Translation commentary on Luke 2:49

Exegesis:

ti hoti ezēteite me ‘why is it that you were looking for me?’; ti hoti, with ellipsis of estin ‘is,’ ‘why (is it) that?,’ stronger than a simple ti, or dia ti ‘why’ (cf. Acts 5.4, 9 with Lk. 5.30; 19.23, 31, 33; 22.46), here expresses surprise because Jesus’ parents did not know where to find him.

ouk ēdeite ‘did you not know.’

oida ‘to know’; when used with an object, person or thing, synonymous with ginōskō (cf. Moulton-Milligan 439).

hoti en tois tou patros mou dei einai me ‘that it is necessary that I am in my Father’s house,’ or ‘engaged in my Father’s business.’ The context requires us to interpret ta tou patros mou (lit. ‘the (things) of my father’) as ‘my father’s house,’ for which a sufficient number of parallels may be quoted; the place of en tois tou patros mou at the beginning of the clause indicates emphasis.

dei impersonal ‘it is necessary,’ here followed by an accusative and infinitive. Here it expresses a compulsion of duty.

Translation:

How is it that you sought me, or, ‘how did you come (or, need) to look for me’ (An American Translation, Batak Toba). The point of the question is that, as Joseph and Mary should have expected Jesus to be in the temple, there was no reason for them to run about seeking him. To make this clear Tboli has, ‘why did you look in a different place for me?’— You here may have to be specified, e.g. ‘mother and father’ (Balinese, where the use of the pronoun would be unnatural and impolite from a son addressing his parents). Elsewhere the pronoun is omitted, ‘why seek me’ (Sundanese, probably for similar reasons).

I must, or, ‘I have to,’ ‘it is proper that I,’ or, ‘as to me, not I not’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), which often can also be used in cases like 4.43 and 9.22.

In my Father’s house, or, ‘at my father’s’ (Balinese, expressing the meaning of the phrase without using a term for ‘house,’ as the Greek does). When ‘house’ must be added, the rendering will usually coincide with that of “(my Father’s/thy) house” in John 2.16f, cf. also “house (of God)” in Lk. 6.4. Yet it can be argued that the expression in the present verse is more intimate. For this reason, probably, Javanese here uses the normal word for the house of a person of rank, but in Lk. 6.4, John 2.16f the more literary ‘mansion’ (also part of its rendering of “temple”). A rendering like ‘in that which is my Father’s,’ is an attempt to imitate the vagueness, which the Greek phrase has in our ears (but probably had not for Luke’s readers or hearers); usually it implies the use of an expression that is uncommon or will not easily be understood in the right sense by the hearer or reader. My Father, here referring not to a human father but to the heavenly Father. In languages that differentiate according to rank the fact that both Jesus and the persons he addresses, his parents (here), or his followers (22.29; 24.49), acknowledge this heavenly Father as their God, usually leads to the use of an honorific term. Balinese, for instance, employs the term by which a prince would refer to his royal father in a conversation with his father’s subjects. Other occurrences of Father in this meaning: 6.36; 9.26; 10.21f; 11.2, 13; 12.30; 22.42; 23.34, 46.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

Translation commentary on Luke 24:8 – 24:9

Exegesis:

kai emnēsthēsan tōn rēmatōn autou ‘and (indeed) they remembered his words.’

(V. 9) hupostrepsasai apo tou mnēmeiou ‘after returning from the tomb,’ i.e. to the city.

apēggeilan tauta panta tois hendeka kai pasin tois loipois ‘they reported all this to the eleven and to all the others.’ For apaggellō cf. on 7.18. tauta panta refers to what they had seen and heard. The relationship of ‘all the others’ to the eleven is not stated but presumably the phrase refers to disciples, or followers of Jesus in the wider sense.

Translation:

(V. 9) Returning, or, ‘after they had come back.’

The eleven, or, ‘the eleven disciples.’

All the rest, or, ‘all the remaining (ones)’ (Marathi), ‘all the other followers (of Jesus)’; or again, ‘all their (referring to the eleven) associates/companions’ (Javanese, Batak Toba), ‘all those with them.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2:49

Paragraph 2:49–50

2:49a

Why were you looking for Me?: This is probably a rhetorical question. Jesus was surprised that his parents did not understand why he had stayed behind. This answer to Mary’s question (2:48b) implies that Mary and Joseph should have known why he was with the teachers in the temple area. If they had known this, they would not have had to search for him.

Some ways to translate this include:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Why did you need to search for me?
-or-
Why was it hard for you to find me?

• As a statement that expresses surprise. For example:

⌊I am surprised that⌋ you were searching for me.
-or-
You did not have to look anywhere else.

Use whichever form is most natural in your language.

He asked: The Berean Standard Bible puts the words He asked in the middle of the two rhetorical questions that Jesus asked. In some languages, it is more natural to follow the Greek order and put the words He asked at the beginning of 2:49. In some other languages, it may be more natural to put these words after Jesus’ second question. Do what is most natural in your language.

Some English versions translate this to show that 2:49 is the answer that Jesus gave to Mary’s question. For example:

Jesus answered (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he replied (NET Bible)

2:49b

Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?:
This is the second rhetorical question that Jesus asked. Jesus may have asked this to show that he was not being disrespectful and to explain his reason for staying behind in Jerusalem. This rhetorical question also implies that Mary and Joseph should have known where he was.

Some ways to translate this include:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house? (New Century Version)
-or-
Didn’t you realize that I had to be in my Father’s house? (God’s Word)

• As a statement. For example:

I thought you would know that I had to be in my Father’s house.
-or-
You should have known that I would be in my Father’s house. (New Living Translation (1996))

Use whichever form is most natural in your language.

I had to be in My Father’s house: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I had to be is literally “it is/was necessary for me to be.” Jesus felt that he must be in God’s house, and he thought that his parents should have understood that. Another way to translate this is:

I must be in my Father’s house (Revised Standard Version)

My Father’s house: The phrase My Father’s house refers to God’s house, that is, the temple. The Jews referred to the temple as the house of God.

Jesus referred to God as “my father.” If people in your area will understand the phrase “my father” to refer to Joseph, you may have to add a footnote to explain it. You could say, “The words ‘my Father’ refer to God, Jesus’ Father from eternity.”

In your text, you should probably not translate the phrase “my Father” using implied information to make it clear. For example, you should not say “my ⌊eternal/heavenly⌋ Father.” You should not make the implied information explicit, because Joseph and Mary did not understand what Jesus meant by My Father (2:50).

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