1:15a

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reasons why Zechariah and many other people would be happy about John’s birth (1:14). These reasons are given in 1:15–17. The main reason is that John would prepare the way for the Lord. Express these reasons in a natural way in your language.

he will be great in the sight of the Lord: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he will be great in the sight of the Lord is an idiom. It means that God would consider John to be a very important man. God would think highly of him. Some other ways to translate this are:

The Lord will consider him to be very great
-or-
He will be very important in the Lord’s estimation/view
-or-
The Lord will recognize/esteem him as a great man

in the sight of the Lord: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the sight of the Lord is literally “before the Lord.” The phrase “before the Lord” or “before God” is used four other times in Luke 1 (1:17, 1:19, 1:75, 1:76).

Lord: For further discussion of the term Lord, see the Note at 1:6b. See also Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

1:15b

He shall never take wine or strong drink: This is a command. John must not drink wine or any other drink that could make him drunk. A requirement like this is described in Numbers 6:1–4. It would be a sign to that person and to others that he was dedicated to the Lord in a special way. In some translations it may be helpful to include a footnote about this. For example:

John was dedicated to the Lord to fulfill a very important purpose. As a sign of that dedication, the Lord commanded that John should not drink wine.

never: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as never means “definitely not.” The angel meant that John must not ever drink these things.

take: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as take is literally “drink.” Most English versions say “drink.”

wine or strong drink: The Jews had two basic terms for alcoholic drinks. The Berean Standard Bible translates these terms as wine and strong drink. In some languages it may be necessary to use one general term for all alcoholic drinks. For example:

all fermented/alcoholic drinks
-or-
any drink that causes someone/people to become drunk

wine: The word wine refers to an alcoholic drink. It is made from the juice of a fruit called grapes. When grape juice ferments, it becomes wine.

In some areas, people may not be familiar with grapes or with wine. If that is true in your area, some other ways to translate wine are:

• Use a specific term for another alcoholic drink made from fruit. For example:

pomegranate wine
-or-
palm wine

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

fermented fruit juice/water
-or-
grape juice
-or-
fermented grape juice

strong drink: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strong drink refers to alcoholic beverages other than wine that the Jews made from either fruit or grain. The most common of these was beer made from barley or from barley and millet.

Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a term for an alcoholic drink made from grain, even if it is not made from barley or millet.

• Use a general term for alcoholic drinks.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

other drinks that make (people) drunk

1:15c

he will be filled with the Holy Spirit: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as filled with the Holy Spirit is a common figure of speech in the New Testament. It implies that the Holy Spirit would guide or control John and give him the power to do all that God wanted him to do. Some ways to translate this are:

the Holy Spirit will guide/empower him
-or-
he will be full of the Holy Spirit
-or-
the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him (Contemporary English Version)

The verb will be filled is passive. Notice that the examples above do not use passive verbs. Translate the clause in a natural way in your language.

The context indicates that John would be “filled” during his entire life. This figure also occurs in 1:41b and 1:67a, but there the “filling” is momentary.

the Holy Spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Holy Spirit refers to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is God, together with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is Spirit in the sense that he is a living being who does not have a physical body. He is Holy in the sense that he is divine. He is perfect in every way and is completely pure and sinless. Because of these qualities, he is worthy of awe.

Some ways to translate Holy Spirit are:

Spirit/Breath of God
-or-
Holy/Sacred Spirit

Do not imply that the Holy Spirit is like the ghost of a dead person or that God has died.

See holy, sense A2, in Key Biblical Terms.

even from his mother’s womb: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as even from his mother’s womb is literally “even from/out-of his mother’s womb/belly.” Scholars interpret the phrase “from his mother’s womb” in one of two ways:

(1) It refers to the time when John was in his mother’s womb. This means before he was born. For example:

while yet in his mother’s womb (New American Standard Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It refers to the time when John was born. For example:

From his very birth (Good News Translation)

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

English versions that use the phrase “from his mother’s womb” are somewhat ambiguous (New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, Revised Standard Version). In some languages it may be possible to use a general expression that could be interpreted in either way. If that is true in your language, it is good to use that term. If you must choose one of the interpretations, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

© 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.

1:79a

to shine on those who live in darkness: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to shine on means “to appear to” or “to give light to.” This part of the verse continues the figure of speech in 1:78b. The sun rises and brings light to places that were dark. In the same way, the Messiah would bless or help people who were living in spiritual darkness. So another way to translate this is:

to bless/help people living in ⌊spiritual⌋ darkness

Darkness and light are a common figure of speech in the Bible. The word darkness can be used to refer to sin, separation from God, lack of spiritual understanding, ignorance, and unbelief. In some languages it may be helpful to include a footnote about this. For example, the TRT suggests this footnote:

Darkness represents sin, evil, spiritual blindness/ignorance, unbelief, hopeless despair, and separation from God (who is light; 1 John 1:5). Compare Ephesians 5:8.

1:79b

and in the shadow of death: The phrase the shadow of death is another figure of speech. It refers to people who are troubled and grieved as they think about death.

These are the same people as those described as “living in darkness.” Zechariah was describing them in a different way. These were people who knew that they and others would have to die, and they were troubled, grieved, and afraid.

General Comment on 1:78b–79b

Another way to express the images of 1:78b–1:79b is:

As the rising sun dispels darkness, so the Lord/Messiah will come from God to help those who live in spiritual darkness and fear of death.

1:79c

to guide our feet into the path of peace: The expression to guide our feet into the path of peace is a figure of speech. In this context, the path of peace has a similar meaning to “salvation” in 1:71a–b and 1:77. In this context Zechariah implied that the Messiah would save his people and enable them to live in peace and well-being.

In 1:71 Zechariah mentioned salvation from enemies. In 1:77 he mentioned salvation through God forgiving people’s sins. Try to translate peace here in a way that could describe this type of freedom or salvation from both enemies and sins.

He will guide us into the way of peace. (God’s Word)
-or-
He will show us how to live in harmony/rest.
-or-
He will ⌊save⌋ us so that we can live in peace/wholeness.

peace: In Jewish culture the word peace has a very broad meaning. It describes a situation of well-being that can include safety, wholeness, health, and prosperity. It often describes harmony and friendship between God and people or between individuals or groups of people. This harmony is in contrast to war, hostility, or conflict.

Some other ways to translate peace here are:

harmony
-or-
freedom

In English the word peace is a noun. In some languages it may be more natural to translate peace with a verb or in another way. For example:

be whole/free/peaceful
-or-
live peacefully/well

See peace, Meaning 6, in the Glossary.

General Comment on 1:79c

This is the end of Zechariah’s prophecy. Try to make this clear in your translation.

© 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.

2:31

which You have prepared: The word which refers back to the word “salvation” in 2:30. The word prepared refers to God planning and preparing to save the world through Jesus.

in the sight of all people: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the sight of all people is literally “before the face of all peoples.” This indicates that both Jews and Gentiles would see God’s salvation. God’s plan to save mankind would not take place in secret, nor would it be for the Jews only. God had prepared events so that the Savior would come to the earth where people could see him.

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

3:11a

John replied: John answered the crowd.

Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none: John meant that a person who had two tunics should give one of them to someone who does not have any tunic. John did not imply that the two people should share the tunics and wear them at different times. Another way to translate this is:

The man who has two tunics should give one of them to a man who has none.

Whoever has two tunics: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Whoever has two tunics is more literally “the (one/person) having two tunics.” It can refer to any person, either male or female. Some other ways to translate this are:

Whoever has two shirts (God’s Word)
-or-
If you have two shirts (New Living Translation (2004))

tunics: The word tunics describes an item of clothing that both men and women wore next to the skin. The closest modern English word may be “shirt.” Use a word in your language that refers to a basic item of clothing that everyone needs.

him who has none: The phrase him who has none refers to anyone who does not have a tunic. Another way to say this is:

a person who does not have ⌊even⌋ one tunic

3:11b

In some languages, it may be more natural to start a new sentence here. For example:

If you have food
-or-
Whoever has food (God’s Word)

and whoever has food: The phrase whoever has food means “anyone who has food.” The phrase is parallel to “whoever has two tunics” in the previous verse. This suggests that John was talking about anyone who had more food than one person needed.

Other ways to translate this are:

If you have extra food (Living Bible)
-or-
and the person who has food
-or-
and anyone with something to eat (New Jerusalem Bible)

should do the same: The phrase should do the same refers to giving something to someone in need, as the person with two tunics did. That is, the person who has more food than he needs should give food to the person who does not have enough food.

Other ways to say this are:

should share his food with a person who has none
-or-
should give some of it away to a hungry person

General Comment on 3:11a–b

The people had asked John what they should do. Therefore it may be natural for John to answer them using a plural form such as “you.” For example:

11aIf you(plur) have two tunics, you(plur) should give one of them to someone who does not have one. 11bIf you(plur) have more than enough food, you should give some of that away too.

© 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 4:16–19

4:16a

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version and New American Standard Bible, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version and God’s Word, do not translate this conjunction here.

However, since the events in this paragraph occurred after the events in 4:14–15, in some languages, it may be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word or phrase. That is why the Berean Standard Bible says Then, as do several other English versions (NET Bible, Good News Translation). Connect 4:16a to 4:15b in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus: The Greek literally says “he came,” but if you are beginning a new paragraph here, it may be helpful to translate “he” as Jesus.

Nazareth: Nazareth was the name of the town in Galilee where Jesus had lived when he was a child.

where He had been brought up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates with the English idiom brought up means “reared” or “raised.” It means to take care of a child until he reaches adulthood.

This verb is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to translate without using a passive verb here. For example:

where ⌊his parents⌋ had raised him
-or-
where he had grown up (New Century Version)
-or-
his boyhood home (New Living Translation (2004))

4:16b

As was His custom: The phrase As was His custom means “as he generally did.” Jesus regularly went to a synagogue to worship God on the Sabbath day. This was his habit. Some other ways to translate this are:

as usual (Good News Translation)
-or-
as he regularly did (Revised English Bible)

the synagogue: The synagogue refers to the building in Nazareth where Jews gathered to pray, read Scripture, teach their beliefs, and worship God. For more information, see the note on “synagogues” at 4:15a and synagogue in the Glossary.

the Sabbath: The word Sabbath is the name of the seventh and last day of the week for the Jews. The Sabbath was the special day of the week when the Jews rested and worshiped God. The Law of Moses said that the Jews must not do any work on that day (Deuteronomy 5:12–15).

Some ways to translate Sabbath are:

the ⌊Jewish⌋ rest day
-or-
the day for resting
-or-
the day to rest and worship God

If the word Sabbath is already known in your area, you may write it according to the sounds of your language. You may also want to include a phrase to explain the meaning. For example:

the Sabat, the ⌊Jews’⌋ day for resting

The term you choose should not make people think the Sabbath is on Sunday, the day when Christians worship. The Sabbath for the Jews began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday. You may want to include a footnote to give more information. For example:

“Sabbath” is the name for the seventh day of the Jews’ week. God told them to rest from work and worship him every week on that day.

4:16c

He stood up to read: The clause He stood up to read implies that Jesus had been sitting. Then he stood up and came forward. This indicated that he was ready to read. In synagogue worship services, the man who read the Scriptures to the people stood at the front of the congregation.

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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.

Paragraph 5:4–7

5:4a–b

Put out into deep water: The phrase Put out into deep water here means “Move (either by sailing or rowing) your boat into deep water.” That is, Jesus told Simon to move the boat farther away from the shore.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Sail/Row(sing) out to where the water is deeper
-or-
Go(sing) farther away from the shore into the deeper wate
-or-
Simon, cause/make(sing) the boat to go to the deep water

5:4c

let down your nets: The verb let down describes the action of putting nets into the water. In some cultures, fishermen “throw” or “cast” their nets into the water. Use the most natural verb in your language for this action.

The command let down is a plural form. It shows that there were other men in the boat helping Simon Peter.

for a catch: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for a catch here means “in order to catch some fish.”

Different languages have different expressions for “catching” fish. For example:

take/get fish
-or-
kill fish
-or-
hunt fish
-or-
trap fish

Use the most natural expression in your language for fishing.

© 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 5:36–39

In this paragraph, Jesus used three short parables to explain that he was teaching a new way to live for God. His new way would not fit into the old traditions. People could not combine the old ways with the new. Each of the three parables is introduced with a general statement that is true of everyone.

5:36

In this verse Jesus compared his teaching to a new garment. He compared the traditions of the Jews to an old garment. No one uses a piece of cloth torn from the new garment to patch an old garment. In the same way, people should not simply add his teaching to their traditions.

5:36a

parable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parable is a general word that is used to describe different types of wise speech. This includes parables, proverbs, illustrations, metaphors, and wise sayings. Here, Jesus used the word to refer to a wise saying.

In this parable, Jesus compared his new way to live for God with a new garment. He compared the old traditions with an old garment.

You will need to read the three parables in 5:36–39 carefully. Then consider how you would describe this type of speech in your language. Some ways to translate parable in this context are:

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to this particular type of wise saying. For example:

symbolic saying/word

• Use a general term or descriptive phrase in your language that includes the different types of wise sayings. For example:

illustration (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
metaphor
-or-
comparison

See also parable in Key Biblical Terms.

5:36b

No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one: The word No one introduces a general statement. It says something that is true of everyone. In some languages it may be natural to introduce this statement with a general word such as “people” or with a pronoun such as “you” or “they.” For example:

People do not tear a patch from a new garment and sew it on an old one.
-or-

You don’t tear a piece off a new coat to patch up an old coat. (Good News Translation)

garment: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as garment means “clothing.” It can refer to any item of clothing a person wore, but sometimes it refers specifically to the outer robe that people wore. In this context, it probably refers generally to any piece of clothing.

5:36c

If he does: In Greek, this part of the verse begins with a phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If he does. This phrase introduces the possibility of someone doing what was described in 5:36b (which no one actually ever does). It means, “If someone were to do this (which he would not)….”

Some other ways to translate this are:

The consequences of doing that would be…
-or-
Otherwise (New Century Version)
-or-
For then (New Living Translation (2004))

he will tear the new garment as well: If someone tears a patch from a new garment, he spoils or damages the new garment. This is a first undesirable result. Some other ways to translate this are:

he ruins the new coat (New Century Version)
-or-
he will have made a hole in the new garment (Revised English Bible)

5:36d

Verse 5:36d describes a second undesirable result of tearing a patch from a new garment to repair an old garment.

the patch from the new will not match the old: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the patch from the new will not match the old is literally “the patch from the new will not agree with the old.” This means that the piece of cloth taken from the new garment will not be like the material of old garment. It will be different in age. It will look different. It will feel different. The amount it has shrunk will be different. (See Matthew 9:16 and Mark 2:21.) Some ways to translate this are:

the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth (New Century Version)
-or-
the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment (New Living Translation (2004))

patch: A patch is a small piece of cloth that someone sews over a hole or torn area of another cloth. It means the same thing as the phrase “piece of cloth” in 5:36b.

General Comment on 5:36a–d

You may want to add a footnote to explain some of the meaning of Jesus’ parable. Some sample footnotes are:

Jesus gave them this illustration to show what happens if his teaching is mixed with old traditions.
-or-
Jesus compared his teaching to a new garment. He compared the traditions of the Jews to an old garment. No one uses a piece of cloth torn from a new garment to patch an old garment. In the same way, people should not simply add his teaching to their old ways of life. His new way would not fit into the old traditions.

© 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.