SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:1

Division 1:1–4

Luke introduced his book about Jesus

Luke 1:1–4 is the introduction to the Gospel of Luke. In Greek, the style of this introduction is different from the style of the rest of the Gospel. The introduction is written in a formal, literary style with long words and clauses. Luke was addressing an important person in language that sounds impressive. In some languages, it may be possible to use a special style to show this. However, make sure that the wording is still simple enough for people to understand easily.

In this introduction, Luke addressed a man named Theophilus directly. Theophilus was probably an important and wealthy Roman man. Luke told Theophilus the reason why he had written this book. Luke knew that other people had written about some of the things that Jesus taught and did. He also knew that people had taught Theophilus some things about the life of Jesus. But there were many things that Theophilus did not yet know. Luke wanted Theophilus to know the complete truth about the good news. That is the reason why Luke wanted to write a more complete story and tell other important things about Jesus.

Section 1:1–4

Luke wrote this book about Jesus for Theophilus

In these Notes, Luke 1:1–4 is both a division and a section of the book of Luke. You may want to include a section heading here. It is good to read the verses before you decide on a heading for the section.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Luke writes to Theophilus about Jesus
-or-
Luke addressed this book to Theophilus
-or-
Luke’s purpose in writing this book

Paragraph 1:1–4

Paragraph 1:1–4 in the Greek text is one long sentence. In some languages, it may be natural to use more than one sentence for this paragraph. For example, the Good News Translation uses four sentences.

The Greek sentence in 1:1–4 talks about several events and ideas. It mentions them in an order that may not be natural in some languages. Here are the main ideas:

(a) Many people attempted to compile an account of what happened among them (that is, of Jesus’ life) (1:1a–b).

(b) They wrote what eyewitnesses told them (1:2a–c).

(d) Luke thought that he also should write those things in an orderly way for Theophilus (1:3b).

(e) Luke did this so that Theophilus could know that what he was taught was accurate (1:4).

You should present these ideas in an order that is natural in your language. See the General Comments on 1:2a–c and 1:1–2 at the end of the notes on 1:2b–c for specific suggestions.

You also need to think about how to connect the clauses. For example, in English there are different ways to connect the reasons in (a)-(c) with the result in (d):

1a
Since many others have written a report on the things that have happened…

3bit seemed good for me to also write a report…. (See 1:1–4 in the Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version for similar examples.)
-or-

1aMany others have written a report on the things that have happened….

3b
Therefore it seemed good for me to also write a report. (See 1:1–4 in the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, and Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English for similar examples.)

You should connect the clauses in the most natural way in your language.

Luke did not address Theophilus by name until near the end of his introduction. In some languages, it may be more appropriate to begin the introduction with Theophilus’ name. See the Display for 1:1a for an example.

1:1a

In Greek this sentence begins with a word that means “since.” See the notes above about connecting clauses and decide the best way to connect the clauses of Luke 1:1–4 in your language. (The Berean Standard Bible uses the word “Therefore” in 1:3 to connect the clauses, and so it does not begin with “Since” here.).

Many: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated literally as Many here means “Many people.” In this context it may also be possible to translate this as “Many authors/writers.” In the Jewish culture of New Testament times, usually only men were able to write. So it is also possible to translate this as “Many men.”

Luke himself planned to write an account of the life of Jesus as these Many people had done. So, in some languages it may be necessary to say:

Many ⌊others⌋

undertaken: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as undertaken means “attempted” or “tried.” Luke implied here that others had worked hard to write the story of Jesus’ life. He also implied that it was difficult to gather all the facts and write them down accurately and completely. However, he was not criticizing the others’ writings. He did not imply that they had failed in their attempts. Other ways to say this are:

worked hard
-or-
done their best (Good News Translation)

to compose an account: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to compose an account means to gather reports of different events and put them together to make one longer story. In this context the writers told about many of Jesus’ actions and teachings as they told the story of his life.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

to compose/write the story
-or-
to organize a history/narrative
-or-
to write a report (Good News Translation)
-or-
to write about what had taken place (God’s Word)

1:1b

the things that have been fulfilled: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the things that have been fulfilled refers to the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. There are several ways to interpret the verb have been fulfilled in this context:

(1) It means that the events have been fulfilled. This implies that the events had been planned and predicted before they happened, and the events happened just as predicted. For example:

the events that have been fulfilled (New Revised Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It means simply that the events have happened. For example:

the things that happened (New Century Version)

(New Century Version, Good News Translation, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (1996), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(3) It means that the events have been accomplished/completed. The events were like tasks that were completed. For example:

things which have been accomplished (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation includes (2) and (3) as well. The events happened (2), and they were completed (3). However, interpretation (1) expresses the important idea that these events fulfilled what had been predicted. That is, God said that they would happen, and they did happen, just as he said. The fulfillment of prophecy is a theme in Luke. (See Luke 18:31.)

things that have been fulfilled: The phrase things that have been fulfilled is passive. In some languages it may be necessary to translate it as active and indicate who fulfilled the things. If that is true in your language, you should indicate that God fulfilled them. He fulfilled them by causing the events to happen just as he had said they would. He fulfilled many of these events through Jesus. He caused Jesus to be born and to die for people’s sins, and he raised Jesus from the dead.

Some other ways to translate things that have been fulfilled are:

things that happened just as God said they would
-or-
what God has done in fulfillment of his promises (New Living Translation (1996) in 1:2)
-or-
things that God did ⌊through/concerning Jesus⌋, just as he said he would do

among us: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as among us probably means “among us ⌊believers⌋,” that is, “among us ⌊who believe in Jesus⌋.” When Luke used this phrase, he probably included Christians who were born after Jesus’ lifetime. The form of the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fulfilled indicates that the events continued to affect people at the time when Luke wrote. Christians of later generations were not present to see the events of Jesus’ life, but those events continued to affect them.

us: In some languages it is necessary to decide whether Luke meant to include Theophilus when he said us. It is not clear whether Theophilus was a believer at the time when Luke was writing to him. However, he was probably interested in becoming a believer (1:4).

Use a natural form in your language for a speaker to use toward someone who supports his group but perhaps is not yet a member. Remember also that Theophilus was a person of high status. Avoid using a form that would imply rejection or rudeness.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:2

1:2

just as they were handed down to us by the initial eyewitnesses and servants of the word: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates with the passive form were handed down is an active form in Greek. A more literal translation of the clause is:

just as the ones who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word delivered (them) to us

Some ways to translate the clause are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

just as they were told/delivered to us by those who were originally eyewitness and servants of the word

• Use an active verb. For example:

just as those who were originally eyewitnesses and servants of the word told us

This clause is long and complex. In some languages it may be more natural to translate it with more than one sentence. For example:

Some people were eyewitnesses of these things from the first. They were servants of the word. These people handed down the reports of these things to us.

See the General Comment on 1:2a–c at the end of the notes on 1:2b–c for another way to reorder 1:2a–c and translate it in an active way.

1:2a

just as: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as just as indicates that the others who had undertaken to “compose an account” about Jesus faithfully reported what they heard from the people who were eyewitnesses. They did not invent or change the story. Another way to translate this is:

exactly as

they were handed down to us: The pronoun they here refers to the “things” of 1:1b. These “things” were the events of Jesus’ life and death. Luke and the other believers had heard about these events from other people.

In some languages, it may be necessary to make it clear that it was the information about these events that was handed down. For example:

these accounts/reports were handed down to us

were handed down: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were handed down means “delivered.” This word often describes the way people tell their children and grandchildren about important things that happened before their children were born. In this context people who saw the events in Jesus’ life told people who were born later about them. That generation also told the believers of the next generation. People told these things orally or wrote them down.

to us: The pronoun us refers here to Luke and the other Christians of his generation. It includes the others who had written accounts of the life and death of Jesus. Concerning whether it includes Theophilus, see the note on “among us” at 1:1b.

1:2b–c

the initial: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the initial is literally “from the beginning.” It refers to the time when the events of Jesus’ life and ministry began. It may refer mainly to the time when he was baptized and began his ministry, but there were also eyewitnesses to his birth.

eyewitnesses and servants of the word: The words eyewitnesses and servants refer to one group of people. Luke described them here in two different ways. The same people who actually saw the events were the ones who served by telling the message about them.

eyewitnesses: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as eyewitnesses refers to people who had personally seen or heard something. Luke and the other writers based their writings on what they learned from people who had seen and heard Jesus themselves.

servants of the word: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants of the word refers to people who served God by announcing his word (message) to others. In this context, the word refers to the message about Jesus. Another way to translate this is:

the people who…served God by telling people his message (New Century Version)

General Comment on 1:2a–c

In some languages, it may be clearer to combine or reorder parts of 1:2a–c. For example:

2a
⌊They wrote down the events⌋ just as 2bthe people who were eyewitnesses from the beginning ⌊had reported them⌋. 2cThese eyewitnesses were servants of the message ⌊about these events⌋ 2aand handed it down to us.

General Comment on 1:1–2

In some languages, it may be clearer to put some of the parts of 1:1–2 into the order in which the events happened. For example:

2bFrom the beginning ⌊of Jesus’ time on earth,⌋ certain people were eyewitnesses 1bof the things/events ⌊of Jesus’ life and death⌋ that have been fulfilled among us. 2cThey served God by telling people what Jesus did and what he taught 2aand so the knowledge of these things was passed/delivered to us. 1a⌊Later,⌋ many ⌊others⌋ undertook to put these events in order as a story/history and to write it down.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:3

1:3

In 1:3, Luke said that he also had carefully investigated the events of Jesus’ life, like the other writers mentioned in 1:1–2. Luke implied that he could tell these events in a unique way that would be helpful to Theophilus and others. As a result, Luke had decided to write his own account of the events.

In the Greek text, the clauses in this verse are in an order that may not be natural in some languages. The NET Bible has followed the Greek order:

3aSo 3cit seemed good to me as well, 3abecause I have followed all things carefully 3bfrom the beginning, 3dto write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus

Many English versions have reordered 1:3. For example, the Berean Standard Bible has:

Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus

You should order the clauses in the way that is natural in your language.

1:3a

In order to simplify the long Greek sentence (1:1–4), the Berean Standard Bible, like many other English translations, begins a new sentence here at 1:3.

Therefore: The Berean Standard Bible connects 1:3 to the previous sentence with the conjunction Therefore. See the notes at Paragraph 1:1–4 and 1:1a for advice on translating the connection between 1:1–2 and 1:3.

having carefully investigated everything: There are two ways to interpret this clause:

(1) It gives a reason why Luke wrote the account. For example:

Since I myself have studied everything carefully (New Century Version)

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

(2) It indicates the time sequence. It tells what Luke did before he wrote the account. For example:

after investigating everything carefully (New Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Although the Greek text does not explicitly state that this was one of Luke’s reasons for writing, it is implied.

carefully investigated everything: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as carefully investigated everything indicates that Luke did research and got accurate information about all the major events in Jesus’ life. He spoke personally with people who had known Jesus, and he verified the things that he heard. He questioned people about the details of the events, and he recorded his information carefully. He also read the other accounts of Jesus’ life. Some other ways to translate carefully investigated everything are:

checked all the ⌊facts⌋ carefully
-or-
examined all the ⌊information⌋ thoroughly
-or-
studied all these matters in detail

1:3b

from the beginning: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the beginning refers here to the beginning of the story about Jesus. This story starts with the prophecies about the births of John the Baptizer and Jesus. Luke investigated the whole story of Jesus, including the story of his birth. This does not mean that Luke was present at the beginning of the story or that he started his investigation at the time when Jesus was born.

1:3c–d

it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it seemed good also to me means, “I decided that it would be good for me also to….” Some other ways to translate it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account are:

I also have decided to write a careful account (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account (God’s Word)

also to me: The word also here refers to the fact that Luke, as well as the many other writers mentioned in 1:1, would write an account.

to write an orderly account: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as an orderly account describes the way in which Luke wrote. He wrote in a clear, logical, and well-organized way. This does not mean that Luke wrote all the events in the exact order in which they happened.

most excellent Theophilus: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as most excellent indicates that Theophilus was important or wealthy. Luke wrote respectfully and used a special term to show honor to Theophilus.

The form of this word in Greek sometimes implies a comparison with other people. However, in this context it simply describes Theophilus himself as honorable or respected. It was a way for Luke to address him as a person of high status. Use a natural way in your language to address someone who has high status. Some ways to translate this in English are:

honorable Theophilus
-or-
highly respected Theophilus

You may need to put the phrase most excellent Theophilus at the beginning of the introduction in 1:1a. If you do this, you probably do not have to repeat it here. In some languages, it may not be natural to insert the phrase most excellent Theophilus here in 1:3d. See the General Comment on 1:1–4 at the end of the notes on 1:4 for other suggestions.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:4

1:4

so that you may know: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces the purpose for which Luke wrote to Theophilus. He wrote in order that Theophilus would know that everything that he had been taught about Jesus was true. The word may is one way to express purpose in this context. It does not indicate uncertainty. Some other ways to translate so that you may know are:

so you can be certain (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to help you know (New Century Version)

Express this purpose in a natural way in your language. In some languages, it may be natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:

I do this so that you will know (Good News Translation)

the certainty of the things you have been taught: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the certainty means “the reliability.” It describes something as worthy of trust. Luke wanted Theophilus to be confident that the things that he had learned about Jesus were true. Some other ways to translate this are:

that what you have been taught is true (New Century Version)
-or-
that the teaching you received is reliable

the things you have been taught: The phrase the things you have been taught refers to the history and teachings of Jesus that believers had taught or told Theophilus. It is passive in form. It may be more natural in your language to use an active form. For example:

the things that others have taught you

General Comment on 1:1–4

Luke inserted the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “most excellent Theophilus” into the middle of the long sentence in 1:3–4. If it is not natural in your language to do this, here are other options:

• Translate the name Theophilus and the description “most excellent” at the beginning of 1:1. For example:

Great Theophilus, many….

• Use a natural way to begin a letter in your language and translate the description “most excellent” in 1:3 or in 1:4. For example:

1aDear Theophilus, many…. 3dSo it seemed good to me, too, to write to you who are highly respected….
-or-

1a
⌊I am writing this book for you,⌋ Theophilus. Many ⌊others⌋…. 4aso that you whom people greatly esteem….

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:5

Division 1:5–4:13

God sent Jesus to save people

In this second division, Luke told how God sent Jesus to save people. Before God sent Jesus to the world, God sent John the Baptizer to prepare people to receive Jesus. This division gives details about the birth of John and the birth of Jesus. It also tells about John’s preaching and about other events that happened before Jesus started his ministry.

Section 1:5–25

An angel said that John the Baptizer would be born

An angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah while he was working in the temple as a priest. The angel told him that his wife Elizabeth would become pregnant and have a baby, and that he must name him John. Zechariah and Elizabeth were old, and Elizabeth was not able to have children. So Zechariah did not believe the angel. Because he did not believe that what the angel said would happen, the angel made him unable to speak. But later, Elizabeth became pregnant.

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

The Birth of John the Baptist is Announced (Good News Translation)
-or-
The angel Gabriel predicts the birth of John the Baptizer
-or-
The angel Gabriel announces/prophesies to Zechariah that his wife will have a son

Paragraph 1:5–7

In these verses, Luke told about Zechariah and Elizabeth, who are the main people in chapter 1. Luke did not mention them in the rest of the book except in 3:2. Use a natural way in your language to introduce them.

1:5a

In the time of Herod king of Judea: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as time is literally “days” (as in the Revised Standard Version). The phrase the time of Herod refers to the time when Herod ruled Judea. Some other ways to translate this are:

In the reign of Herod king of Judea (Revised English Bible)
-or-
When Herod was king of Judea (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
During the time when Herod was king of Judea (Good News Translation)

Herod: The name Herod here refers to Herod the Great. Luke mentioned Herod here in order to indicate the time period during which the events of this chapter happened. It was common in Bible times to indicate when events happened by telling the name of the king who was ruling at the time.

Judea: Judea was the name of a region or province that King Herod ruled. In some languages, it may helpful to indicate this. For example:

⌊the region/land of⌋ Judea

1:5b

there was a priest named Zechariah: Zechariah is the main person in this first section of Luke. Introduce him in a natural way in your language.

Luke implied here that Zechariah lived in Judea, where Herod was king. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

a priest named Zechariah lived ⌊there⌋

priest: In this context the word priest refers specifically to a priest for the people of Israel. An Israelite priest was a man who offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. He also performed other rituals for them. All Israelite priests, including Zechariah, were descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses.

Some ways to translate priest are:

• Use a descriptive term that focuses on the function of a priest. For example:

sacrificer
-or-
man/person who offers sacrifices to God
-or-
one who represents people to God

• Use a local word for priest. This option may be acceptable if the duties of a local priest are similar to those of an Israelite/Jewish priest. You may need to indicate that the word refers to a Jewish priest. For example:

Jewish people’s priest
-or-
sacrificer for the Jewish people

If possible, you should choose a term that can be used in both Old Testament and New Testament contexts. Remember that in the book of Hebrews believers are called priests and Christ is called our high priest.

See priest in the Glossary.

Zechariah: A few English versions spell Zechariah as “Zecharias” (New American Standard Bible, King James Version). In English, either spelling is acceptable. You may want to check the spelling of this name in the national language version.

General Comment on 1:5a–b

In some languages it may be necessary to reverse the order of 1:5a and 1:5b in order to keep the focus on Zechariah:

5bThere was a priest named Zechariah who lived 5aduring the time that Herod ruled over ⌊the province of⌋ Judea.

1:5c

the priestly division of Abijah: The phrase priestly division refers here to a group of priests who performed duties during a certain time period. Some other ways to translate this are:

priestly group (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
class of priests
-or-
section of the priesthood (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

The group of priests that Zechariah belonged to was named after the priest Abijah, who had died long before Zechariah was born. There were twenty-four groups of priests in Zechariah’s time. Each group worked in the temple for one week at a time, and they did this twice in a year.

The priests served in the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Many priests, including Zechariah, did not live in Jerusalem. During their time of service, they left their families, traveled to Jerusalem, and stayed there for the week.

1:5d

and whose wife Elizabeth was a daughter of Aaron: The word and indicates here that just like Zechariah, Elizabeth, too, was one of Aaron’s descendants. Before this the text has not explicitly stated that Zechariah was a descendant of Aaron, so you may need to make this explicit here. For example:

…Elizabeth was, like him, a descendant of Aaron (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

a daughter of Aaron: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as a daughter of Aaron is literally “of the daughters of Aaron.” This is a figurative way to say that she was among Aaron’s female descendants. Use a natural term in your language. You may be able to use the same term for both Zechariah and Elizabeth. For example:

his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron (New International Version)

Aaron: Aaron was the brother of Moses and was the first high priest of Israel. All the Jewish priests were descended from him. So Elizabeth, like Zechariah, was from a family of priests. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear by saying:

Aaron ⌊the ancestor of the priestly clan⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:6

1:6a

Both of them: The phrase Both of them refers to Elizabeth and Zechariah. In some languages, it may be helpful to refer to them by name here. For example:

Zechariah and Elizabeth (God’s Word)

righteous in the sight of God: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteous in the sight of God is literally “righteous before God” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This phrase means that God considered them to be righteous. He approved of both of them. The phrase indicates that Elizabeth and Zechariah both did what was right according to God’s standards.

Some other ways to translate this are:

God saw that they were righteous people.
-or-
They did what God regarded as right and good.

God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as God refers here to the eternal spirit who created everything. He is more powerful than any other spirit, and he is perfectly good and wise. In many languages, there is already an established term for God. If that is not true in your language, here are some ways to translate God:

• Use a name or title for God that people in your culture already use.

• Use a descriptive term that fits the truth about God that is revealed in the Bible. For example:

Creator
-or-
Great Spirit
-or-
Ruler of the universe

• Use a borrowed word from the national or trade language Bible.

Choose a term that is acceptable to the believers and churches in your area. For more detailed information, see God in the Glossary.

1:6b

walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord means “obeying all the commandments and regulations that the Lord had given/made.” Another way to say this is:

obeying everything that the Lord commanded and ordered

The words commandments and decrees have basically the same meaning. They refer here to the laws and rules in the Old Testament. God told the Jewish people to obey these laws and rules. In some languages it may be more natural to express the meaning of these two words with one word or phrase. For example:

…obeying all that he had commanded (Contemporary English Version)

blamelessly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as blamelessly means “without fault.” Zechariah and Elizabeth obeyed God’s rules fully and completely. No one could say that they had broken God’s law.

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “master, one who has authority over others.” The word Lord was one of the terms that the Jews used to refer to God. This is the first time in Luke that the word Lord occurs. Remember that in 1:6a Luke used the word God to refer to him.

In some languages, it may not be clear that the word Lord refers to God in this context. If that is true in your language, you should make it clear in some way. For example:

• Use your word for God.

• Use your word for God along with the word for Lord. For example:

God the Lord
-or-
Master God

If you include the word for God in your translation of Lord, you may want to include a footnote to give the literal Greek meaning. For example:

Here the Greek text is literally “Lord.”

See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:7

1:7a

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is a common conjunction that is often translated as “and” in English. Some English versions translate it here as “But.” That is natural in English in this context. The conjunction contrasts the righteous life of Zechariah and Elizabeth (1:6) with the fact that they had no children. Connect 1:7 to 1:6 in a way that is natural in your language. In some languages, a conjunction may not be needed. For example:

They had no children (New Living Translation (2004))

children: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as children is literally “child” (as in the Revised Standard Version). In modern English, it is more natural to use the plural form children. You can use the form that is most natural in your language here.

barren: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as barren describes a woman who is not able to conceive or give birth to a child. Another way to translate this is:

not able to have children

1:7b

they were both well along in years: In this context the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as well along in years means that Zechariah and Elizabeth were old. They were past the age when they would normally be able to have children. Another way to translate this is:

she and Zechariah were both very old (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 1:8

Paragraph 1:8–10

This paragraph gives background information for the events in 1:11–20. These events happened in the temple of God in Jerusalem. The temple had several courtyards. The ordinary people remained in the courtyards while the priests went into the temple building to offer incense and other sacrifices. It may be helpful to have a picture of the temple and the temple courtyards here in your translation.

1:8a

One day: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as One day is literally “it happened.” Here it introduces a background event that led to the events in 1:11–20. Begin this paragraph in a natural way in your language. Some ways to do this in English are:

Once (New International Version)
-or-
Now it happened that (New American Standard Bible)

while Zechariah’s division was on duty: The group of priests to which Zechariah belonged served in the temple for two periods each year. During each period they served for one week. The following incident happened during one of these weeks.

Zechariah’s division: The term Zechariah’s division refers to the group of priests to which Zechariah belonged. It does not mean that Zechariah was the leader of this group. Another way to translate this is:

the division that Zechariah belonged to

Because Zechariah’s division was already described in 1:5c as “the division of Abijah,” it may be helpful in some languages to say that here. For example:

when the division ⌊of Abijah⌋ that Zechariah belonged to was on duty

The word division here is the same word as in 1:5c.

on duty: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as on duty means “taking its turn.” It was the turn of Zechariah’s division of priests to work in the temple. You may need to make it explicit that Zechariah was on duty in the temple.

1:8b

and he was serving as priest: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as serving as priest means that Zechariah was doing the work that he was supposed to do because he was a priest. He was fulfilling his responsibility as a priest. Other ways to say this are:

he was serving God as a priest (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Zechariah was doing his work as a priest (Good News Translation)

before God: The phrase before God indicates that Zechariah was working “in the presence of God.” He was working at the temple, and the Jews believed that God was present in a special way in the temple.

Some other ways to express the meaning are:

he was serving God as a priest (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Zechariah was serving God in the Temple (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
As he served in God’s presence (God’s Word)

General Comment on 1:8a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reverse the order of 1:8a and 1:8b. For example:

One day 8bZechariah was serving as a priest before God, because 8ahis group was on duty. (New Century Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 2013