SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 138

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:25

7:25a

Otherwise: The Greek word that the Scholars interpret the phrase translates as Otherwise is literally “but.” It introduces a shorter form of the question in 7:24b (“What did you go out into the wilderness to see?”). The word Otherwise implies a contrast to “A reed swaying in the wind.” A fuller form of this contrast would be:

If ⌊you did⌋ not ⌊go there to see a reed swaying in the wind…⌋

The Revised English Bible translates it as:

No? Then…

what did you go out to see?: This is a shorter form of the question in 7:24b. If it is more natural in your language, you can translate as you did for 7:24b.

what: See the note on “What” at 7:24b–c.

to see: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to see is a different word than the word for “to see” in 7:24b. However, these two words have basically the same meaning. In your translation, you may either use the same word or use a different word with the same meaning. Do what is good style in your language.

7:25b

A man dressed in fine clothes?: This rhetorical question suggests another answer to the question in 7:24b and 7:25a. Its full form would be:

Did you go out into the desert to see a man dressed in fine clothes?

There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• As a question with the implied answer “No.” You may want to make the answer explicit. For example:

A man dressed in fine clothes? No… (New International Version)
-or-
Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No… (New Living Translation (2004))

• As an emphatic statement. For example:

You certainly did not go to see a man dressed in fine clothes.

fine clothes: The phrase fine clothes refers to clothes that are fancy or soft to the touch. They are the kind of clothes that rich people wear.

7:25c

Look: In the Greek text, this verse part begins with a word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look. This word is an exclamation that calls attention to something. Many English versions translate it as “Behold.” Other versions, such as the New International Version, do not translate this word. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as “Listen!” See the note on “Behold” at 1:31a.

those who wear elegant clothing: The phrase elegant clothing is literally “glorious clothes.” The phrase refers to the same type of clothes as the “fine clothes” in 7:25c. Other ways to translate it are:

Those who wear splendid clothes (God’s Word)
-or-
people who wear beautiful clothes (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
those who are beautifully dressed

If you use a different word from the one you used in 7:26b, make sure that your readers understand that it has the same meaning. For example:

People who dress like that (Good News Translation)

live in luxury: The phrase live in luxury means to enjoy all the nice, expensive things that often only rich people can buy. Wearing fine, expensive clothes was an example of this. So you may need to say:

indulge in ⌊other⌋ luxuries

are found in palaces: The word palaces refers to big, expensive houses that kings live in. While the Berean Standard Bible translates this phrase as passive, are found in palaces, it is active in Greek, “are in palaces.” It may be more natural in your language to use an active phrase. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

live in kings’ palaces (New Century Version)
-or-
are in royal palaces (God’s Word)

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:7

8:7a

Other seed fell among thorns: The phrase among thorns probably refers to soil where roots or seeds of thorny plants were present. So when the grain began to grow up, the thorn plants grew up with it. Here are some ways to translate the phrase among thorns:

• Translate this in a general way:

other seeds fell among thorns

• Translate more specifically:

Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Other seeds fell where thorns habitually grow
-or-
Other seeds fell on soil with thorn seeds/roots

thorns: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as thorns refers to any kind of thorny plant. Some ways to translate thorns here are:

• Use a general term in your language for thorny plants or for undesirable plants that compete with grain. For example:

thorny plants/bushes
-or-
weeds

• Use a specific word that describes a hardy, fast-growing plant from your area that is annoying to farmers. If this plant has thorns, that is good but not essential.

8:7b

which grew up with it: The thorn plants grew up along with the young grain plants. The Berean Standard Bible has supplied it, but in some languages it may be more natural to supply a form such as “them” or “the grain plants.”

choked the seedlings: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as choked the seedlings refers to the way in which the thorns crowded out the grain plants. This caused the grain not to have enough room, soil, water, or sunlight to grow well. Some other ways to translate this are:

crowded the ⌊grain/good⌋ plants
-or-
kept the grain from growing to maturity

The thorns may have choked the grain plants so severely that they died or only so that they did not yield any grain. The point in the parable is that the plants did not yield any grain for the farmer to harvest. Jesus’ comment in 8:14c (“their fruit does not mature”) implies that they did not yield any grain.

Note that the Berean Standard Bible has supplied the seedlings where the Greek text has the pronoun “it.” This may be helpful in other languages also.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:39

8:39a

describe how much God has done for you: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as describe means to tell fully and with some detail. In some languages it may be necessary to say to whom the man was to describe these things. If that is necessary in your language, you can supply something like “the people here.”

8:39b

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So is a simple connector that is often translated as “and.” Many English versions translate it as “so” here because the man did what Jesus told him to do in 8:39a. Connect 8:39b to 8:39a in a way that is natural in your language.

proclaimed: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaimed means to “announce.” It is one of the common verbs used in the Bible for proclaiming the good news about Jesus. You may use a verb that is natural for proclaiming any good news or for proclaiming the good news about Jesus. Be sure that the word you use does not refer only to what a preacher does in church.

In some languages it may be necessary to say exactly to whom the man proclaimed the news about Jesus:

told ⌊the inhabitants/people of⌋ the whole town

all over the town: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all over the town is literally “throughout the city/town.” That is, it refers to the man’s hometown, which was probably Gerasa. See the note on “from the town” at 8:27b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:15

Paragraph 9:15–17

9:15

They did so: The clause They did so indicates that the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do and seated the people. Some versions, such as the New International Version, repeat “the disciples” from 9:14b, but the Greek text has “they,” as in the Berean Standard Bible. Refer to the disciples here in a natural way in your language.

and everyone was seated: This clause tells the result of the disciples telling the people to sit down. For example:

So they did this. (God’s Word)

The word everyone refers primarily to the five thousand men, but it includes everyone who was there. For example:

and all the people sat down (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 9:15

In some languages it may be more natural to combine the two clauses of 9:15 into one clause. For example:

After the disciples had done so (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:47

9:47a

According to Mark 9:33–34, the disciples argued on the way to Capernaum. Jesus talked to them about it after they arrived in Capernaum and were in a house.

But: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the King James Version, translate it that way. The Berean Standard Bible translates it as But, as do some other versions (English Standard Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004)), in order to show that it introduces a contrast. Other versions, such as the Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, and New International Version, do not translate this conjunction. Connect 9:47a to 9:46a-b in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as knowing the thoughts of their hearts means that Jesus realized what the disciples were thinking. It is not clear whether Jesus was close enough to hear what they said (see Mark 9:33–34). But he knew what they were thinking and why they were arguing. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Jesus knew what they were thinking (New Century Version)
-or-
Jesus, who knew what was going on in their minds (Revised English Bible)

9:47b

had a little child: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had is literally “took hold of” or “grasped.” In this context it probably indicates that Jesus took a child by the hand or shoulder in order to position the child next to himself.

According to Mark 9:33, Jesus and his disciples were inside a house at this time. The child probably lived in that house. Your translation should not imply that Jesus went somewhere else to find a child.

a little child: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a little child refers to a young child who was probably less than ten years old. Try to use a general term that can refer to either a young boy or a young girl. If you must choose between a boy or girl, you should probably use a word that refers to a young boy. The Greek text does not have a separate word meaning little. Consider if it is necessary to translate this word explicitly in your language.

had…stand beside Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had…stand beside Him is literally “set/put him by his side.” It means that Jesus led or gently pulled the child to his side. For example:

stood him by his side (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 9:47b

In some languages, it may be natural to combine the ideas in the phrase “had a little child” and the phrase “stand beside him,” as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:

he had a child stand there beside him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he brought a little child to his side (New Living Translation (2004))

In other languages, it may be more natural to present these ideas separately. For example:

Jesus…took a little child and had him stand beside him (New International Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:17

Paragraph 10:17–20

10:17a

The seventy-two returned with joy: Here is another way to translate this:

When the seventy-two came back, they were very happy (New Century Version)

The seventy-two returned: In your translation, use the same number (seventy or seventy-two) that you used in 10:1a.

It is implied that some time passed between 10:16 and 10:17. See the General Comment on 10:16e. Some ways to indicate this are:

When the seventy-two disciples returned (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊Some time later⌋ Jesus’ seventy-two followers returned ⌊from their trip⌋
-or-

⌊After⌋ Jesus’ seventy-two disciples ⌊did what Jesus had instructed them, they⌋ returned

returned with joy The context implies that they were happy because of what they had been able to do on their trip. In some languages it may be necessary to make this more explicit. For example:

returned, rejoicing ⌊about what had happened on their trip⌋

10:17b

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord was a polite way to address someone who had authority, such as a religious leader. It means “lord” or “master.” It is also a word that the Jews used to address God. It is not the same Greek word as the word translated as “Master” in 9:49a. But in some languages, it may be natural to use the same term of address for “Master,” “Teacher,” and “Lord.” See how you translated this term in 9:54b. See also Lord, Context 3, in the Glossary.

even the demons submit to us in Your name: In this context the clause the demons submit to us in Your name indicates that the demons recognized that Jesus had given authority to the disciples. That is why the demons obeyed them. When the disciples used the power of Jesus’ name to command the demons to leave someone, the demons obeyed and left that person. Another way to translate this is:

even the demons obeyed us when we used your name (New Century Version)

even the demons: The word even here implies that the disciples were especially surprised and pleased that demons submitted to them. They may have expected to be able to heal people, but they may not have expected to be able to cast demons out of people.

demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demons refers to spirits that are evil and can control people’s actions. The word demons refers to the same type of spirit as the Greek terms that are often translated as “evil spirits” and “unclean spirits.”

Some ways to translate demons are:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people.

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. These spirits should be able to do evil things. Do not use a term that refers to spirits of dead people.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

evil/bad spirits
-or-
unclean spirits

Be sure that an expression like “unclean spirits” does not imply that the spirits are literally dirty.

See how you translated demons in 8:32b. See demon in the Glossary for more information.

submit to us: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as submit is in the present tense. This may indicate that the disciples were talking excitedly, as if the events were still happening. The disciples may also have been stating a general principle. Some English versions use the present tense, and others use the past tense. You may use whatever is natural in your language when people are telling about experiences that they have had.

in Your name: The phrase in Your name refers to invoking or using Jesus’ name to do something. It implies the power and authority that is associated with Jesus and his name. In this context the disciples were using Jesus’ name to make the demons submit to them. It is important to make this clear. Your translation should not imply that the demons were using Jesus’ name as they submitted to the disciples. Other ways to translate this are:

when we used your name (New Century Version)
-or-
when we gave them a command in your name (Good News Translation)
-or-
when we use the power and authority of your name (God’s Word)
-or-
when we command/commanded them to leave through your power

See how you translated the phrase “in Your name” in a similar context in 9:49a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:7

11:7a

And suppose the one inside answers: As mentioned above, 11:5–7 is a long, complex rhetorical question. To make this long rhetorical question more understandable, you can translate 11:5–6 as a statement and begin the rhetorical question here in 11:7a. For example:

Would the one inside answer…?
-or-
Does the person inside the house answer in this way?

(See the note on 11:5–7 above for other ways to translate the rhetorical question.)

Translate this clause in a natural way in your language for keeping track of the participants in the story. For example, it may not be necessary to specify that the man is inside the house, if that is already clear from the context.

Do not bother me: The phrase Do not bother me means, “Do not disturb me by making me get out of bed.” The man in the house would have to get out of bed, get the bread, and unlock the door. He did not want to do that in order to give the bread to his friend. Some other ways to translate this are:

Do not disturb me
-or-
Do not cause me trouble/problems

11:7b

My door is already shut: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is…shut is literally “has been shut.” It indicates here that the door had been shut for the night. This involved fastening a bar or bolt across the inside of the door to keep it closed. If you have a term in your language for barring, bolting, or locking a door from the inside, you may use it here.

The verb is…shut is a passive verb. Some ways to translate this verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

The door is locked for the night (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The door is bolted (Contemporary English Version)

• As an active verb. For example:

I have already barred/bolted the door ⌊for the night⌋

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

11:7c

my children and I are in bed: There are at least two ways to interpret the Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my children and I are in bed:

(1) The children and the father had already gone to bed. They were probably asleep. The children may or may not have been on the same bed or mat as the father. For example:

my children and I are in bed (New Century Version)

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

(2) The children were all sleeping in the same bed as the father. This was probably a mat or a raised sleeping platform at one end of the room on which the whole family slept. For example:

my children are with me in bed (Revised Standard Version)

(New International Version, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it allows for a variety of sleeping arrangements. The point of the passage is not whether the family slept in one or many beds. The point is that everyone had already gone to bed. If the father had to get up and look for food supplies, this would probably wake up the other members of the family.

If the situation is not clear to readers in your area, you may want to add a footnote. For example:

This was probably a one-room house where everyone slept in one area. It would disturb everyone’s sleep to get up and open the door. (Translator’s Reference Translation)

Some other ways to translate interpretation (1) are:

My children and I already went to bed/sleep
-or-
My children and I have already lain down

The man did not mention his wife. If that seems unusual for people in your area, you may want to translate in a more general way. For example:

my family and I are all in bed (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
All of us(excl) already went to sleep

11:7d

I cannot get up to give you anything: In this context the clause I cannot get up means “I am not willing to get up.” Obviously the man was physically able to get out of bed. He just was not willing to do so. In some languages it may not be necessary to state all the information in this verse part explicitly. For example:

I can’t help you (New Living Translation (2004))

Think of a natural way in your language for a person to give this kind of excuse to his friend.

General Comment on 11:5–7

As the note on 11:5–7 stated, in Greek these verses are one rhetorical question. In some languages it may be more natural to translate most of 11:5–7 as a statement and to put a shorter question at the end of 11:7d. See the Display for 11:7d for some examples. See also the note on 11:5–7 above for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:18

11:18

The examples of a kingdom and a family that Jesus used in 11:17 also apply to Satan and his unclean spirits. In Greek, 11:18 is literally “If Satan also is divided.” Many English versions include the word “also.” To make this meaning clear, it may be necessary in some languages to begin 11:18 as follows:

It is the same also with Satan.
-or-
In the same way…

In some languages it may be clearer to reorder 11:18a–c. See the General Comment on 11:18a–c at the end of the note on 11:18c for an example.

11:18a

If Satan is divided against himself: The word Satan here is a figurative reference to Satan’s kingdom. It refers to the demons over which he rules. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this figurative meaning clear. For example:

If Satan’s ⌊kingdom⌋ is divided against/within itself
-or-
If Satan’s ⌊followers⌋ are divided against themselves
-or-
If Satan fights against his fellow demons

Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew name of the chief/leader of all the unclean spirits. In Hebrew his name means “enemy.” He is the enemy of God and God’s people.

Here are some ways to translate Satan:

• Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons.

• Use a descriptive phrase such as:

the chief/leader of the unclean spirits
-or-
the spirit enemy of God

• Transliterate the name Satan. If this word is not already known in your area, you may also want to add a descriptive phrase. For example:

Satanas, the ruler of demons
-or-
Shaitan

The word Satan also occurs in 10:18a–b.

11:18b

how can his kingdom stand?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that Satan’s kingdom will certainly not stand.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

how can his kingdom stand? ⌊It certainly cannot!⌋

• As a statement. For example:

his kingdom will certainly not stand
-or-
his kingdom will not continue (New Century Version)

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

his kingdom: The phrase his kingdom here refers to “Satan’s rule” or “his power/authority.”

In the Greek language, the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “stand” goes together with words such as “kingdom” and “government.” This is a figure of speech that means “continues to exist.” You should use whichever verb in your language naturally goes together with kingdom. Some other examples in English are:

how can his kingdom survive (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
how can it last (Good News Translation)
-or-
he wouldn’t be able to continue ruling (Translator’s Reference Translation)

11:18c

After all: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as After all is literally “because” or “for.” Most English versions translate it that way. The New International Version and several other English versions also supply the words “I say this” before “because.” They supply these words to help indicate that 11:18c is the reason why Jesus said what he did in 11:17b–18b.

you say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul: Jesus was referring to what the people said in 11:15, that Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul.

demons: This is the same word as in 11:15c.

Beelzebul: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible transliterates as Beelzebul is again Beelzebul, as in 11:15b. You should use the same name as you did there.

General Comment on 11:18a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder 11:18a–c. For example:

18cYou say I am empowered by the prince of demons. But 18aif Satan is fighting against himself 18cby empowering me to cast out his demons, 18bhow can his kingdom survive? (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-

18cYou say that it is Satan ⌊the prince of demons⌋ who gives me ⌊the power⌋ to drive out demons. 18aSo, if ⌊this is true, it means that⌋ Satan is fighting against himself! 18b⌊Therefore,⌋ will his rule continue? ⌊It certainly will not!⌋

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013