SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 30

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 13:6

Section 13:6–9

Jesus told people a parable about a tree that did not bear fruit

In the preceding section Jesus had told the people that if they did not turn from their sins, they would die. In this section he told them a parable that was also related to the need for repentance and the certainty of God’s judgment. The parable was about a fig tree that did not bear fruit. The owner of the fig tree told the gardener that if the tree did not bear fruit within another year, he would have to cut it down.

While the Berean Standard Bible has a separate section here, some other versions do not. Those versions include this parable as part of 13:1–9. You will need to decide which of these options is more appropriate in your language.

This parable occurs only in Luke.

Paragraph 13:6–9

13:6a

Then Jesus told this parable: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that many English versions translate as “and.” The Berean Standard Bible translates as Then to show that it introduces something further that Jesus told the people. Jesus continued to speak from 13:5.

parable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parable is a general word that describes different types of wise speech. This includes symbolic stories, metaphors, proverbs, illustrations, and wise sayings. Here the word refers to a story that illustrated that people need to repent.

Some other ways to translate parable in this context are:

illustration (God’s Word)
-or-
story (New Living Translation (2004))

The word parable first occurs in Luke at 5:36a. It also occurs at 12:16a.

13:6b

A man had a fig tree: The fig tree was a common tree in Israel that normally produced small, edible fruit called “figs.” If speakers of your language are not familiar with the fig tree, here are some other ways to translate it:

tree with a fruit called “fig”
-or-
fruit tree

that was planted in his vineyard: A vineyard is a farm where grape vines grow and produce grapes. The man who owned this grape farm also had a fig tree planted there. Other ways to refer to vineyard are:

grape farm
-or-
field of grape vines

If your language does not have a term for “vineyard” or for “grape,” a good option may be to use a more general term for “vineyard.” For example:

farm
-or-
land

The focus of this story is on the fig tree. Nothing else is mentioned about the vineyard, so a long descriptive term for “vineyard” may distract the readers from the main point.

13:6c

He went to look for fruit on it: It is implied that it was the season when fig trees normally bore fruit. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

⌊When it was time for the tree to bear fruit,⌋ he went to look…

It is also implied from 3:7b that he had been going to that tree to look for fruit for three years already. In some languages it may be good discourse style to make explicit some of this meaning here in 3:6c. For example:

came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it (New Living Translation (2004))

fruit: In some languages it may be more natural to use the more specific term for fruit from a fig tree. For example:

He went looking for figs on it (Good News Translation)

13:6d

but did not find any: The reason the man did not find any figs is that there were none there. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit:

but there were none there

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 14:3

14:3a

So Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus asked the experts in the law and the Pharisees is more literally “And Jesus answering spoke to the Pharisees and experts in the law saying.” The Pharisees and experts in the law had not said anything out loud, but Jesus responded to what they were thinking and to the problem of the sick man. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Jesus reacted by asking the Pharisees and the experts in Moses’ Teachings (God’s Word)
-or-
So Jesus asked the experts in religious law and the Pharisees (NET Bible)

experts in the law: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as experts in the law refers to men who studied, interpreted, and taught the Jewish law. This included the laws that God gave to Moses, as well as the “oral law” that the Jewish religious leaders had added over time.

This word is sometimes translated as “lawyer.” Some English versions, such as the Revised Standard Version, translate it that way. But the function of a lawyer today is quite different from the function of an “expert in the law” in Jesus’ time.

Since the main function of experts in the law was to teach the laws of Moses, this function should be in focus in your translation of this term. Some ways to translate this term are:

teachers of the Law of Moses
-or-
teachers of religious law
-or-
experts on the law

This same word occurs in 10:25a. See expert in the law in the Glossary.

14:3b

Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?: The question Is it lawful to heal…? is more literally “Is it permitted to heal?” It implies the meaning, “Does the Law of Moses allow someone to heal a sick person…?” For example:

Does our Law allow healing on the Sabbath…? (Good News Translation)

In this question Jesus was not asking for information, but he did expect a response. He was challenging the Pharisees and the experts in the law to say publicly what they believed about healing on the Sabbath. Jesus clearly believed that it was right to heal people on the rest day. However, many Jewish leaders thought that it was wrong to heal someone on the rest day unless his life was in danger.

Here are some ways that you can translate this challenge.

• As a question:

Does our law permit ⌊someone⌋ to heal ⌊another person⌋ on the Sabbath or does it not?
-or-
In your opinion, is it right or wrong to heal someone on the rest day?

• As a statement or request:

I would like you to tell me your thoughts/opinion about whether it is right or wrong to heal a sick person on the rest day.
-or-
Tell me whether you think it is right to heal a sick person on the rest day.

or not?: The phrase or not is an ellipsis. It implies “…or is it not lawful,” “…or is it against the law.” For example:

Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or is it not lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

In some languages the question “is it not lawful” may already be implied by the positive part of the question “Is it lawful….” If that is true in your language, it may be natural to leave the negative part of the question implied. For example:

Is it lawful to heal someone on the Sabbath?

In other languages it may be more natural to express only the negative part of the question and leave the positive part implied. For example:

Is it against the law to heal someone on the Sabbath?

Translate in a natural way in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 14:35

14:35a

It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile: The phrase It is fit means “It is good” or “It is useful.” Salt that has lost its strength is useless. It does not help to improve either the soil or the manure pile.

for the soil nor for the manure pile: The phrase for the soil refers here to putting the salt on/in the soil as a fertilizer. The phrase for the manure pile refers to putting something like salt in the manure pile to make fertilizer.

These two phrases refer to a similar purpose. In some languages it may more natural to combine them into one expression. For example:

It is not even useful for making fertilizer to improve the soil.

14:35b

it is thrown out: The clause it is thrown out means that people throw useless salt away. It is rubbish. In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb. For example:

People simply throw it out. (Contemporary English Version)

14:35c

This verse part is the same as 8:8d and Mark 4:9. It would be good to translate it the same way.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear: With this saying, Jesus commanded or urged the crowd to give careful attention to the parable that they had just heard. He implied that they should do more than just listen to it. They should understand its meaning and then act on what they had learned from it.

This saying assumes that everyone in the crowd had ears that were able to hear. Jesus said it to all the people there who were listening to him. Some other ways to translate this saying are:

• Use “they” or “you” instead of he. For example:

⌊All⌋ those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
-or-

⌊All of⌋ you who have ears to hear, hear.

• Use a different type of clause or clauses. In some languages it may be more natural to use an “if” clause or a reason clause. For example:

If/Since you have ears that can hear, then pay attention.

• Translate the saying without including the word “ears.” For example:

You people who can hear me, listen! (New Century Version)

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

Listen, then, if you have ears! (Good News Translation)

If you have an expression in your language that urges an audience to listen carefully to what you are saying, you may want to use it here.

hear…hear: The word hear is used twice in this verse part but with slightly different meanings. The first hear refers to the physical ability to hear. The second hear means to think about, understand, and respond to what the parable means.

Other ways to translate these two meanings are:

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
You who are listening, think about what you have just heard.

let him hear: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as let him hear is an indirect command. It does not express permission. Another way to translate this is:

Anyone who has ears for listening should listen! (New Jerusalem Bible)

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit what the listener should be listening to. In those languages you could supply a phrase such as “to me (Jesus)” or “to my words.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:32

15:32a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces the conclusion and climax of the parable. In this verse the father declared that it was necessary to celebrate the fact that his other son had come home.

This verse is in contrast to the fact that the son was refusing to celebrate. His attitude was like the Pharisees’ complaint that Jesus ate with sinners (15:2). In this verse Jesus gave the concluding statement of his answer to the Pharisees.

Some English versions have “but” here. In some languages this may be confusing because the contrast is not mainly with the preceding verse (15:31). Some English versions do not have a conjunction here. You should translate in a way that is appropriate to introduce the father’s statement and also to conclude the parable.

it was fitting to celebrate and be glad: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it was fitting to celebrate and be glad is more literally “it was necessary/fitting to celebrate and be glad.” The Greek text does not specify who needed to celebrate. Another way to translate this clause is:

It would have been wrong not to celebrate and be happy

In many languages it will be necessary to supply a pronoun such as “we.” If you need to further specify “we(excl)” or “we(incl),” here are some factors that you may need to consider in deciding which form you need to use in your language:

(a) The father wanted the older son to join in the celebration. The context implies that all of them should celebrate, including the older son.

(b) The older son was not present when the celebration started.

(c) The father’s statement “it was necessary to celebrate…” explains why they were already celebrating. It also implies that the older son should not be refusing to celebrate.

15:32b–c

because this brother of yours: Notice that the phrase this brother of yours is similar to the phrase “this son of yours” which the older son had used with contempt in 15:30a. The father may have used this similar phrase as an implied rebuke to his older son. He may also have used it to remind his son of his family relationship with his brother.

was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found: These figurative expressions are repeated exactly from 15:24a and 15:24b. See the notes there.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 17:1

Section 17:1–10

Jesus taught his disciples about sin, faith, and duty

At the end of chapter 16, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. He concluded his parable about Lazarus and the rich man. Here in 17:1–10, he spoke to his disciples and taught them about several issues.

English versions divide these verses into sections in different ways. For example:

(a) Most versions put 17:1–10 together in one section and have one heading. (The Notes follow these versions.)

(b) Some versions divide 17:1–10 into three sections with a heading for each one. For example, the Good News Translation has:

17:1–4
Sin

17:5–6
Faith

17:7–10
A servant’s duty

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus taught his disciples to not cause others to sin, to forgive others, and to serve him humbly
-or-
Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service (NET Bible)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 18:6–7 and 18:15 and in Mark 9:42. However, Jesus may have spoken these passages in a different context from the one in this section.

Paragraph 17:1–3a

17:1a

Jesus said to His disciples: There are different views about when Jesus said the things in this section to his disciples. He may have said them at a different time from the preceding section. It is good to connect this section to the preceding one in a way that will not imply a time connection. The Berean Standard Bible does this by not using a conjunction. The Greek text has a conjunction that versions suc as the Revised Standard Version translate as “And.” Use a way that is natural in your language.

disciples: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as disciples means “learners” who are in a special relationship with a teacher. The learners commit themselves to their teacher in order to learn from him and live according to his teaching and example. Disciples often lived with their teacher and followed him wherever he went.

Some ways to translate this are:

students/learners
-or-
apprentices
-or-
followers

See how you translated this term at 5:30a. See disciple in the Glossary for more information.

It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come is literally a double negative, “It is impossible for traps not to come.” If you would not use a double negative like this in your language, some other ways to say this are:

Snares will certainly come
-or-
Causes for falling are sure to come (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-

⌊People⌋ will surely encounter/meet traps
-or-
There will indeed be causes for falling

stumbling blocks: The Berean Standard Bible expression stumbling blocks is the translation of one Greek word. This word literally means “traps” or “snares.” Some scholars prefer the meaning “stumbling stone” because of how the word is translated in the Greek Old Testament.

In the New Testament this word is often used as a figure of speech. In this context it refers to things that tempt people to sin, that is, to disobey, distrust, or deny God.

Some ways to translate stumbling blocks are:

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

things that cause people to disobey/offend ⌊God⌋
-or-
something that causes people to sin (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
lure/tempt other people to reject ⌊God’s way⌋

• Use a figure of speech that expresses the same meaning in your language. For example:

snares
-or-
things that ruin people
-or-
things that spoil people’s faith ⌊in God⌋

Notice that some of these examples refer explicitly to God. Sometimes a temptation is specifically related to losing faith in Jesus. However, if you must make explicit who is sinned against, it is better to refer more generally to God.

17:1b

but: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a contrast. Temptations are sure to come (17:1a), but the person who causes temptations to come will still be punished severely (17:1b). Express the contrast in a natural way in your language.

woe to the one through whom they come: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as woe to the one through whom they come means “woe to that person who causes the temptations to come” or “woe to the person who causes other people to sin.” For example:

how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
the person who tempts his companion so that he does sin is to be pitied, for God will really punish him

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. One example in English is:

the person who leads someone astray will have a terrible punishment

woe to the one: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as woe to the one means that something terrible will happen to the person. He or she will suffer greatly. In this context, it implies that God will punish the person severely. This same word occurs in 6:24a.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

how terrible for the one (Good News Translation)
-or-
how horrible it will be for the person (God’s Word)
-or-

⌊God⌋ will severely punish that person

The word woe is not a curse. Jesus was not asking God to curse this person.

the one: The phrase the one refers here to any person or people who cause other people to sin. It is not referring to a particular person. Use a natural way to refer to any person or people who do this.

they come: The word they refers to the “stumbling blocks” in 17:1a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 17:33

17:33

This verse is very similar to 9:24. See the notes there (9:24a and 9:24b). It is also similar to Mark 8:35. Jesus talked about two types of “life” in this verse: physical, earthly life without God and eternal life with God. It is important to understand this difference in order to understand the verse.

Jesus was talking about two kinds of people:

(a) Some people continue to control what they do here on earth and do not submit to God. Those people will lose the opportunity to live eternally with him.

(b) Some people submit to God and follow his will here on earth. They will live eternally with God.

17:33a

Whoever tries to save his life: The clause Whoever tries to save his life refers to any person who is determined to continue living. Such a person is not willing to suffer and die for Jesus. Instead, he wants to save or preserve his own way of life. Some ways to translate this clause are:

whoever seeks to protect his own life
-or-
If you cling to your life (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
a person who wants to guard his life on this earth
-or-
People who try to save their lives (Contemporary English Version)

See save, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

In some languages it may be necessary to translate life as a verb. For example:

whoever tries/seeks to continue living

will lose it: The phrase will lose it refers to losing true life, which is life with God that lasts forever. A person who loses his life in this sense will fail to experience it either here on earth or in heaven after he dies. He will eventually lose his physical life because no one can live forever. He will also forfeit the opportunity to gain true life with God.

In some languages, a literal translation of lose may imply that a person misplaces something and is unable to find it. It may also imply that a person who already has eternal life will lose it. Be careful to avoid both these implications. Some ways to express the correct meaning are:

will forfeit true life
-or-
will lose the opportunity to gain eternal life
-or-
will not gain life with God
-or-
will not be able to live forever with God

17:33b

but whoever loses his life will preserve it: This clause indicates that a person who willingly gives up his life on earth will gain eternal life with God in heaven. Other ways to translate this clause are:

…those who lose their lives will save them. (God’s Word)
-or-
…and if you let your life go, you will save it. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
And that person who does not set his heart on his life…he will be given life without end.

The parallel passage in Mark 8:35 says “whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel.” The context here in Luke also implies that Jesus referred to his disciples who lose their lives for him. In some languages it may be necessary to make that explicit. For example:

who loses his life ⌊for me⌋ will save it
-or-
whoever is willing to die ⌊for me⌋ will gain eternal life

In some languages it may be necessary to translate life as a verb. For example:

whoever is willing to die will live forever

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:28

18:28a

Look…we have left: In Greek Peter began his reply to Jesus with a word that draws attention to what he was about to say. Sometimes it is translated in English as Look, as in the Berean Standard Bible, or “Listen.” Some versions, such as the New International Version, have not translated this Greek word here. Other English versions translate it in several ways in this context. For example:

Look! We have left… (Good News Translation)
-or-
Remember, we left… (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
What about us? We left… (Revised English Bible)

Use a natural way in your language to indicate that Peter wanted Jesus to pay special attention to what he was about to say.

we: The pronoun we refers to the disciples. It does not include Jesus.

In this context the pronoun is emphatic. It implies a contrast with the rich man or with rich people in general. (See 18:24.) In contrast to the rich leader who would not give up his possessions, the disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to make this contrast explicit. For example:

Unlike the rich leader/people

Indicate this contrast in a natural way in your language.

have left all we had: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have left means “left behind” or “abandoned.” This verb implies here that the disciples thought that following Jesus was more important than keeping their possessions. Whether they gave away their possessions or just left them with relatives is not known.

Some other ways to translate this are:

abandoned everything that we had
-or-
put aside all that we owned

all we had: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all we had is literally “our own things.” There are two ways to interpret it in this context:

(1) It refers in general to property and possessions, including homes and families. For example:

we have left everything we own (NET Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible, New International Version, King James Version, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It refers specifically to homes. For example:

We have left our homes (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Peter was saying that he and the other disciples of Jesus had left everything so that they could be his disciples. The phrase all we had probably includes the things that Jesus mentioned in 18:29.

18:28b

to follow You: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to follow You is literally “and we(excl) followed you.” It expresses the purpose that the disciples had for leaving everything. They left everything to become his disciples. Express this purpose in a natural way in your language.

The disciples followed Jesus in both a literal and figurative way. They literally followed him wherever he went, and they also “followed him” by learning from him as his disciples. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the figurative meaning along with the literal meaning. For example:

in order to follow you ⌊as your disciples⌋
-or-
to follow you ⌊and learn from you⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 19:17

19:17a

His master replied: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His master replied is literally “and he said to him.” In the Greek text it occurs before the reply, and that is where the Berean Standard Bible has placed it. Other versions, such as the New International Version, place it after the reply. Place this phrase where it is natural in your language and refer to the king in a natural way. Here is another way to translate this:

The king said to him (God’s Word)

Well done, good servant: There is no verb in what the king said to his servant here. In some languages it may be more natural to use a complete sentence. For example:

You have done well, my good servant.

In some languages it may be more natural to begin with the direct address. For example:

My good servant, you have done well.

Well done: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Well done is an exclamation that expresses praise. Translate this exclamation in a way that is natural for a king or master to praise his servant in your language. For example:

Excellent! (New Century Version)
-or-
Good job! (God’s Word)
-or-
Splendid… (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

good servant: In some languages it may be natural to add “my” to the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as good servant. The idea of “my” is implied.

In some languages, it may be more natural to express good servant as a sentence rather than with direct address. For example:

You are a good servant. (New Century Version)

19:17b–c

Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities: The king gave his servant to authority over ten cities as a reward for being trustworthy. In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that the king was rewarding him. For example:

You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Because you have been trustworthy with a very small matter, ⌊I will reward you by⌋ letting you rule over ten cities.

In your translation, make sure that there is a contrast between the very small matter in 19:17b and the ten cities in 19:17c. It was a small thing to take care of one mina/coin, but it was a very important thing to take care of ten cities. Here is another way to translate this:

Since I can trust you with small things, I will let you rule over ten of my cities. (New Century Version)

See the General Comment on 19:17b–c below for an example of changing the order of the clauses.

faithful: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful means “trustworthy, dependable.” The king trusted his servant to manage his money well, and the servant worked hard to do that. The servant showed that he could be trusted. For more information, see believe, Meaning 4, in the Glossary.

a very small matter: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a very small matter refers to the task of trading with the one coin that the master gave him. Other ways to translate this are:

a little money (God’s Word)
-or-
the little I entrusted to you (New Living Translation (2004))

The phrase “faithful in a very small matter” uses the same words as the phrase in 16:10 that the Berean Standard Bible translated as “faithful with very little.”

19:17c

you shall have authority over ten cities: The clause you shall have authority over ten cities indicates that the king was giving his servant responsibility to govern the people in ten cities. In Greek this clause is literally a command. Here is another way to translate this:

take charge of ten cities (New International Version)

In some languages it may be more natural to use a statement. For example:

I will put you in charge of ten cities. (Good News Translation)
-or-
I am making you the ruler/governor over ten cities.

General Comment on 19:17b–c

Here 19:17b is the reason for 19:17c. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of these clauses. For example:

17cI will give you control over ten cities, 17bbecause you have been so faithful with the small responsibility ⌊I gave you⌋.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013