SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 33

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:18

5:18a

Just then: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Just then is literally “And behold,” as in the Revised Standard Version. Luke used these words to introduce the action of the event. He also wanted to draw attention to the action. Some ways to translate this phrase in this context are:

Then
-or-
And while he was teaching

Some English versions, such as the New International Version and New Living Translation (2004), do not translate this phrase. Connect 5:18a to 5:17b in a way that is natural in your language.

some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat is literally “men carrying on a pallet a man who was paralyzed.” The phrase introduces the paralyzed man and his friends. Introduce the friends and the paralyzed man in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

some men were carrying on a mat a man who was paralyzed (New Century Version)
-or-
Some men brought a paralyzed man on a stretcher. (God’s Word)

paralyzed man: A paralyzed man is a person who is unable to move some part or all of his body. In this context the paralytic could not walk. His legs were paralyzed.

mat: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mat means “bed, couch, cot, or stretcher.” It can refer to any piece of furniture that is used for reclining or lying on. In this context it refers to something light that could be used to carry someone. Since most people in Israel who were not rich slept on woven mats, it could have been a woven mat.

Be careful not to translate the word mat with a word that would imply something heavy and not easily carried.

5:18b

They tried to bring him inside: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tried to bring him inside is literally “were seeking to carry him in.” The men wanted to carry the paralyzed man through the door into the house. They attempted to do this but could not. Verse 5:19a explains that they could not do this because there were too many people in the house or around the door to the house.

The tense of the Greek verb for tried indicates that they tried to do this more than once. Some ways to express this in English are:

were trying to bring him in (NET Bible)
-or-

kept trying to carry him in (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

to set him before Jesus: The men wanted to take the man into the house and lay him in front of Jesus so that Jesus would heal him. Be sure that the readers of your translation understand this. If the reason for taking this man to Jesus is unclear, you may have to make this explicit. For example:

in order to lay him before Jesus ⌊so that Jesus would heal him⌋

© 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 6:11

6:11a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces what happened next in the story. It changes the focus back to the Pharisees. It introduces their reaction to the healing. Some ways to connect this verse are:

At this (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Then

Connect 6:11 to 6:10 in a way that is natural in your language.

the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage is literally “they were filled with madness.” It describes people who are not able to think or reason because they are very angry. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were so angry that they could not think clearly. In many languages there will be an idiomatic way of expressing this. In English, some ways to say this are:

the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they were furious (New International Version)
-or-
they were beside themselves with rage

6:11b

began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus: The religious leaders talked among themselves and tried to decide what they should do to Jesus. This is an understatement. The parallel passages in Matthew 12:14 and Mark 3:6 make it clear that they were looking for a way to kill Jesus.

In some languages, it may be natural to translate this as direct speech. For example:

and started saying to each other, “What can we do about Jesus?” (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:43

Paragraph 6:43–45

In this paragraph, Jesus used another illustration or extended metaphor. He compared different kinds of people to different kinds of trees. He said that the way a person acts shows the kind of person he is.

The Berean Standard Bible does not translate the Greek conjunction that introduces this illustration, but many English versions translate it as “for.” This conjunction indicates that this illustration reinforces what Jesus had just said. Connect this illustration to what Jesus had just said in a way that is natural in your language. Some ways to connect this illustration are:

Think about this:
-or-
You know

6:43–45

good…bad…evil: The words good and bad (or good and evil) describe many things in the passage: trees, fruit, people, treasure in a person’s heart, and actions. If possible, use general words for good and bad that can be applied to all these things. This will help maintain the unity of the passage. If not, be sure to use words for good and bad that are appropriate for the thing that is being described. (See the notes for each verse for more explanation of the way these words are used in each context.)

6:43a–b

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit: This is a general statement about something that is always true. The fruit that a tree produces reflects the tree itself. Healthy fruit trees produce good, edible fruit. Trees that are not healthy do not produce good, edible fruit. Jesus used this proverb to teach a spiritual lesson. He meant that good people do not do evil deeds. Some other ways to translate this general statement could be:

Good trees do/cannot bear bad fruit. Bad trees do/cannot bear good fruit.
-or-
There is no such thing as a good tree producing bad fruit, nor yet a bad tree producing good fruit. (Revised English Bible)

6:43a

good tree: The exact sense in which this tree is good is not certain. However, the context indicates that a good tree is healthy, and it produces tasty fruit for people to eat.

In each of these senses, it is true that a “good tree does not produce bad fruit.” Try to translate “good” in a general way. Your translation should fit well with the idea of bearing good fruit, since this is important in the context.

tree: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tree can refer to any large woody plant. If possible, choose a general word that includes trees and large bushes such as the bushes with thorns mentioned in 6:44b–c.

bad fruit: If possible, use a general word for bad here. If you must choose a word that is more specific, choose a word that refers to fruit that is not suitable for eating.

6:43b

a bad tree: As with “good tree” in 6:43a, it is recommended that you choose a general word for bad that could include the meanings “unhealthy” and “unable to produce good fruit.”

good fruit: If possible, use a general word for good here. If you must choose a word that is more specific, choose a word that refers to fruit that is suitable for eating. Such fruit tastes good.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:26

7:26a

What then did you go out to see?: The Greek question that the Berean Standard Bible translates as What then did you go out to see? is exactly the same as the question in 7:25a. (The Berean Standard Bible adds the word “then” here for the sake of English style.)

What: See the note on What at 7:24b–c.

7:26b

A prophet?: This rhetorical question suggests yet another answer to the question asked in 7:24b, 7:25a, and 7:26a. This time it suggests the correct answer. If you need to translate it as a full sentence, you could say:

⌊Did you go out to see⌋ a prophet?

There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• As a question. For example:

⌊Did you expect to see⌋ a prophet?

• As an emphatic statement. For example:

Surely it was a prophet that you went out to see.

(If you follow this option, you will not translate the answer “yes” in 7:26c.)

prophet: See also the note on prophet at 7:16b. See prophet in the Glossary.

7:26c

Yes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Yes is emphasized here. Some ways that English versions express this emphasis are:

Yes indeed (Good News Translation)
-or-
He certainly was! (Contemporary English Version)

I tell you: Jesus often used the words I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. It indicates that the statement was important and that people should listen carefully to it. Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

• Use a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:

Let me tell you this
-or-
Listen
-or-
I assure you

• As an emphatic word within the following statement. For example:

He was much more than a prophet.
-or-
He was, in fact, more than a prophet.

If you have another way in your language to emphasize an important statement, consider using it here.

and more than a prophet: Jesus was saying here that John was certainly a prophet, and he also had another very important role. God had sent John especially to prepare people for the Messiah. Other ways to say this are:

and great among the prophets
-or-
and not just an ordinary prophet
-or-
and he has a greater ⌊mission⌋ than other prophets

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:8

8:8a

Still other seed: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Still other seed introduces the fourth group of seeds. This is the final and most important group of seeds. Other ways to say this are:

And some of the seed (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Other seed (New American Standard Bible)

fell: Note that in this case the seeds fell, or landed, where the farmer wished them to fall.

good soil: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as good in this context means “fertile” or “productive.” The dirt itself was not of higher quality, but it was not packed down, shallow, or mixed with thorns. Consider what term is used in your language for soil in which plants grow well.

8:8b

it sprang up: This clause indicates that the seeds that fell on good soil sprouted and grew into mature plants. Other ways to translate it are:

This seed grew (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the plants grew (Good News Translation)
-or-
they sprouted and became ⌊strong⌋ plants

produced a crop: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as produced a crop here means “produced grain.”

a hundredfold: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates with the phrase a hundredfold literally means “a hundred times.” It means that the plants that grew from the seeds had a hundred times as many seeds as the farmer had planted. Another way to translate this is:

…the plants grew and bore grain, one hundred grains each. (Good News Translation)

A harvest of one hundred grains for each seed planted was exceptional in Israel, though probably not impossible or miraculous. If you use footnotes to give background information, you might include one here. For example:

An average harvest for the provinces of Galilee and Judea was around ten seeds for every seed that was planted. A harvest of one hundred seeds for every seed planted was possible but was considered exceptionally good.

8:8c

As Jesus said this, He called out: This part of the verse indicates that Jesus told the parable in 8:1–8b and then said, “He who has ears to hear…” (8:8d). Some other ways to say this part of the verse are:

After he had said this, he called out (God’s Word)
-or-
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
And Jesus concluded (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then Jesus said loudly ⌊to the crowd⌋

He called out: The clause He called out introduces the saying in 8:8d. The clause indicates that Jesus spoke in a loud voice.

8:8d

He who has ears to hear, let him hear: With this saying, Jesus urged the crowd to think carefully about 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 learned from it.

This saying assumes that everyone in the crowd had ears that were able to hear. Jesus said it to everyone who was listening to him. Other ways to say this are:

If/since you have ears that can hear, then hear.
-or-
Those who do not have ears in vain, let them hear.

Notice that these examples use forms such as “you” or “them” instead of “he” and “him.” Use a natural way in your language to tell a saying like this to people.

In some languages, it may be more natural to express the meaning without mentioning ears. For example:

Whoever can hear, let him hear.

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 has the sense of “listen attentively/carefully, understand, and be ready to obey.” Other ways to translate this are:

listen well/carefully
-or-
listen and understand (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
give attention
-or-
consider/heed carefully what you hear

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 to use a word like “should.” For example:

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

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

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

In some languages it may be necessary to supply some information and indicate that the listener should listen to Jesus or to his parable/words. For example:

If you have ears to hear, listen ⌊to me⌋!
-or-
You who have ears to hear should listen to my words/parable.

General Comment on 8:8d

In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the order of the two verb clauses. For example:

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

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:40

Section 8:40–56

Jesus healed a sick woman and caused a dead girl to live again

This section tells about two miracles that Jesus did. He healed a woman who had a sickness that caused her to have chronic menstrual bleeding. The story about this woman is told in the middle of the story about a dead girl whom Jesus caused to live again. The situation was hopeless for both until Jesus miraculously helped them. His miracles showed the special power and authority that God had given to him as the Messiah.

These stories include the concept of uncleanness, just as in the story of the healing of the man with a “legion” of unclean spirits. Here, the woman was unclean according to the law of Moses because of the bleeding that was caused by her sickness. The dead body of Jairus’ daughter was also ritually unclean. But in spite of this, Jesus touched both of them. Jesus did not become unclean himself when he touched them. Instead, he made them ritually clean by making them well.

Another important theme in this section is faith. Jesus said that the woman who was bleeding was healed because she believed that Jesus could heal her. Then he encouraged Jairus to keep believing that God could make his daughter well, even after she had died.

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

Jesus cured a woman with chronic bleeding and gave life to a dead girl
-or-
The child of Jairus and the woman who touched the border/edge of Jesus’ clothing
-or-
A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman (New International Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 9:18–26 and Mark 5:21–43.

Paragraph 8:40–42a

8:40a

When Jesus returned:
The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as When here introduces the next events that Luke wanted to write about. See the note on “Then” at 8:19a. These events happened after Jesus returned to the other side of the lake from the place where he freed the man from demons in 8:26–39. He may have returned later that same day or the next day. Indicate this in a natural way in your language.

It may be natural in your language to indicate where Jesus returned or that he traveled by boat. For example:

When Jesus returned to the other side of the lake… (Good News Translation)
-or-
When Jesus got back to Galilee… (New Century Version)
-or-
When Jesus returned ⌊by boat⌋ ⌊from the region of Gerasa⌋…

In some languages it may be most natural to make this statement a complete sentence. For example:

Then Jesus returned to the other side of the lake.

When Jesus returned: Jesus traveled back to Galilee from the region of Gerasa where he had been in 8:26–39. Luke implied that he returned to the northwest side of Lake Galilee. He probably arrived at or near the place where he had sailed from in Luke 8:22, possibly to the town of Capernaum.

Jesus: The context implies that Jesus’ disciples also went with him to the other side of the lake. Luke does not mention them here, because Jesus is in focus. However, in some languages it may be confusing not to include the disciples at this point in the story. (The first mention of any of the disciples in the story is at 8:45.) If that is true in your language, you may want to mention them. For example:

When Jesus ⌊and the disciples⌋ returned
-or-
When Jesus returned ⌊with the disciples⌋

8:40b

the crowd welcomed Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as the crowd implies that many people had been expecting Jesus to return. They were waiting there to welcome him. Many of these people may have often followed Jesus from place to place to listen to him.

In some languages it may be confusing to refer back to a specific crowd or group of people. If that is true in your language, you may translate in a more general way. For example:

a crowd (New International Version, New Century Version)
-or-
many people

8:40c

for they had all been waiting for Him: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for indicates that this clause explains the reason for 8:40b. The crowd was ready to welcome Jesus as he arrived because they had been watching and waiting for his return. Another way to translate this is:

because they had been waiting for him (New Living Translation (2004))

Indicate this connection in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed. See the General Comment on 8:40a–c below for a suggestion about reordering.

had…been waiting for Him: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had…been waiting for probably means here that the crowd was watching and waiting eagerly for Jesus to return. The people did not know when Jesus was coming, and they may not have been certain that he would return to that place. However, they hoped that he would return, so they waited for him at the side of the lake. Some other ways to translate this are:

were…expecting him (New International Version)
-or-
had…been looking for him (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

General Comment on 8:40a–c

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder this verse to say at the beginning that the people were watching and waiting for Jesus. For example:

40bThe people/crowd ⌊back on the other side of the lake⌋ were waiting/looking for Jesus, 40aso, when he returned, they all welcomed him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:16

9:16a

Taking the five loaves and the two fish: In this clause the subject changes to Jesus, after the disciples had seated the people. Someone probably handed the loaves and fish to Jesus, and he received them. Some other ways to translate this are:

Jesus took the five loaves and two fish (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus held the five loaves and two fish ⌊in his hands⌋

looking up to heaven: Jesus looked up to heaven because he was about to thank God. Jewish people commonly looked upward toward heaven while they were praying.

heaven: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heaven here refers to the sky as a symbol of God’s dwelling place. Since Jesus literally looked upward at the sky, you could translate the word heaven here with the usual word for sky. You do not have to use a special term that refers to the place where God lives. See heaven in the Glossary.

9:16b

Jesus spoke a blessing: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus spoke a blessing is literally “he blessed them.” The word “them” refers to the loaves and fish. There are two ways to interpret the phrase “he blessed them” in this context:

(1) It refers to thanking God for the food. For example:

he thanked God for the food (New Century Version)

(New International Version, Good News Translation, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, NET Bible, New Century Version)

(2) It refers to blessing the food. For example:

blessed the food (Contemporary English Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), New American Standard Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). As a custom, Jews praised God and thanked him for the food that he provided for them. Another way to translate this is:

He gave thanks to God for the food

In some languages the meaning of spoke a blessing needs to be expressed with a direct quote. For example:

He said, “Thank you.”

See bless, Meaning 5, in the Glossary.

broke them: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as broke them refers to tearing the bread and fish into pieces. This was the normal way that a meal was begun. Use a verb in your language that refers to dividing bread and fish into pieces.

Some other ways to translate broke them are:

divided the food (New Century Version)
-or-
tore the loaves and fish into portions

9:16c

Then He gave them to the disciples: This clause indicates that Jesus handed the bread and fish to the disciples. In some languages it may be more natural to use a different verb rather than gave here. For example:

he…passed them to his disciples (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
he handed them to his disciples

The form of the Greek verb may imply that Jesus did this action more than once. A few English versions make this explicit. For example:

and kept giving them to the disciples (God’s Word)

to set before the people: This is a purpose clause. Jesus gave the bread and fish to his disciples so that they would give it to the people.

set before the people: The words set before the people imply that the disciples should go to the groups of people to give them the bread and fish. Some other ways to translate this are:

to distribute to the people (Good News Translation)
-or-
to give to the people (New Century Version)

You may need to put implied information after this to show that the disciples did give the food to the people. For example:

⌊The disciples did this.⌋

General Comment on 9:16a–c

In Greek this verse is one long sentence. In some languages it may be natural to break the sentence up even more than the Berean Standard Bible has done. For example:

Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and thanked God for the food. Then he began to break ⌊the bread and fish⌋ ⌊into pieces⌋. Then he gave them to the disciples to give to the people.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:48

9:48a

Whoever welcomes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as welcomes is literally “receives.” Several English versions translate it that way. It refers here to accepting or receiving someone as a guest. It also implies doing it willingly.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Whoever accepts (New Century Version)
-or-
Anyone who welcomes ⌊and helps⌋
-or-
Whoever shows hospitality to

this little child: Jesus was using this child as an example of any child. In some languages a literal translation may give the wrong meaning that Jesus was thinking only of that particular child. If this is true in your language, you may need to translate this in a more general way. For example:

a little child like this (New Living Translation (2004))

in My name: The name of a person represented that person himself. So the phrase in My name indicates here that someone welcomes and helps others because he is a follower or representative of Jesus. Some ways to translate this are:

on my behalf (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
because of me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
because of his faith in me
-or-
as my representative

welcomes Me: The verb welcomes is the same verb that was used earlier in the verse, but it is used in a figurative way here. By welcoming a child, you honor Jesus.

If people in your area will think that the words welcomes Me only refer to literally welcoming Jesus himself, you may want to include some implied information. For example:

⌊it is the same as⌋ welcoming me
-or-

⌊it is as if he is⌋ welcoming me
-or-
honors me

The word Me is emphasized in the Greek. If your language has a natural way to emphasize the word me, you may want to do so. For example:

I am the one whom he is welcoming

9:48b

and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me: This expression indicates that welcoming Jesus is the same as welcoming God. When someone welcomes Jesus, he also welcomes the one who sent Jesus. For example:

also welcomes the one who sent me (Good News Translation)

the One who sent Me: The phrase the One who sent Me refers to God. If people in your area would not understand that this phrase refers to God, you may need to make this explicit. For example:

my Father who sent me (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
God who sent me

9:48c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For here introduces the conclusion to Jesus’ teaching in this verse. This conclusion also answers the disciples’ argument about who was the greatest. You should introduce this connection in a natural way in your language. Some other ways to do this in English are:

Jesus concluded, “He who is least…”
-or-

What I want you to understand is this: He who is least…

In some languages a conjunction or an introductory phrase will not be needed.

whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest: There is an implied contrast here between what people think and what God thinks. People may think of someone as the least important, but God may consider that person to be the greatest. In this context Jesus probably also referred to what people think of themselves. The disciple who thinks that he deserves the lowest status in the group is the one whom God considers to be truly great. This kind of person would welcome children and serve others.

In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

Whoever among you ⌊considers himself to⌋ have the lowest status is the greatest ⌊in God’s opinion⌋.
-or-
It is the humblest among you all who is really the greatest. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

he is the greatest: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as greatest is literally “great.” In this context it may mean “greatest” in contrast to “least” in the previous phrase. Many English versions translate it this way. For example:

…is really the greatest (New Century Version)

It may also mean “truly great.” It refers here to someone whom God considers great. This person may be very poor, and other people may not respect him. But this is the person who is truly great. For example:

he who is least among you all is the one who is great (English Standard Version)
-or-
that person is ⌊truly⌋ great/important ⌊in God’s eyes/opinion⌋

Both “great” and “greatest” fit the context. You may use either one. The expression that you use should be compatible with your translation of “greatest” in 9:46b.

General Comment on 9:48c

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the two phrases in 9:48c. For example:

So remember this: The one whom God considers to be truly great is the one who is the humblest among you.

Search

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

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013