SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 20

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:21

8:21a

But: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Jesus’ reply was not what anyone expected, so the Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions (Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible) translate this conjunction as But. Other versions do not use a conjunction here (New International Version, Good News Translation). Connect this verse to 8:20 in a way that is natural in your language.

He replied: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He replied is literally “He replying said to them.” This probably indicates that his reply was given to the messenger or messengers in 8:20a and for all the people in the crowd who were listening to him. Some ways to translate this are:

• introduce Jesus’ answer in a general way. For example:

Jesus said
-or-
But he said in answer (New Jerusalem Bible)

• Make it clear that “them” refers to more than just the messenger or messengers. For example:

Jesus said to them all (Good News Translation)

8:21b

My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and carry it out: Here Jesus used the phrase My mother and brothers in a figurative way. His statement means that people who listen to God’s word and obey it are like blood relatives to him. He considers them as his family. He did not imply here that all people who obey God’s word are literally from his physical family. You may want to make this clear in your translation. For example:

Those who hear the word and put it into practice are just like a mother and brothers to me.
-or-

The people that I call/consider my mother and my brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.

the word of God: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the word of God means God’s message, the message that comes/came from God. Translate this in a way that can include not only the written Scriptures, but also Jesus’ teaching.

carry it out: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carry it out is literally “doing.” It means “obey it” or “do what it says.”

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:53

8:53a

And: This verse in Greek begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “and” in English, as in the Berean Standard Bible. It introduces the way that the mourners responded to what Jesus said in 8:52c. When Jesus said that the child was not dead, they did not believe him. Instead, they laughed at him. Since there is a contrast between what Jesus said and how the mourners responded, you could also use a conjunction that indicates a contrast. For example:

But (New Living Translation (2004))

Connect this verse to 8:52 in a way that is natural in your language.

they: The word they refers to the mourners to whom Jesus had just spoken.

laughed at Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as laughed at means “to mock” or “to laugh at with scorn.” The mourners treated Jesus as if he were a fool because they were sure that the girl was dead.

The form of this Greek verb indicates that the people repeatedly mocked Jesus. They probably said several different things as they laughed at him. Some languages have verb forms that distinguish between actions that happen once and actions that are repeated. If that is true in your language, use a form here that indicates that the action was repeated. The form here may indicate that the people started and then continued. For example:

began laughing at him (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
began making fun of him (NET Bible)

8:53b

knowing that she was dead: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as knowing that she was dead gives the reason why the mourners mocked Jesus. Other ways to translate this are:

for they knew that she was dead
-or-
because they were certain that she had died

General Comment on 8:53a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to give the reason before the result. If that is true in your language, you may want to reverse the order of the parts of this verse. For example:

53bThey knew that she was dead, 53aso they laughed at him.
-or-

53bSince they were sure that she had died, 53athey began laughing at him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:29

9:29a

the appearance of His face changed: The phrase the appearance of His face changed means that Jesus’ face looked different in some way. The context implies that it began to shine with heavenly glory. Choose a word or phrase that can be used of a good change.

9:29b

His clothes became radiantly white: Jesus’ clothes became white and shining. The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as radiantly white is literally “white, gleaming like lightning.” This means “flashing white” or “dazzling white.” It is not necessary to refer to lightning in your translation. For example:

shining white (New Century Version)

In some languages it may be more natural to express this phrase with two separate terms. For example:

extremely white and shining

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:61

Paragraph 9:61–62

9:61a

Still another said: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Still another is literally “and also another.” Here it refers to the third person in a series.

I will follow You: The statement I will follow You is identical to the first clause of 9:57b. It indicates that this man wanted to become a regular disciple of Jesus.

Lord: The title Lord also occurs in 9:54b. See Lord, Context 3, in the Glossary.

9:61b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here introduces a request that interferes or contrasts with the man’s desire to follow Jesus. Introduce it in a natural way in your language.

first let me bid farewell to my family: This statement is a request. The man asked Jesus’ permission to go home and say goodbye to his family before he became Jesus’ disciple. This could have involved a lot of time spent in feasting and visiting.

my family: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my family is literally “the ones in my house.” It refers to all of the man’s relatives who were living in his household. It can also include other relatives in the same area, even if they were not living in the same house. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

my relatives
-or-
our(excl) household

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:31

10:31a–33a

Each of these three verses introduces one of three people who had the opportunity to help the man who had been beaten. Introduce each of these people in a natural way in your language.

10:31a

Now: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now introduces the next event in the story. The word Now is not a time word here.

This verse introduces the first man who came along the road and saw the beaten man. The story does not say how much time had passed before the priest came. If you need to supply a time word or phrase in your language, use a general expression. For example:

Later
-or-
As he was lying there like that

by chance: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by chance means “by chance” or “coincidentally.” The priest did not know about the other man, but by chance or coincidence he was traveling on the same road.

a priest: A Jewish priest was a man who offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. He also performed other religious rituals for them. Some ways to translate priest are:

sacrificer
-or-
man/person who sacrifices to God
-or-
man who represents people to God

Avoid using a term that refers only to a fetish priest or to an ordained leader of a local Christian church.

See priest in the Glossary.

was going down: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was going down was also used in 10:30a. Consider whether it is natural in your language to translate it the same way in both verses.

the same road: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the same road is literally “that road.” It refers to the road on which the man was traveling in 10:30a. However, the word road is not used in that verse. Refer to the road in this verse in a natural way in your language. Consider if you may need to mention the road also in 10:30a.

10:31b

but when he saw him: In some languages it may be necessary to say explicitly that he refers to the priest. Or it may be necessary to supply some further information about him. For example:

when ⌊the priest⌋ saw the man ⌊lying there⌋

he passed by on the other side: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he passed by on the other side indicates that the priest walked past the man on the opposite side of the road. He stayed as far as possible from the man as he passed him. He did not stop to help the man. Jesus did not say why the priest did not help him, and you should not supply such information.

In some languages an expression such as “other/opposite side of the road” may not be natural. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

he passed by the man, keeping/veering away from him, and went on
-or-
he went around him and continued on his way (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:21

Paragraph 11:21–22

In the following example, Jesus compared Satan to a strong man. Jesus then compared himself to someone who was even stronger. This example figuratively describes what Jesus did to Satan. He fought against Satan and won. After conquering Satan, he had the authority to cause Satan’s unclean spirits to leave people. This was like the stronger man who took the possessions of the weaker man.

11:21a

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house: Here Jesus used an example to teach a principle. The example was of a strong man carrying weapons who guards his house against enemies. But Jesus was not actually talking about a strong man and a house. He was using this illustration to refer to Satan guarding the people over whom he had power.

In some languages it may be helpful to make explicit that this verse is an illustration. You may want to state that Satan is compared to the strong man. For example:

⌊Jesus continued by using a parable/illustration.⌋
-or-

⌊Satan can be compared to⌋ a strong man.

When a strong man: If your language does not normally introduce a new person into a story in a clause that begins with When, you may need to introduce the strong man in the way suggested above. For example:

⌊Satan can be compared to⌋ a strong man who has many weapons. When this strong man guards his house…

a strong man: In this context a strong man refers to a “soldier” or “warrior.” He is a man who is able to fight well. This phrase figuratively refers to Satan.

fully armed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fully armed means “well equipped with weapons and armor.” The strong man is pictured as wearing armor like a soldier and carrying a sword and other military weapons. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

with many weapons (New Century Version)
-or-
with all his weapons ready (Good News Translation)

his house: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as house has a range of meanings, including “hall,” “courtyard,” “palace,” and “house.” If you have a word that refers to a large house, you may use it here. For example:

his own palace (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
his own mansion (God’s Word)

But you may also use a general word such as “house.” The focus here is not on the size of the building.

11:21b

his possessions are secure: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as secure is literally “at peace.” In this context it means “protected.” The things that the strong man owns are safe or secure because no one can come in and steal them. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

a thief will not be able to steal/take his belongings
-or-
nothing will happen to the things that he owns

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:53

Paragraph 11:53–54

11:53a

As Jesus went on from there:
The word there refers to the Pharisee’s house mentioned in 11:37. During the entire section that begins in 11:37, Jesus spoke from the Pharisee’s house.

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

After he had left the house (Revised English Bible)

the scribes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the scribes is a synonym of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “experts in the law” in 11:52a. It refers to the same group of men. It is recommended that you translate both terms in the same way.

The term scribes also occurs in 9:22b. See also teacher of the law in the Glossary.

Pharisees: This word also occurs in 11:37a.

11:53b

began to oppose Him bitterly: The phrase began to oppose Him bitterly indicates that the Jewish leaders became very angry with Jesus, and they began to treat him as their enemy.

Some other ways to translate the phrase began to oppose Him bitterly are:

began to be very hostile toward him (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
began to give him trouble (New Century Version)
-or-
began to criticize him bitterly (Good News Translation)

Be sure not to translate this in a way that implies physical opposition. The Jewish leaders opposed him in their thoughts and words.

They continued to be angry with Jesus and oppose him until he died months later. To show this, it may be helpful to include a phrase such as “From that day on.” For example:

⌊From that day on,⌋ the Pharisees and teachers opposed him fiercely

11:53c

and to ply Him with questions about many things: The clause ply Him with questions refers to asking many questions in a hostile manner. From that time until his death, the Jewish leaders began to ask Jesus many questions that they thought would be difficult for him to answer. They did this to try to trap him.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

and to ask him hostile questions about many things (NET Bible)
-or-
and tried to provoke him with many questions (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:31

12:31a

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces what Jesus’ disciples should seek in place of the food and drink mentioned in 12:29a. In some languages the meaning may be implied from the context, and a conjunction may not be needed. Some ways to translate the connection are:

Rather (God’s Word)
-or-
Instead (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation)

In some languages, readers may wrongly assume that 12:31a connects to 12:30b. If that is true in your language, you may need to make the connection to 12:29a more explicit. For example:

What you must do instead is to seek God’s kingdom

seek His kingdom: The clause seek His kingdom means to concentrate on living under God’s rule and on helping others to do so. It implies that the disciples should devote themselves to serving God and should follow what he desires.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

focus on submitting to God’s rule/chieftaincy
-or-
make every effort to obey/serve God as your king/ruler
-or-
truly desire for God to rule in the lives of all people

seek: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as seek is the same verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “be concerned about” in 12:29a. In 12:29a, it introduces what they should not seek, but here in 12:31 it introduces what they should seek. In some languages, this difference may affect the way you translate this verb.

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

This phrase first occurs in Luke in 4:43a. See also the note at 9:2.

12:31b

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and introduces the result of seeking God’s kingdom in 12:31a. If people seek his kingdom, then God will also give them the material things they need.

these things will be added unto you: The clause these things will be added unto you means “God will also give to you these physical things (like food and clothes).”

This is a passive clause. Other ways to translate this clause using an active verb are:

these things will be yours as well (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he will give you everything you need (New Living Translation (2004))

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013