SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 56

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:49

Paragraph 8:49–50

In this paragraph, Luke returned to the story about Jairus and his daughter. Use a natural way in your language to focus again on the people who were introduced before the story about Jairus was interrupted in 8:43.

8:49a–b

While He was still speaking, someone arrived: Jesus was still speaking to the woman whom he healed when someone came with a message for Jairus. Express this timing in a natural way in your language.

In some languages it may be helpful to mention who Jesus was speaking to. For example:

While Jesus was still speaking to her
-or-
As Jesus was still talking to the woman

someone arrived: The person who came may have been a slave, or he may have been a friend or member of Jairus’ family. Translate this in a general way. For example:

someone came (New International Version)
-or-
a man came (Revised English Bible)
-or-
a messenger came (Good News Translation)

from the house of the synagogue leader: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the house of the synagogue leader is literally “from the synagogue ruler.” The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions supply from the house of because Jairus himself was already with Jesus.

Consider what would be the most natural way in your language to refer to Jairus, the synagogue ruler, here. In some languages it may be enough to simply say “Jairus.” In other languages it may be more natural to avoid using Jairus’ name here and to simply say “the synagogue leader.” See the note on “a synagogue leader” at 8:41a.

8:49c

Your daughter is dead: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Your daughter is dead is literally, “Your daughter has died.” Use a natural expression in your language to tell someone that a family member has died. In many languages, there will be a euphemism for this.

he told Jairus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he told Jairus is literally “saying.” The man was talking to Jairus, who was still with Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:

He said ⌊to Jairus⌋
-or-
He told ⌊the synagogue leader⌋

The Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase he told Jairus after the words “Your daughter is dead.” In the Greek text, it comes before these words. Place it where it is most natural in your language.

8:49d

Do not bother the Teacher anymore: In this context, the words Do not bother the Teacher anymore imply that Jairus should leave Jesus. He should no longer expect Jesus to go to his house. The man said this because he did not believe that Jesus could help someone who had already died. It may be helpful to supply some of this implied information. For example:

So do not continue to bother the teacher. ⌊He cannot do anything for her now.⌋

In Greek the man used a command form to make a polite suggestion. In some languages this form may sound harsh. Use a form that is polite and natural in your language for a suggestion of this kind. Also, translate it in a way that is appropriate for someone, possibly a slave, to speak to a respected man.

A similar expression is found in 7:6c.

bother: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bother here means “to trouble (someone).” The man assumed that Jesus was a busy teacher and that Jairus had troubled Jesus by asking him to heal his daughter. In this context, bother does not mean to do something purposely to annoy someone.

In some languages, there may be another word or phrase that expresses this sense more clearly. In other languages it may be helpful to make explicit the sense of bother. For example:

do not bother the teacher any longer ⌊by urging/asking him to go to your house⌋

the Teacher: The phrase the Teacher here refers to Jesus. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. If you have another term in your language to refer to a religious leader or teacher, it may be appropriate to use it here.

Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a schoolteacher. This term also occurs in 7:40, where it is used as a term of address.

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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 9:25

9:25

This verse is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this question to emphasize that it is not at all valuable to gain the whole world but lose the opportunity to live forever with God. There are several ways to translate this:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

What does anyone gain by winning the whole world at the cost of destroying himself? (Revised English Bible)

• As a question with the answer supplied. For example:

Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but are yourself lost or defeated? Of course not! (Good News Translation)

• As a statement. For example:

It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world if they themselves are destroyed or lost. (New Century Version)

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to emphasize what Jesus was teaching here.

9:25a

What does it profit: The phrase What does it profit is asking about the worth or value of something. You could also translate this as:

What use is it…?
-or-
What benefit/value is it…?

a man: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man refers to anyone, male or female.

gain the whole world: The phrase gain the whole world literally means to own the world and everything in it. This is a hyperbole. It refers to being very successful in earning money and obtaining material goods.

Some other ways to translate gain the whole world are:

win the whole world (Good News Translation)
-or-
own the whole world (Contemporary English Version)

This figure of speech emphasizes that even the whole world is worthless compared to the worth of a person’s soul. If a literal translation gives a wrong meaning in your language, you may need to express the emphasis in another way. For example:

obtain immense riches
-or-
be the wealthiest person in the world

9:25b

lose or forfeit his very self: The phrase lose or forfeit his very self refers to not only dying but also losing the opportunity to experience true life with God.

lose or forfeit: In this context the Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lose or forfeit mean “to fail to obtain something.” These two words have the same meaning in this context. So in some languages it may be more natural to use one word to translate this meaning.

his very self: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as his very self is literally “himself.” It means the same thing as “his life/soul” in 9:24. This refers to a person’s real self, the part of a person that never dies.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:57

Section 9:57–62

It is hard to follow Jesus

In the previous section, Luke spoke about the unwillingness of people in a Samaritan village to receive Jesus. In this Section 9:57–62, Luke told about three men who said that they were willing to follow Jesus. However, they did not understand the difficulties involved. Jesus warned each of them that it would not be easy. He told them that they must put the kingdom of God above everything else in their lives.

Some other examples of headings for this section are:

The Difficulty of Following Jesus
-or-
Three People Who Wanted To Be Jesus’ Followers

There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 8:19–22.

Paragraph 9:57–58

The previous Section 9:51–56 indicated that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, so “the road” that Luke mentioned in 9:57a may be the road to Jerusalem. However, the setting for the parallel passage in Matthew 8:19–22 is different, so specific details about the location should not be made explicit here.

9:57a

As they were walking along the road: The pronoun they refers to Jesus and his disciples. The phrase the road does not refer to any specific place or time. You should translate this setting in a general way. For example:

As they were walking along (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊One day⌋ as they walked along the road

someone said to Jesus: Luke does not identify this man in any way. The text does not indicate whether he was walking with Jesus and his disciples or whether he approached Jesus at some place along the way. In some languages it may be necessary to introduce this man into the story in a general way. For example:

⌊there was⌋ a man ⌊who approached⌋ Jesus and said

9:57b

I will follow You wherever You go:
The phrase I will follow You indicates here that the man wanted to be one of Jesus’ disciples. In Jesus’ time, a disciple followed his master wherever he went and learned from him. In some languages some of this information may need to be made explicit. For example:

I will ⌊be your disciple and⌋ follow you anywhere you go.
-or-
I want to become your follower ⌊always⌋. Wherever you go, I will go also.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:27

10:27

The command in 10:27a–b is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:5. The command in 10:27c is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. Leviticus and Deuteronomy are part of the Law that God gave Moses. The two commands are also quoted in Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30. If you use footnotes, you may want to cross-reference these verses.

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that these words were a quote from the Law. For example:

⌊The Law says,⌋ “Love the Lord your God….” ⌊It also says,⌋ “Love your neighbor…”
-or-

⌊The written word of God says this:⌋ “Love the Lord your God…” and “Love your neighbor…”

In some languages it is not natural to use a quotation within another quotation as the Berean Standard Bible does. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to use an indirect quotation. For example:

⌊The Law says⌋ that you/one must love the Lord your/his God…and your/his neighbor…

10:27a–b

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’: In some languages it may not be possible to speak of loving God with various things. Some other ways to express this meaning are:

You should love the Lord your God entirely, using all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.
-or-
You must concentrate all your thoughts/mind, intelligence, and strength on loving God, who is your Lord.
-or-
You must love the Lord your God in all of your life. In everything you think or feel or do, you must show that you love him very much.

In this quote from Deuteronomy 6:5, the expert added the phrase with all your mind. The four Greek terms that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart, soul, strength, and mind function together here to refer to a person’s entire being. Each of these terms is also preceded by the word all. This emphasizes that a person should use all his will, emotions, ability, and intelligence to love the Lord in every way that is possible.

In some languages it may be helpful to make this clear by supplying a summary phrase. For example:

with ⌊all that you are:⌋ heart, soul, strength, and mind

10:27a

Love the Lord your God: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Love is literally “you shall love.” In this context it is a command. It expresses what a person should do. Another way to translate this is:

You must love the Lord your God (New Living Translation (2004))

This command is singular, both here in Greek and in the Old Testament in Hebrew. The command was to the Jewish people, and it applied to each Jewish person. In some languages, people do not use a singular form to give a general command like this. Use whatever form is natural in your language for giving this type of general command. For example:

You(plur) must love the Lord your(plur) God with all your(plur) heart
-or-
We(incl) must love the Lord our God with all our(incl) heart
-or-
Each ⌊of us⌋ must love the Lord his God with all his heart

Love: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Love means that a person values and reverences God with gratitude and affection. He is devoted and loyal to God. He wants to please God because he loves him, and he will think about the things that God is interested in.

the Lord your God: The phrase the Lord your God indicates that the Lord is the God with whom people have a relationship. It implies that the Lord guides and cares for them as God, and they worship and serve him.

Some ways to translate the Lord your God are:

the Lord, who is your God
-or-
your Lord/Master God
-or-
God who is your Lord/Master

In some languages, the phrase your God is not natural. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate the Lord your God:

the Lord God, whom you ⌊worship/serve⌋
-or-
God the Lord, who ⌊cares for⌋ you
-or-
the Lord, the God whom you ⌊worship⌋

Lord: In Hebrew the word that is translated as Lord here was the personal name of God. In Greek, Lord is used as a title that means “master, one who has authority over others.” If there is a personal name for God in your language, it is probably good to use it in your translation of “the Lord your God.” See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as God refers here to the eternal spirit who created everything. He is more powerful than any other spirit, and he is perfectly good and wise. In many languages there will already be an established term for God. If that is not true in your language, here are some ways to translate God:

• Use a name or title for God that people in your culture already use.

• Use a descriptive term that fits the truth about God that is revealed in the Bible. Be sure to combine this term meaningfully in the phrase “the Lord your God.” For example:

the Lord who is your Creator
-or-
your Lord, the Great Spirit
-or-
the Ruler of the universe who is your Lord

• Use a borrowed word from the national or trade language Bible.

Choose a term that is acceptable to the believers and churches in your area. For more detailed information, see God in the Glossary.

10:27b

with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’: The Greek terms that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart, soul, strength, and mind have many similarities. For example, the words translated as heart and soul both refer to a person’s inner being. The words translated as heart and mind are also similar. Both are the source of a person’s thoughts and decisions.

It is important to understand that these four terms are not intended to describe distinct parts of a human being. They function together to describe all of a person’s personality and abilities. In some languages, there may be more or fewer than four terms to describe this. Use natural terms in your language.

your: See the note on “Love the Lord your God” in 10:27a.

heart: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart is used here in a figurative way. The Jews often spoke of the heart as the part of a person in which thoughts and feelings occur. It referred to the ability to think, feel, and make decisions.

In some languages people use a different part of the body, such as the mind, throat, liver, or stomach, in this way. In other languages it may be more natural to use a different term that is not figurative. For example:

thoughts/feelings

You should use the expression that is natural in your language.

Remember that the word heart is not used in a literal sense here to refer to the physical organ that pumps blood through the body.

This word first occurred in Luke in 2:19.

soul: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as soul refers to a person’s inner self or life. It includes his personality, his thinking, and his feeling.

strength: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strength refers to a person’s ability to do something. It may also include his physical strength or power.

mind’: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mind refers to the intellect or understanding, his ability to think and reason.

10:27c

Love your neighbor as yourself: This part of the verse is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. The Greek text does not repeat the verb Love here, because it already occurred in the first part of this verse. However, in many languages it is clearer to repeat it, as many English versions do.

In some languages, a phrase such as “It is also written” may be necessary before this part of the verse.

Love: The verb Love is supplied from 10:27a. In this context it refers to the concern and affection that people should have toward other people. They should treat them kindly and try to help them.

Consider the most appropriate term to describe this type of love. Some languages may have an idiom for it. It is possible that you may need to use different expressions to refer to love for people and love for God.

your neighbor: The word neighbor means “someone who lives nearby.” It was also used to refer to people who were of the same social group or who spoke the same language. To the Jews the phrase “Love your neighbor” meant to love your fellow Jew.

In the verses that follow, Jesus indicated that a neighbor could be any fellow human being. In your translation, try to use a word or phrase that can be understood in either a limited way or in a more general way. Do not say “fellow Jew,” for then the law expert’s question “Who is my neighbor?” would not make sense. Some ways to translate the phrase your neighbor are:

your companion
-or-
people who are near you

In this verse the word neighbor is singular, but it refers to any and all neighbors. In some languages it may be more natural to use a plural form to express this.

as yourself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as yourself means “in the same way that you love yourself.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:17

Paragraph 11:17–20

In this paragraph Jesus gave two arguments to prove that he was not using Beelzebul’s power to drive out demons. He was using God’s power. The two arguments are:

(a) If he were using Beelzebul’s power, then Beelzebul would be fighting against his own demons and would destroy his own kingdom (11:17–18).

(b) If he were using Beelzebul’s power, then his accusers would need to explain why they did not also accuse other Jewish exorcists of using Beelzebul’s power (11:19).

No one would accept the conclusion to these arguments, so there was only one alternative: Jesus was using God’s power (11:20).

11:17a

In Greek, this verse begins with a phrase that is literally “but he.” This emphatic phrase shows a turning point in the story. It contrasts the unspoken motives of the various groups in the crowd with the fact that Jesus knew what they thought even though they did not say it. The Berean Standard Bible does not indicate this emphatic contrast explicitly. In some languages, there may be a natural way to do this. For example:

But he (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
But as for Jesus, he

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus: Jesus knew what the different groups of people in 11:15–16 were thinking. He knew what the people who spoke about him in 11:15 were thinking. He also knew the real motives of the people who wanted a sign (11:16).

said to them: The phrase said to them expresses the result of Jesus knowing their thoughts. Some English versions indicate that this is a result by using the word “so.” For example:

so he said to them (Good News Translation)

Express this relationship in a way that is natural in your language.

11:17b

Every kingdom divided against itself: The phrase Every kingdom divided against itself describes a civil war. It refers to any nation or country where different groups within that country fight one another. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other (Good News Translation)
-or-
Any kingdom divided by civil war (New Living Translation (2004))

kingdom: A kingdom is a country that is ruled by a king. But Jesus was not talking only about countries that had kings. He was giving a general principle that can be applied to any country or tribe. Other ways to translate kingdom in this context are:

nation
-or-
tribe

will be laid waste: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be laid waste means “will be destroyed.” It is implied that it will also be deserted, that is, few people will remain alive in that country. It does not mean that the country will become a “desert” in the sense of a sandy or rocky area with little water or vegetation.

The verb will be laid waste is a passive verb. Some ways to translate this verb are:

will be destroyed (New Century Version)
-or-
will end up in ruin (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
will not last very long (Good News Translation)

11:17c

and a house divided against a house will fall: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a house divided against a house will fall is literally “a house upon a house falls.” There are two ways to interpret this clause:

(1) It is a second example. It describes a household or family whose members are fighting each other. For example:

a family divided against itself falls apart (Good News Translation)

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

(2) It is the result of a kingdom that is divided against itself. Civil war like this leads to one family fighting another. It may also lead to one house literally collapsing against another house. For example:

and house falls upon house (New Revised Standard Version)

(New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most English versions. This interpretation is parallel with the statement in 11:17b. It also agrees with the parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark.

a house: The term house refers to a family or a group of people living together as one household.

divided against a house: As in 11:17b, the phrase divided against a house here means “fight one another.” When the members of a household fight one another, that household will fall. This means that the family will split apart and will soon cease to exist as a family unit. Some other ways to translate this are:

a family that is divided against itself will not continue (New Century Version)
-or-
a family that fights will break up (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:49

11:49–50

The logic of Jesus’ words in 11:49–50 is something like this:

48aYou approve of what your ancestors did.

49a
Because of this ⌊attitude⌋, God has said that

49bhe will send additional prophets

49cand/but you will kill them too.

50a
Therefore, you will be judged

50b–dfor the deaths of all the prophets who were killed.

11:49a

Because of this: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Because of this means “Because of your attitude” or “Because of your evil deeds” (in 11:47–48). This phrase indicates that 11:47–48 is reason for what he said in 11:49. The word Because introduces a result. Some other ways to translate this are:

Therefore (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
For this reason (Good News Translation)
-or-
That’s why (God’s Word)
-or-
Because of your evil deeds (Contemporary English Version)

the wisdom of God said: In the Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as the wisdom of God said, Jesus talked about the “wisdom of God” as if it were a person speaking. This is a figure of speech called personification.

In this context, this figure of speech means “God wisely said.” God spoke of what would happen because he is wise and knows everything. Some other ways to express this figure of speech are:

God in his wisdom said (New International Version)
-or-
God showed his wisdom when he said

11:49b

I will send them prophets and apostles: In this quotation, the word I refers to the Wisdom of God, who is personified as speaking. The word them refers to the people of Israel. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit:

I will send ⌊to the Israelites⌋ ⌊some/various⌋ prophets and apostles

Jesus intended this quote to refer to the people to whom he was speaking. So in some languages, it may be more natural to say “you” instead of them. For example:

I will send prophets and apostles to you (Contemporary English Version)

prophets: See prophet in the Glossary.

apostles: The Greek word that English versions translate as apostles means “those who are sent.” Here it refers to the people whom Jesus sent with authority to accomplish a mission or a particular task.

Some ways to translate apostles are:

• Translate the meaning of the Greek word apostles. For example:

people sent ⌊to speak/act for him⌋
-or-

⌊special⌋ messengers
-or-
representatives
-or-
men with authority from Jesus

• Indicate the role or function of apostles. For example:

chief leaders ⌊of Jesus’ work⌋
-or-
people who are in charge ⌊of Jesus’ work⌋

Be careful to choose different terms for “apostles,” “angels,” “elders,” and “prophets.”

The word apostles also occurs in 9:10a. See also apostle in the Glossary.

11:49c

God sent other prophets to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to them either. Instead, they killed them too. In some languages, it may be natural to show the contrast between 11:49b and 11:49c. For example:

but they will kill some and persecute the others (New Living Translation (2004))

some of them they will kill and others they will persecute: Scholars have understood this clause in one of two ways:

(1) It means that the people of Israel would kill some prophets and apostles and they would persecute others. For example:

They will murder some of those prophets and apostles and persecute others. (God’s Word)

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

(2) It means that the people of Israel would kill and persecute some prophets and apostles. They would do these two things to the same group of people. This implies that they would not persecute nor kill all the prophets and apostles. For example:

some of whom they will kill and persecute (NET Bible)

(Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, King James Version)

If you decide to follow this interpretation, you may need to reverse the order of the two verbs kill and persecute. For example:

Some they will persecute and ⌊even⌋ kill.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English versions. Historically, many of the prophets and apostles were persecuted but not killed.

As in 11:49b, Jesus intended this quote to refer to the people to whom he was talking. So in some languages, it will be more natural to say “you” instead of they. For example:

you will murder some and mistreat others (Contemporary English Version)

kill: In this context kill means “murder” or “martyr.” This same word occurs in 11:47c.

others they will persecute: The word persecute means “deliberately harm someone” or “do evil to someone.” Some other ways to translate this word are:

mistreat (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
treat…cruelly (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:27

Paragraph 12:27–28

In 12:22, Jesus told his disciples not to worry about food or clothing. In 12:24 he used ravens as an example of how God provided food for insignificant birds. Here in 12:27–28, he used lilies as a parallel example of how God provided beautiful “clothing” for wildflowers.

12:27a

Consider how the lilies grow: The word Consider is the same word that was used in 12:24a. Since this is a parallel example, you may want to use similar wording here. In some languages it may be more natural to make lilies the direct object of Consider:

Consider the lilies. You know how they grow.

the lilies: Scholars are uncertain about the meaning of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lilies. It may refer to a specific flower, but it may also refer generally to any of the beautiful wildflowers that grew in Palestine (Israel). So you may want to use a general expression. For example:

the wild flowers (Good News Translation)
-or-
the flowers (New Jerusalem Bible)

As with “the ravens” (12:24a), consider whether or not the definite article (“the”) is natural here in your language. It is probable that Jesus pointed to some nearby flowers as he said these words. In some languages it may be appropriate to indicate that in some way. For example:

these/those wildflowers

12:27b

labor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as labor refers to hard physical work, such as digging in the ground or gathering the harvest.

spin: The word spin refers to twisting fibers together to make thread for weaving cloth. If in your culture people do not spin thread, you may wish to translate the function of this work:

make clothes

12:27c

Yet I tell you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Yet I tell you introduces a statement that Jesus wanted to emphasize. It was surprising and unexpected. People did not expect him to say that ordinary wildflowers had greater beauty than the clothes of King Solomon. Some other ways to emphasize this statement are:

• As a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:

But let me tell you this
-or-
Yet I assure you

• As an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:

But Solomon in all his splendor was certainly not dressed like one of these

If you have another way in your language to emphasize a statement or to alert people to listen with special attention, consider using it here.

The phrase I tell you was used in a different context in 12:4a and 12:8a. It was used in a similar context in 10:12. Be sure to evaluate the context carefully before you decide what expression to use here.

Solomon: Jesus referred here to King Solomon, the richest of all Israel’s kings. He lived long before Jesus’ time.

in all his glory: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glory in this context refers to all the ways in which Solomon displayed his wealth and power. This included the expensive and beautiful robes that he wore as king, as well as his luxurious palace and his other possessions. Some versions focus on Solomon’s clothing. For example:

in all his royal robes (New Jerusalem Bible)

Most versions use a word that refers more generally to Solomon’s riches. For example:

with all his wealth (Good News Translation)
-or-
in all his majesty (God’s Word)

In some languages a single term may not be adequate to express the meaning of glory. In that case, consider using more than one term. For example:

who was very rich and wore expensive clothes (Translator’s Reference Translation)

was adorned like one of these: In this context the phrase was adorned like means “was dressed as well as” or “wore clothes as beautiful as.” Jesus was saying that even Solomon’s best clothes were not as beautiful as the wildflowers. The New Century Version makes this explicit:

even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers

The phrase adorned like one of these is a figurative comparison, since flowers do not literally wear clothes. If this figure is not natural in your language, you may translate this meaning directly. For example:

Solomon’s magnificent robes were not as beautiful as one of these flowers.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:59

12:59

I tell you: Jesus often used the words I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. He was asking people to listen with extra attention. For additional translation suggestions, see the notes on 10:24a and 12:27c.

you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny: The expression you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny means “you will not be able to leave the jail until you have paid all the money that you owe.”

the very last penny: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as penny referred to the Roman coin with the smallest value. The phrase the very last penny is an idiomatic way of saying “all of the money.” In this context, it could refer to one of two things:

(1) It refers to a debt. The prisoner owed money to the adversary mentioned in 12:58a. The judge decided that the prisoner must pay back this debt before he could get out of jail. For example:

the last cent you owe (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the last penny of your debt

(Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) It refers to a court fine. The judge decided that the prisoner had to pay a certain amount to the court as his punishment. For example:

the last penny of your fine (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, God’s Word)

The Greek text and most English versions do not specify what the last penny refers to. If possible, translate in a way that would include both possibilities. If you need to be explicit in your translation, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most scholars. It was a common practice to put people who could not pay their debts in prison. Jesus told other parables about canceling debts (Luke 7:41–43) or about people being imprisoned for unpaid debts (see Matthew 18:30).

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013