SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 86

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:16

Paragraph 4:16–19

4:16a

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version and New American Standard Bible, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version and God’s Word, do not translate this conjunction here.

However, since the events in this paragraph occurred after the events in 4:14–15, in some languages, it may be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word or phrase. That is why the Berean Standard Bible says Then, as do several other English versions (NET Bible, Good News Translation). Connect 4:16a to 4:15b in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus: The Greek literally says “he came,” but if you are beginning a new paragraph here, it may be helpful to translate “he” as Jesus.

Nazareth: Nazareth was the name of the town in Galilee where Jesus had lived when he was a child.

where He had been brought up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates with the English idiom brought up means “reared” or “raised.” It means to take care of a child until he reaches adulthood.

This verb is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to translate without using a passive verb here. For example:

where ⌊his parents⌋ had raised him
-or-
where he had grown up (New Century Version)
-or-
his boyhood home (New Living Translation (2004))

4:16b

As was His custom: The phrase As was His custom means “as he generally did.” Jesus regularly went to a synagogue to worship God on the Sabbath day. This was his habit. Some other ways to translate this are:

as usual (Good News Translation)
-or-
as he regularly did (Revised English Bible)

the synagogue: The synagogue refers to the building in Nazareth where Jews gathered to pray, read Scripture, teach their beliefs, and worship God. For more information, see the note on “synagogues” at 4:15a and synagogue in the Glossary.

the Sabbath: The word Sabbath is the name of the seventh and last day of the week for the Jews. The Sabbath was the special day of the week when the Jews rested and worshiped God. The Law of Moses said that the Jews must not do any work on that day (Deuteronomy 5:12–15).

Some ways to translate Sabbath are:

the ⌊Jewish⌋ rest day
-or-
the day for resting
-or-
the day to rest and worship God

If the word Sabbath is already known in your area, you may write it according to the sounds of your language. You may also want to include a phrase to explain the meaning. For example:

the Sabat, the ⌊Jews’⌋ day for resting

The term you choose should not make people think the Sabbath is on Sunday, the day when Christians worship. The Sabbath for the Jews began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday. You may want to include a footnote to give more information. For example:

“Sabbath” is the name for the seventh day of the Jews’ week. God told them to rest from work and worship him every week on that day.

4:16c

He stood up to read: The clause He stood up to read implies that Jesus had been sitting. Then he stood up and came forward. This indicated that he was ready to read. In synagogue worship services, the man who read the Scriptures to the people stood at the front of the congregation.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:4

Paragraph 5:4–7

5:4a–b

Put out into deep water: The phrase Put out into deep water here means “Move (either by sailing or rowing) your boat into deep water.” That is, Jesus told Simon to move the boat farther away from the shore.

Some other ways to translate this are:

Sail/Row(sing) out to where the water is deeper
-or-
Go(sing) farther away from the shore into the deeper wate
-or-
Simon, cause/make(sing) the boat to go to the deep water

5:4c

let down your nets: The verb let down describes the action of putting nets into the water. In some cultures, fishermen “throw” or “cast” their nets into the water. Use the most natural verb in your language for this action.

The command let down is a plural form. It shows that there were other men in the boat helping Simon Peter.

for a catch: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for a catch here means “in order to catch some fish.”

Different languages have different expressions for “catching” fish. For example:

take/get fish
-or-
kill fish
-or-
hunt fish
-or-
trap fish

Use the most natural expression in your language for fishing.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:36

Paragraph 5:36–39

In this paragraph, Jesus used three short parables to explain that he was teaching a new way to live for God. His new way would not fit into the old traditions. People could not combine the old ways with the new. Each of the three parables is introduced with a general statement that is true of everyone.

5:36

In this verse Jesus compared his teaching to a new garment. He compared the traditions of the Jews to an old garment. No one uses a piece of cloth torn from the new garment to patch an old garment. In the same way, people should not simply add his teaching to their traditions.

5:36a

parable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parable is a general word that is used to describe different types of wise speech. This includes parables, proverbs, illustrations, metaphors, and wise sayings. Here, Jesus used the word to refer to a wise saying.

In this parable, Jesus compared his new way to live for God with a new garment. He compared the old traditions with an old garment.

You will need to read the three parables in 5:36–39 carefully. Then consider how you would describe this type of speech in your language. Some ways to translate parable in this context are:

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to this particular type of wise saying. For example:

symbolic saying/word

• Use a general term or descriptive phrase in your language that includes the different types of wise sayings. For example:

illustration (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
metaphor
-or-
comparison

See also parable in Key Biblical Terms.

5:36b

No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and sews it on an old one: The word No one introduces a general statement. It says something that is true of everyone. In some languages it may be natural to introduce this statement with a general word such as “people” or with a pronoun such as “you” or “they.” For example:

People do not tear a patch from a new garment and sew it on an old one.
-or-

You don’t tear a piece off a new coat to patch up an old coat. (Good News Translation)

garment: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as garment means “clothing.” It can refer to any item of clothing a person wore, but sometimes it refers specifically to the outer robe that people wore. In this context, it probably refers generally to any piece of clothing.

5:36c

If he does: In Greek, this part of the verse begins with a phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If he does. This phrase introduces the possibility of someone doing what was described in 5:36b (which no one actually ever does). It means, “If someone were to do this (which he would not)….”

Some other ways to translate this are:

The consequences of doing that would be…
-or-
Otherwise (New Century Version)
-or-
For then (New Living Translation (2004))

he will tear the new garment as well: If someone tears a patch from a new garment, he spoils or damages the new garment. This is a first undesirable result. Some other ways to translate this are:

he ruins the new coat (New Century Version)
-or-
he will have made a hole in the new garment (Revised English Bible)

5:36d

Verse 5:36d describes a second undesirable result of tearing a patch from a new garment to repair an old garment.

the patch from the new will not match the old: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the patch from the new will not match the old is literally “the patch from the new will not agree with the old.” This means that the piece of cloth taken from the new garment will not be like the material of old garment. It will be different in age. It will look different. It will feel different. The amount it has shrunk will be different. (See Matthew 9:16 and Mark 2:21.) Some ways to translate this are:

the cloth from the new coat will not be the same as the old cloth (New Century Version)
-or-
the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment (New Living Translation (2004))

patch: A patch is a small piece of cloth that someone sews over a hole or torn area of another cloth. It means the same thing as the phrase “piece of cloth” in 5:36b.

General Comment on 5:36a–d

You may want to add a footnote to explain some of the meaning of Jesus’ parable. Some sample footnotes are:

Jesus gave them this illustration to show what happens if his teaching is mixed with old traditions.
-or-
Jesus compared his teaching to a new garment. He compared the traditions of the Jews to an old garment. No one uses a piece of cloth torn from a new garment to patch an old garment. In the same way, people should not simply add his teaching to their old ways of life. His new way would not fit into the old traditions.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:29

6:29–30

In these verses, Jesus stopped using the word “you(plur)” and began to use “you(sing).” He was referring to each of his listeners individually. If this is natural in your language, you should use the singular word for “you(sing)” here. But if it is not natural, you may continue to use “you(plur)” throughout this paragraph. If you change from plural to singular, it may be helpful to introduce the change at the beginning of 6:29 by saying something like:

I say to each one of you…

The four commands that Jesus made in these verses show specific examples of love towards an enemy. The specific action of the enemy is given first. Then the disciple is told how to show love to that person.

In some languages, it may be more natural to begin with the commands. For example:

29bPresent your other cheek 29ato the person who strikes you on the cheek.

29dDo not withhold your tunic from 29cthe person who takes your cloak.

30aGive to everyone who asks you for something.

30cDo not demand your things back from 30bthe person who takes them.

Many English versions have translated these illustrations using “if” or “when.” These illustrations are not real situations. Jesus was illustrating how to show love in possible situations. Translate these illustrations in a way that is natural in your language.

6:29a

If someone strikes you on one cheek: In the Jewish culture, it was a great insult to strike/slap someone on the cheek. In some cultures, slapping someone on the cheek is not an insult. If that is true in your culture, you could make the cultural meaning clear by saying:

If someone insults/shames you by striking you on the cheek

strikes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strikes describes striking/slapping someone with either the open hand or the fist.

6:29b

turn to him the other also: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as turn to him the other also is literally “offer/present also the other.” This implies that you should allow that person to strike/slap your other cheek also. Jesus was saying that his followers should not retaliate or try to get revenge. Some other ways to translate this are:

Allow him to strike the other cheek also.
-or-
…don’t stop that person from slapping you on the other cheek. (Contemporary English Version)

6:29c

And if someone takes your cloak: The verb takes here refers to getting possession unjustly. It could include stealing a person’s cloak or taking it as payment after making a false accusation in court against the disciple (see Matthew 5:40).

cloak: A cloak was a long, loose outer garment such as a long coat or robe. Another way to translate this is:

coat (Good News Translation)

See the General Comment on 6:29c–d below for more suggestions.

6:29d

do not withhold your tunic as well: The phrase do not withhold your tunic as well means “allow/permit him to also take your tunic.” Some other ways to translate this are:

offer your shirt also (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
let him have your shirt as well (Revised English Bible)

tunic: A tunic was a robe-like undergarment that people wore beneath the cloak. Another way to translate this is:

shirt (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 6:29c–d

Some ways to translate “cloak” and “tunic” are:

• Use general terms. For example:

outer garment and under garment
-or-
outer robe and under robe

• Use terms for clothing worn in your culture. This would especially be a good choice if you wear robe-like garments and if you wear two layers of clothing.

Both the cloak and tunic were considered necessities. So be careful not to use a term for clothing that is considered luxurious or is not commonly worn.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:12

7:12a

town gate: The phrase town gate refers here to the entrance to the town, through which people went in and out. Some towns had a wall around them, and the gate to such towns was a door in the wall. However, the village of Nain in modern Israel seems to never have had a wall around it.

Some ways to translate this are:

• Use a word that refers to an entrance. For example:

the gate of the town (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a general expression for the place where people enter a town. For example:

the entrance to the city (God’s Word)

7:12b

In Greek this part of the verse begins with a word that many English versions translate as “behold.” This word indicates that the speaker intends to say something important or surprising, and he wants people to listen carefully to it. Here Luke is probably drawing attention to the whole story that tells about the miracle of raising a dead person back to life.

This word is not easy to translate into English, so many versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate it. Consider whether you have a natural way to translate it here. For example:

look/listen
-or-
take note of this
-or-
and there they saw

a dead man being carried out: This is a passive clause. Some people were carrying the body of a dead person out of the town to bury him. Some ways to translate this are:

• With a passive verb. For example:

a man/boy who had died was being carried out ⌊by pallbearers⌋

• With an active verb. For example:

some people were carrying out a dead man (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

dead man: In 7:14 Jesus addressed this person who had died as “Young man.” If you need to use a more specific word here, see the note on “Young man” at 7:14c.

Some languages have a special word for a person who has died. Other languages may refer to this as a “body” or “corpse” rather than a man. Use an expression that is natural in your language. Some other ways to translate this are:

a corpse was being carried out
-or-

⌊some people⌋ were carrying out the body of a dead person

carried out: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carried out means “to carry someone out to be buried.” This should be clear from the context. However, it may be natural in some languages to make this explicit. For example:

a funeral procession was coming out (Good News Translation)
-or-
a dead person was being carried out for burial

7:12c

the only son of his mother: The young man who had died was the only son that this woman had. The text does not say whether she had any daughters.

she was a widow: A widow is a woman whose husband has died. It also implies that she has not married another man.

7:12d

And a large crowd from the town was with her: This clause indicates that the mother was with the people who were carrying her son out to bury him. A large crowd was going with her to comfort her and mourn with her. Other ways to say this are:

His mother was there with a large crowd from the town.
-or-
Many people from the town were going with the widow to the burial.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:44

Paragraph 7:44–47

In this paragraph Jesus compared debts to sins. He also implied that the woman was like the man in the story who owed much money. Jesus was like the lender. The lender forgave the man his debt, and Jesus forgave the woman’s sins. The woman loved Jesus very much because he had forgiven her for many sins. Simon was like the man who borrowed only a little money. He did not love Jesus as much, because he thought that he did not need much forgiveness from Jesus.

7:44a

And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon: Jesus turned to look at the woman who had come and anointed him. He was looking at the woman while he spoke to Simon about her.

Do you see this woman?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus did not expect an answer. He was directing Simon’s attention toward the woman and asking him to consider her actions. So there are two ways to translate this:

• As a question. For example:

Have you noticed this woman? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Do you see what this woman has done?

• As a polite command. For example:

Think about what this woman has just done.
-or-
Look at this woman kneeling here. (New Living Translation (2004))

7:44b

In 7:44a Jesus directed Simon’s attention toward the woman, and he seemed ready to speak to Simon about her. However, here in 7:44b Jesus first spoke about how Simon had treated him. If this is confusing in your language, consider whether you may need more transition. For example:

44aConsider this woman 44b⌊and think about yourself⌋
-or-

44aDo you see this woman? 44b⌊In contrast to her⌋

When I entered your house: The phrase When I entered your house implies that Jesus came as a guest to the Pharisee’s house. In Jewish culture it was important for a host to be very polite to a guest. In some languages there may be an idiom that fits here. For example:

I came under your roof as your guest.

In the Greek text, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your is emphatic. If you have a way to emphasize this word in your language, consider doing that here. Some examples from English are:

It is your house that I came into.
-or-
You ⌊are the one⌋ who invited me to your home.
-or-
As for you, you are my host, and I am here in your home.

7:44c

you did not give Me water for My feet: It was a common Jewish custom to give a guest a bowl or basin of water so that he could wash the dust off his feet. In the homes of rich people, the servants would wash the feet of the guests, especially the guest whom they were honoring. However, Simon did not give Jesus water to wash his feet, and he did not provide a servant to wash them.

If it is not a custom in your culture to provide water to wash a guest’s feet, you may want to explain this custom in a footnote. For example:

In Jewish culture, it was common to provide water for the guests to wash their feet. This was especially important if the guests had been walking on dusty roads.

7:44d

but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair: In contrast to Simon, the woman acted more humbly than a servant. A servant would have washed Jesus’ feet with water and dried them with a towel. The woman used her tears to wash his feet, and she used her hair to dry them.

General Comment on 7:44b–d

When In the Greek text and in most English versions, no conjunctions are used to connect 7:44b and 7:44c. Consider how to connect them in your language. The Berean Standard Bible says When. Some further examples in English are:

When I came into your house, you gave me no water… (New Century Version)
-or-
I came into your home, and you gave me no water… (Good News Translation)
-or-
I came into your house, but you did not give me any water for my feet. Yet/however, she wet my feet…

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 8:26

Section 8:26–39

Jesus freed a man whom many demons controlled

After the storm in the preceding section, Jesus and his disciples arrived at the northeastern shore of Lake Galilee. Most of the people who lived in this region were Gentiles. A man who was controlled by many demons immediately came to Jesus. Jesus commanded the demons to leave the man. When they left, they went to control a large herd of pigs and destroyed them. When Jesus freed the man from these demons, he showed his great power over them.

“Uncleanness” is a theme in this story. The spirits that controlled the man were considered “unclean” (and called “unclean” in 8:29a). Tombs were “unclean.” Jews also considered pigs to be “unclean.”

When people saw that Jesus had caused the demons to leave the man and enter the pigs, they asked him to leave the area. Their response showed that even when people saw that Jesus was very powerful, sometimes they still would not believe in him or accept him as the Messiah.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus commanded many demons to leave a man
-or-
The deliverance of a man who was controlled by many demons

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 8:28–34 and Mark 5:1–20.

Paragraph 8:26–33

In this paragraph Luke told about events that happened when Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the lake. Several times Luke inserted background information about the past. In some languages speakers often shift in this way between telling events and giving background information to explain them. Use natural ways to do this in your language.

In some languages this shift between actions and background information may be confusing. You may need to change the order of some information in these verses. See the General Comment on 8:27a–28a at the end of the notes on 8:28a and the longer General Comment on 8:27–29 at the end of the notes on 8:29e for suggestions.

8:26a

Then: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the King James Version, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version, Contemporary English Version, and Good News Translation, do not translate this conjunction. But other versions say “So” (NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004)) or “Then” (Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version). Connect 4:4a to 4:3b in a way that is natural in your language.

they: The word they refers to Jesus and his disciples. Refer to them here at the beginning of this story in a natural way in your language.

sailed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sailed refers to traveling by boat (using either oars or sails). It specifically means “to come from the deep water to the shore.” It refers here to the end of the trip that Jesus and his disciples started in 8:22. Some languages may have a specific word for this. For example:

landed (Revised English Bible)

Other ways to indicate this are:

they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes (Revised Standard Version)
-or-

sailed across Lake Galilee and came to shore (Contemporary English Version)

the region of the Gerasenes: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Gerasenes refers to people who lived in the city called “Gerasa” and the countryside around it. Gerasenes were mostly non-Jewish people. The phrase the region of the Gerasenes means “the region where the Gerasene people lived.” Some other ways to translate this are:

region/area of the Gerasa people
-or-
place where people called the Gerasenes lived
-or-
region of the city of Gerasa and around it

Gerasenes: There is a textual issue in this verse:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts have Gerasenes, people from the town of Gerasa.

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

(2) Other Greek manuscripts have Gadarenes, people from the town of Gadara.

(King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), which is followed by most English versions. However, if the national language version in the area follows option (2), it is recommended that you put this in a footnote. For example:

Other Greek manuscripts and the [national language version] have “Gadarenes.”

8:26b

across the lake from Galilee: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as across the lake from Galilee is literally “opposite Galilee.” Because “opposite” here means “on the opposite side of the lake from Galilee,” it may be clearer to say across the lake from Galilee, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

They sailed from the northwest shore of the lake in the province of Galilee to the northeast shore. If your language requires or prefers to indicate the direction of travel, indicate that they were sailing east.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 9:2

9:2a

And He sent them out: In this context the word sent means “told to go.” The disciples did not actually leave until 9:6. Jesus told the twelve apostles to go to where the people were. He told them to help the people by preaching about the kingdom of God and healing the sick.

to proclaim the kingdom of God: The phrase to proclaim the kingdom of God means “to speak to the people about the kingdom of God.” The phrase the kingdom of God refers to God’s rule. It does not refer here to a land or country that he rules over. Instead, it refers to God ruling people through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It refers to the relationship that he has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They trust and obey him as their king.

Some ways to translate the kingdom of God in this context are:

• As a noun. For example:

to preach about God’s rule/reign
-or-
to announce God’s kingship
-or-
to tell ⌊people⌋ about God’s chieftaincy
-or-
to proclaim God’s government

• As a verbal expression:

to preach about God ruling ⌊people⌋
-or-
to proclaim that God ⌊cares for his people as their⌋ king
-or-
to tell ⌊people⌋ about the way God rules

This phrase first occurred in Luke in 4:43a. See kingdom of God in the Glossary.

to proclaim: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaim means to tell people publicly something important. Some other ways to translate proclaim in this context are:

announce
-or-
proclaim
-or-
tell ⌊people⌋

9:2b

heal the sick: There is a textual issue here:

(1) Most Greek manuscripts have “heal the sick.” For example:

heal the sick (New Century Version)

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

(2) One important Greek manuscript only has “heal.” For example:

heal (Revised Standard Version)

(New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013