SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 59

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:19

2:19

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as But introduces Mary’s reaction to the things that the shepherds told her. Luke focused on Mary’s reaction as special among the group who heard the shepherds’ words. There is a contrast between Mary and everyone else. Everyone was amazed, but Mary also thought carefully about what had happened. In some languages it may not be necessary to use a connector. Translate the connection in a natural way in your language.

treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart: The word heart is figurative here. The Jews often spoke of the heart as the part of a person in which thoughts and feelings occur. In some languages, it may not be natural to use an expression like “in the heart.” If that is true in your language, here are other ways to translate this part of the verse:

• Use a specific expression that people in your culture use to refer to the part of a person in which thoughts and feelings occur. For example:

Mary treasured all these things and turned them over in her mind… (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• Use a general expression without mentioning a specific part of a person. For example:

Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them. (New Century Version)

treasured up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as treasured up literally means “kept,” “guarded,” or “protected.” In this context, Mary kept/guarded her thoughts and memories. This means that she continually remembered the things that had happened. She did not allow herself to forget these things.

all these things: The phrase all these things refers to all the events that had happened regarding Jesus. Mary thought not only about what the shepherds said but also about the things that the angel had told her (1:31–35). She probably also thought about what Elizabeth had said (1:42–45).

pondered them: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pondered means that Mary thought about all these things that had happened. She carefully considered their meaning.

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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 2:51

Paragraph 2:51–52

2:51a

Then He went down to Nazareth with them: The town of Nazareth was lower in the hills than Jerusalem. So anyone traveling from Jerusalem to Nazareth had to walk down the hill to a place that was lower in elevation.

In some languages, it is important to say whether people go up or down when they travel. In other languages, this will be unusual or may be confusing. If it is confusing in your language, you may use a more general word or phrase. For example:

Jesus went with them to Nazareth (New Century Version)
-or-
Then he returned to Nazareth with them (New Living Translation (2004))

2:51b

and was obedient to them: The clause was obedient to them means that Jesus obeyed his parents. It does not imply that he did not obey them before. If this is not clear, you could say:

he continued to obey them

In this verse part, Luke made it clear that Jesus obeyed his parents as he grew to be a mature man.

2:51c

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as But is often translated as “and.” There is no strong contrast between 2:51c and 2:51b. This word simply indicates that the story continues. So here some versions translate this word as “and.” For example:

and his mother kept all these things in her heart (Revised Standard Version)

Other versions start a new sentence here and leave this word untranslated. For example:

His mother treasured all these things in her heart. (Good News Translation)

You should connect 2:51c to 2:51b in a way that is natural in your language.

His mother treasured up all these things in her heart: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as treasured means “kept” (as in the Revised Standard Version). Mary kept all these things in her heart. This means that she remembered them. She did not allow herself to forget these things.

This word has a meaning that is similar to a different word in 2:19 that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “treasured up.”

Other ways to translate this are:

kept all these things in mind and pondered them
-or-
remembered all these things and thought about them often
-or-
kept thinking about all these things

His mother: The phrase His mother refers to Jesus’ mother Mary.

all these things: The phrase all these things refers to all the events that happened in 2:41–50. It may also refer to events that had happened in the earlier part of Jesus’ life.

in her heart: The word heart is figurative here. The Jews often spoke of the heart as the part of a person in which thoughts and feelings occur. In some languages, it may not be natural to use an expression like “in the heart.” If that is true in your language, here are other ways to translate this part of the verse:

• Use a specific expression that people in your culture use to refer to the part of a person in which thoughts and feelings occur. For example:

Mary treasured all these things and turned them over in her mind.

• Use a general expression without mentioning a specific part of a person. For example:

Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them.
-or-
His mother kept on thinking about all that had happened. (Contemporary English Version)

This same phrase occurs in 2:19.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:4

4:4a

But Jesus answered: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as answered can also be translated as “replied” or “responded.” Jesus did not answer a question. He responded to what the devil suggested. Use a word from your language that matches this context. For example:

But Jesus told him (New Living Translation (2004))

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is a conjunction that may also be translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version and NET Bible, do not translate this conjunction here. Connect 4:4a to 4:3b in a way that is natural in your language.

It is written: Jesus used the phrase It is written to introduce words that were written in the Hebrew Scriptures (Deuteronomy 8:3). Some other ways to translate this are:

It is written in the Scriptures (New Century Version)
-or-
The scripture says (Good News Translation)

4:4b

Man shall not live on bread alone:
The clause Man shall not live on bread alone is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3. Jesus was saying that bread (food) alone does not give true life. There is something more important than food.

Be careful not to translate this clause in a way that implies that Jesus was saying that people need a variety of foods in addition to bread. He was not saying that bread is not nutritious enough to sustain life. He was saying that food alone does not give true life.

Some other ways to translate this are:

It takes more than bread for man to live.
-or-
Food by itself is not enough to keep people alive.
-or-
No one can live only on food. (Contemporary English Version)

Man: The word Man here refers to human beings. It refers to both males and females.

bread: In this context bread represents food in general. This is the same word as in 4:3b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:36

4:36a

All the people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as All the people is literally “all.” It refers to all the people in the synagogue who had just seen this miracle.

were overcome with amazement: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as with amazement also means “astonished.” The people were amazed and astonished that the demon came out of the man without injuring him. They were also amazed that Jesus had the authority and power to command demons and make them leave.

In some languages, it may be necessary to say what had caused the people to be amazed. For example:

All the people were amazed ⌊at this⌋
-or-

⌊This miracle⌋ amazed all the people

4:36b

and asked one another: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and asked one another is literally “and they were talking to one another saying.” Some other ways to translate this are:

They talked to each other and said
-or-
They discussed this among themselves and said

If you translate 4:36c as a question, it may be necessary to translate the Greek word “saying” as asked, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:

and asked one another

4:36c

What is this message?: When you translate this clause, there are two issues to consider.

Interpretation issue: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as What is this message? is literally “What is this word?” In this context, there are several ways to interpret the word “word”:

(1) It refers to all Jesus’ words. This includes both his command (in 4:35a) and his teaching (in 4:32b). For example:

What is there in this man’s words? (Revised English Bible)

(NET Bible, New Century Version, Revised English Bible)

(2) It refers primarily to Jesus’ word/command in 4:35a that forced the demon to leave the man. For example:

What kind of command is this? (God’s Word)

(God’s Word)

(3) It refers primarily to the word/teaching in 4:32b, or his teaching in general. For example:

What kind of teaching is this? (Contemporary English Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, New International Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

Rhetorical question: This clause is a rhetorical question. It expresses surprise. It does not mean that the people did not understand what Jesus said.

Some ways to translate this are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

What is there in this man’s words? (Revised English Bible)
-or-
What’s happening here? (NET Bible)

• As a statement. For example:

These are surprising/amazing words!

Use whichever form is most natural in your language to express surprise of this type.

4:36d

In Greek, 4:36d begins with a conjunction that Luke used to introduce the reason for the people’s surprised question in 4:36c. Some English versions, such as the Revised Standard Version, translate this conjunction as “for.” The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions do not translate this conjunction. You should introduce 4:36d in a way that is natural in your language.

With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits: The two Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as authority and power are similar in meaning. The word authority refers to the right or privilege to say or do something. The word power refers to being able to do something. The people saw that Jesus had both authority to command the demon and power to force him to obey his command.

Some other ways to translate this are:

He has the right and the strength to command evil spirits to leave
-or-
He is stronger than evil spirits, and he has the right to order them to come out

If your language would not use nouns like authority and power here, you can say:

The evil spirits must obey him because he is greater and stronger than they are.

He commands the unclean spirits: The phrase He commands the unclean spirits means that Jesus commanded evil spirits to leave the people whom they were possessing. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

he orders evil spirits ⌊to come out of people⌋

the unclean spirits: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as unclean spirits is sometimes translated as “evil spirits” (God’s Word, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004)). The terms unclean spirits, evil spirits, and demons all refer to the same beings. You may use the same term here as in 4:33a. See also demon in the Glossary.

4:36e

and they come out: The evil spirits had to come out of people when Jesus commanded them. They did not want to, but they had to obey Jesus. In some languages, it may be necessary to make it explicit that the evil spirits came out because Jesus told them to. For example:

and they ⌊obey him and⌋ come out ⌊of people⌋

General Comment on 4:36d–e

Another way to connect the information in 4:36d–e is:

He speaks with such authority and power that even evil spirits obey him and leave when he orders them!

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:24

5:24a

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on the earth to forgive sins…: This clause expresses Jesus’ purpose for healing the paralyzed man. He wanted the teachers of the law and everyone else to know that he had the power or authority to forgive sins.

In the Greek text, as in the Berean Standard Bible, this is not a complete sentence. The Berean Standard Bible uses an ellipsis mark (…) to show that this is not a complete sentence. Other translations, such as the English Standard Version and the NET Bible, use a dash. In your language, it may be necessary to express this purpose as a complete sentence. For example:

I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. (Good News Translation)
-or-
In order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, ⌊I do this⌋.
-or-

I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. (God’s Word)

But so that: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But so that introduces a purpose clause. There are several ways to translate this phrase. For example:

But now you will see that (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
So I will prove to you that (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I want you to know that (God’s Word)

the Son of Man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Son of Man is literally “the Son of the human/person.” Jesus used this title to imply that:

(a) he was a true human being, and he represented all people;

(b) he came from God and had authority from God.

Try to use an expression that implies both meanings. Some expressions that translators have used are:

the Man whom God Sent
-or-
the True Man from God/Heaven
-or-
the Representative of Mankind
-or-
The Older Brother of All People

In some cases, an unusual title may correctly suggest a deeper meaning. For example:

the Child of a Person
-or-
the One who was Born as a Human

Translators have also used expressions that are more literal. These more literal expressions may be appropriate where readers are familiar with a literal title in another version.

In some languages it may be necessary to use a form like “I” or “me” to indicate that Jesus was referring to himself. For example:

I, the Son of Man
-or-

I who became man/human

See Son of Man in Key Biblical Terms.

has authority on the earth: The term authority means that Jesus has the “power,” “ability,” or “right” to forgive sins here on earth. The people listening to Jesus already knew that God had this authority in heaven. The term earth, for the place where people live, contrasts with heaven, the place where God dwells. Some other ways to translate this are:

has the power here on earth
-or-
has authority in the world ⌊of men⌋
-or-
has the right…here on earth (Contemporary English Version)

to forgive sins: Use the same expression that you used in 5:21c.

5:24b

He said to the paralytic: Jesus stopped talking to the religious leaders and turned to give a command to the paralyzed man. In some languages it may be more natural to note explicitly that Jesus changed whom he was addressing. For example:

Then he said to the paralyzed man (God’s Word)
-or-

So he said to the paralyzed man (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said (New Living Translation (2004))

The verb said here introduces a command. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

Jesus ordered the paralyzed man

5:24c

I tell you: The pronoun you is singular and refers to the paralyzed man. The phrase I tell you emphasizes that Jesus was now speaking to the paralyzed man. Some other ways to translate this are:

I say to you (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Listen to me
-or-
I order you

get up: The phrase get up here means “stand up.” By his words Jesus gave the man the ability to do as he was commanded. He caused the man to become well and able to stand up.

pick up your mat, and go home: The phrase pick up your mat, and go home here means “pick up your mat, carry it, and return to your house/home.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:17

Section 6:17–49

Jesus taught people how to be his disciples

In this section, Jesus spoke about how his true disciples should think and act. He spoke about this immediately after he had chosen twelve of his disciples to be his apostles. Jesus said many things about this topic in his speech, so that people have often called this particular speech of Jesus a “sermon.”

In this sermon, Jesus asked those who heard him to be different from other people in the world and to think differently. He encouraged his disciples to obey his authority and live as people of God. They should be generous and merciful even to their enemies, as God is generous to everyone. Jesus assured his disciples that they would be blessed and rewarded for their obedience and for suffering for him. He concluded his speech by telling parables to motivate his disciples to obey his teaching.

Another possible heading for this section is:

The Sermon on the Plain (NET Bible)

Some English versions divide 6:17–49 into several sections. Here is one way that might be done:

6:17–26 Blessings and woes

6:27–36 Love your enemies

6:37–42 Do not judge

6:43–45 A tree and its fruit

6:46–49 Two foundations

The sermon in 6:17–49 is similar to the sermon commonly referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew chapters 5–7.

Paragraph 6:17–19

This paragraph tells where Jesus was when he spoke the words in this section. It also tells when he spoke and who listened to what he said. It tells why the people had gathered together and what Jesus had been doing before he spoke to the crowd. The events in this paragraph occurred immediately after Jesus chose the twelve apostles in the previous paragraph.

6:17a

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version and Contemporary English Version, do not translate this conjunction. However, since this conjunction introduces an event that occurred right after the previous one, other versions (Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible) translate it as “then.” Another way to translate this is:

When (Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004))

Connect 4:4a to 4:3b in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus came down with them: The phrase Jesus came down with them means that Jesus went down the mountain with his apostles. The other disciples also went with him. For example:

Jesus and his apostles went down from the mountain (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus (New Living Translation (2004))

them: The pronoun them refers to the twelve apostles. It probably also includes the other disciples who had been on the mountain too. Use a general term that can include both groups.

and stood on a level place: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stood means that Jesus stopped descending the mountain. It does not focus on his posture. Some other ways to translate this are:

the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
and stopped on some level ground (Revised English Bible)
-or-
and came to some flat, level ground (Contemporary English Version)

level place: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a level place refers to level/flat ground where people could sit. This level ground did not have steep places, and it was a suitable place for a large crowd to gather. The word does not indicate whether this place was in a lowland area or in a mountainous area.

6:17b–d

A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon: Jesus and his disciples found a large group of people waiting for them. This large group of people included:

(a) an additional group of his disciples, plus

(b) a large group of people who had traveled from other places.

The text does not say how many people had gathered. This entire group could have been as large as several thousand people. (The same Greek phrase for large crowd was used in Matthew 14:14 to talk about the crowd of five thousand that Jesus fed.)

A large crowd of His disciples was there:
The clause A large crowd of His disciples was there refers to other disciples who had not been with Jesus at the top of the mountain. They were there waiting for Jesus.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

A large crowd of other disciples was ⌊waiting⌋ there
-or-
There ⌊they found/met⌋ many more of his disciples
-or-
surrounded by many of his followers (New Living Translation (2004))

disciples: See the note on disciples at 6:1b. See disciple in the Glossary.

large crowd…great number: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as number is literally “multitude.” It implies a larger group than the Greek word translated as crowd. Both words describe a very large gathering of people.

If you have more than one word that can describe a large crowd, use the word that describes the larger group for the second group of people. If you have only one word for “crowd,” you could use it to describe both groups and indicate that second group was larger. For example:

So were very many other people

from all over Judea, Jerusalem: Judea refers to the country of the Jews as a whole. Jerusalem was the most important town within that country. Some other ways to translate this are:

from all over Judea, including the town of Jerusalem
-or-
from Jerusalem and many other areas/places in Judea

and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon: The phrase and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon indicates that people came from the area near the sea that included the cities of Tyre and Sidon. (Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, to the north of Israel.) Some other ways to translate this are:

and from the coastal region/area where the cities of Tyre and Sidon are located
-or-
from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon and the area around them
-or-
and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:49

6:49a–b

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces an opposite example. Another way to translate this conjunction is:

However

the one who hears My words and does not act on them: The person described in this clause does not obey Jesus’ teaching. Translate this clause in a way that shows this man to be the direct opposite of the man in 6:47b–c. For example:

the person who hears what I say but does not obey
-or-
the person who hears what I tell him to do but does not do it

and: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and connects two actions: hearing Jesus’ words and not obeying them. Normally we would expect someone who comes to Jesus and hears his teaching to be ready to obey it. This person does not obey Jesus’ teaching.

In some languages, it may be more natural to use a contrast connector like “but.” For example:

hears my words but does not obey

Connect these clauses in a natural way in your language.

6:49c–d

is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation: Unlike the man in 6:48a–b, this man did not build a solid foundation for his house. Instead, he built it directly on the surface of the earth. He did not dig down to the bedrock.

6:49e

The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell: In Greek, the structure of this clause is parallel to what happened to the first house in 6:48c–d. Some other ways to translate this are:

As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
As soon as the river burst upon it, the house collapsed (Revised English Bible)

It may be good style in some languages to keep the examples of the two houses similar in structure.

fell: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fell here means “fell down.” The river washed out the earth from under the house, and it quickly fell down. For example:

the house quickly fell (New Century Version)

6:49f

great was its destruction: The phrase great was its destruction means “it was completely destroyed.”

In some languages, there may be an idiom or a more descriptive way to express that the house was completely destroyed. For example:

it was smashed to pieces (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
collapse into a heap of ruins (New Living Translation (2004))

If it is more natural in your language to use an active verb, you could say:

⌊the waters⌋ destroyed it completely

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:32

7:32–34

In 7:32 Jesus described children playing games in the marketplace. In one game they pretended to be celebrating a happy occasion such as a wedding where there was music and dancing. In another game they pretended to be at a funeral. But their friends would not play either game. It was impossible to satisfy them.

Jesus used this short parable to illustrate how the people of his time, especially the religious leaders, refused to be satisfied. They were not happy either with John or with Jesus (7:33–34).

7:32

In Greek this verse is one long sentence. It compares the people of that generation to the whole situation that Jesus described. Languages will have different ways to translate this long comparison. Some ways to do this in English are:

they are like children sitting in the marketplace. Some called out to others…
-or-
they act like children who sit in the marketplace and call out to each other…

7:32a

They are like: In this verse Jesus continued to refer to the people in the generation that he was addressing. If you indicated this explicitly in 7:31, you may continue to do that here. For example:

You(plur) are like

children sitting: In this verse the children were playing games. They were pretending to do the things that they referred to. In some languages you may want to make that explicit. For example:

children sitting ⌊and playing games⌋

marketplace: The marketplace was a large open area within the town where people came to buy and sell things. Their children had space to play together there. In some cultures the marketplace is not the most natural place where children play. In other areas there may not be a common marketplace. If this is true in your area, you can consider these options:

• Use a general expression. For example:

in a public place
-or-
in the public square (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use a term that refers to the place that children usually gather to play in your culture. For example:

in the center of the village

calling out to one another: The phrase calling out to one another probably implies that the children were playing in groups. The children in one group shouted to the children in the other group. Compare with Matthew 11:16–17. Other ways to translate this are:

some children called out to others
-or-
One group shouts to the other (Good News Translation)

7:32b

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance: Some children wanted the others to dance for them when they pretended to play happy music on the flute. But the other group of children did not want to play that game.

People usually played flute music so that people would dance. They played this music at feasts and other happy occasions such as weddings. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn’t dance! (Good News Translation)

played the flute: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as played the flute means to make music by blowing into a flute. The musical instrument called a flute here probably consisted of one or two pipes, often made of reed, wood, or bone. In this context, Jesus mentioned the flute to represent joyful music for dancing, rather than to refer specifically to the flute. In some cultures a flute may not be used to play joyful music for dancing. If that is true in your culture, you can consider these options:

• Translate in a more general way. For example:

we played happy/joyful music
-or-
we played music for dancing

• Refer to a musical instrument in your culture that is used to accompany dancing at joyful occasions.

7:32c

we sang a dirge, and you did not weep: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sang a dirge often refers to the mourning that occurs at funerals. It can also refer to the chants or songs that are sung at funerals. This meaning fits well in this context, since 7:32b also described music. Another way to translate this is:

We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn’t cry! (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 7:32a–c

There are different ways to describe the way in which the people of Jesus’ generation were like the children that Jesus described. In some languages it may be necessary to make the point of similarity explicit. If that is true in your language, you may be able to say:

They are like when children sit and play games in the marketplace, and are ⌊impossible to please⌋. Some children call to others saying…

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013