SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 54

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:19

23:19

In this verse Luke gave background information about Barabbas. He continued the main story in 23:20. That is why the Berean Standard Bible puts 23:19 in parentheses. The Revised Standard Version uses a dash to separate this verse from 23:18. Use a natural way in your language to show that 23:19 is background information.

23:19a

Barabbas had been imprisoned: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had been imprisoned is an idiom that means “was put in prison.” The clause is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to translate it without using a passive verb. For example:

Barabbas was in prison (New Living Translation (2004))

If you must indicate who put Barabbas in prison, use an appropriate subject in your language. For example:

⌊Officers⌋ had put Barabbas in prison
-or-

⌊Pilate’s men⌋ had imprisoned Barabbas

23:19b–c

for an insurrection in the city, and for murder: The phrases for an insurrection in the city and for murder tell the reasons why Barabbas was put in prison. The phrase for an insurrection probably indicates here that Barabbas fought along with other people against the government. This fight happened in the city of Jerusalem. It is not clear whether Barabbas started this fight or whether he was just one of the fighters. He also murdered someone. Another way to translate these reasons are:

because of his part in an insurrection/rebellion in the city and because he committed murder
-or-
because he fought in a riot in the city and he murdered ⌊someone⌋

an insurrection in the city: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as an insurrection in the city literally means “a riot/rebellion that happened in the city.” The word insurrection implies that men were fighting against the government. It is likely that these men were Jews who were fighting against Roman soldiers. Those soldiers probably worked for the Roman government in the city of Jerusalem.

Some other ways to translate the phrase an insurrection in the city are:

he and others in the city fought against the government
-or-
a riot in Jerusalem

murder: The word murder indicates here that Barabbas unlawfully killed someone.

General Comment on 23:19a–c

In this verse 23:19b–c is the reason for 23:19a. In some languages it may be more natural to put the reason at the beginning of the verse. For example:

19bBarabbas had taken part in a riot in the city 19cand had murdered someone. 19aThat is why he was put in prison.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:51

23:51a

who had not consented to their decision or action: This clause indicates that Joseph did not agree with what the other council members decided and did against Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate which decision and action the clause refers to. For example:

he had not agreed to the other leaders’ plans and actions against Jesus (New Century Version)

In some languages it may be more natural to translate the words decision and action as verbs. For example:

he did not agree with what the other council members planned ⌊against Jesus⌋, and he did not join them in what they did ⌊to him⌋
-or-
he did not agree with the other council members in deciding ⌊that Jesus should die⌋ or in causing ⌊him to be killed⌋

decision: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as decision can refer to either a decision or a plan. In this context the Council decided that Jesus was guilty and that he should be executed. They planned to ask Pilate to execute/kill him. Joseph did not agree with this plan or decision. See the translation examples in the note above.

action: The word action refers here to what the Jewish leaders did against Jesus. They accused him to Pilate and asked Pilate to crucify him. In that way, they caused Jesus to be killed. Joseph did not agree that they should do that.

23:51b

He was from the Judean town of Arimathea: Arimathea was the name of Joseph’s home town. Scholars think it may be the same town as Ramah in the Old Testament. That town was about twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem. Luke called it a Jewish town because it probably was part of the district of Judea at the time Jesus died. Here is another way to translate this:

He was from the Jewish town of Arimathea (New Century Version)

23:51c

and was waiting for the kingdom of God: In this context the word waiting means “hopefully expecting.” Joseph expected and desired the kingdom of God. The phrase kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or territory that he rules over.

Some ways to translate was waiting for the kingdom of God are:

he was expecting God’s rule/reign
-or-
he hoped/waited for the time when God will rule

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

he set his heart on the time when God will protect/deliver his people as their king
-or-
he was looking forward to the time when God will rule all people (Translator’s Reference Translation)

Many Jewish people were expecting God to send his Messiah to establish God’s reign on earth. This context implies that Joseph also expected the Messiah. He may have believed that Jesus was the Messiah. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

He was waiting for ⌊the Messiah/Christ to establish⌋ God’s chieftaincy/rule
-or-
He was…expecting God to send his anointed one and reveal his kingship

For more help on how to translate 23:51c, see the notes on 17:20a–b and kingdom of God in the Glossary.

General Comment on 23:50–51

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of information in these two verses. It may be better to translate the background information about Joseph before saying how he disagreed with the Jewish council. For example:

50aOne of the council members was Joseph 51bfrom the town of Arimathea in Judea. 50bHe was a good and righteous man 51cwho was waiting ⌊expectantly⌋ for the kingdom of God ⌊to come⌋. 51aHe had not agreed with what the rest of the Council had decided to do or with what they had done.

Here is another way to reorder these verses:

50aThere was a man named Joseph 51bfrom Arimathea, a town in Judea. 50bHe was a good and honorable man, 51cwho was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. 50aAlthough he was a member of the Council, 51ahe had not agreed with their decision and action. (Good News Translation)

Translate the information in a natural order in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:27

24:27a–c

This verse summarizes what Jesus explained to the disciples about his statement in 24:26. He explained how the Scriptures show that the Messiah must suffer before entering his glory.

In some languages it may be helpful to reverse the order of clauses in this verse. See the General Comment on 24:27a–d at the end of 24:27d for translation suggestions.

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them: The phrase And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets tells how Jesus began to explain what the Scriptures said about him (the Christ), as summarized in 24:26. He began to explain this by using the writings of Moses. Then he continued by using the writings of the other prophets. In his explanation, Jesus showed how all these writings teach that the Christ must suffer before entering his glory. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

he began with Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets to explain to them (God’s Word)
-or-
starting with what Moses and all the prophets had said about him, Jesus began to explain (New Century Version)

beginning with Moses and all the Prophets: In this context the phrase Moses and all the Prophets is probably a short way to refer to the Old Testament. It is also used in this way at 16:29. However, because of the phrase beginning with, some Bible scholars believe that Jesus began with the books of Moses and the Prophets and then went on to the other Scriptures, such as the Psalms. Either interpretation is acceptable.

Moses was also a prophet (Acts 3:21–22), so translate in a way that will imply that. For example:

Moses and all the ⌊other⌋ prophets

The books of the prophets were also mentioned in 18:31. See the notes at 18:31c. For more information, see prophet in the Glossary.

He explained: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as explained means to interpret so as to make the meaning clear.

24:27d

what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself: This clause indicates that Jesus chose Scriptures that spoke of the Christ. These were the Scriptures that he explained to the disciples. The verb was written is passive. In some languages it may be natural to use an active verb. For example:

what all the Scriptures said concerning himself

the Scriptures: The phrase the Scriptures is used in a special way in the New Testament. It refers to words that God directed someone to write. Such writings had authority because God guided a person to write them. In the New Testament the word Scriptures usually refers to something that was written in the Old Testament. Some other ways to translate the phrase the Scriptures are:

God’s written words
-or-
God’s book/word

about Himself: The word Himself refers to the Christ/Messiah, who was Jesus. However, Jesus did not yet tell the disciples that he was talking about himself as the Christ. He used forms that are normally used to refer to a different person because he was not yet ready to reveal his identity to them.

In some languages a literal translation may imply that at that time Jesus told the disciples that he was the Christ. If that is true in your language, you should translate in a different way. For example:

concerning the Christ/Messiah

General Comment on 24:27a–d

In some languages it may be natural to reorder this verse. Two ways to do this are:

27cJesus then began to explain to them 27dwhat all the Scriptures said about himself. 27aHe started with ⌊the books of⌋ Moses 27band continued on through the books of all the other Prophets.
-or-

27aThen Jesus began by explaining what Moses had written about him, 27cand he continued explaining 27bwhat all the other prophets in the rest of the Scriptures 27dhad written about him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:4

1:4

so that you may know: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces the purpose for which Luke wrote to Theophilus. He wrote in order that Theophilus would know that everything that he had been taught about Jesus was true. The word may is one way to express purpose in this context. It does not indicate uncertainty. Some other ways to translate so that you may know are:

so you can be certain (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to help you know (New Century Version)

Express this purpose in a natural way in your language. In some languages, it may be natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

I do this so that you will know (Good News Translation)

the certainty of the things you have been taught: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the certainty means “the reliability.” It describes something as worthy of trust. Luke wanted Theophilus to be confident that the things that he had learned about Jesus were true. Some other ways to translate this are:

that what you have been taught is true (New Century Version)
-or-
that the teaching you received is reliable

the things you have been taught: The phrase the things you have been taught refers to the history and teachings of Jesus that believers had taught or told Theophilus. It is passive in form. It may be more natural in your language to use an active form. For example:

the things that others have taught you

General Comment on 1:1–4

Luke inserted the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “most excellent Theophilus” into the middle of the long sentence in 1:3–4. If it is not natural in your language to do this, here are other options:

• Translate the name Theophilus and the description “most excellent” at the beginning of 1:1. For example:

Great Theophilus, many….

• Use a natural way to begin a letter in your language and translate the description “most excellent” in 1:3 or in 1:4. For example:

1aDear Theophilus, many…. 3dSo it seemed good to me, too, to write to you who are highly respected….
-or-

1a
⌊I am writing this book for you,⌋ Theophilus. Many ⌊others⌋…. 4aso that you whom people greatly esteem….

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:36

1:36a

Look: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look is the same word that it translates as “now” in 1:20 and as “Behold” in 1:31. This word often functions to focus attention on what follows and to indicate that this is important or amazing. Here it draws attention to the fact that Elizabeth is pregnant. This is something completely unexpected.

Some ways to translate the word in this context are:

And behold (English Standard Version)
-or-
And listen
-or-
And I tell you this too (New Jerusalem Bible)

even Elizabeth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as even means “also.” In this context it emphasizes something amazing that is true of Elizabeth as well as of Mary. Elizabeth is another example of someone who became pregnant through God’s power, since she was too old to have children. Use a natural way in your language to express this emphasis. Other ways to do this in English are:

has herself conceived a son (Revised English Bible)
-or-
has also become pregnant with a son

your relative: The text does not say how Elizabeth and Mary were related. So it is good to translate relative in a general way. Another way to translate this is:

kinswoman (Revised English Bible)

has conceived a son: Some other ways to translate the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has conceived a son are:

is…pregnant with a son (New Century Version)
-or-
is going to have a child (New International Version)

in her old age: The phrase in her old age means “even though she is old.” Mary already knew Elizabeth and knew that she was past the normal age of childbearing. The angel did not tell her new information concerning Elizabeth’s age.

1:36b

she who was called barren: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as she who was called barren indicates how people described Elizabeth because she did not have any children. It is also an idiom. She was not just called barren; she had actually been barren.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Everyone thought she could not have a baby (New Century Version)
-or-
She was not able to have children before (NLV)
-or-
It is said that she cannot have children (Good News Translation)

Notice that the Berean Standard Bible uses a past tense form here, but the Greek uses a present form. The Good News Translation reading quoted just above reflects this. Use a natural form in your language for this context.

barren: The word barren describes a woman who is not able to conceive or bear a child. Among the Jews it was considered disgraceful for a married woman to be barren. Many Jewish women felt ashamed if they were not able to have children. Translate using language that will be sensitive and respectful for public reading.

is in her sixth month: The phrase is in her sixth month means that Elizabeth had begun her sixth month of being pregnant.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:68

1:68a

Blessed be the Lord: Zechariah used the Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Blessed be the Lord to express praise and thanks to God. He implied that God was worthy of praise and that everyone should speak wonderful things about him. Some other ways to translate this are:

Let us praise the Lord (New Century Version)
-or-
Praise belongs to the Lord
-or-
The Lord is worthy of praise

See bless, Meaning 4, in the Glossary. See also Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

the God of Israel: The phrase the God of Israel means “the God whom the people of Israel serve/worship.” Since Zechariah was an Israelite, in some languages it may be necessary to translate this as:

the God whom ⌊we⌋ Israelites ⌊serve/worship⌋

1:68b–69

At the time when Zechariah spoke, God had not yet delivered his people. But Zechariah knew that God had started to deliver them. He knew this because the angel had promised that his son John would “make ready a people prepared” (1:17) for the Deliverer whom God would send. In 1:68b–69 Zechariah used verb forms that would normally imply that God had already delivered the people. Hebrew prophets often spoke in that way to emphasize that the events about which they prophesied would certainly happen.

In some languages, speaking in that way may wrongly imply that the events had already happened. If that is true in your language, you may need to translate the verbs in a different way. Use a form in your language that describes either:

(a) a process that has begun (but is not yet finished), or

(b) a series of events that is described as one single event. Some of the events in the series may be past and others may be present or future.

See the introduction to Section 1:67–80 for more information. Some other ways to translate the events in 1:68b–69 are:

…he has come and has begun to redeem his people. He is raising up a horn of salvation…
-or-
…he has come and is redeeming his people. He is raising up a horn of salvation…
-or-
…he will certainly come and will redeem his people. He will raise up a horn of salvation…

You may also want to include a footnote in your translation to explain these things.

1:68b

because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces a reason why the Lord is worthy of praise. This part of the verse explains why Zechariah praised God in 1:68a. Connect 1:68a and 1:68b in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed. For example:

68aPraise the Lord, the God of Israel! 68bHe has come to save his people. (Contemporary English Version)

He has visited and redeemed His people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as visited means that God had come near to his people to help them. He would help them by redeeming them. Some other ways to translate this are:

he has come to help his people and has given them freedom (New Century Version)
-or-
he has come ⌊to take care of⌋ his people and redeem them
-or-
he has turned to his people and set them free (Revised English Bible)

redeemed His people: The verb redeemed means “rescued, set free, delivered.” If you must say from whom or what God had redeemed His people, you should supply “from their enemies.” This is made explicit in 1:71.

This phrase is similar to Psalm 111:9, “He provided redemption for his people.”

His people: Zechariah was an Israelite, one of God’s people. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that explicitly. For example:

us(incl) his people

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:20

2:20a–b

returned: If it is more natural in your language to say to where the shepherds returned, you can say:

returned to the field(s)
-or-
returned to their flock of sheep

glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen: The phrase glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen indicates that the shepherds talked about how great and good God was to cause those events.

glorifying and praising God: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorifying and praising have almost the same meaning here. The meaning is that the shepherds honored and praised God. The same Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as praising was also used in 2:13.

The author used two words with the same meaning in order to emphasize the idea. In some languages it may be more natural to express this emphasis in another way. For example:

greatly praised God

glorifying: The word glorifying means “honoring, extolling, praising.” In this context the shepherds were honoring and praising God. They were talking about how God showed his greatness and glory through all that they had heard and seen (2:20b). See glory, sense C1, in Key Biblical Terms.

all they had heard and seen: The phrase all they had heard and seen refers to the baby in the manger, what the angel had said about him, and how the angels had praised God.

2:20c

just as the angel had told them: This clause is passive in Greek, literally “just as it was told to them.” It is similar to the phrase in 2:17b that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “they had received about Him.” In Greek the phrase is more literally “that had been told to them.” In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb and indicate who told the shepherds the message. If that is true in your language, you may indicate that the angel told the shepherds (2:9–12). For example:

exactly as ⌊the angel⌋ had told them ⌊it would happen⌋

General Comment on 2:20a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:20a after 2:20b–c. For example:

20bAll the things that the shepherds heard and saw 20cwere just as they had been told. 20aSo they returned, glorifying and praising God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:52

2:52a

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature: In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of wisdom and stature here. For example:

Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom (Good News Translation)

grew: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grew is literally “increased.” In this context, Jesus increased in wisdom and size. This indicates that Jesus grew and developed. He was becoming mature.

wisdom: The word wisdom here means the ability to think clearly and sensibly, to understand matters, and to be able to act wisely based on that understanding. In the Bible, wisdom often refers to godly wisdom. A person who has godly wisdom understands what God says and what God wants people to do. The wise person acts on the basis of that understanding.

stature: The word stature refers here to Jesus’ body. Jesus was growing and maturing physically. He was becoming a man.

2:52b

and in favor with God and man: The phrase and in favor with God and man means that God approved of him and people also approved of him. That approval from God and man increased as Jesus grew. Other ways to say this are:

He gained favor from God and people. (God’s Word)
-or-
increased…in divine and human favor (New Revised Standard Version)

favor: In this context favor refers to an attitude that people had toward Jesus. They were pleased with him and appreciated him.

man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man is literally “people,” including both males and females. For example:

gained favor from…people (God’s Word)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013