SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:4

Paragraph 18:4–5

This paragraph tells how the judge responded to the widow. Here is the order of events:

4aAs the widow kept coming to the judge, the judge kept refusing to help her.

4bThe judge thought,

4c“I do not fear God or respect other people,

5abut this widow is bothering me.

5cIf I do not help her, she will continue to come with her requests until she wears me out.”

5bSo the judge decided, “I will help her get justice.”

Decide how to express the connections between these events in a clear and natural way in your language.

18:4a

For a while: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For a while is literally “for a time.” The widow had come to the judge many times and on different days. You should use an expression that fits this context. For example:

For some time (New International Version)
-or-
Many times
-or-
In the beginning

he refused: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he refused is literally “he was not willing.” It implies here that he would not agree to help the widow by hearing her court case and judging in her favor. Some ways to translate this are:

the judge refused to act (Good News Translation)
-or-
the judge refused to do anything (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he would not ⌊help her⌋

This could also be translated using direct speech. For example:

he told her, “No, ⌊I will not help you⌋”
-or-
he said to her, “No,” and he did not help her

18:4b

but later: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but later is literally “after these things.” It refers to a time after the widow had come repeatedly and pleaded with him. The phrase but later introduces the climax of the story when the judge changes his decision. Introduce it in a natural way in your language.

he said to himself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he said to himself refers to something that the judge thought. He probably did not say the words aloud. Other ways to translate this are:

he thought (God’s Word)
-or-
he decided

18:4c

Though I neither fear God nor respect men: This clause repeats the facts about the judge’s attitude that were given in 18:2b. You should translate in a similar way here.

The judge did not respect God or other people. This attitude would normally cause him not to help the widow. However, his attitude contrasts with his decision in verse 5. He decided to help the widow anyway (18:5b) because she was bothering him (18:5a). Express this connection with 18:5 in a natural way in your language. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

It is true that I don’t fear God or respect anyone, but
-or-
Although I have no awe of God and no respect for people
-or-
I admittedly am not afraid of God and I also look-down-on my fellow humans

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:36

18:36a

When he heard the crowd going by: The blind man could hear people in the crowd talking and the sound of their footsteps. Another way to translate this is:

When the blind person heard ⌊the noise of⌋ the many people who were passing

18:36b

he asked what was happening: The blind man wanted to know what had caused so many people to be passing by. Another way to translate this is:

the blind man asked ⌊the crowd⌋ what this ⌊noise/occasion⌋ was

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

“What is happening?” he asked ⌊people in the crowd⌋.

This story contains both direct and indirect speech. See the General Comment on 18:36–43 at the end of 18:43c for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 19:25

19:25

In this verse people objected to what the king commanded in 19:24. There is a conjunction at the beginning of this verse that many English versions translate as “But.” Other versions do not translate this conjunction but indicate that the verse is an interruption by using parentheses. Express the objection in a natural way in your language.

Master: The Greek title that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Master is the same word that was used in 19:16 and 19:20. It is used to address the king. See the note on 19:16b for translation suggestions.

they said: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they said is literally “And they said to him.” The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions translate it that way. In Greek it comes at the beginning of the verse. Place it where it is natural in your language.

they: The pronoun they refers to the king’s other servants, whom he had spoken to in 19:24a.

he already has ten: This is a protest. The servants politely suggested that what the king wanted to do was not fair. Some English versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, indicate this by supplying a word such as already. Some ways to translate this are:

that servant has enough already (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
he has ten minas already (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
But, sir, he has ten pounds (New Jerusalem Bible)

Use a natural way in your language to imply that the servants thought that the one who had ten coins did not need more.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 20:9

Section 20:9–19

Jesus told a parable about some evil tenant farmers

In 20:1–8 the Jewish religious leaders asked Jesus two questions about his authority. In this section Jesus used a parable to answer those questions in an indirect way. The Jewish leaders showed that they understood this parable by their response in 20:19.

The parable was a story about a man who owned a vineyard. A vineyard is a farm where people grow vines that produce a fruit called “grapes.” Many Jewish people had grape farms. They used the grape juice to make wine, which was important in their culture. They also sold the grapes to make money.

In this story, the owner of the grape farm hired men to farm it for him and to give him a share of the profit. Three times the owner sent servants to the men to collect his share. But the men refused to give the owner his share, and they mistreated each of his servants who came to collect it. When he sent his own son, they killed him. Consider how you would tell a similar story in your language.

Jesus used the people in the parable to represent the Jewish religious leaders and their actions toward God and toward himself, God’s Son. The grape farm represents the people of Israel, and the owner represents God. The grape farmers represent the leaders of Israel. The servants represent the prophets, and the owner’s son represents Jesus.

Examples of headings for this section are:

The Parable of the Tenants (New International Version)
-or-
A story of evil farmers
-or-
A parable about bad renters of a vineyard

Parallel passages for this section are in Matthew 21:33–46 and Mark 12:1–12.

Paragraph 20:9–12

20:9a

Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He proceeded to tell is literally “he began to tell.” The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions translate it that way. The clause indicates that he had been talking to the leaders, and now he began to speak to all the people. The leaders were included in this larger group.

this parable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as this parable refers to the story that begins in 20:9b.

For help in translating the word parable, see the note on 18:1. See also parable, Type 3, in the Glossary.

20:9b

A man planted a vineyard: This clause introduces the story and the most important person in the story. Introduce the story and the main character in a way that is natural in your language. Other ways to introduce it are:

There was once a man who planted a vineyard (Good News Translation)
-or-
There was a certain man. One day, he planted a vineyard

planted a vineyard: The phrase planted a vineyard indicates that the man planted grape vines in a field. In the story the man had servants, so he probably did not plant these vines himself. He probably ordered his servants to do the work. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear. For example:

⌊caused/ordered⌋ a vineyard ⌊to be⌋ planted.

a vineyard: A vineyard is a farm where grape vines grow and produce grapes. Grapes are small, sweet fruit that are commonly grown in Israel. People use them to make wine. Some ways to translate vineyard are:

grape farm/garden
-or-
field of grape vines

In some languages there may not be a common word for vineyard or for “grapes.” See the note on 6:44c. If this is true in your language, here are two other options to consider:

• Borrow the word for “grape” from another language. Then add a general expression that describes what a grape farm is. For example:

farm for producing a fruit called grape

• Use a general word for fruit that would fit in this context. For example:

wine-fruit farm

You should not substitute the name of another kind of fruit for “grapes.” Grapes and wine are important images in the Bible. Israel has been compared to a vineyard, and Jesus told this parable about Israel’s leaders.

You may also want to add a footnote. For example:

The fruit called “grape” grows on a vine. The fruit is used for making wine.

Vineyards are also referred to in Isaiah 5:1–7, Genesis 9:20, Mark 12:1, and Matthew 20:1. Grapes are also referred to in Genesis 40:10–11, Isaiah 5:2, and Matthew 7:16.

20:9c

rented it out to some tenants: The owner rented or leased the grape farm to some men. This means that the owner let the men grow grapes for themselves on his land. But he required the men to give him part of the grapes as payment for using the land. Another way to translate this is:

He told them, “You will tend/farm the grapes, and you will get some ⌊of the grape harvest⌋. You must also give some ⌊of the grapes⌋ to me ⌊as payment⌋,” ⌊and they agreed⌋.

tenants: In this verse the term tenants refers to men who farm for the owners of the land. These men had the responsibility of picking the ripe fruit and selling it to benefit both themselves and the owner.

20:9d

went away for a long time: The verb went away indicates that the man traveled far from home. He also stayed away for a long time, probably at least several years.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 20:41

Section 20:41–44

Jesus asked people a difficult question about the Messiah

In this section Jesus was still teaching in the courtyard of the temple. Many people listened to him there. As he taught, he asked them about the Christ (Messiah) and his ancestor King David. Jesus asked them about this because he wanted the people to think about two things that the Scriptures say about the Messiah:

(a) The Scriptures predicted that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David.

(b) David called the Messiah “Lord,” showing that the Messiah was much greater than David.

To Jewish people, it was difficult to explain how both these facts could be true. They thought that an ancestor must be greater than his descendant. Jesus wanted them to know that the Messiah would be much greater than the earthly ruler that they expected him to be. He would be a descendant of David, but he would be greater than David. He would share the throne of God.

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

The Question about the Messiah (Good News Translation)
-or-
Whose Son Is the Christ? (English Standard Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 22:41–46 and Mark 12:35–37.

Paragraph 20:41–44

20:41a

Then Jesus declared: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces a new topic. Introduce this new topic in a way that is natural in your language.

The Greek is literally “And he said to them.” The words “to them” refer to the people who had been listening to Jesus in 20:27–40. They probably included ordinary people as well as some of the Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes. The Berean Standard Bible does not translate these words.

20:41b

How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?: Jesus asked this question in order to encourage the people who were listening to him to think carefully about who the Messiah was. Jesus did not disagree with what the scribes said about the Christ/Messiah. He agreed that the Messiah is a descendant of David. However, Jesus wanted them to realize that the Messiah was even greater than they thought. Some ways to translate this are:

What do the ⌊scribes⌋ mean when they say that the Christ/Messiah is a descendant of David?
-or-
The ⌊scribes⌋ say that the Messiah is the Son of David. How do you understand/interpret that?

How can it be said: The words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as How can it be said are more literally “How can they say.” The word “they” refers to the scribes, some of whom are mentioned in 20:39. This is explicit in the parallel passage in Mark 12:35. Another way to translate this phrase is:

How is it that they say… (New International Version)

Christ: In Luke the word Christ is used as a title. The Jews used this title to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning.

Some ways to translate Christ are:

• Use a title or a descriptive phrase in your language that has the same meaning as Christ. For example:

Messiah
-or-
Promised Deliverer
-or-
the Rescuer-King whom God appointed

• Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:

Christ, the appointed one
-or-
Cristo, the Savior whom God promised to send
-or-
the Christ who comes from God

• Transliterate Christ and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:

the Christ
-or-
the Kirisita

If you do not indicate the meaning of Christ in the text, you may want to include a footnote to explain it. Or you may want to explain the meaning in a glossary. For example:

The word/title “Christ” refers to the king and savior whom God had promised to send.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 21:26

21:26a

Men will faint from fear and anxiety: The clause Men will faint from fear and anxiety means, “People will be so frightened that they will faint.” Many people will be so overcome with fear that they will become unconscious. Some may even die. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

Many people will be so afraid that they will faint
-or-
Because of intense fear/dread, many people will fall down unconscious

Men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Men refers to people in general, not just to males.

21:26b

over what is coming upon the earth: The phrase what is coming upon the earth refers to what will happen in the immediate future. People will be very afraid because they will wonder what terrible things will happen next. Some other ways to translate 21:26b are:

as they fearfully wait for what will happen to the world (God’s Word)
-or-
wondering what is happening to the world (New Century Version)

earth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as earth refers to the inhabited world or earth.

21:26c

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces a reason or explanation. Jesus explained that people will be apprehensive because the heavenly bodies will be shaken. Another way to introduce 21:26c is:

⌊This will be⌋ because

the powers of the heavens will be shaken: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as the powers of the heavens probably refers to the sun, moon, and stars. Here is another way to translate this:

the powers in space will be driven from their courses (Good News Translation)

Some scholars believe that in this context the term powers of the heavens refers to spiritual powers. Since the context of 21:25 refers to things in nature, it is more likely that 21:26 refers to the physical sun, moon, stars, and planets. However, it is possible that these physical powers of the heavens may symbolize spiritual powers or be linked to them in some other way. See heaven, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

will be shaken: In this context the verb will be shaken means “will be moved from their proper places/courses.” This is a passive verb. In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb and supply a subject. For example:

⌊God⌋ will shake

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:20

22:20a

A parallel verse for 22:20 is found in 1 Corinthians 11:25.

In the same way, after supper He took the cup: In Greek this part of the verse is more literally “and the cup similarly after the eating.” It tells what Jesus did after he and his disciples ate supper. He did the same thing that he did with the bread in 22:19. This implies that he took a cup of wine in his hands, thanked God for it, and gave it to his disciples to share. Probably each disciple drank some of the wine and passed the cup to the next disciple. This is similar to the way that they shared the bread in 22:19.

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

• Translate it as a general summary statement. For example:

And he did the same with the cup after supper (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
When they had eaten, like that indeed also is what he did with the cup which he took

• Mention the specific actions again, as in 22:19. For example:

Similarly, after supper Jesus took the cup. ⌊After giving thanks, he gave it to them⌋ ⌊to share⌋

Notice the different order of words in these examples. Use a natural order in your language.

after supper: The phrase after supper tells when Jesus did the action in this verse. The supper here refers to the main part of the Passover meal when they ate the lamb. Some other ways to translate after supper are:

after they had finished eating the supper
-or-
After the meal (Contemporary English Version)

the cup: The phrase the cup refers to the cup and the wine inside the cup. Another way to translate the phrase is:

the cup filled with wine

22:20b–c

saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood…”: In this statement Jesus invited his disciples to share in the new covenant through drinking from the cup of wine. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

and told them ⌊to share the wine⌋. He said, “This cup ⌊of wine⌋ is the new covenant….”

This cup is the new covenant in My blood: Jesus used the cup of wine in his hands to represent the new covenant that God would make with people through Jesus’ blood. It was different from the covenants that God made with his people in the Old Testament. In those covenants God required people to sacrifice animals. The covenant was confirmed by the animals’ blood. In the new covenant, Jesus himself would die as a sacrifice, and his blood would confirm the covenant.

Some ways to translate the statement are:

This cup ⌊of wine⌋ is the new covenant. It is confirmed by my blood
-or-
This cup, it is God’s new agreement which will be ratified…by my blood

This cup: The phrase This cup refers especially to the wine that was in the cup.

the new covenant in My blood: In this context the phrase in My blood means “by/through my blood.” It indicates that Jesus’ blood would ratify/confirm the covenant. It would cause the covenant to come into effect. Here is another way to translate this:

This new agreement begins with my blood (New Century Version)

Translate this phrase in a natural way in your language. See also the translation examples in the preceding note.

covenant: A covenant is a binding agreement made between two persons or groups. It establishes a relationship of peace or loyalty between them. They promise to be faithful to this agreement.

In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that God makes the covenant with his people. For example:

the new agreement that God makes with his people (New Century Version)

The word covenant occurs one other time in Luke at 1:72. For more information, see covenant in the Glossary.

22:20d

which is poured out for you: There are two ways to interpret the phrase which is poured out for you:

(1) It refers to Jesus’ blood, which would be poured out for them when he died. For example:

my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It refers to the cup that was poured out for them at the supper. For example:

This cup which is poured out for you (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most Bible scholars. This interpretation fits the meaning in this context, and it agrees with the parallel verses in Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24.

Another way to translate this interpretation in this verse is:

This drink is the sign of God’s new covenant with you. This covenant of God is sure/confirmed because my blood is poured out for you.

poured out: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as poured out refers to emitting a large amount of liquid. It can be used of both blood and wine. In some languages different verbs are used to refer to the flowing of blood and the pouring of wine. If that is true in your language, use a verb that is appropriate for referring to blood flowing.

for you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for you was also used in 22:19d to refer to Jesus’ body “given for you.” See the note there.

you: The word you refers to the apostles and also to all people who will trust in Jesus. They are God’s people with whom he makes the new covenant.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:52

Paragraph 22:52–53

22:52a–d

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him: In this verse Jesus spoke to the three groups of people who had come to arrest him. These groups were chief priests, temple officers, and Jewish elders. This is the first time that these three groups have been mentioned in this section. They came in the “crowd” that was introduced in 22:47a.

In some languages it is necessary to introduce these groups before introducing what Jesus said to them. For example:

And among those also who came to arrest Jesus were the chief priests, the captains of those who guarded in the temple, and the elders of the Jews. Jesus said to them
-or-
The other people who had come to seize Isa were the leading priests and the captains of the temple guard and the elders of the Yahudi. Isa said to them
-or-
In the crowd that came to arrest Jesus there were chief priests, temple police, and elders of the Jews. Jesus said to them

Introduce them in a natural way in your language.

chief priests: The term chief priests occurred in 19:47. See how you translated the term there. For more information, see priest in the Glossary.

temple officers: This phrase refers to the same temple officers or captains of the temple guard who were mentioned in 22:4b. They were in charge of the Levites who guarded the temple area. Translate it as you did in 22:4.

elders: The term elders refers to respected leaders in the community. They were probably members of the Jewish high court (the Sanhedrin) who were not chief priests or scribes. This term also occurred in 20:1. See how you translated it there.

who had come for Him: The clause who had come for Him indicates that the three groups in 22:52a–c had come to arrest Jesus. In your translation, make it clear that all three groups of men had come for Jesus.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

who had come out to get him (NET Bible)
-or-
who were there to arrest him (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
Those who came to arrest Jesus were (New Century Version)

General Comment on 22:52a–b

In some languages it may be helpful to follow the original order of the Greek text and reverse the order of clauses in 22:52a–d. For example:

52aThen Jesus spoke to 52dthe men who had come for him—52athe chief priests, 52bthe officers of the temple guard, 52cand the elders

Use a natural order in your language.

22:52e

Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to rebuke the men who had come to arrest him. He rebuked them because they came to capture him with swords and clubs as if he were a dangerous criminal. The question implies that they know that he is not a criminal, so there is no good reason for them to come against him like that.

Some ways to translate this rebuke are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Why do you come out with swords and clubs and treat me like a criminal? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Do you ⌊wrongly⌋ think that I am a bandit/robber? Is that why you have come against me armed with swords and clubs?

• As a statement. For example:

You came out here with swords and clubs as though I were a criminal. (New Century Version)
-or-
It is not right/necessary for you to treat me as a criminal and come with swords and clubs to seize me.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language. It may also be helpful to refer to the notes at 22:46a. See how you translated that rebuke.

Have you come out: The clause Have you come out refers to coming to arrest Jesus. In some languages it may be natural to make that more explicit. For example:

that you have come…to arrest me (New Living Translation (2004))

swords: The word “sword” occurred in 21:24 and 22:36. See how you translated it there.

clubs: The word clubs refers to heavy pieces of wood that men used for fighting.

against an outlaw: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as against an outlaw:

(1) It refers to a robber, bandit, or outlaw. Here is another way to translate this:

Am I some dangerous criminal…? (New Living Translation (1996))

(Berean Standard Bible, New Living Translation (1996), Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It refers to a rebel or revolutionary, someone who fights against the rulers of his country. Here is another way to translate this:

Am I leading a rebellion…? (New International Version)

(New International Version, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with many Bible scholars and most English versions.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013