SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 62

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:9

2:9a

Just then This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Many English versions translate it that way. Some other versions translate it as “then” to show that this is the next thing that happened in the story. The Berean Standard Bible translates it as Just then to show that this next event happened suddenly. Other English versions do not translate this conjunction.

an angel of the Lord: Here the phrase an angel of the Lord refers to an angel whom God had sent. This same expression occurs in 1:11a.

angel: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angel means “messenger.” It refers here to a spirit-being who serves God. God sent an angel to tell a message to these shepherds. Some ways to translate this term are:

• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:

messenger ⌊from God/heaven⌋
-or-

⌊good/holy⌋ spirit-being
-or-
spirit-being servant of God

• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.

• In some areas the churches may use a borrowed term or a transliterated word for “angel.” If some people do not understand the right meaning from this word, you may need to indicate the meaning. For example:

an angelos messenger ⌊from God⌋
-or-
a sacred angelos spirit

Be sure that your term for “angel” is different from your terms for “prophet” and “apostle.” See angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

stood before them: In this context, the Greek term that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stood before means that the angel appeared to the shepherds and that the shepherds had not seen him approaching. Many English versions, such as the New International Version, the English Standard Version, and the NET Bible, translated this as “appeared.” In some languages, a word such as “suddenly” or “unexpectedly” may help to express this idea. For example:

An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. (God’s Word)
-or-
They suddenly saw an angel whom God had sent to them.

before them: The Greek text indicates that the angel appeared to the shepherds, but it does not specify whether the angel appeared in front of the shepherds or beside them. If you say “appeared” in your translation, you may wish to say simply “to.”

2:9b

glory of the Lord: Here the word glory refers to the Lord’s “majesty” or “greatness.” This “majesty” or “greatness” appeared to the shepherds as brightness like the shining of a very bright light. It was not normal light, but a special type of light.

Some ways to translate the phrase glory of the Lord here are:

majesty/greatness of the Lord
-or-
brightness of the Lord
-or-
bright light from the Lord
-or-
the light of the Lord

See also the word glory, sense A2, in Key Biblical Terms. See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

shone around them: Some other ways to say shone around them are:

shined over/on them
-or-
illuminated/illumined the place where they were
-or-
filled the area with light (God’s Word)

2:9c

they were terrified: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they were terrified is literally “they feared a great fear.” Some other ways to say this are:

they were very afraid
-or-
they feared greatly
-or-

⌊this⌋ really frightened/scared them

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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 2:41

Section 2:41–52

The boy Jesus spoke with the teachers

In this section, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem. This may have been Jesus’ first time to go there for Passover. While Jesus was in Jerusalem, he went to the Temple and discussed religious matters with Jewish religious leaders.

When Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem to return to Nazareth, they traveled with a group of people. They did not realize that Jesus had stayed in Jerusalem and was not traveling with them. This may have happened because of the way Jews normally walked in smaller groups when they traveled together. The women and small children walked ahead since they traveled more slowly. A boy normally traveled with his mother. But when he became a man, perhaps as early as twelve years old, he traveled with his father. So, as they returned from Jerusalem, Mary probably thought that Jesus was with Joseph, and Joseph may have thought that he was with Mary. Joseph and Mary traveled for a whole day before they realized that Jesus was not with them. The events in this section show three things:

(a) Joseph and Mary did not know where Jesus was;

(b) they did not know exactly what he was telling them when they found him;

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Mary and Joseph Find Jesus With the Teachers in the Temple Courtyard (God’s Word)
-or-
Jesus when he was twelve years old

Paragraph 2:41–48

2:41

His parents: The phrase His parents refers to Joseph and Mary. Although Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father, he filled the responsibility of a father toward Jesus.

the Feast of the Passover: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Passover means “pass by” or “pass over.” The Feast of the Passover was one of the Jewish religious festivals. The Jews celebrated this festival every year.

During this festival, the Jews celebrated the time when God freed their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. It reminded them of how the angel of the Lord caused the Egyptian king to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. The angel did this by killing every firstborn son of the Egyptians during one night. However, the angel did not kill any of the firstborn sons of the Israelites. Instead, he spared their lives. He “passed over” the oldest sons of the Israelites (Exodus 12:21–27). Because of this, the Feast of the Passover was like an independence celebration for the Jews.

Some ways to translate the phrase Feast of the Passover are:

• Translate the meaning of the term. For example:

the Passing Over/By Feast
-or-
the Sparing ⌊of the Firstborn Sons⌋ festival
-or-
“Death did not harm us” feast

• Focus on the result of the angel “passing over,” in other words, the Jews becoming free. For example:

the Festival of Freedom
-or-
Deliverance Day Feast
-or-
the End of Slavery Celebration

You may want to include a footnote and cross-reference here about this feast. For example:

The Feast of Passover was a festival that reminded the Jews of the time when God freed their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. See Exodus 12:1–27.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:21

Section 3:21–22

John baptized Jesus

In this section John baptized Jesus. John did this before Herod put him into prison, which Luke mentioned in 3:19–20. The events of this section happened before the events of the previous paragraph. So it may be necessary in some languages to change the order of the verses. See the introductory note on Paragraph 3:19–20 for possible ways to do this.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

The Baptism of Jesus (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Jesus is Baptized by John (New Century Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 3:13–17 and Mark 1:9–11.

Paragraph 3:21–22

3:21a

In the Greek text this section begins with a phrase that can be translated literally as “And it happened.” The Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions have not translated it. Some other English versions translate it as “Now” to indicate that the following event happened before the event in the preceding paragraph. Use a way that is natural in your language to introduce a new incident that is not in chronological order.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too: There are two ways to interpret the Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too:

(1) John baptized Jesus during the time he was baptizing the other people. For example:

While everyone else was being baptized… (Contemporary English Version)

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

(2) John finished baptizing all the other people, and then he baptized Jesus. For example:

After all the people had been baptized… (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

The verbs were being baptized and was baptized are passive. In some languages it may be more natural to use active verbs and say who baptized the people and Jesus. For example:

When ⌊John⌋ was baptizing all the ⌊other⌋ people, ⌊he⌋ baptized Jesus also.

all the people: The phrase all the people refers to the large crowds of people who came to John so that he would baptize them.

baptized, Jesus was baptized: See the note at 3:7a for suggestions about translating the word “baptize.” See also baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

3:21b

as He was praying: The pronoun He refers to Jesus. Jesus was praying to God at the time when he was being baptized. If you have made “John” the subject of the previous verse, you may need to use Jesus’ name here. For example:

as ⌊Jesus⌋ was praying ⌊to God⌋

was praying: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was praying indicates that Jesus was speaking or talking to God.

Some languages may use different words to refer to specific kinds of prayer, such as requests, thanks, or praise. Use an appropriate word or expression in your language for this context. Avoid a term that may imply magical or meaningless words.

Some other ways to translate this are:

was talking to God
-or-
was asking/begging God

heaven was opened: The clause heaven was opened is passive. It speaks of heaven opening in a similar way as a door or curtain opens. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this clause without a passive verb. For example:

heaven opened (God’s Word)
-or-
the heavens opened (New Living Translation (2004))

If you must say who opened heaven, you may supply God. For example:

⌊God⌋ opened heaven

heaven: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heaven is also used in 3:22b. It can have two different meanings, depending on the context:

(a) heaven, the place where God dwells;

(b) the sky.

In the New Testament, God often showed supernatural signs from the sky, such as a voice, fire, or bright light. In this verse either “heaven” or “sky” would fit the context. The Holy Spirit came down like a dove and God’s voice came from heaven or from the sky. Here are some points to consider:

• If your language has a term that can mean either “heaven” or “sky,” use it both here and in 3:22b.

• If it is difficult to speak about heaven (God’s home) being opened in this way, then you may use “the sky” here and “heaven” in 3:22b.

• In languages that do not have a single word for heaven, you may need to use a descriptive phrase:

the place of God
-or-
the place where God lives

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:26

4:26a

Yet: 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. However, the events in 4:26 are the opposite of what one might expect would happen to the widows in Israel. For this reason, many English versions, like the Berean Standard Bible, translate this conjunction as “but” or “yet.” For example:

But (New Century Version)
-or-
and yet (New American Standard Bible)

Elijah was not sent to any of them: The verb phrase was not sent is passive. Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a passive clause. For example:

Elijah was sent to none of those widows (New Century Version)

• Use an active clause. God is the implied subject. For example:

⌊God⌋ did not send him to any of them

Elijah: Elijah is the name of man who was a well-known prophet. Jesus did not explicitly call him a prophet. But Jesus did call Elisha a prophet in 4:27a. For this reason, you may also translate the name Elijah as “the prophet Elijah.”

not…any of them: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not…any of them is literally “none of them.” The word them refers to the many widows in Israel (in 4:25a). Another way to translate this is:

none of those widows (New Century Version)

4:26b

but: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but is translated in some versions as “except” (God’s Word, New King James Version, New Revised Standard Version). It indicates a contrast between the widows to whom Elijah was not sent (in 4:26a) and the one widow to whom he was sent (in 4:26b).

If you began 4:26a with the conjunction “but,” it may not be natural to also begin 4:26b with the same conjunction. Some other ways to begin 4:26b are:

He was sent instead (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Rather

to the widow: The phrase to the widow is an ellipsis. In this context it means:

⌊Elijah was sent⌋ to a widow
-or-

⌊God sent Elijah⌋ to a widow

of Zarephath in Sidon: The word Zarephath is the name of the town where the widow lived. This town was a Gentile town in another country north of Israel. It was near the city of Sidon.

It may be important to make it clear in your translation that Zarephath was not a town in the country of Israel. For example:

⌊who lived outside Israel⌋ in Zarephath near Sidon

General Comment on 4:26a–b

Luke 4:26a tells what did not happen and 4:26b tells what did happen. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 4:26a 4:26b in order to say first what did happen. For example:

26bBut ⌊God⌋ sent Elijah to a ⌊Gentile⌋ widow in Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, 26aand not to one of the widows in Israel.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:14

Paragraph 5:14–16

5:14a

“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him: In Greek, the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus instructed him occurs at the beginning Jesus’ words. The Berean Standard Bible has placed it in the middle of Jesus’ words. Place the phrase where it is most natural in your language. For example:

Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone…” (New International Version)

Do not tell anyone: The phrase Do not tell anyone here probably means “Do not ⌊yet⌋ tell anyone about your healing.” It probably implies “until you have seen the priest.” Jesus did not mean that the man could never tell anyone.

Jesus instructed him: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus instructed him introduces what Jesus said to the man after he was healed. Introduce this in a natural way in your language. Other ways to do this in English are:

And he charged him (English Standard Version)
-or-
Jesus ordered him (God’s Word)

5:14b

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces what Jesus told the man to do. It contrasts with what he should not do. Use a natural way in your language to connect this command with the previous instruction. For example:

Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone. Instead, show yourself to the priest….” (God’s Word)

In some languages, a conjunction is not necessary here. For example:

And he ordered him to tell no one. “Go,” he said, “and show yourself to the priest….” (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest….” (New Living Translation (2004))

go, show yourself to the priest: The commands go and show contain implied information that was understood by Luke’s readers. Luke’s readers understood that the man was to go to the temple at Jerusalem. They also understood who “the priest” was. It was not just any priest. It was the priest who was on duty at the temple in Jerusalem at that time. They also understood why the man should do this.

In some languages the verb go may require a location. A definite noun such as the priest may require more information. You may also need to say why Jesus told the man to show himself to the priest. If this is true in your language, you may need to make some or all of the implied information explicit. For example:

Go ⌊to Jerusalem⌋, ask the priest ⌊who is performing his duties in the temple⌋ to examine you ⌊and confirm that you are healed⌋

show yourself to the priest: Only a priest could examine this man and confirm that he no longer had leprosy. After examining him, the priest would declare him to be ritually clean. This process is described in Leviticus 14:1–32. Some ways to translate this are:

go straight to the priest and let him examine you (Good News Translation)
-or-
Just quietly present your healed self to the priest

priest: A Jewish priest was a man who offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. He also performed other rituals for them.

Some ways to translate priest are:

• Use a descriptive term that focuses on the function of a priest. For example:

sacrificer
-or-
man/person who offers sacrifices to God
-or-
one who represents people to God

• Use a local word for priest. This option may be acceptable if the duties of a local priest are similar to those of a Jewish priest. You may need to indicate that the word refers to a Jewish priest. For example:

Jewish people’s priest/sacrificer

If possible, you should choose a term that can be used in both Old Testament and New Testament contexts. Remember that in the book of Hebrews believers are called priests and Christ is called our high priest.

See priest in the Glossary.

General Comment on 5:14a–b

In Greek the command that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “Do not tell anyone” (5:14a) is in indirect speech. It is literally “he instructed him not to tell anyone.” However, the commands “go, show yourself to the priest” (5:14b) are in direct speech.

Translate Jesus’ commands to the man in a way that is natural in your language. Some other ways to translate this are:

14aThen Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. 14bHe said, “Go to the priest…” (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

14aJesus told him, “Don’t tell anyone about this, 14bbut go and show yourself to the priest…” (Contemporary English Version)

5:14c

present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing: In the Old Testament, God gave laws to Moses for the Jewish people. These laws included detailed instructions about what a person should do after he had been healed from leprosy. These commands for purification are found in Leviticus 14:2–31.

present the offering: In this context the phrase present the offering means that the healed man should bring the sacrifices to the priest. The priest would offer these sacrifices to God on his behalf. Another way to translate this is:

have him present the sacrifices ⌊to God on your behalf⌋

Moses prescribed: Moses wrote down God’s laws about leprosy long before Jesus was born. Your translation should not imply that Moses was living at the same time as Jesus.

for your cleansing: The phrase for your cleansing explains the purpose for which the man had to bring sacrifices to the priest. After offering the sacrifices, the priest would declare that the man was ritually clean. He would be able to worship again at the temple and associate with others in the community. Jesus had already healed the man, but the man remained ritually unclean until the priest declared him to be clean. Another way to translate for your cleansing is:

so that you will become ritually clean

5:14d

as a testimony to them: The phrase as a testimony to them means “to prove to the people that you are well.” After the priest had declared the man to be clean/well, he could participate in public worship. He could live with his family again. People would believe that he was healthy because the priest had declared that he was clean. Other ways to translate this are:

everyone will know that you have been healed (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
as proof to people that you are clean (God’s Word)
-or-
This will show the people what I have done. (New Century Version)

to them: The Greek pronoun them probably refers to people in general. Many English translations make this explicit. For example:

to everyone (Good News Translation)
-or-
to people (God’s Word)

General Comment on 5:14c–d

In some languages it is more natural to give a reason first, then state the command. If your language prefers this order, change the order of 5:14c and 5:14d. For example:

14d…then to prove to everyone 14cthat you are cured, offer the sacrifice as Moses ordered. (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:7

6:7

In 6:7, the Berean Standard Bible has changed the order of the Greek clauses. The Revised Standard Version keeps the Greek order. Compare the two orders below:

7aLooking for a reason to accuse Jesus, 7bthe scribes and Pharisees 7cwere watching him closely 7dto see if he would heal on the Sabbath. (Berean Standard Bible)

7bAnd the scribes and the Pharisees 7cwatched him, 7dto see whether he would heal on the sabbath, 7aso that they might find an accusation against him. (Revised Standard Version)

Use a natural order in your language.

6:7a

Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus means that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law wanted to observe Jesus doing something wrong. Then they could accuse him of breaking the law.

Some other ways to translate this are:

wanted a reason to accuse Jesus of doing wrong (Good News Translation)
-or-
wanted to accuse Jesus of doing something wrong (Contemporary English Version)

As mentioned above, in Greek this clause occurs at the end of 6:7. It is literally “in order that they might find to accuse him.” The main goal of the Pharisees was to accuse Jesus of doing wrong. If it is more natural in your language to state the main goal at the end, you should follow the Greek order.

accuse: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as accuse is a legal term. It means to bring a legal accusation against someone. In this context the accusation would probably be made to a Jewish council. The Pharisees wanted to accuse Jesus of breaking Jewish religious law.

6:7b

the scribes and Pharisees: The scribes and Pharisees are new people in this story. In some languages, it is natural have a separate sentence to introduce them. This would come at the beginning of the verse. For example:

Some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were there.
-or-
There were also teachers of the religious law and Pharisees there.

the scribes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the scribes refers to men who studied and taught the law of Moses and Jewish laws and traditions. The term scribes also occurs in 5:21a. See also teacher of the law in the Glossary.

Pharisees: See the note on the Pharisees at 6:2a.

6:7c–d

were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath: This clause tells how the Pharisees planned to find fault with Jesus. They believed that no one should heal a sick person on the Sabbath (unless someone was in danger of dying). So they watched Jesus. They wanted to see if he would break their law and heal the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day.

If you are using footnotes for background information, you might use one here. For example:

The Pharisees believed that healing or medical treatment was a kind of work. That is why they believed that no one should heal people on the Sabbath day

were watching Him closely: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were watching Him closely means “to spy on” or “to watch carefully.” It does not mean that they got close to Jesus to watch him.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:39

Paragraph 6:39–40

6:39

In 6:39, Jesus told a proverb about two blind men. It is a warning. Jesus said that a blind person cannot lead another blind person. The result would be disaster. The rhetorical question form emphasizes the warning. It warns the disciples to be careful whom they follow. It also warns them not to be like a blind leader.

6:39a

Jesus also told them a parable: Luke used this clause to introduce the parable that Jesus spoke to the disciples.

parable: In this context the word parable refers to a proverb or short illustration that teaches a spiritual truth. See parable, Type 1, in the Glossary and the note on 5:36a.

Here is another way to translate the word parable in this context:

illustration (NET Bible)

6:39b

Can a blind man lead a blind man?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize something that is not possible. No blind man can lead another blind man. This proverb refers to an unwise leader leading others.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. If your language uses rhetorical questions to make emphatic statements, then you can translate this as a rhetorical question. For example:

Can one blind person lead another? (God’s Word)
-or-
Can a blind person lead another blind person? No! (New Century Version)

• As a statement. If you language does not use rhetorical questions to make emphatic statements, then you need to find another way to emphasize this statement. For example:

One blind man cannot lead another one… (Good News Translation)
-or-
A blind man certainly cannot lead another blind man.

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

6:39c

Will they not both fall into a pit?: This is a second rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize the disaster that would happen when a blind man leads a blind man. Both blind men would surely fall into a pit. This part of the proverb refers to the disaster that happens when a false teacher leads someone.

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Won’t they both fall into a pit? (NET Bible)

• As a statement. For example:

Surely they will both fall into the ditch together. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
The first one will fall into a ditch and pull the other down also. (New Living Translation (1996))

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

This question includes the implied information “if a blind man does lead another…” You may want to make this explicit. For example:

if he does, both will fall into a ditch (Good News Translation)

pit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a pit (and some other English versions translate as a “ditch”) could refers to:

(1) A large hole or trench that is dug by people.

(2) A natural depression in the ground.

In either case, it was a space large enough for people to fall into.

General Comment on 6:39b–c

It may be more natural in your language to combine these two rhetorical questions into one statement. For example:

If a blind person leads another blind person, they will both stumble and fall into a ditch.
-or-
It is impossible for a blind person to lead another blind person, because both of them will fall into a pit.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:22

7:22

Jesus did not ignore the question that John’s disciples asked (7:20). He wanted them to see the miracles that he was doing (7:21). It was on this basis that he replied to them here in 7:22.

7:22a–b

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So is often translated as “and.” Here it introduces what Jesus did next. He answered the messengers from John. He used the miracles that he had been doing as the basis for his answer. Some English versions translate this connection as “And” (Revised Standard Version) or “Then” (New Living Translation (2004)). Some other English versions do not translate it (Good News Translation). Connect this verse to 7:21 in a way that is natural in your language.

He replied: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He replied is literally “replying, he said to them.” Your language may require you to specify to whom Jesus replied. You could say “them,” or you could use another word or expression to clarify that this refers to the men whom John had sent. In your translation, use an expression that clearly refers to the two men mentioned in 7:18b and 7:20a. Other ways to translate this are:

he replied to the messengers (New International Version)
-or-
he told John’s disciples (New Living Translation (2004))

7:22c

The blind receive sight: The phrase The blind receive sight means “people who were blind can now see.”

the lame walk: The phrase the lame walk means “people who could not walk can now walk.”

lame: A lame person is someone who is permanently unable to walk.

7:22d

the lepers are cleansed: This clause is passive. Some other ways to translate it are:

those who have leprosy become well
-or-
lepers receive cleansing/healing
-or-
People who have leprosy are being healed (Contemporary English Version)

lepers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lepers could describe people who had several different skin diseases. Scholars disagree as to whether these diseases included what modern medicine calls leprosy (Hansen’s disease). They agree that in New Testament times the Greek word referred to dreaded skin diseases. People believed that these diseases were spread by contact with someone who had the disease. A person who had one of these diseases was also considered ritually unclean. Some ways to translate this word are:

• Use a general phrase that describes the nature or significance of the disease. For example:

dreaded skin diseases (Good News Translation)
-or-
serious skin diseases
-or-
contagious skin diseases

• Use a term that refers specifically to leprosy. For example:

leprosy
-or-
something like leprosy

A term that refers specifically to leprosy may be appropriate in areas where readers are already familiar with the term “leprosy.” If you decide to use a word that means “leprosy,” it is recommended that you add a footnote to give more information. For example:

The disease that is mentioned here refers to various contagious and dreaded skin diseases. A person who had one of these diseases was considered ritually unclean. According to the Jewish law, he was not allowed to associate with other people or to worship in the Temple.

See the notes on 4:27a and 5:12b.

cleansed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as cleansed refers to the lepers’ status under the Law of Moses. People who had leprosy were ritually unclean or impure. They were not allowed to participate in public religious ceremonies or to worship God in the temple. They had to live away from other people who did not have this disease. When they were healed, they became ritually clean, and then they were allowed to enter the temple again and participate in community activities.

Here are several ways to translate the word cleansed here:

• Translate both the idea of healing and the idea of becoming ritually pure. For example:

⌊healed and⌋ ritually cleansed

• Translate only the idea of healing here. For example:

cured (New International Version)

• Translate only the idea of becoming ritually pure. For example:

made ⌊ritually⌋ clean/pure

See the notes on 4:27b and 5:12d.

7:22e

the deaf hear: The phrase the deaf hear means “deaf people become able to hear again.”

the dead are raised: This clause is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to translate this without using a passive verb. For example:

people who have died become alive again
-or-
dead people have come back to life

7:22f

the good news is preached to the poor: This is a passive clause. Some other ways to translate it in this context are:

poor people hear the Good News (God’s Word)
-or-
the poor have good news proclaimed to them (NET Bible)
-or-

⌊I⌋ am telling good news to poor people

Jesus told good news to poor people. The clause good news is preached to the poor occurs in a list that mostly includes miracles. Jesus listed different things that the Old Testament said that the Messiah would do. See Isaiah 61:1–2 and Luke 4:18–19. Jesus implied that he was showing that he was the Messiah by doing those things.

preached: The word preached here means to proclaim or tell good news. Use a word in your language that is natural for telling good news to people. Do not use a word that refers only to what a preacher does in church.

the poor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the poor normally refers to people who lack enough food, clothing, or other necessities. It can also refer to people who are needy in other ways. They may lack status, or they may be oppressed by other people. In the Bible the poor often refers to people who know that they need God to help them.

In this context, Jesus referred to the people that he preached to. These people were poor in different ways. If possible, use a word that can refer to different types of poverty, including spiritual needs. If your usual term for poor people is not used in other senses, you might choose a more general term. For example:

those in need (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
those who are in want
-or-
those who are without resources

See how you translated poor in 6:20b.

General Comment on 7:22c–f

In 7:22c–f Jesus talked about these amazing things that were happening without saying who was doing them. It was very clear that he was doing them himself. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

22c
⌊I⌋ am giving blind people their sight, making lame people able to walk again, 22dcleansing/healing lepers, 22emaking deaf people able to hear again, and raising dead people to life. 22f⌊I⌋ am proclaiming the good news to the poor.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013