Lukas 1:1-2

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ¹  many have undertaken to compile an account ²  of the things ³  that have been fulfilled ⁴  among us, 1:2 like the accounts ⁵  passed on ⁶  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ⁷  from the beginning. ⁸ 

Lukas 1:69

1:69 For ⁹  he has raised up ¹⁰  a horn of salvation ¹¹  for us in the house of his servant David, ¹² 

Lukas 1:73

1:73 the oath ¹³  that he swore to our ancestor ¹⁴  Abraham.

This oath grants ¹⁵ 

Lukas 7:5

7:5 because he loves our nation, ¹⁶  and even ¹⁷  built our synagogue.” ¹⁸ 

Lukas 11:3

11:3 Give us each day our daily bread, ¹⁹ 

Lukas 17:5

17:5 The ²⁰  apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ²¹ 

Lukas 23:18

23:18 But they all shouted out together, ²²  “Take this man ²³  away! Release Barabbas for us!”

[1:1]  ¹ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

[1:1]  ² tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

[1:1]  ³ tn Or “events.”

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

[1:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ⁶ tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ⁷ sn The phrase eyewitnesses and servants of the word refers to a single group of people who faithfully passed on the accounts about Jesus. The language about delivery (passed on) points to accounts faithfully passed on to the early church.

[1:2]  ⁸ tn Grk “like the accounts those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word passed on to us.” The location of “in the beginning” in the Greek shows that the tradition is rooted in those who were with Jesus from the start.

[1:69]  ⁹ tn Grk “and,” but specifying the reason for the praise in the psalm.

[1:69]  ¹⁰ sn The phrase raised up means for God to bring someone significant onto the scene of history.

[1:69]  ¹¹ sn The horn of salvation is a figure that refers to the power of Messiah and his ability to protect, as the horn refers to what an animal uses to attack and defend (Ps 75:4-5, 10; 148:14; 2 Sam 22:3). Thus the meaning of the figure is “a powerful savior.”

[1:69]  ¹² sn In the house of his servant David is a reference to Messiah’s Davidic descent. Zechariah is more interested in Jesus than his own son John at this point.

[1:73]  ¹³ tn This is linked back grammatically by apposition to “covenant” in v. 72, specifying which covenant is meant.

[1:73]  ¹⁴ tn Or “forefather”; Grk “father.”

[1:73]  ¹⁵ tn Again for reasons of English style, the infinitival clause “to grant us” has been translated “This oath grants” and made the beginning of a new sentence in the translation.

[7:5]  ¹⁶ tn Or “people.” The use of ἔθνος (eqnos, “nation”) here instead of “God” probably meant the man was not a full proselyte, but that he had simply been supportive of the Jews and their culture. He could have been a God-fearer. The Romans saw a stable religious community as politically helpful and often supported it (Josephus, Ant. 16.6.2 [16.162-165], 19.6.3 [19.300-311]).

[7:5]  ¹⁷ tn In the Greek text, the pronoun αὐτός (autos) is included, making this emphatic. Naturally the force of this statement is causative, meaning the centurion either had the synagogue built or donated the cost of its construction.

[7:5]  ¹⁸ sn See the note on synagogues in 4:15.

[11:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “Give us bread each day for the coming day,” or “Give us each day the bread we need for today.” The term ἐπιούσιος (epiousio") does not occur outside of early Christian literature (other occurrences are in Matt 6:11 and Didache 8:2), so its meaning is difficult to determine. Various suggestions include “daily,” “the coming day,” and “for existence.” See BDAG 376 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.

[17:5]  ²⁰ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:5]  ²¹ sn The request of the apostles, “Increase our faith,” is not a request for a gift of faith, but a request to increase the depth of their faith.

[23:18]  ²² tn Grk “together, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated here.

[23:18]  ²³ tn Grk “this one.” The reference to Jesus as “this man” is pejorative in this context.