SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 38

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:15

8:15a

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here introduces the last example in a series, the one that is different from the rest. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed. Introduce this example in a natural way in your language.

the seeds on good soil are those: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the seeds on good soil introduces what happens when seeds fall on good ground. This general situation, not just the seeds, represents people who hear God’s message. Some ways to translate this are:

When seeds fall on good soil, it is like when people hear ⌊God’s message⌋…
-or-
The picture of the seeds ⌊scattered⌋ on good soil represents ⌊the kind of⌋ people who hear ⌊God’s message⌋…

are those: For the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as are, some English versions use a fuller phrase because that is natural style in English. For example:

stands for those (New International Version)

8:15b

with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it: The phrase a noble and good heart describes people who keep the word of God in their hearts/minds. There are two views about exactly what a noble and good heart describes here:

(1) It describes the manner in which the people retain the word. Most English versions express this idea by using an idiom that seems to express location. For example:

The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart… (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, King James Version, God’s Word, NET Bible)

(2) It describes the character of the people who hear the word. They have noble and good hearts. For example:

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it… (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). However, the two interpretations are not very different, because people who retain God’s message in good and noble hearts must have good and noble hearts.

In this context the word heart is an idiom to describe the manner in which these people retain God’s word. Other ways to translate with a noble and good heart…cling to it are:

hold to it in a noble and good way
-or-
cling to it with honesty and goodness
-or-
keep thinking about it well and honestly

noble and good heart: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as noble and good are very close in meaning. Jesus had already used each of these Greek words alone to describe the soil as “good soil” (8:8a and 8:15a). The two words are probably used together here for emphasis. Both words can be used to describe many types of goodness. You should use a word or phrase in your language that is natural to describe a good way to cling to God’s word.

Some ways to translate noble and good heart here are:

• Use two different words for “good.” Some examples in English could be:

in a good and fitting/proper way
-or-
in a manner that is right and good
-or-
carefully and honestly

• Use one word or phrase that emphasizes the meaning of the Greek phrase. For example:

in a truly/very good way
-or-
with great carefulness
-or-
just as they should

heart: See the note on “hearts” at 8:12b.

hear the word, cling to it: The Greek phrases that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hear the word, cling to it are literally “hearing the word, retain (it).” The verb “retain” is the main verb. It indicates that retaining the word is the action that is in focus here. Indicate that in a natural way in your language.

cling to it: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cling to it means “keep it” or “hold fast to it.” In this context, this indicates that the people remember it and continue to think about it and believe it. These people do not forget or discard the message from God that they have heard. They value it and treasure it.

8:15c

by persevering produce a crop: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by persevering is literally “in patience/perseverance.” It describes someone who patiently perseveres in spite of difficulties. In this context it describes people who patiently continue to believe God’s message and obey it. The result of this persevering is that they produce a crop, that is, God’s message produces good results through them. This contrasts with the people in 8:13–14 who stopped believing God’s message.

produce a crop: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as produce a crop can also be translated as “bring forth fruit.” This is a metaphor. Jesus does not identify what the crop or “fruit” refers to. It probably refers to good deeds that are the result of believing and obeying God’s message.

Some other ways to translate produce a crop here are:

• Use a simile. For example:

they ⌊are like plants that⌋ produce fruit/grain for harvest

• Make the meaning more explicit. For example:

like plants that produce fruit, they produce good results
-or-
they live/act according to God’s message
-or-
they live in a way that pleases God

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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 8:47

8:47a

Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice: The woman realized from the conversation in 8:45–46 that Jesus was determined to discover who had touched him. Connect this verse to the context in a natural way in your language.

seeing: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seeing here means “realizing” or “understanding.” The woman realized that she could not avoid being noticed.

she could not escape notice: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as she could not escape notice indicates that the woman realized that Jesus knew what she had done. She also knew that he would not allow her to slip quietly away. Some other ways to translate this are:

she had not been able to hide
-or-
what she had done was known

In some languages it may be necessary to indicate who had noticed her. If that is true in your language, you may indicate that it was Jesus. For example:

Jesus knew what she had done (similar to the New Living Translation (1996))

8:47b

came: In some languages it may be necessary to say where the woman came:

came ⌊to Jesus⌋

trembling: The woman was trembling or “shaking” because she was afraid (see Mark 5:33). In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

came trembling ⌊with fear⌋

The text does not specify the exact reason why the woman was afraid. One reason may have been that her illness had made her ritually unclean. As an unclean person, she had broken the Jewish law by touching Jesus and also by being in the crowd. She may have been afraid that Jesus and the people would be angry.

In some translations it may be helpful to include a footnote to explain the woman’s fear. For example:

According to Jewish law, the woman’s illness made her ritually unclean. If she touched anyone, that person also became unclean. She was probably afraid that when Jesus and other people discovered that she had touched him, they would be angry.

If you include a footnote here, you will probably not need one at 8:43.

fell down before Him: The phrase fell down before Him indicates that she knelt and bowed down with her face to the ground in front of Jesus. This showed her respect and submission to him. She did not fall accidentally. The same or similar expressions also occur at 5:8, 5:12, 8:27, and 8:41.

8:47c

In the presence of all the people, she explained: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as In the presence of all the people, she explained indicates that the woman spoke so that the crowd surrounding Jesus heard what she said to him. Other ways to translate this are:

While all the people listened, she told (New Century Version)
-or-
Before all the people she explained (Revised English Bible)
-or-
She ⌊spoke so that⌋ all the people could hear and told

why she had touched Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as why refers to the cause or reason for something. Here it means that the woman publicly told the reason why she touched Jesus.

8:47d

how she had immediately been healed: This is a passive clause. Some other ways to translate this are:

how the bleeding instantly stopped
-or-
how ⌊touching his cloak⌋ had immediately caused her to be well
-or-
how ⌊Jesus’ power⌋ had instantly healed her

how: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as how probably refers to the fact that the woman was healed as soon as she touched Jesus’ cloak. The healing was immediate. It does not indicate that she explained the manner or process in which she was healed. Another way to translate this is:

that she had been immediately healed (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 8:47a–d

In some languages it may be necessary to use direct speech to report what the woman said to Jesus in 8:47d. It may also be helpful to make the connections between the clauses in 8:47 more explicit. For example:

47aThe woman realized then that she could not hide ⌊what had happened⌋. 47bSo, even though she was very afraid, she came ⌊forward⌋ and kneeled in front of Jesus. 47cWith everyone ⌊watching and listening⌋, she said ⌊to him⌋, “I touched you because ⌊I have been bleeding for twelve years, and I believed that if I could touch you, I would become well. I did touch the edge of your clothing⌋ 47cand I immediately became well.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:23

Section 9:23–27

Jesus spoke about what a person must do to be his disciple

In the preceding section Jesus was speaking to his disciples. This section is addressed to “all.” According to the parallel passage in Mark, Jesus called the crowd of people who were there to come and listen to him. Luke does not make this detail explicit, but it is implied by the word “all.” So in these verses Jesus was speaking to the crowd, as well as to his disciples. This meant that most of the people to whom Jesus spoke were not his followers.

In 9:23 Jesus told the people what a person must do in order to be his disciple. A person must deny himself, take up his cross every day, and follow Jesus. In the next verses (9:24–26) Jesus explained why a person must do this. Sometimes a person chooses not to follow Jesus because he wants to avoid death and shame in the present life. If, for that reason, he does not follow Jesus, he will be shamed in the future at the final judgment. He will forfeit true life with God. By contrast, a person who chooses to follow Christ may lose his present life, but he will gain true life with God.

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

Jesus told people how to be his true disciples
-or-
The Life of a Person who Becomes Jesus’ Disciple
-or-
What it Means to Follow Jesus

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 16:24–28 and Mark 8:34–9:1. See also Luke 14:27, 17:33; John 12:25.

Paragraph 9:23–27

9:23a

Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then here introduces the next event in the story. It happened immediately after the event in the preceding section. Some English versions do not begin a new section here. Introduce this new event in a natural way in your language.

Jesus said to all of them: In the preceding section, Jesus had been addressing only his twelve apostles. Now he began to speak to all the other people along with his disciples. See the introduction to Section 9:23–27.

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit to whom the word all refers. It should not mean “all the disciples.” Other ways to express this meaning include:

Then Jesus said to all the people (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Then Jesus began to speak to all ⌊the people who were there, including his disciples⌋

9:23b–27

In these verses Jesus talked about anyone and everyone who wanted to be his disciple. Indicate this in a natural way in your language. In some languages it may be more natural to use a plural subject. For example:

If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me. (New Century Version)

In other languages it may be more natural to use a pronoun like “you.” For example:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
If you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me. (Good News Translation)

9:23b

If anyone wants to come after Me: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wants to come after Me is literally “wants/desires after me to come.” It refers to anyone who wanted to become Jesus’ disciple and follow him. Other ways to translate this are:

If any want to become my followers (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Anyone who desires/decides to be my disciple

wants to: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wants to means “desires to,” “wishes to,” or “wants to.” In this context, it may imply “⌊truly⌋ wants to.”

9:23c–e

he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me: The Greek phrases that the Berean Standard Bible translates as must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me are three indirect commands. A person who desires to be one of Jesus’ disciples must do three things:

(1) He must deny himself.

(2) He must take up his cross daily.

(3) He must follow Jesus as a disciple.

Indicate in a natural way in your language that a person must do each of these actions in order to be a follower of Jesus.

9:23c

he must deny himself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as deny himself means “reject oneself” or “refuse to please oneself.” A disciple must do what his master wants him to do, whether or not it is what the disciple himself wants to do. Disciples of Jesus must give up the right to fulfill their own ambitions. Some other ways to translate deny himself include:

forget about yourself (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
turn from your selfish ways (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
renounce self (Revised English Bible)
-or-
refuse his own desires

9:23d

take up his cross: The phrase take up his cross refers to the way that Roman soldiers executed criminals. They forced a condemned criminal to pick up a large wooden cross. He had to carry it to the place where he would be put to death. Then the soldiers nailed him on the cross to die.

When Jesus used this phrase, he knew that the Romans would soon force him to carry a literal cross. But in this context, he used the phrase figuratively. Jesus probably meant that anyone who wanted to become his disciple should live each day as if he were already dead to his own desires. He may also have meant that anyone who wanted to become his disciple had to be willing to suffer and die in order to obey him.

Some ways to translate the phrase take up his cross are:

• Translate the figure of speech literally and add a footnote that explains the meaning. A sample footnote is:

In the time of Jesus, a person who was condemned to be crucified was forced to carry the cross to the place where he would be nailed to it. Jesus probably means here that a person who follows him must consider himself to be like a dead person. He must obey Jesus and not choose his own way. Jesus may also mean that a person must be ready to suffer and die in order to follow him

• Omit the figure of speech and translate the meaning directly. For example:

must consider themselves daily to be dead as far as their own lives/desires are concerned
-or-
must be willing to give up their lives daily (New Century Version)

If you follow this option, consider adding a footnote that gives Jesus’ literal words.

Translate this phrase in the way that is most natural in your language.

cross: A cross refers to two large wooden boards or beams that were attached to each other. Roman soldiers used crosses to kill criminals. They nailed or tied a criminal to these wooden beams, then set them upright. They did this in order to cause the criminal to die slowly and painfully.

The word cross comes from the fact that the beams were crossed and attached. This made the shape of a + or ✝ (or sometimes a T).

In many languages there may be no word for cross. If that is true in your language, you may need to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

board/wood of death
-or-
crossed-beam(s) of death
-or-
a tree for killing people
-or-
a stake/plank to which they fasten/nail someone to kill him

daily: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as daily means “every day.” Other ways to translate this include:

day by day
-or-
day after day

9:23e

follow Me: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as follow means “be my disciple.” This means the same thing as “come after me” in 9:23b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:55

9:55

But Jesus turned and rebuked them:
Jesus was probably leading the disciples along the road. He turned around to speak to James and John. He answered them by rebuking them, that is, by telling them that they were thinking in a wrong way. Jesus did not want them to ask God to kill the Samaritan villagers. Another way to translate this clause is:

But Jesus turned and scolded them (New Century Version)
-or-
But Jesus turned and corrected them for what they had said (Contemporary English Version)

rebuked: The word rebuked means that Jesus made it clear that what the disciples had said was wrong. They had a wrong attitude. In some languages it may be necessary to use direct speech. Supply something general such as:

said, “No. That is wrong.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:25

Section 10:25–37

Jesus told a story to show us who our neighbors are

One day as Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he stopped to teach people. An expert in the Jewish law was there and asked him a question. The expert asked what he should do to obtain eternal life. He and Jesus discussed this question and agreed that a person must love God and love his neighbor. Then the expert asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered him with a story that was a parable.

In the story robbers attacked a man and left him bleeding on a road. Two Jewish religious leaders passed the man without helping him. Then a man from the province of Samaria came and helped the man. People from Samaria were called Samaritans. The Jews despised Samaritans, so Jesus’ story surprised the Jews.

The person who treated the injured man with love, as a neighbor should, was a Samaritan. The Jewish religious leaders did not show love to the man. Most Jews considered only their fellow Jews to be their neighbors, but by this parable Jesus taught that all human beings are neighbors. We must love every other human being.

Some other possible section headings are:

The parable about the good foreigner
-or-
Who is my neighbor?
-or-
The Good Samaritan

Luke is the only gospel writer who includes this parable.

Paragraph 10:25–29

10:25a

One day an expert in the law: In Greek, this paragraph begins literally with the phrase “And behold.” In this context, the phrase introduces something new that the author wants people to pay attention to. The phrase introduces the expert in the law, who was an important person in the story. It also introduces the new event that Luke was beginning to tell about. One way to translate this is:

And listen! An expert in the law…

In some languages, including English, it is natural to begin a new event such as this with a time word or phrase. Since the text does not include details about when this event happened, you should refer to the time in a general way. Some ways to introduce this event and the expert in the law are:

One day an expert in religious law (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Then an expert on the law (New Century Version)
-or-
There was a certain expert in the law
-or-
An expert in the law was there.

Introduce the expert in the law and the whole event in a natural way in your language.

expert in the law: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as expert in the law refers to a man who studied, interpreted, and taught God’s laws to the people.

Some English versions translate this term as “lawyer.” However, the function of a lawyer today is quite different from the function of an “expert in the law” in Jesus’ time. The main function of the expert in the law was to teach the laws of Moses.

Some ways to translate this term are:

teacher of the Law of Moses
-or-
teacher of religious law
-or-
expert on the law

This word is different from the word used in 9:22b, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as “scribes.” However, both words have the same meaning and refer to the same group of men. It is recommended that you use the same expression to translate both terms.

See expert in the law in the Glossary.

stood up: In Israel at that time, a teacher and his students usually sat while he taught them. When a student asked the teacher a question, the student stood. It is also possible that the lawyer came forward in the crowd in order to speak with Jesus more easily. In some languages it may be helpful to make some of this implied information explicit. For example:

stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊while Jesus was teaching,⌋ a law expert stood to ask a question to test Jesus’ ⌊knowledge⌋
-or-
came forward to test him by asking (Revised English Bible)

10:25b

to test Him: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as test:

(1) It means “to test or examine.” The law expert wanted to test Jesus’ ability to teach and interpret the law by asking him a question. For example:

to test Jesus by asking him this question (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
asked Jesus a question to see what he would say (Contemporary English Version)

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

(2) It means “to trap.” The law expert wanted to trick Jesus into saying something that could be used against him. For example:

tried to trap Jesus (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, King James Version, NLV, TLV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most English versions. In other contexts, Jewish leaders did try to trap Jesus, but here, the question was appropriate for testing Jesus’ knowledge about God and his will for people.

10:25c–d

Teacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:

Sir Teacher
-or-
Sir
-or-
Master

Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.

Consider what term of respect people use in your area for religious teachers. If religious teachers are not highly respected in your culture, it may be appropriate to use a term other than Teacher. Use a natural term in your language.

The word Teacher also occurs in 3:12b and 9:38b. See how you translated the same term there.

he asked: The Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase he asked in the middle of the law expert’s question. In Greek, it comes before the question begins. Place it where it is most natural in your language.

what must I do to inherit eternal life: The man was asking what religious duty or deed he should perform in order to receive eternal life.

Some other ways to translate this are:

what must I do to have eternal life (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
what ⌊deed⌋ should I do so that I may live eternally

Almost the same question occurs in Matthew 10:16, Mark 10:17, and Luke 18:18.

to inherit: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as inherit means “acquire, obtain.” The man wanted to know what deed would cause God to give him eternal life in heaven. Another way to translate this is:

so that I may receive

In some languages, it may be necessary to say from whom the man expected to obtain eternal life. If that is true in your language, you may need to supply the information that it is God who gives that life. For example:

so that ⌊God⌋ will give me eternal life

eternal life: The phrase eternal life literally means life that never ends. In this context it refers to living forever with God in heaven.

In some languages, a literal translation of eternal life would wrongly mean that the man hoped to live forever on earth without dying. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to supply some implied information. For example:

life ⌊in heaven⌋ that never ends
-or-
to live forever ⌊with God⌋ ⌊after I die⌋
-or-
so that ⌊God will cause me⌋ to live forever ⌊in heaven⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:15

11:15a

but some of them said: This clause contrasts some of the people in the crowd with the crowd in general. Most of the people were amazed. The smaller group in the crowd spoke to each other, not directly to Jesus. In some languages, it may be clearer to make this explicit. For example:

But some people ⌊in the crowd⌋ said ⌊to each other⌋
-or-
But some of them said ⌊about Jesus⌋

This group is a different group than the “others” in 11:16 who asked Jesus directly for a sign.

11:15b

It is by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible transliterates as Beelzebul was the name of a pagan god. The people were using it to refer to Satan.

Some ways to translate this are:

• Transliterate the Greek term. The actual Greek term here is best transliterated as Beelzebul (as in the Berean Standard Bible and most English versions). Some English versions, such as the New International Version and King James Version, have used “Beelzebub” in order to conform to 2 Kings 1:2. If you transliterate this term, it is recommended that you follow the Greek form, Beelzebul.

• Use your word for Satan to replace Beelzebul each time it occurs in this passage. For example:

He gets his power from Satan (New Living Translation (2004))

It is also recommended that you include a footnote the first time this word occurs. For example:

Beelzebul is another name for Satan.

If you use the word “Satan” instead of “Beelzebul” in 11:15, 11:18b, and 11:19a, it is recommended that you include a footnote at 11:15. For example:

In the Greek of this passage, Satan is actually called “Beelzebul.” “Beelzebul” was the name of a pagan god, and people also used this name to refer to Satan.

by Beelzebul: The phrase by Beelzebul means “using the power of Beelzebul.” The people were accusing Jesus of using the power of Beelzebul to cast unclean spirits out of people. They did not believe that Jesus did this by the power of God. Some other ways to translate this idea are:

with the help of Beelzebul (God’s Word)
-or-
Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul…to force demons out of people. (New Century Version)
-or-
It is Beelzebul…who gives him the power to drive them out. (Good News Translation)

the prince of the demons: The phrase the prince of the demons means “the leader of the unclean spirits.” This was a reference to Satan, the devil. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the ruler of demons (God’s Word)
-or-
the chief of the evil spirits (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

See demon in the Glossary.

11:15c

drives out: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as drives out means to cause or force a demon to leave a person. This is the same verb as in 11:14a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:47

11:47–48

In 11:47–48 Jesus criticized the law experts for building tombs to honor the dead prophets. The logic of Jesus’ statement is difficult to follow because:

(a) Normally, building tombs to honor someone is a good thing to do.

(b) If the law experts built tombs for prophets whom their forefathers had killed, people would think they were trying to atone for the sins of their fathers. That too would normally be a good thing to do.

Jesus’ logic was something like this:

(a) The only real way to honor the prophets would be to follow and obey their message.

(b) But the law experts did not obey the message of the prophets. So they were not honoring the prophets.

(d) This was the same as agreeing with what their ancestors did.

See the General Comment on 11:47–48 at the end of 11:48b for some possible ways to clarify 11:47–48.

11:47a

Woe to you!: This phrase is the same as in 11:43a.

11:47b

You build tombs for the prophets: The law experts were apparently in the habit of building fine tombs or memorials to honor the prophets of Old Testament days.

build tombs: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as tombs probably refers to stone monuments. These monuments were built at the site of the grave. They served to decorate the grave. Other ways to translate the phrase build tombs are:

make fancy grave markers
-or-
build monuments (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
make/erect memorials
-or-
set up beautiful stones to decorate the graves

prophets: The word prophets describes men and women who spoke on behalf of God. They told people what God revealed to them. Some ways to translate prophets are:

spokesmen for God
-or-
men who speaks God’s words
-or-
God’s message-speakers

The word prophets also occurs at 10:24a. See also prophet in the Glossary.

11:47c

your fathers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as fathers figuratively means “ancestors.” Many English versions translate it that way. Another way to translate this is:

your forefathers (New International Version)

killed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as killed can also be translated as “murdered” here. The ancestors of the law experts had killed the prophets unlawfully because they had hated the prophets and their message.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:25

12:25

In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that many English versions translate as “and.” This conjunction introduces a third reason why the disciples should not worry. The reason is that worry does not accomplish anything. Some ways to introduce this third reason are:

Besides that (Translator’s Reference Translation)
-or-
As for worrying
-or-
You also should not worry because…

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that no one can add a single hour to the length of his life by worrying about it.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Can worry make you live longer? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not! (New Living Translation (1996))

• As a statement. For example:

You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. (New Century Version)

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

a single hour: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a single hour literally means “a cubit.” Many English versions translate it that way. The cubit was a measure of length, about eighteen inches. Here it probably refers to a short time. Use an expression in your language that is commonly used for a short period of time. For example:

a day (Revised English Bible)
-or-
a single moment (New Living Translation (2004))

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013