SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 77

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:19

Paragraph 3:19–20

In the next two paragraphs Luke did not tell the events in the order in which they happened. Paragraph 3:19–20 tells about something that would happen after John baptized Jesus in 3:21–22. In some languages, it will be more natural to put these events in the order in which they actually happened. For example:

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

19
⌊Sometime after this⌋ John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done. 20⌊Then⌋ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

3:19a

he rebuked Herod the tetrarch: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rebuked here means “to say that what someone did was wrong.” John said that what Herod did was wrong. It was sinful. John could have said this directly to Herod or he could have said it about him to other people.

In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as direct speech. In that case it is possible to say either:

John said about Herod the tetrarch, “He has done wrong….”
-or-
John told Herod the tetrarch, “You have done wrong….”

Herod the tetrarch: Herod was the name of the government leader of the district of Galilee.

Some ways to translate Herod the tetrarch are:

Herod the ruler (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the ruler Herod (God’s Word)
-or-
Herod the leader

This same phrase also occurs in 3:1c. See 3:1c for more details about the meaning of tetrarch.

3:19b

regarding his brother’s wife Herodias:
Herod had divorced his own wife and had married Herodias. Herodias had earlier been married to one of Herod’s half-brothers. It was against God’s law for Herod to marry her. Herod had sinned. For the whole story, see Mark 6:14–29.

In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

because ⌊he had married⌋ Herodias, his brother’s wife

brother’s: In this context the word “brother” refers to an older half-brother. The two men had different mothers. (This half-brother, Herod Philip, is not the same as the half-brother named Philip who was mentioned in 3:1.)

3:19c

all the evils he had done: The phrase all the evils he had done indicates that John also rebuked Herod because of other ways that Herod had sinned.

General Comment on 3:19a–c

In some languages it may be natural to reorder this verse and put it in chronological order. For example:

19bHerod the tetrarch ⌊had married⌋ his brother’s wife Herodias 19cand had done many other evil things, 19a⌊so⌋ John rebuked him.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:24

4:24a

He added: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He added is literally “he said” (as in the Revised Standard Version). In 4:23 Jesus said what the people were thinking. In 4:24a, he began to express his response to their thoughts. Because of this, the Berean Standard Bible has translated the Greek word as He added. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a different speech clause. For example:

he continued (New International Version)
-or-
Then Jesus said (New Century Version)

Truly I tell you: Jesus often used the words Truly I tell you to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize. He wanted people to listen with extra attention. Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

I assure you that (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
I can guarantee this truth (God’s Word)

4:24b

no prophet is accepted in his hometown: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is accepted means “is welcomed” or “is honored.” The clause no prophet is accepted in his hometown means that people in the town where a prophet grew up generally do not honor him. People find it hard to believe that someone whom they know personally is a prophet from God. Some other ways to translate this are:

prophets are never welcomed in their hometown (Good News Translation)
-or-
no prophet is acceptable in his hometown (NET Bible)
-or-
no prophets are liked by the people of their own hometown (Contemporary English Version)

Like the proverb “Physician, heal yourself!” (4:23b), this clause also appears to be a proverb.

no prophet is accepted: This clause is passive. Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a passive clause. For example:

a prophet is not accepted (New Century Version)

• Use an active clause and supply a subject. For example:

⌊People⌋ do not accept a prophet

prophet: The word prophet also occurs in 4:17a. Translate it the same way in both verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:12

Section 5:12–16

Jesus healed a man with a dreaded skin disease

In this section, Jesus healed a man with a skin disease, and so Jesus’ fame spread in that region. As a result, crowds of people came to hear him teach and to be healed of diseases.

In Jesus’ time, having a skin disease made a person ceremonially or ritually “unclean.” This meant that a person with such a disease was not allowed to worship God with other people. This person had to live apart from healthy people, including his family.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus made a man with a skin disease pure/clean
-or-
The Man With Leprosy (New International Version)
-or-
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Jesus showed his power over a skin disease

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 8:1–4 and Mark 1:40–45.

Paragraph 5:12–13

5:12a

While: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as While is literally “and it happened.” This phrase introduces the beginning of a new story. Luke did not indicate when this story occurred. Introduce this event in a natural way in your language. For example:

One day (God’s Word)
-or-
When (New Century Version)
-or-
Once (Good News Translation)

Jesus was in one of the towns: The phrase one of the towns does not indicate the exact location of the town. Mark 1:38–40 indicates that it was one of the towns in Galilee. In some languages, it may be necessary to say something more precise. For example:

While Jesus was in one of the towns ⌊of/in that region⌋
-or-
While Jesus was in one of the towns ⌊of Galilee⌋

5:12b

a man came along who was covered with leprosy: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a man came along who was covered with leprosy is literally “and look, a man full of leprosy.” The phrase “and look” introduces the man with leprosy. It also draws attention to him as a person who will be important in the story. (“Look” is the same word that the Berean Standard Bible translates elsewhere as “behold” or “look” or “now.”) Introduce this man in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

There was a certain man there. He had leprosy over his whole body
-or-
there was a man covered with a serious skin disease (God’s Word)
-or-
Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy (New Living Translation (2004))

covered with leprosy: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as covered with leprosy is literally “full of leprosy.” This means that the disease was all over the man’s skin. He had probably had the disease for a long time. The disease was in an advanced and serious state.

leprosy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as leprosy refers to several different skin diseases. Scholars disagree as to whether these diseases included modern-day 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:

a dreaded skin disease (Good News Translation)
-or-
a serious skin disease (God’s Word)
-or-
a contagious skin disease

• 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 people are already familiar with the term “leprosy.”

5:12c

When he saw Jesus: This clause introduces the actions of this event. Use a natural way in your language to begin the main actions of an event. Some ways to translate this clause are:

When the man saw Jesus (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
As soon as he saw Jesus
-or-
Seeing Jesus

he fell facedown: The phrase he fell facedown means that the man knelt down and then lowered his face to the ground. He did this deliberately in order to show his humility and his great respect for Jesus. He did not fall by accident.

Some ways to translate this are:

he bowed with his face to the ground (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
he knelt down to the ground in front of Jesus (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he ⌊got on his knees and⌋ bowed/prostrated himself with his face on the ground

5:12d

and begged Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as begged means “to plead for” something. It emphasizes how much the speaker desires what he is asking for. The man with leprosy made an earnest request in a humble way.

Use the most natural way in your language to introduce what the man asked for. For example:

He begged Jesus (God’s Word)
-or-
begging to be healed (New Living Translation (2004))

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord is the same word that Simon used in 5:8c. Translate the word in the same way here.

See Lord, Context 3, in the Glossary for more information.

if You are willing, You can make me clean: When he said this, the man with leprosy showed that he believed that Jesus had the power to heal him. However, he did not know whether Jesus was willing to do it. This statement was a polite way for the man to ask Jesus to heal him.

In some languages, it may be necessary to make that request explicit. In some languages, it is more polite to request something by using a question form.

Some ways to translate this are:

If you are willing, you can make me clean, ⌊so will you please heal me?⌋
-or-
Please make me clean! ⌊I know⌋ you are able to do this if you want to!

You can make me clean: The phrase make me clean in this context means “make me ritually clean by healing me.” It does not refer to cleansing from physical dirt.

According to Jewish law, people with the skin disease called “leprosy” were ritually unclean or impure. They were not allowed to participate in public religious ceremonies or to worship God at the temple. They had to live away from other people who did not have this disease. When they were healed, they became ritually clean. Then they were allowed to come to the temple again and participate in community activities.

Here are several ways to translate the phrase make me clean:

• Translate both the idea of healing and the idea of causing the man to become ritually clean. Translate the ideas in a natural order in your language. For example:

you can heal me and make me ⌊ritually⌋ clean
-or-
you can heal me ⌊so that I will be⌋ ⌊ritually⌋ pure

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

you have the power to make me well (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you can heal me if you will (New Century Version)

• Translate only the idea of causing the man to be ritually clean. For example:

you can make me ⌊ritually⌋ clean

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:5

6:5

Then Jesus declared: In 6:5 Jesus continued to speak, but his speech is introduced by the clause Then Jesus declared. This clause emphasizes Jesus’ conclusion to his story about David.

Use the expression that is used in your language when a teacher announces his conclusion. For example:

Jesus continued/concluded by saying
-or-
Jesus finished by saying (Contemporary English Version)

The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath is literally “Lord of Sabbath is the Son of Man.” The word Lord means “master” or “one who has authority,” and it is emphasized in this part of the verse.

In this context the word Lord refers to Jesus’ authority over the Sabbath day. Although the Sabbath was given by God, Jesus had authority over it. He had this right because he was the Son of Man, whom God sent. He had the right to decide what people could or could not do on the Sabbath day.

Some other ways to translate this are:

I…am master even of the Sabbath! (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
I…have authority over the rest day.
-or-
I…have the right to decide what a person can do on the day for resting.
-or-
I…have the authority to say what people are allowed to do on the rest day.

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.” It is a title that Jesus often used to refer to himself. It implies 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 languages, it may be necessary to use a form like “I” or “me” to indicate that Jesus was referring to himself. For example:

me, the Son of Man
-or-

I who became man/human

This term first occurs in Luke at 5:24a. Translate it the same way in both places. See also the Son of Man in Key Biblical Terms.

Sabbath: See the note on Sabbath at 6:1a for advice on translating the word Sabbath.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:37

Paragraph 6:37–38

In this paragraph Jesus told his disciples two things that they should not do and two things that they should do. All four commands illustrate an attitude of love and mercy. These commands specifically illustrate the principles that Jesus stated in 6:31 and 6:36. Each command includes a reason why the disciples should obey it: the disciples will be treated according to the way they act.

Jesus used plural forms in these commands. They are general commands to everyone listening. See the note at Paragraph 6:27–31. Use the form that is most natural in your language.

6:37a

Do not judge: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as judge means that people should not be severe in criticizing or in accusing others of doing wrong. Some ways to translate this are:

Do not harshly/severely accuse others of doing wrong
-or-
Do not be quick to identify the sins/wrongs of others
-or-
Do not ⌊harshly⌋ criticize/rebuke

This does not imply that leaders should never judge whether something is right or wrong.

6:37b

you will not be judged: The clause you will not be judged is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this are:

• As a passive clause. For example:

you will not be judged

• As an active clause. The person who will not judge the disciples may be either God or other people. If your language prefers active forms, try to leave the subject general. For example:

someone/they will not judge you
-or-
judgment will not come upon you
-or-
God will not judge you (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it may be more natural to begin this sentence with an “if” clause. For example:

⌊If you do not judge,⌋ then you will not be judged.

6:37c

Do not condemn: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as condemn means to say that someone is guilty because he has done something evil. It also implies that someone should punish the guilty person. Another way to translate this is:

Don’t accuse others of being guilty (New Century Version)

6:37d

you will not be condemned: The clause you will not be condemned is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this are:

• As a passive clause. For example:

you will not be accused of being guilty (New Century Version)

• As an active clause. If your language prefers active verbs, try to leave the subject general. For example:

someone/they will not condemn you
-or-
you will not receive condemnation
-or-
God will not condemn you (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it may be more natural to begin this sentence with an “if” clause. For example:

⌊If you do not condemn,⌋ then you will not be condemned.

6:37e

Forgive: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Forgive means “choose not to punish or seek revenge against a person who has actually done wrong to you.” The person who forgives must not continue to be angry with the other person. He must not continue hating that person.

Some other ways to translate Forgive are:

pardon
-or-
cancel the sins of someone
-or-
erase the guilt of someone

6:37f

you will be forgiven: The clause you will be forgiven is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this are:

• As a passive clause. For example:

you will be forgiven

• As an active clause. For example:

God will forgive you (Good News Translation)

In some languages, it may be more natural to begin this sentence with an “if” clause. For example:

⌊If you forgive,⌋ then you will be forgiven.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:20

7:20a

the men: The phrase the men refers to the two disciples whom John had sent to Jesus. Another way to translate this is:

they (Good News Translation)

7:20b

John the Baptist: John had baptized many people. As a result, he became known as John the Baptist or “John the Baptizer.”

If you use a verbal expression, such as “John the Baptizer” or “John who baptizes ⌊people⌋,” be sure that you do not imply that John was still baptizing people at this time. He was in prison. (See the note about John at 7:18a.) For example, you could say:

John who had baptized ⌊people⌋
-or-
John who had been baptizing ⌊people⌋

In many parts of the world, there are churches that are called Baptist Churches. If possible, translate the Baptist in a way that means that John baptized people and not that he was the member of a Baptist church.

See also baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

the Baptist: The word Baptist has the same meaning here as the word “baptizer.” It refers to a person who baptizes people. The verb “baptize” means to purify people with a special ritual that uses water. In this context the ritual involved purification from sin. It did not mean that the person was cleaned to remove dirt. Baptism was an initiation that marked the beginning of a person’s life as one of God’s pure people.

You will probably need to decide how to translate the verb “baptize” before you translate the title “John the Baptizer.” Here are some ways to translate “baptize”:

• Use a descriptive term. For example:

⌊ritually⌋ wash
-or-
initiate ⌊people⌋ in/with water
-or-
immerse people in water for God
-or-
sprinkle/shower people with God’s initiation water

• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already used in your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:

purify people with God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
wash people in initiation water for God

• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. In some areas this term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English.

Churches use different ways to baptize people. Choose a term that is acceptable to the different churches in your area.

Some other ways to translate the title “John the Baptist” are:

John who cleansed ⌊people⌋ ⌊for God⌋
-or-
John the ⌊Ritual⌋ Purifier
-or-
John who initiated ⌊people⌋ with God’s washing

7:20c

The words in this part of the verse are exactly the same as in 7:19b. See the notes there.

7:20d

The words in this part of the verse are exactly the same as in 7:19c. See the notes there.

General Comment on 7:20b–d

In 7:20c–d the words in 7:19b–c are repeated as a quotation within another quotation. In some languages it may not be natural to have a quotation within another quotation like this. You may need to use indirect speech for one of the quotations. For example:

…they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask if you are the one who was to come, or if we should expect someone else.”
-or-
…they said that John the Baptist had sent them to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:2

8:2a

some women: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as some women includes Mary, Joanna, and Susanna. It also includes the “many others” of 8:3b whose names are not mentioned.

women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Some of the women had formerly been controlled by evil spirits, and some had been sick. The text does not imply that all the women had been controlled by evil spirits and had also suffered from diseases. One way to make this clear is:

and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits or diseases

In some languages it may not be natural to speak of being healed of evil spirits. If that is true in your language, you may use a different verb. The phrase healed of evil spirits implies that formerly the evil spirits were controlling the women. Then Jesus forced the evil spirits to release their control. Use natural terms in your language to talk about this. For example:

who had been delivered from evil spirits
-or-
whom Jesus freed from evil spirits

evil spirits: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as evil spirits refers to spirits that are evil and can control people’s actions. The phrase evil spirits refers to the same type of spirit as the Greek terms that are often translated as “demons” and “unclean spirits.” The Greek term for “demons” is used in 8:2b. In many languages it may be good to translate these two terms in the same way.

Some ways to translate evil spirits are:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people. If there is one word with this meaning, you may not need a separate word like “evil.” For example:

demons

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. This spirit should be able to do what is described in this context. Do not use a term that refers to the spirit of a dead person.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

evil/bad spirits
-or-
unclean spirits

Be sure that an expression like “unclean spirits” does not imply that the spirits are literally dirty.

See demon in the Glossary for more information.

8:2b

Mary called Magdalene: Scholars believe that Mary was called Magdalene because she came from the town of Magdala. Mary was a common name in New Testament times, and this distinguished her from the other women named Mary who are mentioned in Luke. Here are some ways to translate this phrase:

Mary surnamed the Magdalene (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Mary, known as Mary of Magdala (Revised English Bible)

from whom seven demons had gone out: When a demon controlled a person, the Jews thought of the demon being in the person. Here the text says that the seven demons had gone out of Mary. Your language may have a different expression to describe when a demon releases control of a person. Some other ways to say this are:

whom seven demons had left
-or-
who had been healed/rescued from seven demons
-or-
who had been controlled by seven demons, but had been freed from their control

The text implies that Jesus is the one who caused the demons to come out of Mary. If this is not clear to your readers, you may need to make it explicit. For example:

from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons
-or-
Jesus had commanded seven demons to leave her

demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as demons is different from the term “evil spirits” in 8:2a, but it has the same meaning. Here are two ways to translate these terms:

• Use a different term here than the one you used in 8:2a, but be sure that it has the same meaning or a very similar meaning.

• Translate both terms in the same way.

See demon in the Glossary.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:34

Paragraph 8:34–39

8:34a

those tending the pigs: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those tending the pigs is more literally “those who were herding” or “the herdsmen.” It refers to the men who took care of the pigs as their job. Some languages will have a specific word for “pig herders.”

This is the first time that the pig herders are mentioned in this story. Introduce them in a natural way in your language. Some ways to do this in English are:

Some men were there taking care of the pigs. They…
-or-
The men who had been tending the pigs…

saw what had happened: The text does not indicate exactly what the phrase what had happened refers to. At least these men saw that the pigs drowned. It is probably good to use a general expression here, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

8:34b

ran off: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ran off means “they ran away” or “they fled.” The herdsmen ran away because they were frightened by what had happened. This becomes clear in 8:35e and 8:37a–b. They did not run off because they were excited and happy that Jesus had healed the man with the demons.

reported this: The phrase reported this indicates that the herdsmen told people about what had happened. In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit what the herdsmen told or whom they told. For example:

reported everything that had happened
-or-
telling everyone about this

town and countryside: The town is not identified by name, but was probably Gerasa. See the note on “the region of the Gerasenes” at 8:26a. The countryside refers to the farms and small villages surrounding the town.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 3:19

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:24

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:12

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:37

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:20

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:34

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