complete verse (Luke 2:28)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 2:28:

  • Noongar: “Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “He took that baby, he held-him-in-his-arms and he praised God, he said:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Simiyun saw the child, he took him and held him in his arms and gave thanks to God saying,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Simeon saw that child, he took him in his arms and thanked God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He took-the baby -in-his-arms and praised God saying,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Simeon took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Presentation in the Temple

This is a contemporary tempera/gouache on leather painting by an unknown Ethiopian artist. Source: Sacred Art Pilgrim website .

Following is a painting by Chen Yuandu 陳緣督 (1902–1967):

Housed in the Société des Auxiliaires des Missions Collection – Whitworth University.

Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.

The following is a stained glass window from the Three choir windows in the Marienkirche, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, of the 14th century:

Source: Der gläserne Schatz: Die Bilderbibel der St. Marienkirche in Frankfurt (Oder), Neuer Berlin Verlag, 2005, copyright for this image: Brandenburgisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologisches Landesmuseum

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

See also other stained glass windows from the Marienkirche in Frankfurt.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:28

2:28a

Simeon took Him in his arms: When Simeon saw the baby Jesus, Simeon immediately knew who he was. Then he came to where Jesus was and took him in his arms. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

Simeon ⌊saw the baby and realized who he was⌋. He came and took him in his arms…

took: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took also means “received.” It implies that Mary or Joseph willingly allowed Simeon to hold the baby Jesus. Use a verb that is appropriate in your language.

2:28b

and blessed God, saying: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as blessed indicates in this context that Simeon expressed gratitude and praise to God.

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