8:29a

For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man: This verse describes what happened just before the man’s plea in 8:28. It explains the reason why the demons begged Jesus not to trouble or torment them. The Berean Standard Bible indicates this by using the connector For and the verb form had commanded. Use a natural way in your language to indicate that 8:29 explains what happened in 8:28. Other ways to do this in English are:

He said this because Jesus had already told the evil spirit to go out of him. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man just before this.

See also the General Comment on 8:28a–29a below for a suggested way to reorder these verses.

In some languages, it may be more natural to give Jesus’ command in direct speech. For example:

Jesus told/commanded the evil spirit: “Come out of the man!”

unclean spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as unclean spirit is another way to describe a demon like those mentioned in 8:27b. Luke used the terms “demon,” “evil spirit” and “unclean spirit” to refer to the same beings. See the note on “a demon-possessed man” in 8:27b and the note on “the spirit of an unclean demon” at 4:33a.

Luke used the singular word for spirit here. In 8:27 the plural form was used, indicating that more than one unclean spirit was in the man. The unclean spirit here in 8:29 may have been the leader of the other demons or he may have represented them as the spokesman. It is good to use a singular form here. However, if this would not be natural in your language, you may consider using the plural form.

See demon in the Glossary for more information.

come out: When a demon controlled a person, the Jews thought of the demon as being in the person. So Jesus commanded the demon to come out. You may have a different expression that you naturally use to describe when a demon releases control of a person. Some other ways you could say this are:

Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to leave the man.
-or-
Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to release control of the man.

See how you translated similar expressions at 4:35a, 4:41a, and 8:2b.

General Comment on 8:28a–29a

In many languages, it is more natural to follow chronological order here. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to reorder the information in these verses. Here is one example:

28aWhen he saw Jesus, he screamed, ⌊came to him,⌋ and bowed down in front of him. 29aJesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. 28bThe man shouted very loudly, 28c“What connection do you and I have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Greatest God? 28dI beg you not to punish me!”

8:29b–e

In 8:29b–e Luke gave some background information. He described events that had happened at a time before Jesus met the man who was controlled by the demons. Many languages will have a way to indicate that these actions happened before the actions of this story. Some examples are:

• Use specific verb forms or other forms to indicate this. For example:

The evil spirit had controlled the man for a long time. People had kept him under guard. (God’s Word)

• State explicitly that 8:29b–e describes something that happened in the past. For example:

For many times in the past, the demon had seized him…

See the General Comment on 8:27–29 at the end of the notes on 8:29e for a suggestion about how to reorder these verses.

8:29b

Many times: Many times here means “on many previous occasions.”

it had seized him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it had seized him means that the demon had taken control of the man. It implies that it took control violently.

8:29c

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and connects 8:29b to 8:29c. It introduces what people did to the man after and as a result of the demons seizing him. See the note on this connection in the General Comment on 8:29c–d at the end of the notes on 8:29d.

he was bound with chains and shackles: In this context, the word chains refers to metal chains that were placed on a person’s wrists to restrain his arms. The word shackles describes metal shackles or manacles that were placed around a person’s ankles and then chained together.

Other ways to translate this are:

he was chained hand and foot (New International Version)
-or-
his wrists and his feet were put in chains

he was bound with chains and shackles: This clause is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to make it active and supply a general subject such as “people” or “men.” For example:

men had bound him with chains around his arms and shackles on his feet
-or-
people had tied his arms with chains and put his feet in shackles

The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bound with…shackles also indicates that men had guarded the man so that he would not escape and hurt someone. The text does not say who had guarded him. If you must say who had guarded the man, try to use a general word such as “men” or “guards.” Here are some ways to express this idea:

he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard (New International Version)
-or-

he was kept a prisoner, his hands and feet tied with chains (Good News Translation)

8:29d

See General Comment on 8:29c–d below for suggestions on how to translate this connection.

he had broken the chains: The action had broken the chains is something that happened several times. Each time the man had been bound, the demons caused him to be so strong that he was able to break the chains.

the chains: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as chains means “bonds.” It refers here to something that is used to bind or restrain a person. It is a general word that includes both the chains that bound the man’s hands and the shackles around his feet. The Greek text literally says “the bonds.” Refer to these bonds in a clear and natural way in your language.

General Comment on 8:29c–d

In Greek, 8:29d is introduced by the conjunction that is often translated as “and” in English:

he had been chained…and he had broken the chains

However, there is a contrast between 8:29c and 8:29d. People wanted and expected the man to remain bound. Instead he broke the bonds. Some ways to express this contrast in English are:

although he had been chained…he had broken the chains
-or-
he had been chained…but he had broken the chains

Connect 8:29c to 8:29d in a way that is natural in your language.

8:29e

been driven by the demon into solitary places: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as been driven by the demon into solitary places means that the demon had forced the man to go and stay in wild, deserted places.

demon: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demon is the singular form of the same word as in 8:27b.

solitary places: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as solitary places can also be translated as “desert” or “wilderness.” It refers to wild or desolate areas where few people lived. In this context the land was suitable for grazing pigs. See how you translated the same Greek word at 1:80b, 3:2b, 4:1b, 5:16, and 7:24b.

General Comment on 8:27–29

In many languages, it is more natural to follow chronological order here or to put background information before the events of the story. In these languages, it may be necessary to reorder the information in these verses. Here is one example:

27bThere was a man there who was ⌊formerly⌋ from the city and who was controlled by demons. 29bMany times the demon had violently taken control of him, 29cso people had bound him with chains and foot-shackles and guarded him. 29dBut he had broken the chains and shackles 29eand the demon made him go into the wilderness. 27eThere he lived in burial caves. 27dHe had not lived in a house, 27cor worn clothes for a long time. 28aWhen he saw Jesus, he screamed, 27acame to him, 28aand bowed down in front of him. 29aJesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. 28bThen the man shouted very loudly, 28c“What connection do you and I have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Greatest God? 28dI beg you not to punish me!”

© 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.

9:5a

In Greek, 9:5a begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “and.” The Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions do not translate this conjunction. It introduces the possibility that the disciples would not be able to do as Jesus had told them in the previous verse. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as “But.”

If anyone does not welcome you: The phrase does not welcome you refers to a situation where the people of a town might not receive the apostles. This probably implies that the townspeople would refuse to accept the apostles’ message. It may also imply that they would refuse to allow the apostles to stay in the town as guests.

In some languages it may be more natural to make explicit that this clause is referring to the people of certain towns. For example:

wherever people don’t welcome you (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊But⌋ if ⌊you go to a town where⌋ people reject you

9:5b

shake the dust off your feet when you leave that town: In some languages it may be more natural to translate 9:5b as two commands. For example:

leave that town and shake the dust off your feet (Good News Translation)

shake the dust off your feet: Here Jesus told the disciples to remove any of the town’s dust that stuck to their feet and sandals. The disciples probably did this by shaking their feet or by brushing off the dust with their hands. Consider how you would describe this kind of action in your language.

To a Jewish person, shaking the dust of a place off his feet had a special meaning. It meant that he did not have any relationship with the people in that place. It implied that the people there were not God’s people.

In this context, the disciples were also showing that they were not responsible for what happened to those people. God would punish the people because they did not accept the disciples and their message.

It is important to translate this action literally here in 9:5b. Then you can explain the meaning in the next phrase (9:5c). Some ways to translate this are:

shake off the dust of that town from the bottom of your feet when you leave
-or-
when you leave, shake/brush/tap your feet to remove the dust

the dust: The phrase the dust refers to the dust of the town where people rejected them. In some languages it may be more natural to make this explicit. For example:

shake its dust from your feet

your feet: If your language has specific words for the “lower leg and foot” or for the “sole of the foot,” consider which of these expressions is more natural for this context.

9:5c

as a testimony against them: The phrase as a testimony against them gives the meaning of the symbolic action of shaking dust off one’s feet. When the apostles shook off the dust of a town from their feet, they were warning the people. They were saying that God would judge them if they did not repent. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

as a warning to them ⌊that God will judge/punish them⌋
-or-
as a sign to show them ⌊that they are responsible/guilty⌋

© 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.

Section 9:37–43a

Jesus expelled an evil spirit from a boy

Earlier Jesus had given power to his twelve apostles to cast out demons (9:1). However, after Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, and John, he heard that the other disciples had not been able to make an evil spirit leave a man’s son. When the boy approached Jesus, the unclean spirit caused the boy to convulse violently. Then Jesus cast out the unclean spirit, and the people were filled with awe.

Some other examples of headings for this section are:

The Healing of a Boy with an Evil Spirit (New International Version)
-or-
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Evil Spirit (Good News Translation)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 17:14–21 and Mark 9:14–29.

Paragraph 9:37–40

9:37a

In Greek, 9:37 starts with the phrase “And it happened that.” While versions such as the New Jerusalem Bible include this phrase, most English versions omit it. Luke used this phrase to introduce a new event that took place the day after the events in the previous section.

The next day, when they came down from the mountain: Apparently Jesus and the three disciples spent the night on the mountain. In the morning, they went down. Since a new section begins here, consider whether it is natural in your language to make explicit to whom the word they refers. For example:

The next day Jesus and his three disciples came down from the mountain (Contemporary English Version)

In the next clause (9:37b), the focus is on Jesus, not on the three disciples. In some languages it may be more natural to keep Jesus as the subject of 9:37a. For example:

On the following day, Jesus descended the mountain along with his three disciples.

9:37b

Jesus was met by a large crowd: In order to introduce the action in the following verses, Luke describes here how many people came to meet Jesus at the bottom of the mountain. While the Berean Standard Bible translates this as a passive clause, in Greek it is active, literally “a large crowd met him.” The other English versions translate this as an active clause, and it may be natural for you to translate it that way in your language.

© 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.

10:7a

Stay at the same house: Jesus wanted the disciples to return to that house to sleep each night. He did not mean they could not leave that house for any reason. See the note on 9:4a–b. Other ways to translate this command are:

Stay with the same family (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Stay with the family that accepts you. (God’s Word)

the same house: The phrase the same house refers to the house where there was a man of peace who was willing to receive them.

10:7b

eating and drinking whatever you are offered: Jesus wanted the disciples to feel free to eat whatever their hosts gave them to eat. He implied that they would not pay for this food.

whatever you are offered: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as whatever you are offered is literally “the [things] from them.” The pronoun “them” refers to the people in the house where the disciples stayed. For example:

eating and drinking what the people there give you (New Century Version)

10:7c

For: The Greek conjunction gar that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For here introduces a proverb. The proverb implies that the disciples have the right to eat and drink what their hosts give them. If it is not clear how this proverb gives the basis for the previous statement in 10:7b, you may want to supply the implied connection. For example:

⌊It is appropriate for you to do this⌋ because the worker…

the worker is worthy of his wages: The clause the worker is worthy of his wages was probably a proverb or common saying in Jesus’ time. It meant that anyone who did work had the right to receive payment for his work. Jesus used this proverb to say that it was right for his disciples to receive food and a place to sleep from those whom they were teaching and serving. They did not need to pay their hosts for this. See also 1 Timothy 5:18, where this same proverb is quoted. Some other ways to translate this proverb include:

those who work deserve their pay (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
workers are worth what they earn (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A worker should be given his pay. (New Century Version)

10:7d

Do not move around from house to house: The command Do not move around from house to house indicates that the disciples should sleep and eat with the family that had first invited them. They should not sleep in different houses. See the note on 9:4a–b.

General Comment on 10:7a–d

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of the parts in this verse. For example:

7dDon’t move around from home to home. 7aStay in one place, 7beating and drinking what they provide. 7cDon’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. (New Living Translation (2004))

© 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.

10:39a

She had a sister named Mary: Mary was probably Martha’s younger sister. They had the same parents. We do not know whether Martha had any other sisters. They had at least one brother, Lazarus (see John 11:1).

In some languages it is natural to use a more specific term such as “younger sister” to refer to Mary here. In other languages it is natural to use a general term such as “sibling” or “younger sibling.” Use a natural kinship term in your language.

10:39b

sat at the Lord’s feet: Jewish people often used the phrase “sat at his feet” to describe a disciple/student listening to his religious teacher. Students often sat on the ground or on the floor around the teacher while he sat and taught them. This expressed the students’ humility and eagerness to learn. Some other ways to translate this expression are:

sat down beside the Lord’s feet
-or-
sat down ⌊on the floor⌋ near the Lord

the Lord’s:
For information about how to translate the title Lord, see the note at 10:1a.

listening to His message: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as listening to His message is more literally “listening to his word.” It refers to the things that Jesus was teaching about God. Other people besides Mary were probably also listening to him teach. These people may have included Jesus’ disciples and any other guests.

Some ways to translate listening to His message here are:

listening to him teach (New Century Version)
-or-
listening to ⌊God’s⌋ words that he was telling ⌊people⌋

© 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.

Section 11:29–32

The people demanded a miracle

In 11:17–26, Jesus answered the accusation in 11:15 that he drove out demons by the power of Beelzebul. In this section, he answered the other group of people who wanted him to show them a sign from heaven (11:16). Even though he had already done many miracles for them, they would not believe that he had come from God. Jesus made it clear that God would punish them because they would not believe in him. He reminded them that the people of Jonah’s time believed what Jonah preached. He also reminded them that the Queen of Sheba in Solomon’s time came from a distant country to listen to Solomon wise words. The people of Jesus’ time were seeing God reveal himself in an even greater way, but they still did not believe.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

The People Want A Miracle (New Century Version)
-or-
The Sign of Jonah (New International Version)

There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 12:38–42.

Paragraph 11:29–32

11:29a

As the crowds were increasing: There are two ways to interpret the meaning of the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as As the crowds were increasing:

(1) More and more people came to see Jesus. For example:

As the crowd grew larger (New Century Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, NET Bible, New Century Version)

(2) The people who had already come to see Jesus gathered/crowded together around him. For example:

As the people crowded around Jesus (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), King James Version, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). As more and more people heard about the man that Jesus had healed, they came and joined the crowd that had gathered around him. Another way to translate this clause is:

More and more people gathered

11:29b

This is a wicked generation: The clause This is a wicked generation means “the people living at this time are evil.” Jesus said this because the people refused to believe that God had sent him, even though they had seen him perform many miracles. Another way to translate this is:

The people who live today are evil. (New Century Version)

The word generation also occurs in 9:41a in a similar context.

Since Jesus was including the people he was talking to, in some languages it may be necessary to use the second person:

You(plur) are a wicked generation.

11:29c

Verse 11:29c helps to explain why Jesus called the people of 11:29b “wicked.” They were wicked because they demanded a sign. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this relationship explicitly. For example:

because it asks for…

It: The pronoun It refers to “this wicked generation” in 11:29b.

demands a sign: The clause demands a sign probably refers back to 11:16. In that verse, some of the people in the crowd asked Jesus “for a sign from heaven.” The requests in both of these verses mean essentially the same thing. Both contain similar implied information. In some languages, some of this implied information may need to be made explicit. For example:

They are asking ⌊me to perform⌋ a miracle ⌊to prove that God has sent me⌋.

If you used the second person “you” in 11:29b, it will probably be necessary to do so here also. For example:

You keep looking for a sign from God. (Contemporary English Version)

demands: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demands is literally “seeks.” Some other ways to translate this verb are:

asks for (New International Version)
-or-
want to see (New Century Version)

The same verb was used in 11:16.

a sign: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a sign means “a sign or distinguishing mark by which people know that something is true.” In this context it refers to a miracle that would prove that God had sent Jesus. The same word occurs in 11:16.

11:29d

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a contrast between what the people were demanding in 11:29c and what they would receive in 11:29d. Use a natural way in your language to introduce this contrast.

none will be given it: The clause none will be given it means “no sign will be given to this generation.” The verb will be given is a passive verb. Some ways to translate this verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

no sign will be given them (New Century Version)

• As an active verb. For example:

they will not see/receive any miraculous sign
-or-

⌊I⌋ will not give them a miraculous sign

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

except the sign of Jonah: Jesus made one exception. He would give that generation one sign: the sign of the prophet Jonah.

In some languages it may be more natural to place this phrase at the beginning of 11:29d. For example:

But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. (New Living Translation (2004))

the sign of Jonah: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as the sign of Jonah:

(1) It refers to what happened to Jonah. For example:

But what happened to Jonah is the only sign you will be given. (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It refers to Jonah’s preaching. For example:

The only sign they will be given is what Jonah preached.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most scholars. The parallel passage in Matthew 12:40 clearly identifies the “sign of Jonah” as Jonah being three days inside the belly of the fish. This experience is compared to Jesus being dead and buried for three days. In 11:29d Jesus stated that this sign was still in the future, whereas Jesus had already been preaching for some time.

Most English versions literally follow the Greek grammar and say “the sign of Jonah.” There are at least two translation issues to consider:

(a) Some readers may wrongly interpret this phrase to mean “the sign/miracle that Jonah performed for others.” In your translation, be sure that the sign/miracle refers to the miracle that happened to Jonah, as in the Contemporary English Version example above.

(b) Your readers may not understand from 11:29d that Jesus was using a comparison. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this clear in 11:29d so that it fits with the comparison in 11:30a–b. For example:

The only sign they will be shown is like what happened to Jonah.

If your readers are not familiar with what happened to Jonah, it may be helpful to add a footnote. For example:

Jonah was a prophet of God long ago. A large fish swallowed him, but after three days God caused the fish to vomit Jonah onto the land. See Jonah 1:17 and 2:10. See also Matthew 12:40.

© 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.

Paragraph 12:39–40

In this paragraph Jesus continued to teach his disciples that they needed to be ready for his return. He used a short illustration about a house owner who needed to be ready in case a thief broke into his house. This story is not a continuation of the previous story.

12:39a

In some languages it may be helpful to introduce this verse by indicating in some way that Jesus was beginning to give a different illustration. For example:

⌊Then Jesus said⌋ ⌊to his disciples⌋
-or-

⌊Then Jesus gave another example. He said⌋

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as translates as But here introduces a new illustration that teaches the same point as the one in 12:35–38. The new illustration does not contrast with the previous one. Be careful not to use a conjunction that implies a wrong connection between the two illustrations. In some languages a conjunction will not be needed.

understand this: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as translates as understand this is literally “know this” or “you know this.” Jesus used this clause to emphasize that what he was about to say was important. The word this refers to the illustration that he was about to give them. Some ways to translate this clause are:

you can be sure that (Good News Translation)
-or-
Here is another example for you to think about
-or-
Remember/Consider this also

12:39b–c

Here Jesus used an illustration to teach his disciples that he will return when people do not expect him.

If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into:
This short illustration contains much implied information:

(a) The owner of the house did not know that a thief was coming or what time he would come.

(b) A thief did come.

(c) The thief broke into the house.

(d) The owner could have prevented this if he had been ready.

In some languages a literal translation may be confusing. It may imply to some readers that Jesus was telling about a past event that happened to a specific house owner. Use a natural way in your language to indicate that Jesus was giving an illustration. Some ways to do this in English are:

You would surely not let a thief break into your home, if you knew when the thief was coming. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. (New Living Translation (2004))

© 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.