SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 23

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:14

24:14

They were talking with each other about everything that had happened: This verse indicates that the two disciples were conversing about events that had happened during the past few days in Jerusalem. Those events included the things that they repeated to Jesus in 24:19–24. They talked about Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion and the reports that he was now alive.

They were talking about these things as they walked along. In some languages it may be helpful to make that clear. For example:

On their way they were talking to each other about the things that had recently happened.
-or-
As they were walking, they talked about all the things that had been happening.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:46

24:46a

And He told them, “This is what is written…”: This part of the verse introduces Jesus’ explanation in 24:46b–24:47. This explanation is probably a summary of what Jesus told them as he explained the Scriptures to them in 24:45. In his explanation he referred to various sections in the Hebrew Scriptures. He summarized what the Scriptures said, rather than quoting the actual words.

Some other ways to introduce the explanation are:

Then he said to them, “This is what the Scriptures say…”
-or-
He said, “In the Holy Book it is written…”

See the General Comment on 24:46a–c below for an example of using an indirect quotation here.

24:46b

The Christ will suffer: The phrase will suffer refers here to the suffering that led to the Christ’s death. His death is also implied in 24:46c. In some languages it may be necessary to make his death explicit here. For example:

that the Messiah would suffer and die (New Living Translation (2004))

The Christ: The Jews used this title to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning. This title also occurred in 20:41. For more information and translation suggestions, see the note at 20:41b. See also Christ in the Glossary.

24:46c

and rise from the dead on the third day: This clause is very similar to 24:7. You may translate it in a similar way here.

General Comment on 24:46a–c

In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for the quotation in 24:46. For example:

He explained that the Scriptures prophesied that he, the Messiah, must suffer and die but after three days he would live again.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:23

Paragraph 1:23–25

1:23a

And when the days of his service were complete: Zechariah continued working in the temple as a priest until he finished his week of work. Some other ways to translate this are:

When his time of service at the Temple was finished (New Century Version)
-or-
When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over (New Living Translation (2004))

1:23b

he returned home: Zechariah and Elizabeth lived outside Jerusalem in the hill country of Judea.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:55

1:55a

as He promised to our fathers: Mary used the phrase our fathers to refer to all the people of Israel who had lived before Mary and Elizabeth were born. Some versions translate this phrase as “our ancestors.” She also used the word our to refer to the ancestors of all the people of Israel. God had promised to all the people of Israel that he would send a Savior. He did not make this promise only to the ancestors of Mary and Elizabeth. So it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

just as he said to the ancestors ⌊of our people⌋

1:55b

to Abraham and his descendants forever: There are two interpretations of the way this clause relates to the context:

(1) Abraham and his descendants are the ones who received God’s mercy that is mentioned in 1:54b. For example:

He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever! (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and the majority of commentators)

(2) Abraham and his descendants are the ones who received God’s promise that is mentioned in 1:55b. In this interpretation, Abraham and his descendants has the same meaning as “our fathers” in 1:55b. This means that God spoke a promise to our fathers/ancestors who are Abraham and his descendants. For example:

as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his children forever (New Century Version)

(Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

to Abraham and his descendants: As mentioned above, the phrase Abraham and his descendants is connected to the word “merciful” in 1:54b. God showed his mercy to Abraham and Abraham’s descendants by sending the Messiah. This phrase is another way to refer to Israel, since Abraham was the ancestor of the Israelites.

General Comment on 1:54–55

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder these verses in order to put God’s promise to their ancestors first (1:55b). Here is one way you could do that:

55bGod promised our ancestors that 54ahe would help his servants the Israelites. ⌊Now he has fulfilled his promise.⌋ 54bHe has remembered to be merciful 55ato Abraham and to all of his descendants.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:7

2:7a

her firstborn, a Son: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as her firstborn, a Son is literally “her son, the firstborn.” It indicates that this baby was Mary’s first child, and that he was a boy. Another way to translate this is:

She gave birth to her first child, a son. (New Living Translation (2004))

2:7b

She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths: Mary wrapped strips of cloth around the baby Jesus. It was a Jewish custom to wrap newborn babies in that way. This kept them warm, and it also kept their arms and legs straight.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

She wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth (New Century Version)
-or-
She wrapped his ⌊arms and legs snugly⌋ with pieces of cloth
-or-
She put/wrapped strips of cloth around him ⌊as was their custom⌋

swaddling cloths: These cloths were long strips of cloth like bandages that were wrapped about the baby many times.

2:7c-d

and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn: According to many people’s understanding or traditions, Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem just at the time when Mary was ready to give birth. They approached an inn or hotel in Bethlehem, but were told that it was full. Instead they were guided to a stable with animals, where Mary gave birth.

But according to Luke 2:6, they had already been in Bethlehem for a time when the moment came to give birth. And it is likely that they stayed in a house. Joseph probably had relatives in Bethlehem, and they would have invited him to stay with them. The home where they stayed had a room for guests, but it was already occupied. So they stayed in another room that was close to where animals were kept inside the house at night. This meant that a manger would have been nearby, and it became a good place to lay the newborn baby. This understanding of the story is followed in the notes below.

because there was no room for them in the inn: This clause explains the reason why Mary laid the baby in a manger, which was not a usual place to lay a baby. It was because there was not enough space for the couple to stay, or to have the baby, in the guest room of the house. Instead they stayed near where the family kept their animals, and so they laid the baby in a nearby manger. See the translation suggestions at the end of the note on “because there was no room for them” at 2:7d for ways to make some of this information explicit.

In some languages, it may be more natural to put the reason clause before the result clause. For example:

Because there was no space for them in the guest room, she placed him in a manger.
-or-
There was no place for them in the room for travelers, so she laid him in a manger.

2:7c

in a manger: A manger was a box or trough that held food for animals, especially for large animals such as cattle and horses. People made this feeding box out of wood or stone. Other ways to translate this are:

in a feeding trough
-or-
in a feeding box for animals
-or-
in a trough where people put food for the animals (Translation for Translators)
-or-
on a bed of hay (Contemporary English Version)

Jewish peasant families commonly kept their animals in their houses at night. So the manger was probably inside a house where Mary and Joseph were invited to stay, and not in a stable away from a house. You may want to make this information explicit in your translation. For example:

in a feeding trough ⌊in a home⌋
-or-
in an animal’s feeding box ⌊at the house where they were staying⌋

2:7d

because there was no room for them in the inn: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as inn is a general word that refers to any place for travelers to stay or lodge. (This is a different Greek word than the word translated as “inn” in Luke 10:34.) The word can refer to an inn, a guesthouse, or a guest room in a house. In this context, it probably refers to a room in a village home where guests could stay. It does not refer to a building such as a hotel with many rooms.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

guest room (New International Version (2011))
-or-
in the room ⌊of the house⌋ for travelers/visitors

because there was no room for them in the inn: In this context, the words no room mean that there was not enough space for them either to stay or to have the baby in the guest room. That room was already occupied, possibly by other relatives or travelers who had arrived for the census before Joseph and Mary or who had higher status. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

because there was no place for them in the guestroom (CEB)
-or-
because there was not enough space for them in the room/place for travelers
-or-
because the guest room was full (English Easy-to-Read Version)
-or-
because other people were already staying in the guest room ⌊of the house where they stayed⌋

This clause because there was no room for them explains the reason why Mary laid Jesus in a manger, a place where people do not usually lay a baby. Mary and Joseph were probably invited to stay in a home, possibly with relatives. But since the guest room of that home was already full, they stayed in another part of the house. They may have shared the room where the host family stayed. Wherever they stayed, it was near the part of the house where the family kept their animals inside at night. So the most suitable place Mary could find to lay the baby was in a nearby manager.

You may want to make some of this information explicit in your translation. For example:

Since the guest room was already full, ⌊the most suitable place that Mary could find⌋ to lay the baby was the manager.
-or-
She laid him there ⌊because there was no better place for him where they were staying⌋. That was because other people were staying in the guest room.
-or-
Since other people were staying in the guest room, ⌊Mary and Joseph stayed near where their hosts kept their animals in the house.⌋ So she laid the baby in a ⌊nearby⌋ manger.
-or-

⌊That was the best place to lay the baby.⌋ This was because there was no space for them in the guest room of the house. ⌊Instead/so they stayed in the house near the animals and the manger was there.⌋

General Comment on 2:6a–7d

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:7d before 2:6a. For example:

7dThere was not enough room/space for them in the guest room ⌊of the house where they stayed,⌋ ⌊so they stayed in the part of the house near where the animals sleep⌋. 6a-7cWhile they were there…

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:39

Paragraph 2:39–40

2:39

When Jesus’ parents had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth: The Gospel of Matthew indicates that Joseph and Mary went to Egypt before they returned to Nazareth. Translate this verse in a way that fits with that information. For example:

After Joseph and Mary had done everything…they returned to Galilee to the town of Nazareth where they had lived ⌊earlier⌋.

2:39a

When Jesus’ parents had done everything required by the Law of the Lord: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as everything required by the Law of the Lord is literally “everything according to the law of the Lord” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This includes all the things that Jewish parents did when they had a newborn child, based on the Lord’s Law. They completed all of the following ceremonies:

(a) they had the baby circumcised and named at home;

(b) they presented the baby Jesus at the temple (because he was a firstborn male);

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

After they had finished doing all these necessary things, just as the Law of the Lord teaches
-or-
When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord (New Living Translation (2004))

In some languages, it may be clearer to make this clause a complete sentence. For example:

Joseph and Mary finished doing everything that the Law of the Lord commanded.

everything: The word everything refers here to the things that were listed in the first note on this part of the verse. These things related specifically to what parents did after the birth of their son if he was a first child. It does not refer to the many other types of laws and sacrifices that the Law of the Lord mentions. In some languages, it may be necessary to translate this with a more specific phrase. For example:

all the things that the Law of the Lord required ⌊new parents to do⌋

the Law of the Lord: The Law of the Lord refers to the Law that God gave to the Israelites through Moses.

2:39b

they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth: Joseph and Mary returned with Jesus to Nazareth, where they had been living. In 2:4 Joseph and Mary left Nazareth to come to Bethlehem for the census. In this context the phrase their own town does not refer to the home of their ancestors, which was Bethlehem. Use a general term in your language.

Galilee: Galilee was the name of a province/district of the Roman Empire. It was located in the northern part of what is currently the nation of Israel.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:19

Paragraph 3:19–20

In the next two paragraphs Luke did not tell the events in the order in which they happened. Paragraph 3:19–20 tells about something that would happen after John baptized Jesus in 3:21–22. In some languages, it will be more natural to put these events in the order in which they actually happened. For example:

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

19
⌊Sometime after this⌋ John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done. 20⌊Then⌋ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

3:19a

he rebuked Herod the tetrarch: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rebuked here means “to say that what someone did was wrong.” John said that what Herod did was wrong. It was sinful. John could have said this directly to Herod or he could have said it about him to other people.

In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as direct speech. In that case it is possible to say either:

John said about Herod the tetrarch, “He has done wrong….”
-or-
John told Herod the tetrarch, “You have done wrong….”

Herod the tetrarch: Herod was the name of the government leader of the district of Galilee.

Some ways to translate Herod the tetrarch are:

Herod the ruler (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the ruler Herod (God’s Word)
-or-
Herod the leader

This same phrase also occurs in 3:1c. See 3:1c for more details about the meaning of tetrarch.

3:19b

regarding his brother’s wife Herodias:
Herod had divorced his own wife and had married Herodias. Herodias had earlier been married to one of Herod’s half-brothers. It was against God’s law for Herod to marry her. Herod had sinned. For the whole story, see Mark 6:14–29.

In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

because ⌊he had married⌋ Herodias, his brother’s wife

brother’s: In this context the word “brother” refers to an older half-brother. The two men had different mothers. (This half-brother, Herod Philip, is not the same as the half-brother named Philip who was mentioned in 3:1.)

3:19c

all the evils he had done: The phrase all the evils he had done indicates that John also rebuked Herod because of other ways that Herod had sinned.

General Comment on 3:19a–c

In some languages it may be natural to reorder this verse and put it in chronological order. For example:

19bHerod the tetrarch ⌊had married⌋ his brother’s wife Herodias 19cand had done many other evil things, 19a⌊so⌋ John rebuked him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:24

4:24a

He added: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He added is literally “he said” (as in the Revised Standard Version). In 4:23 Jesus said what the people were thinking. In 4:24a, he began to express his response to their thoughts. Because of this, the Berean Standard Bible has translated the Greek word as He added. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a different speech clause. For example:

he continued (New International Version)
-or-
Then Jesus said (New Century Version)

Truly I tell you: Jesus often used the words Truly I tell you to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize. He wanted people to listen with extra attention. Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

I assure you that (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
I can guarantee this truth (God’s Word)

4:24b

no prophet is accepted in his hometown: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is accepted means “is welcomed” or “is honored.” The clause no prophet is accepted in his hometown means that people in the town where a prophet grew up generally do not honor him. People find it hard to believe that someone whom they know personally is a prophet from God. Some other ways to translate this are:

prophets are never welcomed in their hometown (Good News Translation)
-or-
no prophet is acceptable in his hometown (NET Bible)
-or-
no prophets are liked by the people of their own hometown (Contemporary English Version)

Like the proverb “Physician, heal yourself!” (4:23b), this clause also appears to be a proverb.

no prophet is accepted: This clause is passive. Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a passive clause. For example:

a prophet is not accepted (New Century Version)

• Use an active clause and supply a subject. For example:

⌊People⌋ do not accept a prophet

prophet: The word prophet also occurs in 4:17a. Translate it the same way in both verses.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013