SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013 – Page 99

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:68

1:68a

Blessed be the Lord: Zechariah used the Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Blessed be the Lord to express praise and thanks to God. He implied that God was worthy of praise and that everyone should speak wonderful things about him. Some other ways to translate this are:

Let us praise the Lord (New Century Version)
-or-
Praise belongs to the Lord
-or-
The Lord is worthy of praise

See bless, Meaning 4, in the Glossary. See also Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

the God of Israel: The phrase the God of Israel means “the God whom the people of Israel serve/worship.” Since Zechariah was an Israelite, in some languages it may be necessary to translate this as:

the God whom ⌊we⌋ Israelites ⌊serve/worship⌋

1:68b–69

At the time when Zechariah spoke, God had not yet delivered his people. But Zechariah knew that God had started to deliver them. He knew this because the angel had promised that his son John would “make ready a people prepared” (1:17) for the Deliverer whom God would send. In 1:68b–69 Zechariah used verb forms that would normally imply that God had already delivered the people. Hebrew prophets often spoke in that way to emphasize that the events about which they prophesied would certainly happen.

In some languages, speaking in that way may wrongly imply that the events had already happened. If that is true in your language, you may need to translate the verbs in a different way. Use a form in your language that describes either:

(a) a process that has begun (but is not yet finished), or

(b) a series of events that is described as one single event. Some of the events in the series may be past and others may be present or future.

See the introduction to Section 1:67–80 for more information. Some other ways to translate the events in 1:68b–69 are:

…he has come and has begun to redeem his people. He is raising up a horn of salvation…
-or-
…he has come and is redeeming his people. He is raising up a horn of salvation…
-or-
…he will certainly come and will redeem his people. He will raise up a horn of salvation…

You may also want to include a footnote in your translation to explain these things.

1:68b

because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces a reason why the Lord is worthy of praise. This part of the verse explains why Zechariah praised God in 1:68a. Connect 1:68a and 1:68b in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction may not be needed. For example:

68aPraise the Lord, the God of Israel! 68bHe has come to save his people. (Contemporary English Version)

He has visited and redeemed His people: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as visited means that God had come near to his people to help them. He would help them by redeeming them. Some other ways to translate this are:

he has come to help his people and has given them freedom (New Century Version)
-or-
he has come ⌊to take care of⌋ his people and redeem them
-or-
he has turned to his people and set them free (Revised English Bible)

redeemed His people: The verb redeemed means “rescued, set free, delivered.” If you must say from whom or what God had redeemed His people, you should supply “from their enemies.” This is made explicit in 1:71.

This phrase is similar to Psalm 111:9, “He provided redemption for his people.”

His people: Zechariah was an Israelite, one of God’s people. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that explicitly. For example:

us(incl) his people

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:20

2:20a–b

returned: If it is more natural in your language to say to where the shepherds returned, you can say:

returned to the field(s)
-or-
returned to their flock of sheep

glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen: The phrase glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen indicates that the shepherds talked about how great and good God was to cause those events.

glorifying and praising God: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorifying and praising have almost the same meaning here. The meaning is that the shepherds honored and praised God. The same Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as praising was also used in 2:13.

The author used two words with the same meaning in order to emphasize the idea. In some languages it may be more natural to express this emphasis in another way. For example:

greatly praised God

glorifying: The word glorifying means “honoring, extolling, praising.” In this context the shepherds were honoring and praising God. They were talking about how God showed his greatness and glory through all that they had heard and seen (2:20b). See glory, sense C1, in Key Biblical Terms.

all they had heard and seen: The phrase all they had heard and seen refers to the baby in the manger, what the angel had said about him, and how the angels had praised God.

2:20c

just as the angel had told them: This clause is passive in Greek, literally “just as it was told to them.” It is similar to the phrase in 2:17b that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “they had received about Him.” In Greek the phrase is more literally “that had been told to them.” In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb and indicate who told the shepherds the message. If that is true in your language, you may indicate that the angel told the shepherds (2:9–12). For example:

exactly as ⌊the angel⌋ had told them ⌊it would happen⌋

General Comment on 2:20a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:20a after 2:20b–c. For example:

20bAll the things that the shepherds heard and saw 20cwere just as they had been told. 20aSo they returned, glorifying and praising God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:52

2:52a

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature: In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of wisdom and stature here. For example:

Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom (Good News Translation)

grew: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grew is literally “increased.” In this context, Jesus increased in wisdom and size. This indicates that Jesus grew and developed. He was becoming mature.

wisdom: The word wisdom here means the ability to think clearly and sensibly, to understand matters, and to be able to act wisely based on that understanding. In the Bible, wisdom often refers to godly wisdom. A person who has godly wisdom understands what God says and what God wants people to do. The wise person acts on the basis of that understanding.

stature: The word stature refers here to Jesus’ body. Jesus was growing and maturing physically. He was becoming a man.

2:52b

and in favor with God and man: The phrase and in favor with God and man means that God approved of him and people also approved of him. That approval from God and man increased as Jesus grew. Other ways to say this are:

He gained favor from God and people. (God’s Word)
-or-
increased…in divine and human favor (New Revised Standard Version)

favor: In this context favor refers to an attitude that people had toward Jesus. They were pleased with him and appreciated him.

man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man is literally “people,” including both males and females. For example:

gained favor from…people (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:5

Paragraph 4:5–8

In this paragraph, Luke reported another way that the devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempted Jesus to make an agreement with him.

4:5a

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then is a conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the English Standard Version, translate it that way. Other versions, such as the New International Version and NET Bible, do not translate this conjunction here. But since the events in this paragraph occur after the events in 4:3–4, in some languages, it may be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word or phrase. That is why the Berean Standard Bible and other translations (NET Bible, Good News Translation, etc.) translate the conjunction as “then.” Connect 4:4a to 4:3b in a way that is natural in your language.

the devil led Him up: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as led Him up can also be translated as “took him up,” as in the Good News Translation. Another way to translate this is:

brought him up

up to a high place: The phrase to a high place is not in Greek. Some English versions add a phrase to explain the specific meaning of the word up in this context.

The parallel passage in Matthew 4:8 says that the devil took Jesus to “a very high mountain.” In some languages a word such as up alone may imply a wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to use a more specific phrase, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. However, since Luke did not include the phrase to a high place, you do not have to translate it here unless your language requires it.

4:5b

and showed Him: The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. This was a supernatural showing.

in an instant: The phrase in an instant means that Jesus saw all the countries at once. Some other ways to translate this are:

in a moment
-or-
in single/brief moment of time

all the kingdoms of the world: The phrase all the kingdoms of the world means “all the countries/nations on the earth.” For example:

all the nations on earth (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 4:37

4:37

And: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Since the events in 4:37 happened as a result of the events in 4:31–36, some versions indicate that 4:37 is the result by translating this conjunction as “So.” For example:

So the news about him (NET Bible)

Other versions begin this verse without a conjunction.

the news about Jesus spread: The phrase the news about Jesus spread means that people told other people what Jesus had said and done. A similar phrase occurs in 4:14b.

throughout the surrounding region: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as throughout the surrounding region is literally “into every place of the surrounding region.” This included the towns and the more rural areas.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

to every place in the whole area (New Century Version)
-or-
all over that part of the country (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
through every village in the entire region (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 5:25

Paragraph 5:25–26

5:25a

And immediately: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And immediately is literally “And at once.” It introduces what happened when Jesus spoke to the man. As soon as Jesus spoke, the man was healed. This was proof of Jesus’ authority to forgive sins. Use a natural way in your language to begin this verse.

the man stood up before them: The phrase before them means “in the sight/presence of the crowd” or “while everyone was watching.” Some other ways to translate this are:

the man stood up in front of everyone (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
as everyone watched, the man jumped up (New Living Translation (2004))

5:25b

took what he had been lying on: The phrase took what he had been lying on means “picked up his mat.” For example:

He picked up his mat (Contemporary English Version)

You may use the same word as you used in 5:24c for “mat.” The reader should understand that it is referring to the same item.

glorifying God: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorifying God means to speak about how wonderful and excellent someone or something is. The man thanked and praised God that he could now walk. Other ways to translate this are:

praising God (New International Version)
-or-
giving thanks to God (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 6:18

6:18a

They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases:
This clause tells why the people were there waiting for Jesus. Some came to listen to Jesus teach. Others had come because they were sick and they wanted Jesus to heal them. Some probably came for both reasons. Some other ways to translate this are:

Many of the people had come to hear Jesus speak. Those who were sick had come for Jesus to heal them.
-or-
These people had come to listen to Jesus and to be healed of their diseases. (Contemporary English Version)

and to be healed of their diseases: This phrase is passive. Some ways to translate it are:

• As passive. For example:

and be cured of their diseases (God’s Word)

• As active. For example:

and so Jesus would heal them

6:18b

and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as troubled is literally “to be afflicted” or “tormented.” Some other ways to translate this are:

he healed those who were troubled by evil spirits (New Century Version)
-or-
he healed the people whom evil spirits tormented

Different languages and cultures have different ways to speak about how unclean spirits control a person. Use the natural way your language and culture refers to unclean spirits controlling people.

unclean spirits: Some versions translate the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unclean spirits as “evil spirits” (Good News Translation, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004)). Luke used the terms “unclean spirits,” “evil spirits,” and “demons” to refer to the same beings. You should use the same term here as you did in 4:36c.

Some ways to translate unclean spirit are:

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

demon

• 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:

an evil/bad spirit
-or-
an unclean spirit

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

See demon in the Glossary for more information.

healed: The word healed means that Jesus healed or freed people from the control of unclean spirits. Use the natural way your language and culture refer to people being freed from the control of unclean spirits.

In your translation, do not imply that Jesus healed only people who were controlled by unclean spirits. He healed everyone who came to him. Verse 6:19b makes this explicit. The Contemporary English Version has one way to make this clear:

All who were troubled by evil spirits were also healed.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 7:1

Section 7:1–10

Jesus healed an army officer’s servant

This section tells how an army officer trusted Jesus to heal his servant. The officer was not a Jew; he was a Gentile, a Roman. He sent some Jewish leaders as messengers to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. Later he sent some friends to say that it was not necessary for Jesus to come to his house. He believed that Jesus could heal his servant from a distance.

The Roman compared Jesus’ authority to his own authority as an army officer. As an officer, he could cause other soldiers to obey him by simply commanding them to do something. He recognized that Jesus also had authority and power to heal by only giving a command. Jesus was amazed that this Gentile trusted him so much. He said that the officer had more faith than any Jew whom he had met.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

A Roman army officer shows great faith in Jesus
-or-
Jesus is amazed by the faith of a captain in the Roman army
-or-
The amazing faith of the centurion

There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 8:5–13.

Paragraph 7:1–5

7:1a

When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people: In 6:20–49 Jesus taught the people important things about how God wanted them to live. The verb concluded and the phrase in the hearing of the people indicate that Jesus completed saying important things to them. Other ways to say this are:

After Jesus told the people all these things
-or-
When Jesus had finished saying all these things to the people (Good News Translation)
-or-
After Jesus said everything that he wanted the people to hear

His discourse: The phrase His discourse refers to the sermon that Jesus had just preached in 6:20–49.

7:1b

He went to Capernaum: Jesus went into the town of Capernaum. The words went to probably imply that he was near the town when he gave the sermon in Luke 6. Use a verb that is natural in your language for coming into a town. For example:

he came into Capernaum
-or-
he went to Capernaum (Good News Translation)

Jesus had been in Capernaum previously (see 4:23b–d and 4:31a). So in some languages it may be necessary to translate this as:

he ⌊again⌋ entered Capernaum
-or-
he went ⌊back⌋ to Capernaum
-or-
he returned to Capernaum (New Living Translation (2004))

Capernaum: Capernaum was a town in the district of Galilee near the Lake of Galilee. See the notes on 4:23d and 4:31a.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013