SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 39

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 13:24

13:24a

Jesus did not answer the question directly. Instead, he spoke figuratively of the effort that is necessary to enter God’s kingdom.

Make every effort: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Make every effort is literally “struggle.” It refers to trying hard to do something. Other ways to translate it are:

Work hard (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Do all you can (Contemporary English Version)

to enter through the narrow door: This phrase is a metaphor that compares the kingdom of God to a house with a narrow door. The point of similarity is the difficulty of entering. Some ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Make the topic explicit. For example:

Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s kingdom (New Living Translation (2004))

• Make the topic and point of similarity explicit. For example:

It is difficult to enter the narrow doorway to God’s kingdom. Make every effort to do so

• Change the metaphor to a simile and make the topic and illustration explicit. For example:

God’s kingdom/rule is like a house that has a narrow door. You must try very hard to enter that door

Translate this metaphor in a way that is most natural in your language.

13:24b

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For here introduces the reason why people need to make every effort to enter the kingdom of God.

many, I tell you, will try to enter: The clause many…will try to enter means “many people will attempt to enter the house.” This is a figurative way of saying that many people will want to be part of the kingdom of God.

I tell you: The clause I tell you emphasizes what Jesus was saying. See the note in 13:3a for translation suggestions. In some languages it will be necessary to order this clause before the word “many.” For example:

I can guarantee that (God’s Word)

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and introduces the fact that many people will not be able to do what they try to do. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as “but,” as in the Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), and several other English versions.

will not be able: The phrase will not be able means “will not be able to enter the house.” The reason why the people will not be able to enter is made clear in the following verse. 13:25 indicates that the door will be shut, and no one can enter unless the owner of the house opens the door and permits him to enter.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 14:21

Paragraph 14:21–24

14:21a–b

his master…the owner of the house: The two phrases his master and the owner of the house refer to the same person, the man who was planning the big feast in 14:16. If a literal translation does not make this clear, you may make it explicit in some way. For example:

The servant came back and reported this to his master, the owner of the house, who became very angry. He ordered the servant…

You may also use the same term or a very similar term in both places, as many English versions have done. For example:

his master…the master (New Century Version)
-or-
his master…the master of the house (God’s Word)

14:21a

This verse introduces what the servant did after the invited guests told him their excuses. In Greek, it begins with a conjunction. Several English versions translate it as “So.” Some versions translate it as “And,” Others, such as the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, and New Jerusalem Bible, do not explicitly translate this conjunction. It can also be translated as a time clause. For example:

When the servant came back he reported this… (Revised English Bible)

Use a natural way in your language for connecting these events.

The servant returned and reported all this to his master: In some languages it may be more natural to connect the phrase to his master directly to the first verb, returned. For example:

The servant came back to his master and reported this to him.

servant: The word servant also occurs in 14:17b.

returned: Use the most natural way in your language to translate the servant’s return to his master. Other ways to translate it in English are:

went back (Good News Translation)
-or-
came back (New International Version)

reported all this to his master: The words all this refer here to what the guests told the servant. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

told his master what they had said (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
told his master what had happened (New Century Version)

his master: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as master refers here to the person who had authority over the slave. See lord, Context 1e, in the Glossary. The word last occurred in this context in 12:47.

14:21b

Then the owner of the house: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as owner of the house is literally “house-master.” See the note above on 14:21a–b for translation suggestions.

became angry: The owner of the house was angry at the guests he had invited, because they had refused his invitation. He was not angry at the servant. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this explicit:

the owner of the house became angry ⌊with them⌋
-or-
the owner of the house was furious ⌊because of these answers/excuses⌋

and said to his servant: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as said introduces a command. Use a word that is natural in your language. For example:

and ordered his servant (New International Version)

14:21c

Go out quickly: When the master replied to his servant, he did not mention what the servant had said. He immediately gave a command that told the servant what to do about it. In some languages it may be more natural to include a connection to the servant’s report. For example:

All right then, hurry

In some languages it may be more natural to express the master’s words as an indirect quote. See the second example for 14:21c in the Display.

the streets and alleys of the city: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as streets refers to the main streets of a town. The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as alleys refers to smaller, narrow streets. Together these terms refer to public areas in the town where beggars were likely to be found. In your translation you may use expressions that refer to such areas. For example:

streets and markets of the town
-or-
the roads and trails/paths in this town
-or-
main streets and side/narrow streets

14:21d

bring in: The verb bring in in this context means “invite to come right away.” The master wanted his servant to tell these other people to accompany him back to the feast at once.

the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame: These are the same four types of people as in 14:13. See the notes at 14:13b and 14:13c.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:18

15:18a

I will get up and go back to my father: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I will get up is literally “having-risen.” Here it indicates that the younger son decided to leave that country and return home. Other ways to express this clause are:

I will leave here to return to my father
-or-
I’ll go at once to my father (God’s Word)

In some languages it may be more natural to introduce a decision like this by saying:

It would be better if…

15:18b

say to him: In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that the younger son was thinking about what to say when he arrived home. For example:

⌊When I arrive there,⌋ I will say to him…

15:18c

Father: Translate with whatever form of address would be most polite for a young man to use in speaking to his father.

I have sinned against heaven and against you: The word sinned indicates here that the son had done wrong. He had committed an offense against God and against his father. In some languages it may be necessary to use different expressions to refer to sins against God and sins against people. For example:

I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. (New Century Version)

against heaven: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as against heaven implies “against God.” The Jews often referred indirectly to God in order to show their great respect for him and his name. You may need to make it explicit in your translation that the phrase against heaven refers to God. For example:

against ⌊God in⌋ heaven
-or-
against God (Good News Translation)

See heaven, Meaning 3, in the Glossary.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 16:18

16:18

Here Jesus gave an example of how the Old Testament still had authority. Jesus’ statement in this verse was stricter than what the people understood the Law to teach. It revealed more about the way that God values marriage and hates divorce.

16:18a–b

Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as commits adultery refers to a certain type of sexual sin. It refers to sexual relations between a man and a woman when at least one of them is married to another person.

When a man divorces his wife, God still considers their marriage to be valid. So when the man marries another woman, he has been unfaithful to his first wife and sinned. God considers this sin to be adultery.

In some languages it may be more natural to use an “if” clause to translate this verse part. For example:

If anyone divorces his wife and then marries someone else, he is committing adultery.

commits adultery: In some languages the phrase commits adultery does not imply that the man is sinning or doing evil. If this is true in your language, you may need to make this explicit. For example:

he is committing ⌊the sin of⌋ adultery

This verse is very similar to Mark 10:11.

16:18c

and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery: This statement is similar to the one in 16:18a–b. If a man marries for the first time, but he marries a woman whose husband has already divorced her, it is the same as if he commits adultery. In God’s eyes that woman is still married to her first husband.

If you translated 16:18a–b with an “if” clause, you may want to do the same here:

and if anyone marries a divorced woman, he is committing ⌊the sin of⌋ adultery

a divorced woman: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a divorced woman refers to a married woman whose husband has divorced her. In Jesus’ time, a woman could not normally choose to divorce her husband. But if this is possible in your culture, you should translate using a phrase that refers both to a woman whose husband has divorced her and to a woman who has divorced her husband.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 17:19

17:19a

Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go: Jesus told the man to Rise and go. In this context the phrase Rise and go means “stand up and go on your way.” It was a polite way for Jesus to give the man permission to leave. Here is another way to translate this:

You may get up and go. (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it may be more natural to leave the action of getting up implied. For example:

You may go now.

Use a natural expression in your language.

17:19b

your faith has made you well: The noun faith refers here to the action of believing and trusting Jesus. The statement your faith has made you well implies that the leper believed that Jesus would heal him. In some languages it may be more natural to translate faith as a verb. If that is true in your language, you may also need to make explicit who or what was believed. Some ways to translate this are:

You(sing) trusted ⌊in God/me⌋ and that has healed you.
-or-
You are well because you believed ⌊that God/I could/would heal you⌋.
-or-
Because you trusted/believed ⌊in me⌋, ⌊God⌋ has cured you.

See also the notes on 8:48a, where the same phrase occurs (there the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “your faith has healed you”). See believe, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

has made you well: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has made you well is literally “has delivered/saved you.” Here it refers to delivering from sickness. It also implies here that he was reconciled with God and so was saved from sin and its punishment. The other nine lepers were healed of their sickness, but the leper who returned to Jesus received eternal salvation.

If possible, it is good to translate in a general way so that both meanings may be implied. Some ways to translate it in English are:

has delivered you
-or-
has healed/cured you

See save in the Glossary.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:14

18:14a

In this verse Jesus concluded his parable and explained its meaning. In some languages it may be helpful to introduce this conclusion with a phrase or clause. For example:

Then Jesus said
-or-
Then Jesus concluded the parable/story, saying

I tell you: Jesus often used the phrase 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. Here it emphasizes the fact that the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, was justified by God.

Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

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

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

• Use an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:

It was certainly this man, rather than the other

Be sure that you emphasize the correct part of the following statement. Jesus was emphasizing which man was justified. He was not emphasizing that the man went to his house. In some languages you may need to change the order of phrases in the statement to indicate this. For example:

“I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home.” (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to emphasize this fact.

you: The pronoun you is plural here. It refers to the people who were mentioned in 18:9.

18:14b

this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified: Jesus concluded the parable by indicating which man was justified before God. This is a very important statement. It indicates that God justified the tax collector, but God did not justify the Pharisee. Some ways to translate this are:

God accepted this tax collector as a righteous person, but he did not accept the Pharisee as righteous.
-or-
…he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. (New Century Version)
-or-
…this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. (God’s Word)

this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home: The phrase this man refers to the tax collector. The parallel phrase is literally “the other,” and it refers to the Pharisee. The Berean Standard Bible translates it that way. Jesus implied that both of these men went home when they finished praying. Some ways to translate this are:

When the men went home…
-or-
They ⌊finished praying⌋ and went to their houses.

See the General Comment on 18:14a–b at the end of 18:14d for a suggestion about reordering.

justified: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as justified indicates that God considered (him) righteous. After the tax collector confessed his sin to God, God forgave him and accepted him. The Pharisee did not confess his sin, so God did not consider him righteous. Some other ways to translate this are:

God considered him to be righteous/upright
-or-
declared right/just/pure by God
-or-
with God’s approval (God’s Word)
-or-
acquitted of his sins (Revised English Bible)

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. For example:

considered straight

See also “just,” sense B2, in Key Biblical Terms.

18:14c–d

These verse parts are the same as 14:11a and 14:11b.

18:14c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the general principle that Jesus wanted people to understand from the preceding parable. In some languages it may be necessary to clarify this connection. For example:

⌊This parable illustrates⌋ that…
-or-

⌊I told this parable to teach you⌋ that…

In other languages an explicit conjunction may not be necessary. For example:

Everyone who honors himself (God’s Word)

everyone who exalts himself will be humbled: This clause indicates that anyone who honors himself will be shamed. The verb will be humbled is passive. It does not specify who or what will cause a person who exalts himself to be humbled. Other ways to translate the clause are:

• Use a verb that does not need to specify who or what will humble a person who exalts himself. For example:

Everyone who honors himself will receive shame
-or-
Seeking your own honor results in shame/humiliation

• Use an active verb and supply God as the implied subject. For example:

⌊God⌋ will humble everyone who exalts himself

In some languages it may be more natural to reword this clause as an “if” clause followed by a conclusion. For example:

If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. (Contemporary English Version)

exalts himself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as exalts himself literally means “to raise or lift up oneself.” This is a figurative way to describe someone who tries to gain honor from other people. Some other ways to translate this are:

make themselves great (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊tries to⌋ make himself look important

18:14d

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces another principle that Jesus illustrated by the parable in 18:10–14. This principle corresponds to the principle in 18:14b. However, the results of a person humbling himself (18:14c) contrast with the results of exalting himself (18:14b). That is the reason why some English versions have but here. For example:

but the person who humbles himself will be honored (God’s Word)

Connect 18:14b and 18:14c in a natural way in your language.

the one who humbles himself will be exalted: This clause indicates that if a person decides to be humble and willingly takes a place of low status, God will honor him. As in the previous clause, in some languages it will be necessary to make the implied subject “God” explicit. For example:

⌊God⌋ will honor the one who humbles himself.

If you used an “if” clause in the previous part of the verse, you will probably need to do the same thing here. For example:

But if you humble yourself, you will be honored. (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech here. For example:

God will say this about people who humble themselves: “They are great.”

General Comment on 18:14a–b

In 18:14a–b the Berean Standard Bible has arranged the phrases in a different order from the Greek text. The Greek order is literally, “I say to you, this one went down, having been justified, to his house, rather than that one.” Another way to translate this, following this order, is:

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. (NET Bible)

Use a natural order in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 19:3

19:3a

He was trying to see who Jesus was: The Berean Standard Bible follows the literal Greek closely here. The statement probably indicates that Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and so was trying to see him. He wanted to know what Jesus was like. Other ways to say this are:

He was eager to see what Jesus looked like (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like (Contemporary English Version)

19:3b–c

The Berean Standard Bible follows the Greek order here. Other versions use a different order from the Greek text for the phrases in this verse. For example:

because he was short he could not see over the crowd (New International Version (2011))
-or-
but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small in stature (Revised Standard Version)

The text gives two reasons why Zacchaeus could not see Jesus:

(a) there was a crowd around Jesus;

(b) Zacchaeus was too short to see over the people.

In some languages it is more natural to combine these two reasons. For example:

because he was too short to see above the crowd (New Century Version)

See the General Comment on 19:3a–c below for suggestions about reordering.

19:3b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a contrast. The contrast is between Zacchaeus wanting to see Jesus (19:3a) but not being able to see him (19:3c). Translate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

could not see over the crowd: This clause indicates that Zacchaeus could not see Jesus because many people were standing around Jesus. Zacchaeus was too short to see over them all. Some ways to say this are:

he was unable to see Jesus because there were many people ⌊surrounding Jesus⌋
-or-
he could not, because of the crowd (New International Version)

19:3c

because he was small in stature: The phrase because he was small in stature describes Zacchaeus’ height. He was not as tall as most people. Be sure not to imply that this clause describes Jesus. Other ways to translate this are:

Zacchaeus was a small man (God’s Word)
-or-
he was a little man (Good News Translation)
-or-
he was not a tall man

General Comment on 19:3a–c

It may be more natural in some languages to reorder the parts of 19:3. For example:

3aHe wanted to see who Jesus was 3bbut he could not 3cbecause he was a short man 3band because there was a crowd ⌊around Jesus⌋.
-or-

3aHe wanted to see who Jesus was, 3bbut a crowd was around Jesus. 3cZacchaeus was a short man, 3bso he was not able to see Jesus above the crowd.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 19:35

Paragraph 19:35–36

19:35a–b

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. The Berean Standard Bible and some other versions (Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, New Revised Standard Version) translate it as Then in order to show that it introduces what the disciples did next. The New Century Version and Revised English Bible say “So” to indicate that they did this as a result of the permission they received. Some other versions, such as the New International Version and God’s Word, do not translate this conjunction. Connect 19:35a to 19:34 in a way that is natural in your language.

they led the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over it: The words they and their refer to the two disciples who went to find the colt. The Greek says literally “they brought it…and throwing…on the colt.” The pronoun it refers to the colt. In some languages it may be clearer to refer to say the colt in the first clause and to use the pronoun in the second clause, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:

They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it

threw their cloaks over it: Here the word threw indicates that they “placed” or “arranged” their cloaks on the young donkey’s back. Here is another way to translate this:

They put some of their clothes on its back (Contemporary English Version)

cloaks: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cloaks describes the robe-like garment worn by Jewish men. It was worn over their other clothing. The men could remove it and still be fully clothed. The disciples put the cloaks on the donkey’s back so that it would be more comfortable for Jesus to sit on.

If men in your culture do not wear a second outer garment, you can translate this in a general way. For example:

outer clothing
-or-
garments
-or-
coats

See how you translated this word in 6:29 and 8:44. Be careful that your translation does not imply that the men were naked after they put their cloaks on the donkey.

19:35c

and put Jesus on it: The phrase put Jesus on it indicates that the disciples caused or helped Jesus to get onto the donkey. The phrase probably does not indicate that the disciples lifted Jesus and put him on the donkey. They probably helped Jesus to get onto the donkey as a way of honoring him. They may also have wanted to help control the donkey, since no one had ridden it before. Here is another way to translate this:

and helped Jesus get on (Good News Translation)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013