SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 94

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 21:22

21:22a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the basis or reason for the commands that Jesus gave in 21:21. Other ways to translate this conjunction are:

because (NET Bible)
-or-

⌊I say that⌋ because

these are the days of vengeance: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as these are the days of vengeance is literally “days of vengeance these are.” The phrase days of vengeance is emphasized.

Prophets who lived during the time of the Old Testament warned that God would punish his people because they disobeyed him and rebelled against him. On some occasions God used the phrase days of vengeance or “the day” to describe the time when He would punish His people. (See Hosea 9:7 and Malachi 4:1.) God would also specifically punish them for rejecting Jesus as the Christ/Messiah whom God had sent to them, as 19:44 indicates.

In some languages it may be necessary to translate vengeance as a verb and to make explicit both the subject and the object. For example:

this is the time ⌊when God⌋ will punish ⌊the people of Jerusalem⌋
-or-
At this time ⌊God⌋ will punish ⌊people⌋

21:22b

to fulfill: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to fulfill is literally “are to be fulfilled.” The verb fulfill means “to make/cause to truly happen.” Here it indicates that what happens during “the time of punishment/vengeance” will cause everything that was written in the Scriptures about it to happen as the Scriptures said. Other ways to translate this word are:

to make come true (Good News Translation)
-or-
will come true (God’s Word)
-or-
so that ⌊it⌋ may happen as predicted

all that is written: The phrase all that is written refers to everything that the prophets wrote in Scripture. It refers specifically here to all the writings about the time when armies would attack and destroy Jerusalem. Another way to translate this is:

all that ⌊the prophets⌋ wrote ⌊about this⌋

Jesus may have been referring to passages such as 1 Kings 9:6–9, Daniel 9:26, Hosea 9:7 and Micah 3:12.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:16

22:16a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For often introduces a reason or an explanation. In this verse Jesus explained more about his eagerness to eat that Passover meal with his apostles. This explanation begins in 22:16b. Jesus says that he will not eat the Passover meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Introduce his explanation in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed, as in several English versions.

I tell you: Jesus often used the phrase I tell you to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize. See the note on 17:34a for more information and translation suggestions.

you: The pronoun you is plural here. It refers to Jesus’ apostles.

22:16b–c

I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled: There are two ways to interpret the statement I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled:

(1) It indicates that after Jesus ate that Passover meal with his disciples, he would not eat another Passover meal until its meaning was fulfilled. For example:

I will not eat another Passover meal until it is given its true meaning (New Century Version)

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

(2) It indicates that Jesus would not eat another Passover meal, including the one that night with his disciples, until its meaning was fulfilled. Here is another way to translate this:

I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The whole context, especially 22:15, strongly implies that Jesus did eat the Passover meal with his disciples. (See also 22:21.) Although the word again is not included in some Greek manuscripts, it is necessary in English to express the right meaning.

until it is fulfilled: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as until it is fulfilled refers to the time when the meaning that the Passover meal symbolizes will be completely fulfilled.

The Passover symbolizes God redeeming his people. He redeemed the Jewish people when he saved them from death and slavery in Egypt at the time of the first Passover. God redeemed his people from eternal death and slavery to sin through Jesus’ death as a substitute for them. The Passover lamb symbolizes Jesus.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

until its meaning is fulfilled (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
until it is given its full meaning (Good News Translation)
-or-
until what it symbolizes is accomplished

The verb is fulfilled is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to translate it as active. If that is true in your language, you may supply “God” as the subject. For example:

until ⌊God⌋ fulfills the purpose/meaning of the Passover meal
-or-
until ⌊God⌋ causes what the Passover meal represents to happen

in the kingdom of God: In this context the phrase in the kingdom of God refers to the time when God will reign over everyone as king. At that time Jesus will reign with God, and God will give his people the complete freedom that Passover symbolizes. Because Jesus atoned for his people’s sin by his death for them, God will free them completely from sin and death. At that time there will be a great feast, and God’s people will celebrate with Jesus forever.

Some ways to translate in the kingdom of God here are:

when God rules his people as king
-or-
when God becomes King in the world
-or-
in God’s ⌊glorious⌋ reign/chieftaincy

kingdom of God: The phrase kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer here to a land or country that he rules over. For more information and translation suggestions, see the note on kingdom of God at 17:20a–b. See also kingdom of God in the Glossary.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:48

22:48a

But Jesus asked him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is a common conjunction that can be translated in different ways. Here it introduces Jesus’ response after Judas greeted him with a kiss. Some English versions translate it as “but” here, probably because Jesus did not respond in the usual way that people respond to such greetings. The conjunction can also be translated as “then” or “and then.”

You should translate it in a natural way in your language for this context. In some languages a conjunction is not needed, as in several English versions.

22:48b

Judas: Here Jesus addressed Judas directly by name. In some languages it is more natural to put this direct address in a different part of the sentence. See 22:48b in the Display for an example.

are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss: This is a rhetorical question. It expresses the surprise and sorrow that Jesus felt when Judas used a kiss to betray him. It was terrible for a friend to betray him, but it was even more terrible for the friend to betray him with a kiss of greeting.

Some ways to translate this surprise and sorrow are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

So is it a kiss that you use to betray me, the Son of Man?
-or-
Why did you choose a friendly greeting to betray me, the Son of Man?
-or-
How can you betray me, the Son of Man, with a kiss?
-or-
Like this, Judas, you betray the Son of Mankind?

• As a statement or exclamation. For example:

So you take the kiss of a friend to give me, the Son of Man, to my enemies!

Use a natural way to express this surprise and sorrow in your language.

betraying: The word betraying refers here to handing Jesus over to his enemies. This word also occurred in 22:4. In some languages it is necessary to specify the people to whom Judas was betraying Jesus. If that is true in your language, you can use a general term like “enemies.” See the note on 22:4c.

Son of Man: Here Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man. He also referred to himself in that way in 22:22. See how you translated it there.

kiss: See the note in 22:47c for information and translation suggestions.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:21

23:21a

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a statement by the people that directly and strongly contrasts with what Pilate had hoped and wanted in 23:20. Instead of releasing Jesus, the people wanted Pilate to have Jesus crucified.

they kept shouting: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they kept shouting indicates that the people continued to shout for some time. They yelled the same words many times. They were shouting these words back to Pilate as their answer to him. Some other ways to translate this are:

they repeatedly shouted
-or-
they just continued to yell/call again and again
-or-
they ⌊answered⌋ ⌊him⌋, shouting over and over

23:21b

Crucify Him! Crucify Him!: The phrase Crucify Him! is repeated for emphasis. The people were urgently demanding that Pilate crucify Jesus. In some languages it may be more natural to say it only once and emphasize it in a different way. This is especially true if the term for Crucify has several words.

Here the crowd did not expect Pilate to crucify Jesus himself. He would order his soldiers to do it. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear. For example:

Cause him to be killed/executed on a cross!
-or-

⌊Order
(sing) your soldiers to⌋ nail/fasten him to a cross to kill him!

Crucify Him: The word Crucify (and “crucifixion”) refers to a method that Romans used to execute criminals. They nailed or tied the living criminal to a stake or to two large beams of wood that were joined in the form of a cross (+). They set the cross upright in the ground. Then they left the criminal on the cross until he died. Crucifixion was a slow and painful death.

Some ways to translate Crucify Him are:

Kill him on a cross!
-or-
Nail him to the cross/post so that he dies!

In some languages the term for Crucify will need to include a word for “cross.” Some ways to translate the word “cross” are:

plank/wood of death
-or-
crossed-beam(s) of death
-or-
a tree for killing people
-or-
a stake/post to which they fasten/nail someone ⌊to kill him⌋

You may want to include a footnote to explain more about crucifixion. For example:

One Roman method to execute a criminal was to crucify him. They crossed two large pieces of wood and joined them together. Then soldiers nailed or tied the criminal’s arms to one piece of wood and his feet to the other. They set the cross upright and allowed him to die a slow and painful death on it.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:53

23:53a

Then he took it down: The clause Then he took it down implies that Joseph went to the place where Jesus was crucified and took Jesus’ body down from the cross. Joseph did not do that by himself. John 19:39–40 indicates that Nicodemus helped him, and other people also may have helped. Joseph may have asked some of his servants to help also.

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

Then he went and lowered it from the cross
-or-
He took the body down from the cross (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Joseph ⌊with the help of other men⌋ took his body down ⌊from the cross⌋

Translate this clause in a clear way in your language.

23:53b

wrapped it in a linen cloth: It was a Jewish custom to wrap a dead person’s body in a cloth before burying it. The word wrapped in this context indicates that Joseph and his helpers wrapped the cloth around the body many times. The cloth was first cut into strips, and then the strips were wrapped around the body. At times, a whole linen cloth (a “shroud”) was also placed around the wrapped corpse.

Some other ways to translate this are:

wrapped linen cloth around the body/corpse
-or-
wrapped him/it in ⌊strips of⌋ the linen/cloth
-or-
took linen cloth and wrapped it around the body
-or-
shrouded it

a linen cloth: linen cloth is a fabric that is woven from thread made out of the fibers of the flax plant. It was an expensive, good quality fabric. It was normally white or cream-colored. In some areas linen cloth is unknown. If that is true in your area, you may use a more general term. For example:

fine cloth (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
cloth (New Century Version)

23:53c–d

and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock: The phrase a tomb cut into the rock describes the type of grave into which Joseph put Jesus’ body. This tomb was like a cave. Some men had dug it in a solid mass of rock. It was not a hole that men dug in the ground. Such tombs were often dug into a hillside of solid rock.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

placed-it-inside a cave that had been chipped-from rock
-or-
laid it in a tomb that was carved into ⌊a hill of⌋ rock

In some languages it is more natural to introduce the cave before saying that Jesus’ body was buried there. For example:

And there was a burial cave dug out of a limestone cliff…. And there Joseph placed the body of Jesus

cut into the rock: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cut is a descriptive word. It is not a verb. However, in some languages it may be necessary to translate it as a verb. If you use an active verb, you may need to supply a general subject. For example:

that ⌊someone/people⌋ cut/carved out of the rock

where no one had yet been laid: This phrase indicates that no dead body had ever been placed in the tomb where they buried Jesus. That type of tomb was usually large enough for several dead bodies. It was also large enough for several people to enter carrying a dead body.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

That grave was still new; it had never yet been used as a burial place.
-or-
This tomb had never been used before. (New Century Version)

The parallel passage in Matthew 27:60 indicates that this tomb was Joseph’s own tomb. He had already told men to make this tomb for himself before he knew when Jesus would die.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:29

24:29a–b

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is often translated as “and.” It introduces what the disciples did when they saw that Jesus seemed to be going further. They urged Jesus to stay with them. In some languages a conjunction is not needed. Connect this verse to the preceding one in a natural way in your language.

they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us…”: This clause implies that the two disciples urged Jesus to come to their home and stay with them overnight. In Greek the quotation Stay with us is introduced with a word that means “saying.” There are two ways to translate the quotation:

• Use direct speech. For example:

they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us…”
-or-
they begged him, “Stay the night with us…” (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use indirect speech. For example:

they pleaded that he would stay with them
-or-
they begged him to stay the night with them (New Living Translation (1996))

Use a natural way in your language for people to invite someone to come and stay overnight as a guest in their home.

us: The word us refers to the two men with whom Jesus was walking.

24:29c–d

for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over: Here the word for introduces the disciples’ reason for inviting Jesus to stay at their house. The disciples emphasized the reason by saying it in two different ways. The clauses it is nearly evening and the day is almost over have the same meaning. They indicate that evening was coming, and it would soon be dark. It was dangerous to travel on the roads in the dark.

Some other ways to translate this reason are:

since it is getting late (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
because it is late; it is almost night (New Century Version)
-or-
the day is almost over and it is getting dark (Good News Translation)

In some languages it may be natural to say this reason only once. For example:

It will soon be dark.

See also the General Comment on 24:29a–e below for another translation suggestion.

24:29e

So He went in to stay with them: This clause tells the result of the disciples’ urging. Jesus went with them to their house and came into it to stay awhile with them. Verse 31 shows that he actually did not stay for the whole night. Some other ways to translate the clause are:

And/Then he went to stay with them.
-or-
When they said that, Jesus ⌊went with them to their house and⌋ came in to stay ⌊awhile⌋.
-or-
So Jesus went into the house to stay with them. (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 24:29a–e

In this verse the disciples asked Jesus to stay with them in 24:29b before they gave the reason for their request in 24:29c–d. In some languages it is more natural to change the order so that the reason comes before their request. For example:

29aBut they pleaded with him, saying, 29c“The sun will soon set, 29dand it will be dark, 29bso please stay with us.” 29eSo Jesus went in to stay with them.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:27

1:27a

virgin: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as virgin usually refers to a young girl or woman who has not yet married and has never had sexual intercourse with a man. The young woman was usually at the age that people consider a good time for girls to marry. All of this was true of Mary.

Some ways to translate virgin are:

• Use a specific term that refers to a young unmarried woman who has not had sexual intercourse. It should not imply that men do not want to marry her because she is ugly or has some other problem. For example:

a virgin
-or-
a pure young woman
-or-
a young woman who has not had sexual relations

• Use a general term that refers to a “young woman” or “young unmarried woman.” Allow the context (especially 1:34) to show that Mary had never had sexual intercourse.

Be careful to choose a translation that will be appropriate for public reading. In some languages, you will have a euphemism or idiom for this. For example:

a woman who has not slept with a man
-or-
an untouched woman

pledged in marriage: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pledged in marriage refers to a legal agreement or promise that a woman/girl would marry a man. Among the Jews, the girl’s father often made this promise to the man on her behalf.

Some English versions translate this word as “engaged.” However, the marriage agreement among the Jews was more strict than the word “engaged” implies in many cultures. It legally joined a man and woman, and it was as binding as marriage. If either the man or woman ended the agreement, people considered them to be divorced. However, they were not allowed to have sexual relations until they actually married.

Some other ways to express pledged in marriage are:

promised in marriage (Good News Translation)
-or-
had a ⌊legal⌋ contract to be married

You may want to include a footnote to explain more about this Jewish custom. For example:

The type of marriage promise in this verse was legally binding in Jewish culture. After the promise, the man and woman usually waited about one year before they married. During that time, they did not live together or have sexual relations.

1:27b

of the house of David: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a of the house of David means that King David was one of Joseph’s ancestors. David was king over Israel about one thousand years before Joseph’s time.

1:27c

And the virgin’s name was Mary: The name of the virgin to whom the angel was sent was Mary. Some English versions give her name earlier in this verse.

General Comment on 1:27a–c

In some languages it may be more natural to mention the information about Mary’s name near the beginning of this verse. If that is true in your language, you may want to change the order of the parts of this verse. For example:

⌊He went⌋ to 27ca virgin called Mary. Mary 27awas engaged to a man named Joseph, 27bwho was descended from ⌊King⌋ David.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:59

Paragraph 1:59–62

1:59a

On the eighth day: The phrase On the eighth day refers to “the eighth day, starting with the day of the baby’s birth.” This was the way the Jews counted days. For example, if a baby was born on a Friday, they would say that the Friday of the following week was the eighth day. Other ways to express this meaning are:

When the baby was a week old (Good News Translation)
-or-
When the baby was eight days old

1:59b

they came to circumcise the child: The clause they came to circumcise the child indicates that many people came to be with Zechariah and Elizabeth when the baby was circumcised. The people did not actually help to circumcise the child. Only one person circumcised him. Some ways to make this clear are:

they came to attend the child’s circumcision
-or-
they came to witness the circumcision of the child

they: The pronoun they here included the family and neighbors of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Some ways to translate this are:

people
-or-
all the relatives and friends (New Living Translation (1996))

came: The text is not explicit about where the circumcision was held. If you need to specify where they came, they probably came to the house where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived.

circumcise: The word circumcise means to cut off the loose skin at the end of a boy’s penis. The father or a man who specialized in doing circumcision would perform this operation. Among the Jews circumcision was an important custom that had to be done for every male. When a baby was circumcised, it was usual for neighbors and relatives to come for the circumcision.

In some cultures, it may be acceptable to use an explicit expression that means “cut off the loose skin at the end of a boy’s penis.” In other cultures, it may be necessary to use a euphemism to describe this event. Some examples are:

cut the skin
-or-
mark ⌊the body to show he belongs to God⌋
-or-
receive the mark

In some cultures people do not circumcise babies, and in some cultures they do not circumcise any males. In other cultures circumcision may be done for different reasons than Jewish circumcision. If that is true in your culture, you may want to include a footnote to explain the Jewish custom. For example:

Circumcision is the cutting off of the skin at the end of the penis. Every male Jew was required to be circumcised. Circumcision was the sign that he was a member of the community with whom God had made a covenant.

child: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as child is a general term that refers to someone who is below the age of puberty. The same Greek word is also used to refer to John as he grows (see 1:66, 1:76, 1:80). In some languages it may be more natural to use a specific word like “baby” or “infant” here. Use the word that is most natural in your language.

1:59c

they: The pronoun they refers in general to some of the people who came to Zechariah’s house for the circumcision. These people were probably members of Zechariah’s family. The word they does not include Zechariah and Elizabeth here. In some languages it may be helpful to refer to the people in a more specific way. For example:

The people who came to watch the ceremony
-or-
The relatives and neighbors

were going to name him after his father Zechariah: The Greek verb phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were going to name him is literally “were calling him.” It implies that the people assumed or wished that he would be given the name Zechariah. They may have actually called him by that name as they were talking about him during the celebration. Some ways to translate this are:

they wanted to name him Zechariah (NET Bible)
-or-
they assumed/thought that his name would be Zechariah

name him after his father Zechariah: To name someone after his father means to give him the same name as his father. Jewish parents often gave a son the same name as his father or grandfather. Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

They assumed that he would be given the same name as his father
-or-
They wanted to name him Zechariah because this was his father’s name (New Century Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 21:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:16

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:48

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:21

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:53

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 24:29

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:27

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:59

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