SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 14

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:46

23:46a

Then Jesus called out in a loud voice: This clause introduces the words that Jesus called out to God as he died. In Greek the clause begins with the common conjunction that is often translated as “and.” The Berean Standard Bible translates this conjunction as Then. The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates in a loud voice indicates that Jesus said or shouted the words loudly. The phrase does not imply that he was angry.

Some other says to translate the clause are:

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said (NET Bible)
-or-
After this, Jesus prayed loudly to God, saying

23:46b

Father: Here Jesus prayed to God. He addressed God as Father. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

Father ⌊God⌋
-or-

⌊God⌋ ⌊my⌋ Father

into Your hands I commit My Spirit: In this prayer Jesus entrusted his spirit to God to care for him and protect him. The phrase into Your hands is a metaphor. It represents God himself or his loving care. Some other ways to translate the prayer are:

into your hands I entrust my spirit (God’s Word)
-or-
I commit my spirit into your care
-or-
I give my soul into your holding/power

My Spirit: The phrase My Spirit refers to Jesus himself but does not include his physical body. He was about to leave his body and go to God. Express this in a natural way in your language. For example:

I put myself in your hands! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I entrust myself to you.
-or-
I give you my life. (New Century Version)

23:46c

He breathed His last: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He breathed His last means “he died.” Translate that meaning in a natural way in your language for this context. If you have a gentle way in your language to say that someone has died, you may be able to use it here.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:22

24:22a

Furthermore: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Furthermore introduces another event that caused the disciples to become more confused than they were before. The phrase continues the thought from 24:21c. “Not only was it three days since those things happened, but also….” Connect this verse to 24:21 in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction is not needed.

Some other ways to introduce it in English are:

and now (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Furthermore (NET Bible)
-or-
Then (New Living Translation (2004))

some of our women astounded us: The disciples were amazed as a result of the news that the women told them in 24:23. The disciples were not surprised that the women went to the tomb (24:22b). Be sure to make this connection clear in your language.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Some women in our group told us amazing things.
-or-
And we were amazed earlier this morning because of what some women among us said.

In some languages it is necessary to translate the order of events in this verse in a different way. See the General Comment on 24:22a–b below. In other languages it may be helpful to combine 24:22–23 to translate the events in the order that they happened. See the General Comment on 24:22–23 at the end of 24:23b–c for examples.

some of our women: The phrase some of our women refers to some women from the group of Jesus’ followers. The word our does not include Jesus. Other ways to translate the phrase are:

Some of the women in our(excl) group
-or-
some women among us (New American Standard Bible)

24:22b

They were at the tomb early this morning: The women went to the tomb around dawn on Sunday morning. The two disciples were talking to Jesus in the late afternoon of that same day.

Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

they went at dawn to the tomb (Good News Translation)
-or-
They were at the tomb early this morning (NET Bible)

General Comment on 24:22a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to translate the order of clauses in this verse in a different way. For example:

22bThen some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, 22aand they came back with an amazing report. (New Living Translation (2004))

Translate the events in a natural order in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:31

1:31a

Behold: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Behold literally means “look” or “see.” It focuses attention on what follows and indicates that this is important or amazing. Here Gabriel used it to introduce his amazing message to Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.

Some ways to translate the word in this context are:

look/listen
-or-
take note of this
-or-
pay attention to this

The same Greek word occurred at 1:20a (where the Berean Standard Bible translated it as “now”).

you will conceive: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you will conceive is literally “you will conceive in your womb/belly.” It means, “You will become pregnant.” In some languages you may have an idiom to express this. The text implies that Mary would become pregnant very soon, before she married Joseph. Some ways to translate this in English are:

You will be with child (New International Version)
-or-
You will become pregnant (NET Bible)

give birth to a son: Two other ways to say this are:

have a baby boy
-or-
bear a male child

1:31b

you are to give Him the name Jesus: The Greek verb in the clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you are to give Him the name Jesus is literally “you will call his name Jesus.” In this context it functions as a command. It implies that Mary should or must give him the name Jesus. See the similar expression at 1:13d.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:63

Paragraph 1:63–66

1:63a

In this verse Zechariah wrote on a writing tablet. The text does not state explicitly that someone brought him the tablet, but it is implied. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

⌊Someone brought him the tablet,⌋ and ⌊then⌋

Zechariah asked for a tablet: The verb asked for here means “indicated that he wanted.” Zechariah showed his visitors that he wanted something to write on. He could not yet talk, so he motioned, probably with his hands, to show that he wanted to write something.

tablet: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tablet refers to a small wooden board that someone had covered with wax. People could write by making marks in the wax with a pointed object that was shaped like a pen.

1:63b

And they were all amazed: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they were all amazed means “all the people ⌊who saw what Zechariah wrote⌋ were amazed.” The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as amazed also occurs in 1:21. See the note in 1:21b on “wondering why he took so long in the temple.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:15

Paragraph 2:15–20

2:15a

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven: This part of the verse is more literally “when the angels went from them to heaven.” It indicates that the angels left the shepherds and went (back) to heaven. The Greek text uses only one verb in this clause. There are two ways to translate the clause:

• Use one verb, For example:

When the angels had returned to heaven (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
After the angels had gone back to heaven

• Supply a second verb. For example:

After the angels had left them and returned to heaven (Revised English Bible)
-or-
When the angels left them and went back to heaven (New Century Version)

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

heaven: Here, the word heaven means “the place where God lives.” See heaven, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

2:15b

the shepherds said to one another: The shepherds discussed what to do and decided together to go to Bethlehem (2:15c). Other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

the shepherds said among themselves
-or-
the shepherds said to each other

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 2:15b–c as indirect speech. See the General Comment on 2:15b–c at the end of the notes on 2:15c for an example.

2:15c

Let us go: The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Let us go indicates that the shepherds were suggesting to each other that they should go. They were not asking each other for permission. Another way to say this is:

We should/must go

Use a natural way in your language to talk about a group of people deciding to go somewhere together.

this thing that has happened: The phrase this thing refers to Jesus’ birth. He was the Christ whom God had promised.

which the Lord has made known to us: The clause which the Lord has made known to us refers to the message that God had given to the shepherds through his angel.

General Comment on 2:15b–c

In some languages it may be more natural to translate 2:15b–c as indirect speech. For example:

The shepherds agreed together to go to Bethlehem and see the thing that had happened, which the Lord had told them about through the angel.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:47

2:47

And all who heard Him: The clause all who heard Him indicates that other people gathered around to listen to the conversation between Jesus and the teachers. It was so interesting that people in the temple stopped to listen.

astounded: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as astounded is a very strong word. It means more than just surprised. For example:

his answers stunned everyone who heard him (God’s Word)
-or-
all who heard Jesus were astonished (NET Bible)

His understanding: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as understanding can refer to the ability to understand something or to the content of what is understood. Because of this, the word may also be translated as “intelligence” (as in the Revised English Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible).

His answers: The phrase His answers implies that the teachers were also asking Jesus questions. They were amazed because he answered their questions so well.

In some languages, it may be more natural to make this explicit. For example:

the answers he gave (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the way he answered the questions that the teachers asked him

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:38

3:38

the son of Adam, the son of God: Adam was not the son of God in the same sense that each of the other people in the list was a son of his father. Adam was God’s son in the sense that God created him directly.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:32

4:32a

They were astonished: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as They were astonished means “they were overwhelmed” or “they were astounded.” Another way to translate this is:

they were amazed (New International Version)

at His teaching: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His teaching probably refers primarily to Jesus’ manner or style of teaching (See also the note for 4:32b). For example:

at the way he taught (Good News Translation)

The phrase His teaching may also include the content and power of what Jesus taught.

4:32b

His message had authority: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His message had authority is literally “his word was with authority.” Jesus spoke as someone who knew that what he said was true. He spoke with confidence and certainty. Another way to translate this is:

he spoke with authority

General Comment on 4:32a–b

In some languages it may be natural to change the order of 4:32a and 4:32b. For example:

32bHis message had authority, 32athat’s why the people were amazed at his teaching.
-or-

32bHe delivered his message with such authority 32athat the people were astounded.

Another possibility is to combine 32a–b and say:

When Jesus taught the people, they were astonished at the authority with which he spoke.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013