galilee⌋.

The term tetrarch also occurred in 3:1c.

heard about all that was happening: The phrase heard about all that was happening indicates that Herod heard about all the amazing things that Jesus and his apostles were doing.

9:7b

This part of the verse expresses Herod’s reaction to the things that Jesus and his disciples were doing. Herod was perplexed. The next part of the verse (9:7c) gives the reason why he was perplexed. People were saying different things about Jesus, and Herod did not know which things were true. Express the connections in this verse in a natural way in your language. Here is one way to do this in English:

7aWhen Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about all the things that were happening, 7bhe was very confused, 7cbecause some people were saying… (Good News Translation)

he was perplexed: The clause he was perplexed means “he (Herod) was puzzled.” Herod did not know what to think about Jesus. He was confused because people had different ideas about who Jesus was. In some languages you may have an idiom to express this kind of confusion. Other ways to translate the clause in English are:

He was very confused
-or-
He did not know what to think about it

9:7c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason why Herod was perplexed. Different people were saying different things about Jesus.

some were saying that: The word some means “some people” and refers to the first of three different groups of people who had different ideas about who Jesus was.

John had risen from the dead: Some people said that Jesus was really John the Baptizer, who had become alive again. In some languages you may need to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

Some were saying that ⌊Jesus was⌋ John, who had been raised from the dead

The verb phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates with an active form, had risen, is passive in Greek. This indicates that John did not rise from the dead on his own. Someone raised him from the dead. In some languages it may be natural to use an active verb and say who did the action. For example:

⌊God⌋ had raised John from the dead

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:39

9:39a

9:39 begins with a phrase that is literally “and behold” in Greek. The Berean Standard Bible and most English versions do not translate this phrase. In this context, this phrase introduces significant information in the story. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

what happens is: (Translator’s Reference Translation)

A spirit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as spirit here refers to an unclean spirit or a demon. Later in the story this same spirit is referred to as a “demon” (9:42b) and an “unclean spirit” (9:42c). In some languages it may be natural to refer to the spirit in the same way in all these places. See the note on “demons” in 9:1b. See also demon in the Glossary.

keeps seizing him: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as keeps seizing means “takes possession of” or “takes control of.” The form of the verb indicates that this action occurred from time to time or repeatedly. Another way to translate this is:

attacks him (Good News Translation)

and he screams abruptly: This clause tells the result of the spirit seizing the boy. There are two ways to interpret the Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he screams abruptly:

(1) It means that the boy screamed whenever the spirit seized him. For example:

he shrieks (God’s Word)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, God’s Word)

(2) It means that the spirit screamed when it seized the boy. For example:

all at once it gives a sudden cry (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible)

In Greek, the subject of “screamed” is ambiguous. It can mean either “he” or “it.” If it is natural in your language to translate ambiguously, as the Greek does, you should do so. If you need to specify the subject, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions.

9:39b

It throws him into convulsions: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as It throws him into convulsions indicates that the demon caused the boy to have seizures. These seizures made him roll around on the ground and jerk uncontrollably. Such seizures are sometimes a symptom of the disease called epilepsy. Here Luke identified the cause as an unclean spirit. Other ways to translate this are:

causes him to have seizures
-or-
convulses him
-or-
shakes him (Contemporary English Version)

so that he foams at the mouth: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that he foams at the mouth is literally “with foam.” In addition to causing the boy to have convulsions, the unclean spirit caused him to foam at the mouth. Use an expression in your language that describes what happens when a person has a seizure and white froth or bubbles come out of his mouth. For example:

and causes him to foam at the mouth (NET Bible)
-or-
until he foams at the mouth (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
and froth/bubbles come from his mouth

9:39c

It keeps mauling him: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mauling is translated in various ways in different contexts. In this context, it probably means to mistreat, wound, bruise badly, or torture. The demon was badly hurting the boy. Other ways to translate this include:

destroying him (New International Version)
-or-
torturing him severely (NET Bible)
-or-
keeps on tormenting him (Revised English Bible)

and rarely departs from him: The clause rarely departs from him means that the demon rarely left the boy alone. Most of the time it was possessing and controlling him. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as:

It is almost always in control of him
-or-
It has him in its grip/power almost all of the time

General Comment on 9:39c

The Berean Standard Bible reverses the order of the two clauses in 9:39c. It may be more natural in your language to follow the Greek order. For example:

It hardly ever leaves him alone, torturing him severely. (NET Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:9

10:9a

Heal the sick who are there: In this context the phrase the sick who are there means “the people in that town who are sick.”

10:9b

In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for 10:9b. See the General Comment on 10:9b for a suggestion.

and tell them: The pronoun them refers to all the people in the town, not only the people whom the disciples healed.

The kingdom of God is near you: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The kingdom of God is near you is literally “the kingdom of God has approached you” or “the kingdom of God has come near to you.” This clause probably means here that God’s kingdom had already arrived. God had already begun to rule and save his people through Jesus’ teaching and miracles. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

God has already come to rule and save you as king.
-or-
God is ⌊even now⌋ among you to rule and deliver you

The kingdom of God: The phrase The kingdom of God does not refer here to a land or country that God rules over. It refers to the relationship that God has with his people. He rules them, and leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king.

Some ways to translate this are:

• As a noun. For example:

God’s rule/reign
-or-
God’s kingship
-or-
God’s chieftaincy
-or-
God’s government

• As a verbal expression:

the way God rules his people
-or-
the way God cares for his people as king

See the notes on 4:43a and 9:2 and kingdom of God in the Glossary.

General Comment on 10:9b

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 10:9b as indirect speech. For example:

and tell the people that the kingdom of God has come near them

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:41

10:41–42

This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that several translations (English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised Standard Version) translate as “but.” They do this in order to show that in these verses, the Lord Jesus responded to Martha in a way that Martha did not expect. For example:

But the Lord answered her (Revised Standard Version)

The Berean Standard Bible and many other translations do not translate this conjunction. Introduce this unexpected answer in a natural way in your language.

10:41

Martha, Martha: Jesus spoke Martha’s name twice in order to show affection or concern for her. Even though he was correcting her, he was speaking gently to her. He was not harshly rebuking her. If a literal translation would not convey this meaning in your language, it may be necessary to express the affection or gentleness in a different way. For example:

My dear Martha (New Living Translation (2004))

Be sure that the expression you use does not express any kind of sexual interest or inappropriate affection.

In some languages it may not be natural for Jesus to address Martha by name here. If that is true in your language, you may need to express the concern or gentleness in another way. For example:

⌊I am concerned about you.⌋

the Lord replied:
The Berean Standard Bible has placed the Lord replied in the middle of what Jesus said. In the Greek text, these words are at the beginning of the verse. Place them wherever it is natural in your language. You should continue to refer to the Lord here in a clear and natural way in your language.

worried and upset: In this context the two Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worried and upset have almost the same meaning. Together they are more emphatic than either word used alone. If it is not natural in your language to use two slightly different descriptions in this way, you may use one word or expression. Consider how to make this expression more emphatic in your language. For example:

…you are so upset over all these details! (New Living Translation (1996))

In some languages you may have an idiom to express this.

worried: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worried means “anxious” or “concerned.”

upset: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as upset means “troubled” or “bothered.”

about many things: The phrase many things probably refers here to the various things that Martha was doing to prepare a special meal for the guests.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:31

11:31

In 11:31, Jesus made a shocking statement. He said that on Judgment Day, the Queen of the South (a Gentile) would condemn the Jews who had not responded to Jesus’ message. She could condemn them because she responded to Solomon’s message, but they refused to respond to Jesus’ message even though Jesus was greater than Solomon.

See the General Comment on 11:31a–d at the end of 11:31d for a way to put this verse in chronological order.

11:31a

The Queen of the South: The Queen of the South refers to the Queen of Sheba (mentioned in 1 Kings 10:1–13). Her country was south of Israel, perhaps in the country that today is called Ethiopia. She had lived almost a thousand years before the time of Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this implied information explicit. For example:

The ⌊former⌋ queen of ⌊a country to⌋ the south

Queen: In languages that do not have a word for Queen, it may be possible to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

the woman who was the leader/chief
-or-
the woman who ruled

will rise: Scholars have interpreted the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as will rise in two ways:

(1) It means will stand up, or will appear. The Queen of the South will stand up in God’s court when he judges people at the end of the world. For example:

On the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up… (Good News Translation)

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

(2) It means will rise from the dead, or will live again. This view is supported by some commentators.

The Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, and King James Version translate the verb literally as “rise” or “arise,” which can be understood either way. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and use a verb that is appropriate for appearing in court to condemn someone. Notice that interpretation (1) does assume that the Queen of the South will rise from the dead (interpretation 2).

at the judgment: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as at the judgment refers to the time at the end of this world when God judges everyone. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Judgment Day (Good News Translation)
-or-
the time of judgment (God’s Word)

This phrase also occurs in 10:14.

with the men of this generation: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as with the men of this generation means “together with the men who are living now (that is, at Jesus’ time).” This means that the Queen will be standing at the same time as these men. It does not mean that the Queen will stand in support of them. In fact, she will stand to condemn them. Here is one way to make this clear:

against this generation (New Living Translation (2004))

the men of this generation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men normally refers to males. In Jesus’ time, men were the leaders and decision-makers of the people. However, this does not mean that women will not be at the judgment. For this reason, you can translate men as “people.” For example:

the people who live now (New Century Version)

11:31b

and condemn them: In this context, the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as condemn means “show to be wrong.” The Queen of the South will not be acting as the judge. Rather, she will show that what she did pleased God. She will show that the Jewish people of Jesus’ time did not do what pleased God. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

and accuse the people of today (Good News Translation)
-or-
She will show they are guilty (New Century Version)

11:31c

for: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason why the queen will accuse the men (in 11:31a–b). Another way to translate this is:

because (Good News Translation)

(See the General Comment on 11:31a–d at the end of 11:31d for a way to put the reason in 11:31c before 11:31a.)

she came from the ends of the earth: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the ends of the earth is an idiom. It means “from a place that was very far away.” The Queen of Sheba left her country far in the south and traveled to Israel. In those days her country was at the very end of the world that people in Israel knew about.

Translate this idiom using an expression that refers to making a journey from a very long distance away. For example:

she came from a long distance
-or-
she came from her land very far away

to hear the wisdom of Solomon: The Queen of Sheba journeyed to Israel in order to listen to King Solomon. He was famous for speaking with great wisdom.

In some languages, it may not be possible to use an abstract noun such as wisdom. Another way to translate the wisdom of Solomon is:

the wise things that Solomon said

In other languages, it is not possible to describe things or words as “wise.” If that is true in your language, you may be able to use a phrase such as:

the words of wise ⌊King⌋ Solomon

Solomon: Solomon was a king of Israel more than nine hundred years before Jesus was born. He was famous for being very wise. See 1 Kings chapter 3.

11:31d

now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as now is literally “behold.” Many English versions translate it that way. This word is used here to call attention to the next statement. It indicates that the next statement is something important or surprising. Some other ways to translate this word are:

I tell you (New Century Version)
-or-
I assure you

One greater than Solomon is here: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as One greater is neuter. It can also be translated this way:

something greater (Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version)

In either case, Jesus was referring to himself. He was saying that he was greater than Solomon and that his wisdom was greater than Solomon’s. Consider whether in your language it would be more natural to say “something greater” or “someone greater.”

If a person cannot refer to himself using the third person in your language, you may say:

Someone who is greater than Solomon is here, ⌊and that is I⌋.
-or-

⌊I⌋ who am greater than Solomon am here.

General Comment on 11:31d

There is important implied information at the end of this part of the verse. Jesus implied here (but did not say) “but you(plur) will not listen to him!” If the people reading your translation do not understand this implied information, you may need to make it explicit. You could include it in the translation or put it in a footnote. For example:

but you refuse to listen (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 11:31a–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the parts of this verse so that it is in chronological order. For example:

⌊Long ago,⌋ the Queen of the South 31ccame from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom. 31dNow one greater than Solomon is here, ⌊but you refuse to listen to him⌋. 31aThat is why at the judgment she will rise with the men of this generation 31band condemn them.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:9

12:9a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces a contrast. This verse describes a situation that is a complete contrast to the situation in 12:8. It functions as a warning. Translate in a way that is natural in your language for presenting such a contrast.

whoever denies Me before men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as denies means “disowns, repudiates, renounces.” This phrase whoever denies Me before men refers to a person who says publicly that he is not a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus was referring to anyone who did this. Make sure that your translation of this phrase fits your choice of subject in 12:8a (for example: “anyone,” “everyone,” “all,” or “those”). Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

those who reject me publicly (Good News Translation)
-or-
all who stand before others and say they do not believe in me (New Century Version)
-or-
anyone who denies in front of other people here on earth that he is my follower

12:9b

will be denied before the angels of God: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be denied is a passive verb. If it is more natural to use an active verb, the implied subject is “I” (Jesus). For example:

⌊I⌋ will disown him before God’s angels.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013