Lukas 1:11-13

1:11 An ¹  angel of the Lord, ²  standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared ³  to him. 1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ⁴  was seized with fear. ⁵  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ⁶  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ⁷  will name him John. ⁸ 

Lukas 1:18-19

1:18 Zechariah ⁹  said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? ¹⁰  For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.” ¹¹  1:19 The ¹²  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ¹³  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ¹⁴  you this good news.

[1:11]  ¹ tn Grk “And an angel.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[1:11]  ² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[1:11]  ³ sn This term is often used to describe a supernatural appearance (24:34; Acts 2:3; 7:2, 30, 35; 9:17; 13:31; 16:9; 26:16).

[1:12]  ⁴ tn The words “the angel” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:12]  ⁵ tn Or “and he was afraid”; Grk “fear fell upon him.” Fear is common when supernatural agents appear (1:29-30, 65; 2:9; 5:8-10; 9:34; 24:38; Exod 15:16; Judg 6:22-23; 13:6, 22; 2 Sam 6:9).

[1:13]  ⁶ tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.

[1:13]  sn Your prayer has been heard. Zechariah’s prayer while offering the sacrifice would have been for the nation, but the answer to the prayer also gave them a long hoped-for child, a hope they had abandoned because of their old age.

[1:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:13]  ⁸ tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.

[1:13]  sn “Do not be afraid…you must call his name John.” This is a standard birth announcement (see Gen 16:11; Isa 7:14; Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).

[1:18]  ⁹ tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:18]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “How will I know this?”

[1:18]  ¹¹ tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).

[1:19]  ¹² tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ¹³ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”