SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 70

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:8

Paragraph 12:8–12

12:8–9

In these verses Jesus contrasted the results of acknowledging him to people and of disowning him to people. This connects with his theme in 12:4–7 that his disciples should fear God rather than people.

12:8a

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. Some ways to show the emphasis in this context could be:

Let me tell you this
-or-
Listen
-or-
I assure you

If you have another way in your language to emphasize a statement or to alert people to listen with special attention, you may be able to use it here.

everyone who confesses Me before men: In this context the Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as everyone who confesses Me before men refers to anyone who publicly tells people that he is a disciple of Jesus. It may refer especially to a person who publicly declares his loyalty to Jesus in a courtroom setting, as in 12:11–12. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

those who declare publicly that they belong to me (Good News Translation)
-or-
all those who stand before others and say they believe in me (New Century Version)
-or-
anyone who affirms in front of other people here on earth that he is my follower

confesses Me: Someone who confesses Jesus declares or affirms that he is a follower of Jesus. He affirms that Jesus is his Master/Lord.

before men: The phrase before men means “in public.” It refers to speaking in front of or in the presence of people, whether men or women.

12:8b

the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God: This part of the verse is similar to 12:8a. However, the exact words that Jesus will say to the angels about his disciples may be different from the words that his disciples will say about him to other people. It is good to translate the verb confess here in a similar way as in 12:8a and also in a way that fits the context of 12:8b. Some ways to do that could be:

⌊I,⌋ the Son of Man, will also stand before the angels of God and say that he ⌊is my disciple⌋
-or-

⌊I,⌋ the Son of Man, will affirm to the angels of God that he ⌊belongs to me⌋

Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man. In some languages it may be necessary to make it clear that Jesus was referring to himself. For example:

I, the Son of Man

The phrase Son of Man also occurs in 9:22a and 11:30b.

before the angels of God: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as before the angels of God corresponds to the phrase “before men” in 12:8a. It means “in front of” or “in the presence of” the angels of God. It is implied that God is also present. In some languages it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:

in front of ⌊God and⌋ his angels

the angels of God: The phrase the angels of God refers to spirit beings who serve God. See angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary. Refer to them here in a way that fits the context. One way to do that could be:

the spirit beings who serve God ⌊in heaven⌋

General Comment on 12:8a–b

In some languages it may be awkward or redundant to repeat a descriptive phrase for the term “acknowledge” in both 12:8a and 12:8b. If that is true in your language, you may be able to use a shorter phrase in 12:8b that refers back to the phrase in 12:8a. For example:

8a…those who declare publicly that they belong to me, 8bthe Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. (Good News Translation)

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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 12:40

12:40a

You also must be ready: In this context the phrase You also indicates “In the same way as the owner of the house, you also….” It would be good for the homeowner to be ready for the thief. In the same way, it is good for the disciples to be ready for the Son of Man to return.

The verb be ready implies here that the disciples must be ready constantly. In some languages it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:

You also must be ready all the time (New Living Translation (2004))

12:40b

because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as translates as because introduces the reason why the disciples should be ready constantly. They should be ready because the Son of Man will come at an unexpected time.

the Son of Man: Jesus used the title the Son of Man to refer to himself, as he did in 12:10a. See the note at 11:30b

will come: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as translates as will come refers to the future return of the Son of Man. It is implied from other verses that he will come from heaven and will return to earth. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

will come ⌊back to earth⌋
-or-
will return ⌊from heaven⌋

at an hour you do not expect: This clause indicates that the Son of Man will come back at a time when people do not think he will come. Other people, as well as the disciples, will not be expecting him to arrive then. In some languages it may be helpful to use a more general statement. For example:

at an unexpected time
-or-
when least expected (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 13:13

13:13a

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that many English versions translate as “and.” The Berean Standard Bible translates as Then to show that it introduces something else that Jesus did. He did this either at the same time as speaking to the woman (13:12b) or immediately afterwards. Some English versions, such as the Good News Translation, do not translate this word.

He placed His hands on her: The clause He placed His hands on her means “Jesus touched the woman.” He touched her in order to heal her. Most likely he touched her back, which was the part of her body that the sickness affected.

In many languages, expressions such as “touch a woman” or “put hands on a woman” have sexual implications. Be very careful to translate this clause in a way that does not imply this wrong meaning.

13:13b

she straightened up: The clause she straightened up means that the woman straightened her back and stood up straight. For example:

she stood up straight (Contemporary English Version)

and began to glorify God: The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to glorify implies that the action continued. The woman began to glorify God and continued glorifying him for some time. For example:

and began praising God (New Revised Standard Version)

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as glorify means to speak about how great or wonderful God is. If your language does not have a word like “glorify,” you may be able to express the meaning with a direct or indirect quote. For example:

and she began to say, “God is so good!”
-or-
and she began to say how great and wonderful God was

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 14:10

14:10a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces a command that contrasts with the command in 14:8b: “do not take the place of honor (14:8b)…but rather…take the lowest place (14:10a).” Most English versions use a similar contrasting conjunction or exclamation. For example:

No (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Instead (Good News Translation)

However, in some languages, this contrast with 14:8b may not be clear. Your readers may connect the command in 14:10a to the immediately preceding result in 14:9c: “you will be humiliated.” If that is true in your language, you may want to introduce 14:10a as a command that is based on the fact that people do not want to be humiliated. For example:

So when you are invited (New Century Version)

Some versions also leave the connection implied. For example:

When you are invited to be a guest (Contemporary English Version)

Indicate the connection between the commands in 14:10a and 14:8b in a clear and natural way in your language.

when you are invited: In some languages it may be necessary to indicate the place to which you are invited. Supply the same word or phrase as in 14:8a. It may also be necessary to indicate that you actually arrive at the feast. For example:

But when ⌊you arrive⌋ ⌊at a wedding feast to which⌋ you have been invited

In other languages it may be redundant to repeat the information in this clause, since it is clear from 14:8a. If that is true in your language, you may want to leave this information implied. For example:

Instead, take the lowest place… (New Living Translation (2004))

you: As in 14:8a Jesus continued to refer to any of his listeners. Use an appropriate form in your language.

go and sit in the last place: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as go and sit in the last place is the same as the expression translated as “take the last place” in 14:9c. You may translate it with the same expression here if that is good style in your language. If it is not natural to repeat the same expression, you may use a similar expression, as the Berean Standard Bible has done.

go and sit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as go and sit is more literally “go and take.” Some English versions, such as the Revised Standard Version, translate it that way. The verb “go” refers here to what the guest should do after he arrives at the feast. He should go to the least important place. Some English versions use the verb “take” here, and since the action of going to a seat is already implied in English by the verb “take,” some versions, such as the New International Version, have left the verb “go” implied. You may do what is natural in your language here.

14:10b

so that: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces the purpose for taking the lowest place at the feast (14:10a). Jesus told his listeners what they should do at a feast in order to be honored by the host.

In some languages it may be more natural to begin a new sentence here. See the examples in the next note.

your host will come and tell you: The clause your host will come probably refers to the host coming to the place where you and the other guests are seated. It probably does not imply that the host had not yet come to the feast. It is good to translate in a way that avoids implying that. For example:

Then when your host sees you, he will come and say (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
so that when your host approaches he will say to you (NET Bible)
-or-
When the host comes to you, he may say (New Century Version)

and tell you: The words and tell you introduce a direct quotation of what the host would say. In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech here. For example:

he will tell you to move to a better seat

14:10c

Friend: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Friend was a common and polite way for one man to address another. If this would not be natural in your language, you may use another polite form of address, such as “Brother” or “Sir.” In some languages it may also be necessary to use a pronoun with the term of address. For example:

My friend (Contemporary English Version)

move up to a better place: The expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as move up to a better place is literally “go up to a higher place.” It means “go and take one of the seats intended for the more important guests.” The new seat was better in the sense than it was considered to be a place of honor. See how you translated “place of honor” in 14:8b.

In some languages it may not be natural to talk about moving to a “better place” unless one first mentions the original place. For example:

⌊That place is not good enough for you!⌋ Here is a place that is better.

14:10d

Then: Here the word Then introduces the result of 14:10a–c. When the host finds his guest in such an unimportant seat, he may tell him to take a more important one. Other ways to express this result are:

This will bring you honor (Good News Translation)
-or-
In this way you will receive honor

you will be honored in front of everyone at the table with you: In Greek this clause is more literally “(there) will be for you honor before all your fellow guests.” In this context it indicates that all the other people at the feast will see the host honoring the guest. Some other ways to translate this are:

all your fellow-guests will see the respect in which you are held (Revised English Bible)
-or-
all the others will see how much ⌊the host⌋ respects you

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 15:7

15:7

In 15:6 the parable ended with the shepherd’s words. In 15:7 Jesus concluded the parable and showed how it applied to his listeners. If this is not clear in your language, you may want to supply a separate quote introduction. For example:

⌊Jesus concluded⌋

See the note on “in the same way” in 15:7a for more information.

15:7a

In the same way: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as In the same way here introduces the important truth that the parable illustrated. A shepherd cares about a sheep that is lost, and he searches for it until he finds it. Then he celebrates. In the same way, God cares about each sinful person, and he celebrates when any sinful person repents.

A sinner is like a lost sheep because he has stopped following (obeying) God, just as the sheep left the shepherd and became lost. God is happy when each sinner repents and turns to him.

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. Some ways to show this emphasis could be:

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

Let me tell you this
-or-
Listen
-or-
I assure you

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

In the same way there will certainly be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner…

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. See how you translated this expression in 10:12.

15:7b–c

there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones: These two verse parts are a comparison. Jesus said that God and his angels rejoice very much when a sinner repents. They are even happier about this than they are about all the righteous people who do not need to repent. In languages that do not use comparisons in this way, you may be able to reorder the verse parts and translate the comparison like this:

7cThere is already rejoicing in heaven over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent. 7bBut there will be great rejoicing over one sinner who repents.

15:7b

there will be more joy in heaven: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as joy in heaven refers primarily to God, but it also includes the angels, who are with him in heaven. It indicates here that God and those in heaven with him will be very happy. In some languages you may need to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

those in heaven will be happier
-or-
God and his angels in heaven will rejoice greatly

See heaven, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.

repents: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repents means that a person “changes his mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible, it refers specifically to a person’s changing his mind and heart about sin and about God. When a person repents, he is sorry for his past sins. He decides to stop sinning and obey God.

Some ways to translate repents in this context are:

changes his thinking/mind/heart
-or-
rejects his sins

In some languages, you may have an idiom for this type of change. For example:

turns from sin to God
-or-
leaves his sinning behind

The word repent also occurs in 13:3b.

15:7c

righteous ones who do not need to repent: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteous ones refers to people who live according to God’s standards.

Jesus may have referred here to people who wrongly think that they are righteous. According to their thinking, they do not need to repent. However, Jesus may have referred to people who had already repented and so God considered them to be righteous. In some languages it may be helpful to add a footnote that gives these two options.

See the note on “the righteous” at 5:32a, where the context is similar.

Some ways to translate the word righteous are:

those who obey God’s law
-or-
those who do what is right

In some languages people use an idiom to express this meaning. For example:

those who follow a straight path
-or-
upright people

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 16:7

16:7a

Then he asked another: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as another refers to another of the men who owed something to the rich man. While versions such as the NET Bible and New International Version describe this as “the second” debtor, he was not necessarily the second one who spoke to the manager. Here is another way to translate this:

Then he said to another (Revised English Bible)

16:7b

And how much do you owe: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces the same question as in 16:5b. The manager was now asking it to a different person. In some languages it may be natural to indicate the change to a different person by putting the pronoun you in a more emphatic position. For example:

And you, sir, how much do you owe? (New Jerusalem Bible)

16:7c

A hundred measures of wheat: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as A hundred measures of wheat refers to a “measure” that was a dry measure of about ten bushels. Some ways to translate this quantity are:

• Use a standard dry measure. For example:

A thousand bushels of wheat (New International Version)

• Use a measure of weight. For example:

44,000 pounds
-or-
20,000 kilos

• Use a commonly known local container or unit of measure for wheat or other grain. For example:

One hundred bags (NLV)
-or-
A hundred containers (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
one hundred sacks/baskets

wheat: In this context the word wheat refers to just the grain kernels, not to the stalks. In some areas wheat may not be known. If that is true in your area, other ways to translate it are:

• Use a more general term. For example:

grain

• Use a different type of grain that is grown in your area and is similar to wheat. For example:

barley/rice

See the note and picture of wheat in 3:17b.

16:7d–e

Take your bill and write eighty: This command is similar to what the manager told the first man (see the notes on 16:6b and 16:6c). The second man had to pay only eighty measures of wheat instead of one hundred measures. Whatever amount you use in 16:7c should be reduced by one-fifth in 16:7e. In other words, 16:7e must be four-fifths (80%) of whatever measure you use in 16:7c.

If it is necessary to understand the parable, you may need to put the following implied information in a footnote:

The manager helped in a similar way each of the men who owed things to the rich man.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 17:8

17:8

In Greek, as in the Berean Standard Bible, this verse is one long rhetorical question. As in 17:7, it may be more natural in some languages to translate the rhetorical question as a statement and use shorter sentences. For example:

8aInstead, you would say this: 8b“Cook my supper! Then get ready and serve me my meal. 8cAfter you have done that, you can have your own meal.”

17:8a

Instead: In Greek this verse begins with a word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead. It indicates a contrast between what the master would not say (17:7) and what he would say (17:8). Other ways to indicate this contrast are:

Won’t he rather say (New International Version)
-or-

But will he not say to him (New American Standard Bible)

won’t he tell him: The clause won’t he tell him introduces a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize what a master would say to his servant. This question expects the response, “Yes, that is what he would say.”

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Won’t the master instead say to him…? (NET Bible)
-or-
But what would the master say?

• As a statement. For example:

Instead, he tells his servant (God’s Word)
-or-
This is what he would say instead

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

17:8b

Prepare my meal: The clause Prepare my meal is a command that a master would give to his servant. Some other ways to translate this are:

Cook my food
-or-
Prepare something for me to eat (New Century Version)

Use a command form that a master would naturally use in your language to speak to his servant. It does not need to be as polite as the speech in 17:7c.

meal: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as meal is literally “something for me to eat” (as in the New Century Version). In this verse, this phrase refers to the main meal of the day. People ate this meal in the late afternoon or early evening. Use a natural term for this meal in your language.

and dress yourself to serve me: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dress yourself to serve me means “clothe yourself properly.” For example:

dress properly (English Standard Version)

The servant would probably need to remove the clothes that he had been wearing in the field. He might need to bathe. Then he would need to put on other clothes that were proper for serving food. In some cultures, there may be a specific outer garment appropriate for serving food. For example:

then put on your apron (Good News Translation)

while I eat and drink: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as while I eat and drink means “serve me.” The master expected his servant to bring the food and drink and serve it to him. Then the servant would wait nearby while his master ate so that if his master asked for anything else, he could bring that also. Use a natural way in your language to describe this. Some ways to translate it in English are:

serve me while I eat (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊bring the food and⌋ serve me until I finish eating and drinking

eat and drink: The phrase eat and drink was a common way in that culture to refer to having a meal. Use a natural way to refer to it in your language. Other ways to do this in English are:

eat
-or-
have/eat dinner
-or-
have my meal (Contemporary English Version)

17:8c

and afterward: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and afterward refers to after the master has finished eating. For example:

when I’ve finished (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
After I finish eating and drinking (New Century Version)

Use a natural expression in your language.

you may eat and drink: As in 17:8b, you should use a natural expression in your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 18:3

18:3a

And there was a widow in that town: The clause And there was a widow in that town introduces the other main character in the story. Other ways to introduce her are:

In that same town there was also a widow
-or-
And a certain widow also lived in that town

Introduce her in a natural way in your language.

widow: A widow is a woman whose husband has died. In that culture, when a woman’s husband died, she often had no one to provide for her financially. She also usually had no one to defend her or make sure that people treated her justly. Another way to translate widow here is:

a woman whose husband had died

in that town: The phrase in that town means “in the town where the judge lived.” In some languages it may be possible to translate this as:

in the same town ⌊as the judge⌋

General Comment on 18:2a–3a

In some languages it may be more natural to not mention the town where the judge lived until 18:3a. For example:

2aThere once was a judge 2bwho neither feared God nor respected people. 3aA widow lived in the same town as he did…

18:3b–c

who kept appealing to him: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as who kept appealing to him is literally “and she was coming to him saying.” It implies that the widow came many times to present her request to the judge. There was probably a certain place where the judge heard such requests. In some languages there may be a special term to refer to bringing a formal request to a judge. Other ways to translate this are:

She often came before him to present her request/petition
-or-
She often came to him to plead with him
-or-
A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying (New Living Translation (2004))

appealing: The Greek uses the word “saying” to introduce what the widow said to the judge. Versions such as the Good News Translation translates this word literally. Several versions join this word with the phrase “kept coming to him.” For example:

a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying (English Standard Version)

Here is another way to translate this:

with the plea (New International Version)

The Berean Standard Bible combines the meaning of “coming” and “saying” into the term appealing.

Give me justice against my adversary: This request indicates that the widow wanted the judge to make her enemy treat her fairly. It was common in that culture for people to cheat widows and take their money or property. Some other ways to translate the request are:

Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Make my opponent do what is right toward me
-or-
Please help me so that my enemy does not treat me unfairly/wrongly

This widow probably spoke respectfully, in a way that was proper for a poor person to present a request to an important official. Introduce and translate her words in a way that is natural in your language for such a request. For example:

begging him, “Please grant me justice…”
-or-
saying, “⌊Honorable Judge,⌋ I beg you to grant me justice…”

In some languages it may be necessary to introduce the adversary before presenting the request. For example:

An enemy is treating me unfairly. Please help me.

against my adversary: An adversary is an enemy or opponent. In this context it refers to a specific enemy. That enemy was the person who was against her in the dispute that she wanted the judge to settle.

General Comment on 18:3a–c

In this verse the widow’s request is a direct quote. In some languages it may be more natural to translate it as indirect speech:

…and in the same city there was a widow who kept coming before him to demand justice against her opponent. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. (New Living Translation (1996))

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013