SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 90

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 21:28

21:28a

When these things begin to happen: The phrase these things probably refers to the signs of the coming of the Son of Man described in 21:25–26. It may also include some of the other things that Jesus mentioned in 21:10–24. Some other ways to translate 21:28a are:

When all this begins to happen
-or-
When these signs/events begin to occur

21:28b

stand up and lift up your heads: Here Jesus told his disciples what they should do when the signs in 21:25–26 begin to happen. These instructions are especially for all of Jesus’ followers who will be alive on earth at that time, both men and women.

The phrases stand up and lift up your heads are symbolic actions. They symbolize courage and confident expectation. In this context Jesus implied that when his disciples see the signs, they should be courageous and confident. The signs will show that he will return to earth soon.

Some other ways to translate these symbolic actions are:

• Translate the actions and indicate the meaning. For example:

Stand ⌊courageously⌋ and lift your heads ⌊with confidence⌋.

• Use similar actions or idioms in your culture that express this same meaning. For example:

make strong your hearts and look-up
-or-
strengthen and make-happy your minds

• Use only one action to express the meaning. For example:

stand with confidence (God’s Word)

• Translate the meaning without the actions. For example:

be courageous and confident

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

stand up: Scholars interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stand up in two ways:

(1) It means stand up. Here is another way to translate this:

stand erect (New Jerusalem Bible)

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

(2) It means look up. Here is another way to translate this:

look up (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

lift up your heads: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lift up your heads means to hold your head upright as a sign of courage. In some languages a literal translation may imply a wrong meaning (like having pride rather than courage). If this is true in your language, translate the meaning in a different way. See the suggestions in the note on “stand up and lift up your heads” earlier in 21:28b.

21:28c

because your redemption is drawing near: This clause gives the reason that the disciples should gain new courage. The signs that they will see indicate that they will soon be redeemed.

In some languages it is necessary to translate redemption as a verb. Some ways to do this are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

the time when you will be redeemed is drawing near
-or-
you will soon be redeemed

• Use an active verb and supply God as the subject. For example:

⌊God⌋ is about to redeem you.

redemption: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as redemption refers to freeing or rescuing someone. In this case it refers to God freeing his people from evil and from the suffering that evil people and powers have caused them. Some ways to translate redemption are:

the time when God will free you (New Century Version)
-or-
your salvation/deliverance
-or-
You will soon be set free (Contemporary English Version)

If you must say what the people will be freed from, use a general term like “your sufferings/troubles.” For example:

you will be freed from your suffering.

See “redeem,” sense B1(b), in Key Biblical Terms.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:22

22:22a

Indeed: In the Greek text 22:22a begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “because” or “for.” The Berean Standard Bible translates this word as Indeed. In this context it introduces an explanation. Verse 22 explains why the betrayer was with them: God had decreed that Jesus must die. However, the verse does not imply that Judas had any good reason or excuse for betraying Jesus (22:21). Some other English versions do not translate this conjunction. Connect the verse to 22:21 in a natural way in your language.

the Son of Man will go: In this context the clause the Son of Man will go is a figurative way to imply that he will die. In some languages it is necessary to make this explicit, as many English versions do. For example:

The Son of Man will die (Good News Translation)
-or-
I, the Son of Man, must die (New Living Translation (1996))

In some languages it may be possible to use a different figurative way or an indirect way to say that Jesus will die. Translate it in a natural way in your language.

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.” See the note on 17:24a–b for more information and translation advice. Here Jesus used the title the Son of Man to refer to himself. In many languages it is necessary to make this explicit. See the second example in the preceding note.

as it has been determined: The clause as it has been determined means “as it has been decided or planned.” It indicates that God had already planned that Jesus must die. The verb has been determined is passive. The Jews often showed respect for God by using a passive form instead of referring to him directly. The verb does not imply here that Jesus’ enemies decreed his death.

In many languages it is necessary to refer to God explicitly here. For example:

as God has decided (Good News Translation)
-or-
since it is part of God’s plan (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
according to what is determined for me by God

General Comment on 22:22a

The statement in 22:22a implies that God had planned that Jesus had to die many years before it was going to happen. In some languages it may be more natural to mention God’s plan before saying that it must happen. For example:

What God has planned for the Son of Man will happen (New Century Version)

Use a natural order in your language.

22:22b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a contrast between 22:22a and 22:22b. Although Jesus must die, the person who betrays him will endure a terrible future. Most English versions use but to introduce the contrast. Translate the contrast in a natural way in your language.

woe to that man who betrays Him: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as woe to that man who betrays Him means that something terrible will happen to the person who will betray Jesus. In this context, it implies that God will punish that person severely. The word woe is not a curse. Jesus was not asking God to curse this person.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

it will be terrible for the one who betrays him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the person who is betraying me is really to be pitied
-or-
the person who betrays me to my enemies will have a terrible punishment
-or-

⌊God⌋ will severely punish the person who betrays me.

The phrase “woe to the one” occurs also in 17:1. See how you translated it there. The word woe also occurs in 6:24–26. For help in translating the word betrays, see the notes on 22:21a–b.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:54

Section 22:54–62

Jesus’ enemies arrested him, and Peter denied him

In 22:33 Peter said that he would never leave Jesus or be unfaithful to him. But in 22:34 Jesus predicted that actually Peter would say three times that he did not know Jesus. After Jesus was arrested, Peter followed Jesus to the house of the high priest and waited in the courtyard. Three different people said that Peter had been with Jesus, and three times Peter said he did not know Jesus. But then a rooster crowed, and Peter suddenly remembered what Jesus had said. Peter wept with great sorrow because he had denied that he knew Jesus his Lord.

Some other examples of headings for this section are:

Peter Denies Jesus (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Jesus’ Condemnation and Peter’s Denials (NET Bible)
-or-
Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus (New Century Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 26:57–58, 26:69–75, Mark 14:53–54, 14:66–72, and John 18:12–18, 18:25–27.

Paragraph 22:54–57

22:54a

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then is a common conjunction that can be translated in different ways. Here it introduces what happened after Jesus spoke to the crowd. Many English versions introduce this next event with Then or “So.” Other versions do not have a conjunction. Introduce this event in a natural way in your language.

they seized Jesus: The phrase they seized Jesus indicates that the temple guards (police) held Jesus firmly in their hands so that he could not leave. They arrested him and made him their prisoner.

In many languages it may be necessary to make clear who arrested Jesus. The people who actually took hold of him were the officers of the temple guard, who were mentioned in 22:52b. Refer back to them in a natural way in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate the clause they seized Jesus:

• Use an active clause with subject and object. For example:

the captains of the temple guard seized/grabbed Jesus
-or-
the temple guards/police arrested Jesus

• Use a passive verb. For example:

Jesus was arrested (Contemporary English Version)

Translate the clause in a natural way in your language.

22:54b–c

led Him away, and took Him into the house of the high priest: This clause has the two verbs led and took. The first verb refers to leading Jesus out of the garden. The second verb refers to taking him to the high priest’s house. Some versions put the second verb in a separate sentence. For example:

…led him away. They brought him to the high priest’s house (Revised English Bible)

These verbs do not imply that the guards took Jesus violently. They forced Jesus to go with them, but he did not resist them.

In some languages it may be more natural to use only one verb to describe the actions. For example:

and led him away to the chief priest’s house (God’s Word)
-or-
and they took him to the house of the High Priest

Translate the actions in a natural way in your language.

into the house of the high priest: This house, where the high priest lived, was probably large. It is likely that it had an open courtyard with rooms around it.

the high priest: The term high priest occurred in 22:50. You should translate it in the same way here. See the note at 22:50 for more information.

22:54c

And Peter followed at a distance: The clause And Peter followed at a distance indicates that Peter walked behind the people who were taking Jesus to the high priest’s house. Peter did not get close to them as he walked. He stayed far enough from them so that they would not notice him. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Peter followed but not very close
-or-
Peter followed ⌊them⌋ from a ⌊safe⌋ distance
-or-
Peter went along behind ⌊Jesus and his captors⌋, but he did not come near them

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:16

23:16

Therefore I will punish Him and release Him: As a result of the reasons in 23:14–15, Pilate decided that he would just punish Jesus and then let him go free. He would not execute Jesus. Pilate thought that if he punished Jesus in a less severe way, the Jewish leaders would be satisfied and not demand that Jesus be killed.

Your translation should not imply that Pilate punished Jesus because of his innocence. In some languages it may be helpful to indicate more explicitly that the punishment was easy in contrast to death. For example:

So I will only/just punish him and then I will set him free.
-or-
So after I punish Him, I will release Him

Therefore: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Therefore introduces what Pilate decided to do as a result of the facts in 23:14–15. Other English versions introduce this result with “So.” Some versions do not use a conjunction. Introduce Pilate’s decision in a way that is natural in your language.

I will punish Him: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as punish means “discipline, train.” In this context it indicates that Pilate would order Jesus to be whipped. The Romans usually whipped anyone who was accused of a crime, even if that person was not guilty. They hoped that the whipping would make the person try to avoid being accused of a crime again. This would also avoid trouble for the government. Another way to translate it is:

I will just beat/whip him

Pilate did not imply here that he would whip Jesus himself. In many languages it is necessary to indicate that he would cause or order others to do it. For example:

I will command that he be whipped
-or-
I will order/command ⌊my men⌋ to punish/whip him.

release Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as release is used in a special way here to mean “pardon/release a prisoner.” It implies that the prisoner will be freed. Some other ways to translate the phrase release Him are:

let him go (Good News Translation)
-or-
set him free

Use a natural way in your language to refer to releasing a prisoner.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:48

23:48a

And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened: This part of the verse refers to the crowd of people who came to watch the crucifixion. In some languages it may be necessary to divide 23:48a into two separate sentences. For example:

Many people had gathered to witness this sight. When they saw what took place….

for this spectacle: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for this spectacle is more literally “at the spectacle, show.” The word spectacle can refer to any public event that people come to watch. Here it refers to the execution of Jesus and the other two men.

In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:

to see the crucifixion (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to watch

saw what had happened: The phrase saw what had happened refers in general to the things that happened when Jesus and the men were crucified. Other ways to translate it are:

saw what happened (Good News Translation)
-or-
observed all that occurred there
-or-
saw ⌊and heard⌋ what happened there

23:48b

they returned home beating their breasts: In that culture people beat their chests/breasts with their fists to show sorrow and distress. The people at the crucifixion were distressed because of what happened to Jesus. They realized that Jesus was innocent, and he did not deserve to suffer so terribly. As they left, they mourned over this by beating their chests.

In some cultures, beating the chest does not have this meaning. If that is true in your culture, some other ways to translate it are:

• Translate the action and indicate the meaning. For example:

they felt so distressed that they beat their chests
-or-
beating their chests because they were so sad (New Century Version)

• Translate the meaning without the action. For example:

they felt brokenhearted and went home (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they left, mourning greatly/deeply
-or-
they…went home in deep distress (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• Substitute an action that has the right meaning in your culture. For example:

They left, ⌊wailing⌋ in sorrow

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language for this context.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:24

24:24a

Then some of our companions went to the tomb: The phrase some of our companions refers to their male companions who were also followers of Jesus. These companions also heard the women’s report. The parallel passage in John 20:3–9 suggests that the phrase refers to Peter and John.

Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

Some of our men went to the tomb (God’s Word)
-or-
Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb (NET Bible)
-or-
So some of our group went to the tomb (New Century Version)

24:24b

and found it just as the women had described: When the men from the group of disciples went to the tomb, they saw that the women were right. Specifically, they saw that the tomb was empty. Jesus’ body was no longer there. Then they understood that what the women had told them about the tomb was true.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

and found it empty, as the women had said (God’s Word)
-or-
They saw that Jesus’ body was not there, just as the women had told them

24:24c

But Him they did not see: The clause But Him they did not see indicates that the men did not see Jesus. It implies that they wanted or expected to see Jesus. They were puzzled when they saw only the empty tomb. This caused the disciples to wonder what had happened.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

but they did not see him (NET Bible)
-or-
but they did not see Jesus (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:22

1:22a

was unable to speak to them: Zechariah was unable to talk, so he was not able to tell the people what he had seen in the temple.

1:22b

they realized: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as realized indicates that the people “understood” or “came to know” that Zechariah had seen a vision. Some other ways to say this are:

they perceived (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
it became clear to them

he had seen a vision: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a vision implies here that the angel appeared to Zechariah in a supernatural way. A human being is not able to see an angel unless God makes him able to see the angel. The meaning in this context is a little different from the usual meaning of vision. Usually, a vision refers to something similar to a dream, except that a person is awake when he sees it.

Some other ways to translate this are:

he had seen something supernatural
-or-
God had showed him something

1:22c

There is a Greek conjunction at the beginning of this verse part that is often translated as “and” in English. It introduces an explanation of how the people realized that Zechariah had seen a vision. Some translations, such as the New International Version, translate it as “for.” Other translations, including the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate it. Connect this part of the verse to 1:22b in a natural way in your language. See the General Comment on 1:22a–d at the end of the notes on 1:22d for suggestions about reordering the parts of this verse.

He kept making signs to them: The phrase making signs describes the way in which Zechariah tried to communicate with the people. He did this by moving his hands and perhaps also his head. The form of the verb indicates that he did this action many times.

1:22d

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but is often translated as “and” in English. Some English versions use but because it is natural in English to indicate a contrast between what Zechariah could do (1:22c) and what he could not do. Other English versions translate the conjunction as “and,” or they do not translate it. Connect 1:22d to 1:22c in the way that is most natural in your language in this context.

remained speechless: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as remained speechless can mean unable to speak, unable to hear, or both. Here it includes the idea that Zechariah remained speechless, since that is what Gabriel had said. Luke 1:62 may indicate that Zechariah was also deaf. If your language has a word that means both unable to speak and unable to hear, you may use it here.

This verse refers specifically to Zechariah as he tried to communicate with the people at the temple. Luke 1:62–64 indicates that he remained speechless for a long time (for at least nine months).

General Comment on 1:22a–d

In some languages, it may be necessary to reorder this verse. One way to do that is to put the description of Zechariah’s behavior first and then give the people’s conclusion that Zechariah had seen a vision. For example:

22aWhen Zechariah came out of the temple, he could not talk to them. 22cHe made hand signals to them 22dbut remained mute. 22bThen/so the people realized that he had seen a vision.
-or-

22aWhen he finally did come out, he couldn’t speak to them. 22bThen they realized 22cfrom his gestures 22dand his silence 22bthat he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary. (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:54

1:54–1:55a

He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful…to Abraham and his descendants forever: The word Israel refers to the same people as Abraham’s descendants. Abraham was the ancestor of Jacob, who was called Israel, for whom the nation of Israel was named. In some languages it may be good to indicate this in some way in your translation. For example:

He has helped…⌊us⌋ Israelites. Yes, he has remembered to be merciful…to ⌊our ancestor⌋ Abraham and to ⌊us⌋ his descendants forever.

remembering to be merciful…to Abraham and his descendants forever: This phrase does not suggest that God might potentially forget something. Rather, it indicates that God will continue to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants in the future. He will never stop being merciful to them.

1:54a

He has helped His servant Israel: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as helped means “to assist, to share in someone’s situation to aid him/her.” God had helped the people of Israel by fulfilling his promise to send the Messiah who would save them. The angel had told Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah.

His servant Israel: The phrase His servant Israel refers to the people of Israel. They are called God’s servant because they serve God and worship him. In some languages it is not natural to use a singular form to speak of the whole nation as God’s servant. If this is true in your language, some other ways to translate it are:

his servants, the people/nation of Israel
-or-
us Israelites, his servants

servant: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as servant refers to a slave, but to one whom the master loves. This is a different Greek word than “servant” or “slave” in 1:38a, but the meaning is similar.

1:54b

remembering to be merciful: The phrase remembering to be merciful refers to the same action as the previous phrase “he has helped his servant Israel.” It means that God remembered that he had promised to be merciful to his people, and he fulfilled his promise.

God had not previously forgotten to be merciful. If a literal translation would give this wrong meaning, you may need to say something such as:

God has kept his promise to be merciful.

to be merciful: The phrase to be merciful means “to have compassion” or “to show pity.” It is related to the word that is translated as “mercy” in 1:50. See the note there.

Some other ways to translate it are:

to be kind
-or-
graciously to show compassion

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 21:28

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:54

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:16

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:48

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:24

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:54

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