SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 52

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:8

11:8a

I tell you: Jesus used the phrase I tell you to emphasize what he was saying. Jesus used these same words in 10:12.

I: The pronoun I here refers to a different person than the “I” in 11:7d. Here Jesus himself was speaking. He was no longer quoting the man who was unwilling to get out of bed. In some languages, it may be necessary to supply a phrase that clarifies this meaning. For example:

⌊Then Jesus said/added,⌋ “I tell you…”

you: The pronoun you here means “you disciples.”

11:8b

even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship: You will need to consider several issues as you translate this complex phrase:

Issue 1—Pronouns

You will need to pay attention to the pronouns here. Notice that if you changed the “he” in 11:5b to “you,” here you will need to:

(a) change the word him to “you”

(b) change the word his to “your”

For example:

even if he will not get up and give you(sing) the bread because he is your friend

Issue 2—Meaning and restructuring

This complex phrase is literally “even if he will not get up and give him bread because he is his friend.” This means that friendship may not be a good enough reason for the man to get out of bed. The man may not be willing to get out of bed just because the man who asked for bread was his friend. Some other ways to translate this are:

• Reorder the phrases and put because of his friendship first. For example:

even if their friendship will not cause the man to get up and give him the bread
-or-
even though they are friends, this will not make the man get up and give him the bread

• Omit the word though and make the clause a complete sentence. For example:

He may not get up and give you the bread, just because you are his friend (Contemporary English Version)

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

because of his friendship: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because of his friendship is literally “because he is his friend” in Greek. This probably means “the man in bed is a friend of the man at the door.” However, in some languages it may be best to say:

they were friends
-or-
you(dual) are friends

11:8c

yet because: Verse 11:8c introduces the reason why the man will get up. This reason contrasts with the reason in 11:8b. Even if friendship does not make the man get up, there is another reason why he will certainly get up. The Berean Standard Bible introduces this contrasting reason with the words yet because. Another way to translate this is:

But (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages you may not need a specific word to connect the contrasting reasons in these verse parts. For example:

What will cause him to get up to give you(sing) what you need is…

the man’s persistence: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the man’s persistence is literally “his shamelessness.” There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It refers to the shamelessness of the man in bed. According to this interpretation, the man in bed will get up so that people will not consider him to be shameless. He will get up because he wants to avoid shame and embarrassment. For example:

he will get up and give you what you want so his reputation won’t be damaged (New Living Translation (1996))

(New Living Translation (1996))

(2) It refers to the shamelessness of the man at the door. According to this interpretation, the word “shamelessness” in this context includes the ideas of both boldness and persistence. The man at the door was bold enough to go to his friend in the middle of the night and repeatedly ask for bread. For example:

he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Century Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), NET Bible, Contemporary English Version)

Although most English versions and commentaries support interpretation (2), it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) for the following reasons:

(a) Interpretation (1) best fits the cultural context. In that culture, everyone would expect a man to feed his guest. If he had no food, he would go and borrow food, even in the middle of the night. Such an action would not be considered “shameless.” In contrast, someone who refused to provide food for a neighbor’s guest would be considered a shameless person.

(b) This interpretation best fits the meaning of the Greek word that is literally “shamelessness.” Many English versions translate this word as “persistence” or “boldness.” But the word is not used in this sense elsewhere, nor does the context explicitly indicate that the man at the door repeatedly called out or knocked.

persistence: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as persistence means “lack of sensitivity to what is proper,” “shamelessness.” In the cultural context described in this parable, this word contains implied information. The man would get up and give his friend some food because his neighbors might consider him shameless if he did not give him the food. The man needed to do what was culturally appropriate and show hospitality to a guest in the village.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

his ⌊desire to avoid⌋ shame
-or-

⌊his desire⌋ to protect his honor/reputation
-or-
he does not want to lose face
-or-
he does not want to be criticized
-or-
he does not want his name destroyed

General Comment on 11:8a–c

In some languages, it may be helpful to say what motivated the man to get up before saying what did not motivate him to get up. One way to reorder 11:8a–c is:

8aI tell you(plur), 8cbecause of his ⌊desire to avoid⌋ shame, he will get up and give you the bread. 8bFriendship by itself may not get him up!
-or-

8aListen, 8cthat man will get up and give you as much as you need to avoid shame/embarrassment. 8bHe may not get up just because you and he are friends!

© 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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:40

11:40a

You fools!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as fools describes people who do not think clearly or rightly. It implies that they deliberately refuse to understand what is right. Another way to translate this word is:

You people who have no minds/thoughts/sense!

11:40b

Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well?: This is a rhetorical question. Its function is to emphasize that God, who made the outside of people, also certainly made the inside.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The one who made the outside also made the inside. ⌊Isn’t that right?⌋

• As a statement. In this case, you should add a word or phrase to show the emphasis. For example:

You know that the one who made the outside made the inside also.
-or-
The same one who made what is outside also made what is inside. (New Century Version)

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

the One: The phrase the One refers to God. For example:

Didn’t God make both the outside and the inside? (Contemporary English Version)

who made the outside make the inside: Jesus was referring to the outside and the inside of a person. By the outside he meant the whole physical body. By the inside he meant the part of a person that cannot be seen: the mind, affections, and will. God was also concerned that the inside of a person should be clean.

Some other ways to translate this are:

he who made man’s body also made his heart/spirit/soul
-or-
God who created ⌊what is seen on⌋ the outside also created ⌊what is not seen on⌋ the inside.

General Comment on 11:40b

Jesus implied here that it is important for a person’s inner being (soul/mind/heart) to be clean/holy. It is foolish to clean only the outside. So the Pharisees should have been concerned about holiness, not just physical cleanliness. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit in the text or in a footnote. For example:

so it is necessary that your inside/heart be clean, just like the outside of your body
-or-
It is important that your heart be clean, not only your hands

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:18

12:18a

Then he said: The phrase Then he said introduces more things that the rich man thought as he was deciding what he should do. He continued to say these things to himself in his own mind. In some languages it may be more natural to continue the man’s thoughts without using an introductory clause such as Then he said. For example:

Aha! I know what I will do.

This is what I will do: This clause introduces the rich man’s answer to his own question. He had made a decision about what to do. Consider what phrase people use when they have decided to act in a certain way. For example:

I know! (New Living Translation (2004))

12:18b

I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones: In the cultural context, this statement implies that the rich man will order his servants to do this work. In some languages it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:

I will ⌊tell my workers/men to⌋ tear down my barns and build bigger ones

Consider whether it is natural in your language to use a causative idea here.

tear down: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tear down means to pull down or take apart. The rich man wanted to demolish his old barns in order to make room for new ones.

barns…bigger ones: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as barns literally refers to buildings that were used for storing grain or other crops. The next part of the verse shows that when the man built bigger ones, he would also use them to store other possessions besides grain. If your language does not have a word for barns, you may:

• Use a local equivalent. For example:

granaries

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

storage places/buildings

12:18c

there: In this context the word there means “in those new barns/storehouses.”

my grain: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grain refers literally to wheat, but it can be used for any grain. In areas where there is no word for grain or “wheat,” you may use a more general term. For example:

my crops/harvest
-or-
what I have harvested

Try not to use the word for a specific grain such as “rice” that was not grown in Israel at that time.

my goods: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my goods refers to things other than grain that the rich man owned and could put in his barns. In some languages you may need to translate this as:

⌊the rest of⌋ my possessions/belongings

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:50

12:50a

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here introduces something that had to take place before the wish in the previous verse part could be fulfilled. It is not introducing a separate or contrasting idea.

I have a baptism to undergo: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I have a baptism to undergo is literally “I have a baptism to be baptized with.” Some English versions, such as the Revised Standard Version, translate it that way.

In this context, Luke used the Greek word baptism figuratively. It describes an experience that is overwhelming. In this context it refers to the terrible suffering that Jesus would endure. In some languages it may not be possible to use the same term that you used for baptism in water. Here are some other ways to translate in this context:

• Use an expression that is similar to the one for baptism but does not necessarily require water. For example:

I must endure a purifying initiation

• Use an expression that is similar to the one you used for baptism but make the meaning explicit. For example:

I must endure a purifying bath of suffering
-or-
I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me (New Living Translation (2004))

• Translate the meaning without the figure of baptism. For example:

I must endure overwhelming agony
-or-
I am going to be put to a hard test (Contemporary English Version)

See baptize, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

12:50b

how distressed I am: The phrase how distressed I am expresses the mental and emotional stress/pressure and suffering that Jesus felt as he thought about his coming death on the cross. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I feel very troubled (New Century Version)
-or-
what stress I am under (New Revised Standard Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 13:23

13:23a

“Lord,” someone asked Him: The Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase someone asked Him after the start of what this person said. In the Greek text, this phrase is at the beginning of the verse, before the quotation. Place it wherever it is natural in your language.

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord was probably used here as a polite, respectful way to address a religious teacher or any other important man. Other ways to translate this term of address are:

Sir (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Master

See Lord, Context 3, in the Glossary.

someone asked Him: This clause introduces an incident that happened at one of the places along the way. We do not know whether this questioner was one of Jesus’ followers or was simply a person who was listening to Jesus teach. Use a general term to refer to this person.

13:23b

will only a few people be saved?: The verb be saved means “to be rescued or delivered from something.” In this context it refers to being rescued from the spiritual dangers of sin and the punishment from God that results from sinning.

The verb be saved is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to use an active verb form and indicate that God is the one who saves. For example:

Is ⌊God⌋ going to save only a few people?

In some languages it may be necessary to say what God would save these people from. For example:

Will only a few people be saved ⌊from sin⌋?
-or-
Will God rescue only a few people ⌊from eternal punishment⌋?

For the word saved, see also the note on 7:50a. See save, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

13:23c

Jesus answered: The clause Jesus answered introduces what Jesus said in response to the question in 13:23b. Notice that although one person asked the question, Jesus’ response was for everyone. He used you(plur) in the verses that follow (13:24–27).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 14:20

14:20

I have married a wife, so I cannot come: The man did not say exactly why he could not go to the feast. He may have implied that he wished to spend the time alone with his new wife.

I have married a wife: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I have married a wife is literally “a woman I married.” This probably implies that he had gotten married fairly recently. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I recently got married (God’s Word)
-or-
I now have a wife (New Living Translation (2004))

Use an expression that is natural in your language.

so I cannot come: In the context of coming or going to the feast, it may be more natural in some languages to say “I cannot go.” Use whatever term is more natural in your language.

General Comment on 14:17–20

These verses contain several short speeches. These speeches occur within the story that Jesus was telling. In some languages it is more natural to use indirect quotations here. For example:

17When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to come. 18But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, so he asked to be excused. 19Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out. 20Another had just been married, so he said he couldn’t come. (New Living Translation (1996))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:17

Paragraph 15:17–20a

15:17a

Finally This verse is a turning point in the story. In Greek, the verse begins with a conjunction that some English versions translate here as “But.” It introduces the important things that happened after the young man came to his senses. The Berean Standard Bible represents it with the expression Finally. Other ways to introduce this verse are:

At last
-or-
Then

he came to his senses: The idiomatic Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he came to his senses indicates that the younger son finally began to think clearly and sensibly about himself and his situation. If you have an idiom in your language that expresses this meaning, you may use it here. Other ways to translate this expression are:

he realized what he was doing (New Century Version)
-or-
he realized how foolish he had been (Translator’s Reference Translation)

15:17b

and said: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and said can also refer to thoughts that are not spoken out loud. Other ways to translate the word here are:

he said to himself (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
he thought (New Century Version)

‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food?: This clause is an explanation. It emphasizes that the many men whom his father paid to work for him had plenty of food to eat. It is not meant as a question, and it does not imply that some of his father’s workers did not have enough food. Other ways to translate this expression are:

All my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat (Good News Translation)
-or-
My father’s workers have plenty to eat (Contemporary English Version)

my father’s hired servants: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my father’s hired servants refers here to the men whom his father hired to work on his farm. These men were probably paid each day. A different word is used to refer to the slaves in 15:22a.

If your language has an expression that refers specifically to people who work on a daily wage basis, you may use it here. Otherwise, a more general term is fine.

15:17c

But here I am, starving to death!: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here introduces a surprising contrast to the previous statement. The younger son was comparing himself to his father’s workmen and thinking about how they had enough food, whereas he was extremely hungry. Other ways to express this contrast are:

while I’m starving to death here (God’s Word)
-or-

but here I am dying from hunger (NET Bible)

here: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as here refers to the place where the young man was staying.

I am, starving to death!: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as starving to death means “dying from hunger.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 16:17

16:17a–b

But: In the Greek text this verse connects to the previous verse with a conjunction that introduces a contrast: The good news is now being preached, but/nevertheless the Law and the Prophets remain valid. The Berean Standard Bible (like the Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation) translates this conjunction as But. Other versions, such as the Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, and New International Version, do not translate this conjunction. You should indicate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law: The phrase heaven and earth refers to the universe as a whole. The universe was considered to be a symbol of permanence. So this comparison means that God’s word will not lose any of its authority. It is even more permanent than heaven and earth. In some languages it may be necessary to translate this comparison in other ways. For example:

The sky and the earth will come to an end, but even the smallest letter in God’s Law will remain unchanged.

It may be necessary to reorder the clauses of 16:17a–b. See the General Comment on 16:17a–b at the end of 16:17b for further suggestions.

In translating this verse, be careful not to imply that:

(a) it is easy for heaven and earth to disappear;

(b) heaven and earth will never disappear.

Although many people thought that the universe would last almost forever, other verses teach that it will be destroyed in the future. See Matthew 5:18, Mark 13:31, 2 Peter 3:7, 3:10.

16:17a

heaven and earth: In some languages it may be more natural to say “earth and heaven.” You may use whatever order is more natural in your language.

heaven: The word heaven in this context refers to the sky and the physical universe beyond the earth. It includes the sun, moon, and stars. See heaven, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

pass away: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pass away means to end, to cease to exist.

16:17b

a single stroke of a pen: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a single stroke of a pen is more literally “one projection/stroke.” It refers to the smallest part of a letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It would be like the cross on the “t” in English or one of the lines on the letter “m.” Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the smallest part of a letter (New Century Version)
-or-
one letter (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the smallest detail (Good News Translation)

drop out: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as drop out is literally “fall.” In this context it has a figurative meaning. Some other ways to translate this are:

become void (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
cease to be valid/authoritative
-or-
lose its force (Revised English Bible)
-or-
to be changed (New Century Version)

the Law: In 16:16a, Jesus used the term “the Law and the Prophets” to refer to the Old Testament as a whole. Here the word Law alone is also used to refer to the whole Old Testament. In some languages a literal translation may imply that Jesus is excluding the writings of the prophets and the rest of the Old Testament. If that is true in your language, consider using a more general term, such as “God’s Book” or “the words of God.”

General Comment on 16:17a–b

In some languages it may be necessary to reorder the clauses of 16:17a–b. For example:

Even the smallest part of God’s Word is more permanent than the sky and the earth.

Use a natural order in your language.

In some languages it may be necessary to state the main point about the Law before giving the comparison about the heaven and earth. For example:

But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned. (New Living Translation (2004))

Search

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013