SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:1

Section 3:1–20

John the Baptizer prepared the way for Jesus

The last event in Luke 2 describes Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. This section begins about eighteen years later. At the beginning of chapter 3, both Jesus and John the Baptizer were about thirty years old. Both men were ready to begin public ministry.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

The Preaching of John (New Century Version)
-or-
John the Baptist and Jesus (Revised English Bible)
-or-
John the Baptizer tells people to prepare themselves for the Messiah

Parts of Luke 3:1–20 are basically the same as verses in Matthew 3:1–12. But Luke 3:1–2, 10–14, and 19–20 are not in Matthew.

Paragraph 3:1–3

This paragraph introduces John the Baptizer and gives historical background. The information about the government and religious leaders in 3:1–2 shows the time period when John began his work. John is the main person in this section. In some languages it may be helpful to introduce John before giving the information about leaders in that time period. See the General Comment on 3:1–2 at the end of the notes on 3:2b for specific suggestions.

In some languages, the difference between background information and the main part of a story is shown by using certain verbs or other markers. If this is true in your language, you should try to show these differences here in 3:1 and 3:2.

3:1a

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar: The phrase the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar refers to the fifteenth year that Tiberius Caesar had been emperor. He ruled the Roman Empire from the city of Rome. This fifteenth year was somewhere around A.D. 26 to 28.

Tiberius had completed fourteen years of rule, and the events in this chapter began during his fifteenth year of ruling. So in some languages it may be natural to translate this as:

Tiberius had already been emperor of Rome for fourteen years. During his fifteenth year….

reign: The word reign refers to the period of time that a king rules over a country or empire. Tiberius ruled the entire Roman Empire, which included the provinces of Judea (3:1b) and Galilee (3:1c) and also many other provinces.

Tiberius Caesar: Tiberius Caesar was the Roman emperor. Tiberius was his personal name. Caesar was his title, which means “emperor.” The word Caesar also occurs in 2:1a–b. Some ways to translate this are:

the high king Tiberius
-or-
Tiberius, the supreme ruler
-or-
Emperor Tiberius (Contemporary English Version)

Decide whether it is more natural in your language to put the title before the personal name or after the name.

3:1b

Several English versions put a dash at the end of 3:1a before the clause about political leaders. Some English versions begin a new sentence at the end of this clause; others, such as the New International Version, put another dash there. Other English versions use commas in both places. Connect the clauses in a way that is natural in your language. See the General Comment on 3:1–2 at the end of the notes on 3:2b for more information and suggestions.

Pontius Pilate: Pontius Pilate was the personal name of the leader of the district of Judea.

governor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as governor is literally “governing.” It is a general word that means “ruling” or “leading.” It is used of ruling over a district rather than over an entire country or empire. In the Roman Empire, a governor ruled under someone with greater authority.

Judea: Judea was the name of one of the provinces in the Roman empire. Judea was part of the homeland of the Jews.

3:1c

Herod tetrarch of Galilee: Herod was the name of the government leader who ruled over the province or district of Galilee. (Galilee was another part of the homeland of the Jews.) Herod’s full name was Herod Antipas. His father, who is sometimes called Herod the Great, was king when Jesus was born.

In some languages it may be natural to translate this part of the verse as a complete clause:

Herod was tetrarch/governor of Galilee.
-or-
Herod ruled/governed ⌊the province called⌋ Galilee.

tetrarch: The word tetrarch literally means “ruler of a fourth part.” It refers to the government leader of one fourth of an area.

Herod the Great died not long after Jesus was born. When he died, Caesar divided the land that Herod ruled. Caesar appointed some of Herod’s sons to rule different parts. Herod Antipas became the ruler of the part called Galilee.

Luke gave these details to indicate the political situation when John the Baptist started his ministry. The focus is not on the meaning of the word tetrarch. For this reason, you may translate tetrarch in a general way. For example:

Herod was the ruler of Galilee (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Herod was the leader/governor of Galilee
-or-
Herod ruled Galilee (God’s Word)

3:1d

As in 3:1c, you may need to translate this part of the verse as a complete clause. For example:

His brother Philip ⌊was⌋ tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis.

his brother Philip: Philip was a half-brother of Herod. They were both sons of the older Herod, who was sometimes called Herod the Great, but they had different mothers. Philip was older than his brother Herod.

Ituraea and Trachonitis: Ituraea and Trachonitis were the names of two provinces/districts to the east of the province/district of Galilee. The people living in Ituraea and Trachonitis were Gentiles.

3:1e

As in 3:1c, you may need to translate this part of the verse as a complete clause. For example:

Lysanias ⌊was⌋ tetrarch of Abilene.

Lysanias: Lysanias is the name of the ruler of the district of Abilene. Scholars do not know whether he was related to Herod the Great.

Abilene: Abilene was a province/district to the north and east of Galilee.

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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 4:6

4:6a

There is a Greek conjunction at the beginning of this verse that is often translated as “and.” Many English versions, including the New International Version, NET Bible, and English Standard Version, translate it that way. In some languages, no conjunction is necessary here. For example:

The devil said to Jesus (New Century Version)

Connect 4:5 to 4:6 in a way that is natural in your language.

I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory: The phrase I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory means “I will cause you to rule over all these nations and receive their glory and greatness.” The devil promised to make Jesus the leader of the whole world.

authority: The word authority here means “the right to rule people and the power to control them.” It is the power to tell everyone else what to do. The Good News Translation translates this word as:

power

glory: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as glory expresses the idea of the greatness, magnificence, and beauty of the nations. The devil promised Jesus the glory/greatness that accompanies being the ruler of a nation. Here the glory would be even greater because he would be ruler of all the nations. See glory, sense A1(a), in Key Biblical Terms.

You could translate 4:6a as:

The devil said to Jesus, “I will give you power/authority over the leaders of all these countries and all their glory.”

he said: In Greek, the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he said is literally “he said to him.” The phrase comes at the beginning of the verse in Greek. You should place these words where it is natural in your language to identify the speaker of this quotation.

4:6b

For it has been relinquished to me: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason clause (4:6b) of a reason-result statement. The result is implied. The implied information is “I can do this” or “I can give you this authority.”

Result (implied)

⌊I can give you this authority,
⌋

reason (4:6b)

for/because it has been given to me.

Some ways to translate this are:

• Include the implied information and the with 4:6b. For example:

⌊I can give you this authority,⌋ for/because it has been given to me.
-or-
This authority has been given to me. Therefore/So ⌊I can give it to you⌋.

• Translate 4:6b–c as a separate sentence and leave the relationship implied. For example:

6aI will give you all the power and glory of these kingdoms. 6bAll of it has been given to me, 6cand I give it to anyone I please. (God’s Word)

it has been relinquished to me: The phrase it has been relinquished to me means “this authority has been given to me.” The verb is passive. Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a passive clause. For example:

this authority has been given to me

• Use an active clause. For example:

I have obtained this authority
-or-
I have received the power over these nations

Satan did not say from whom he received this authority. Because it is unlikely that Satan would credit God with this, you should avoid something like, “God gave me this authority.”

4:6c

and I can give it to anyone I wish: In Greek this part of the verse is more literally “and to whomever I want I give it.” The devil claimed that he could give the authority over all nations (4:6a) to anyone he chose. (Of course, he did not really have this authority.)

Some other ways to translate this are:

and I can give it to anyone I choose (Good News Translation)
-or-
and I can give it to anyone I wish (NET Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:38

Section 4:38–44

Jesus helped many people

Jesus continued healing people, casting out demons, and preaching the good news about the kingdom of God. The people of Capernaum tried to stop him from leaving (4:42), but Jesus continued going from place to place, helping many people.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus Heals Many People
-or-
Jesus Cures Simon’s Mother-in-Law and Many Others (God’s Word)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 8:14–17 and Mark 1:29–34.

Paragraph 4:38–39

After Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man, he left the synagogue and went to Simon’s house. There he healed Simon’s mother-in-law who was sick with a high fever. The events in this paragraph occurred after the events in the previous section. For that reason, many English translations translate the conjunction at the start of 4:38 with a time word. In some languages, it may also be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word or phrase. For example:

Then (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
After that

4:38a

After Jesus had left the synagogue: The synagogue refers here to the building in Capernaum where Jews gathered to pray, read Scripture, teach their beliefs, and worship God. This is the synagogue where Jesus had caused the demon to come out of the man (4:33a).

For more information, see the note on “synagogues” at 4:15a and synagogue in the Glossary.

the home of Simon: The phrase the home of Simon means “the house where Simon’s family lived.” Simon was married, and he probably owned this house himself. It appears that his mother-in-law lived in his home.

Simon: This is the first time that Simon is mentioned in the book of Luke. Jesus later gave him an additional name, “Peter” (5:8, 6:14). But at this time, people just referred to him as Simon. You may wish to include a footnote here, saying something like:

He was also called Peter.
-or-
Jesus later gives Simon another name, Peter.

4:38b

whose mother-in-law: Another way to say whose mother-in-law is “the mother of Simon’s wife.”

In some cultures, it would be unusual for Simon’s mother-in-law to be living (or staying) in the same house as Simon. If your readers might think that Jesus had gone to a different house to see her, you may need to say explicitly that she was in Simon’s house. For example:

⌊There he found⌋ Simon’s mother-in-law, sick with a high fever.
-or-
Simon’s mother-in-law ⌊was in his house⌋. ⌊She⌋ was suffering from a high fever.

was suffering from a high fever: The phrase suffering from a high fever means that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. Her body was very hot from this sickness. For example:

was sick with a high fever (Good News Translation)

4:38c

So they appealed to Jesus on her behalf: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they appealed to Jesus on her behalf is literally “they asked him about her” (as in the New Revised Standard Version). The New International Version and several other English versions have made it explicit that they asked Jesus to help her. They wanted Jesus to heal her. Another way to translate this is:

they asked Jesus to heal her

they: The Greek text does not say to whom the pronoun they refers. It probably refers to the people in the house. Another way to translate this is:

the people there

Another way to translate this is to use a passive verb. For example:

Jesus was asked to help her

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:26

5:26

In Greek, the conjunction that is often translated as “and” occurs three times in 5:26:

And everyone was amazed

and gave praise to God

and they were filled with awe

Each time, it introduces a different aspect of the people’s reaction to what had just happened. The Berean Standard Bible only translates this conjunction the second time. Use a natural way in your language to introduce each reaction.

5:26a

Everyone was taken with amazement: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Everyone was taken with amazement is literally, “And wonder/terror took/seized everyone.” It implies fear mixed with astonishment. This is the first reaction. The phrase is active is Greek, but some English versions, like the Berean Standard Bible, translate it as passive. Some other ways to translate this are:

Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
They were all completely amazed! (Good News Translation)

and glorified God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorified means to speak about how wonderful and excellent someone or something is. It is the same word that was used in 5:25b. The people spoke in honor of God and glorified him. What they said showed that they believed that God had done a wonderful thing for this man. This is the second reaction.

5:26b

They were filled with awe: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as awe is literally “fear.” The people were afraid because of what they had seen. This word also means “respect” and “awe.” This is the third reaction.

Some ways to translate this are:

Full of fear (Good News Translation)
-or-
They were filled with much respect (New Century Version)

General Comment on 5:26a–b

The people’s reactions in 5:26a and 5:26c are similar. The reaction of awe in 5:26c adds intensity to the amazement in 5:26a. So in some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the parts of 5:26. For example:

26aAnd all who were there were extremely amazed 26cand afraid, 26band they praised God
-or-

26aEveryone was gripped with great wonder 26cand awe, 26band they praised God (New Living Translation (2004))

5:26c

We have seen remarkable things today: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as remarkable things also means “strange things,” “wonderful things,” “unusual events,” or “incredible events.” The people were amazed at what they had just witnessed. They had seen Jesus heal a paralyzed man. They had also seen Jesus confront the religious leaders.

In some languages, it may be more natural to refer to these things as one event rather than using a plural word such as things. For example:

Today we have seen an incredible event!
-or-
We have seen a great miracle today! (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:19

6:19a

The entire crowd was trying to touch Him: In this context, the entire crowd refers to the people there who were sick or demon-possessed. They wanted to touch Jesus in order that they might be healed by the touch. For example:

the people all tried to touch him ⌊in order to be healed⌋

6:19b

because power was coming from Him and healing them all: This clause states the reason why the people wanted to touch him.

In some languages, it may not be possible to say that power came from Jesus or that this power healed people. In other languages a literal translation might wrongly imply that after he healed someone Jesus was less powerful than before. In all these languages it may be necessary to say something like:

Jesus was powerfully healing everyone.
-or-
Jesus had the power/ability to heal everyone.

General Comment on 6:19a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to place the reason in 6:19b before its result in 6:19a. For example:

19bPower was coming from Jesus and healing all of them, 19aso all the people tried to touch him.
-or-

19bPower was coming from Jesus and healing all of them, 19athat is why all the people tried to touch him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:2

7:2a

There: The Berean Standard Bible supplies the word There, which is not in the Greek text. This word makes explicit that the events in this story happened in Capernaum. In English this is a natural way to link 7:1b and 7:2a. The Greek text uses a conjunction. Use a natural way in your language to connect these verses. Some other ways to do this are:

In that town (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
At that time (New Living Translation (2004))

a highly valued servant of a centurion: Here Luke introduced the centurion and his servant into the story. The centurion is more important in the story than his servant. The Greek text mentions him first. Consider how to introduce the centurion and his servant in a natural way in your language. In some languages, there may be a special way to indicate that the centurion is more important in the story than the servant. For example:

A certain centurion lived there. He had a slave
-or-
A centurion there had a servant (Revised English Bible)

a highly valued servant: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as highly valued is literally “who was dear to him.” The pronoun “him” refers to the centurion. Some versions, like the Berean Standard Bible, clarify this by referring to the centurion again, using a different term such as “master” or “officer.” Here are some other ways to translate this:

whom his master valued highly (New International Version)
-or-
The officer liked this servant very much. (Contemporary English Version)

highly valued: The Greek term that the Berean Standard Bible translates as highly valued has different meanings, including “valuable, precious, honored, respected.” In this context, it means that the officer loved his servant and considered him to be important. It does not indicate only that the servant was useful to the officer. Some ways to translate this in English are:

dear (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
highly regarded (New American Standard Bible)

servant: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servant means a “slave,” and several English versions translate it that way. It refers to someone who was owned by another person. A slave had no rights of his own and worked for his owner without receiving pay.

If the idea of slaves or servants is not known in your area, you could say:

a man/person who belonged to a centurion
-or-
a centurion owned a man/person

See “Slavery in Bible Times” in the Appendix.

a centurion: A centurion was a Roman army officer who was the leader of about one hundred soldiers. The word centurion literally means “officer of one hundred.” Some ways to translate this are:

• Translate the literal meaning of the Greek word. For example:

officer of one hundred men

• Use a term for such an officer in the army in your country. For example:

captain

• Use a general word for an officer or commander.

You may also need to supply the information that this was a Roman officer. This is implied by the term centurion, which was used only by the Roman army.

7:2b

was sick and about to die: The Greek text that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was sick and about to die means that the servant was seriously ill and near death. Other ways to say this are:

was so sick he was nearly dead (New Century Version)
-or-
was ill and close to death (New Revised Standard Version)

General Comment on 7:2a–b

This verse first introduces the centurion and then introduces his slave. The verse gives two pieces of information about the slave:

(1) He was sick and at the point of death.

(2) He was dear to the centurion.

Consider in your language what order would be most natural to present this information. An example that follows the Greek word order is:

2aThere was a slave of a Roman centurion 2bwho was ill and about to die. 2aThis slave was dear to the centurion.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:34

7:34a

The Son of Man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The Son of Man is literally “the Son of the human/person.” Jesus used this title to imply that:

(a) he was a true human being, and he represented all people.

(b) he came from God and had authority from God.

Try to use an expression that implies both meanings. Some expressions that translators have used are:

the Man whom God Sent
-or-
the True Man from God/Heaven
-or-
the Representative of Mankind
-or-
The Older Brother of All People

In some cases, an unusual title may correctly suggest a deeper meaning. For example:

the Child of a Person
-or-
the One who was Born as a Human

Translators have also used expressions that are more literal. These more literal expressions may be appropriate where readers are familiar with a literal title in another version.

In some languages it may be necessary to use a form like “I” to indicate that Jesus was referring to himself. For example:

I who became man/human
-or-
me, the Son of Man

This term first occurs in Luke at 5:24a.

came eating and drinking: The phrase came eating and drinking means that during his ministry on earth, Jesus ate bread and drank wine, as other people did. You may want to add the implied objects to these verbs:

came eating ⌊bread⌋ and drinking ⌊wine⌋

The word came is used here in the same way as it was in 7:33. It introduces Jesus’ custom about eating and drinking. In many languages a word like came may not be necessary to express this meaning. For example:

The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
But the Son of Man does have the custom of eating and drinking

See the note on 7:33a.

7:34b–c

and: The word and is used here in the same way as it was in 7:33. See the note on 7:33b. Here the word and introduces the result of 7:34a.

you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard: The phrase you say introduces a quotation within another quotation. In some languages, it may be more natural to use indirect speech here. For example:

you say that he is a glutton and a drunkard

Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!: This quote expresses an example of the way that people criticized Jesus. It is different from what they said about John the Baptist. However, it indicated that the people rejected Jesus just as they rejected John. They did not believe that Jesus was God’s messenger.

In some languages you may need to make this fact explicit. For example:

…you ⌊reject/rejected me⌋ saying, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard.’

Look at this glutton: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look at this glutton begins with a word that many English versions translate as “behold.” Other English versions do not translate it. It usually draws attention to what follows it. Here it also adds emphasis to the quotation of what the people said critically about Jesus. Other ways to translate it in this context are:

Look at this man! He is a glutton and wine drinker… (Good News Translation)
-or-
Look at him! A glutton and a drinker… (Revised English Bible)

See also the note at 7:12b on “He saw a dead man” for more suggestions for translating the word at the start of this phrase.

glutton: A glutton is a person who eats too much food. In your translation, use a word that people might use to shame someone who eats too much.

drunkard: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as drunkard refers to a person who habitually drinks too much wine. He drinks so much that he becomes “drunk,” that is, he does not act normally.

a friend of tax collectors and sinners!: People were saying that Jesus was friendly to people who had a reputation for being sinners, such as tax collectors. People thought that it was not good to be friendly to such people. When people said that Jesus was a friend of…sinners, they were accusing him, not praising him. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear by saying something like:

far too friendly with tax collectors and ⌊other⌋ sinners

tax collectors: The phrase tax collectors refers to people who received taxes from their own people to give to the government that ruled them. See the note on 7:29a.

sinners: The word sinners refers to people who habitually offend God. Tax collectors were included in this group. The ways people may offend God include doing and thinking things that God does not approve. People may also offend God by their attitudes and by not doing what God wants them to do. Some ways to translate sinners are:

people who sin
-or-
people who do not obey God
-or-
wrongdoers

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:27

8:27a

When Jesus stepped ashore: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus stepped ashore means that Jesus climbed out of the boat onto the land. Some languages may have a specific word for this action. For example:

disembarked (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

You could also simply say that Jesus “stepped/climbed/went out of the boat.”

When Jesus got out of the boat, his disciples probably also got out of it. The author does not mention the disciples here because Jesus is in focus.

However, in some languages not mentioning the disciples might imply that they stayed in the boat. If that is true in your language, here are some ways you could include them:

When Jesus ⌊along with the disciples⌋ stepped ashore…
-or-
When Jesus ⌊and the disciples⌋ stepped ashore…

8:27b

He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town: This clause describes:

(a) the problem that the man had;

(b) where he came from;

Consider what would be a natural way in your language to introduce a new person in a story. Also consider what is a natural order to give the details about him and what he does. Some other ways to say this are:

There was a man there who was from the city and was demon-possessed. He came to meet Jesus.
-or-
a man of the city who had demons met him (New Revised Standard Version)

He was met by a…man: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He was met indicates here that the man came to the place where Jesus was. The verb can be used for many contexts, including when people meet to fight or oppose each other. The context implies that the evil spirit in the man was hostile toward Jesus. Your translation should not imply that the man wanted to introduce himself to Jesus or to greet him politely. It should also not imply that Jesus and the man had already decided to meet together. Some English versions simply say:

a man…came to Jesus (New Century Version)
-or-
a man…came towards him (New Jerusalem Bible)

a demon-possessed man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a demon-possessed man is literally “a man…having demons.” It indicates that many demons controlled the man’s thoughts and actions. Such demons are also described by Greek terms that are literally “evil spirits” or “unclean spirits.” Some ways to translate the word “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 spirits that are able to do what is described in this context. 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.

Some ways to translate a demon-possessed man are:

a man who was controlled by evil spirits
-or-
a man…who had demons (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
The man had demons in him. (Contemporary English Version)

Use an expression that is natural in your language to refer to demons controlling a person. See demon in the Glossary for more information.

from the town: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the town means that the man was formerly from the town of Gerasa. He used to live there, and his family probably still lived there. He himself no longer lived there. This does not mean that the man came from the town that day in order to meet Jesus.

8:27c–e

In 8:27c–e the text gives background information about the man whom Jesus met. It tells three things that had been true about his situation for a long time:

(a) He had not worn clothes for a long time;

(b) he had not lived in a house for a long time;

The facts in (b) and (c) contrast with each other. He did not live in a house but in the tombs. There are different ways to connect these facts and different orders in which to arrange them. For example:

For a long time he had been 27dhomeless 27cand naked, 27eliving in a cemetery outside the town. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
For a long time 27che had worn no clothes 27eand had lived in the burial caves, 27dnot in a house. (New Century Version)

The God’s Word expresses the fact that the man was demon-possessed as another part of the background information:

The man was possessed by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He would not stay in a house but lived in the tombs.

Express the background information in a natural way and order in your language.

in the tombs: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the tombs refers to places where people placed dead bodies. In that area, a tomb was either a cave or a small room cut out of a rock hillside. It may be helpful to say something like:

had lived in caves where dead bodies were put

The man probably actually lived in them, not just among them. In some languages it is not natural to say that someone lived in the place where dead people are buried or bones are kept. If this is true in your language, you may need to say that the man lived at that general place. For example:

among the tombs
-or-

at the cemetery
-or-

at a place where dead bodies are put

You may also want to consider using a footnote to explain the burial practices of the Jews and other peoples who lived nearby. For example:

It was customary for Jews and nearby peoples to put the dead in natural caves or caves that were cut into rock hillsides.

Search

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013