Luke 1:6

1:6 They ¹  were both righteous in the sight of God, following ²  all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. ³ 

Luke 1:1

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ⁴  many have undertaken to compile an account ⁵  of the things ⁶  that have been fulfilled ⁷  among us,

Luke 2:12

2:12 This ⁸  will be a sign ⁹  for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹⁰ 

Luke 4:1

The Temptation of Jesus

4:1 Then ¹¹  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River ¹²  and was led by the Spirit ¹³  in ¹⁴  the wilderness, ¹⁵ 

¹ tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

² tn Grk “walking in” (an idiom for one’s lifestyle).

³ tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).

⁴ 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.

⁵ 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.

⁶ tn Or “events.”

⁷ 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”).

⁸ tn Grk “And this.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁹ sn The sign functions for the shepherds like Elizabeth’s conception served for Mary in 1:36.

¹⁰ tn Or “a feeding trough,” see Luke 2:7.

¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate continuity with the previous topic.

¹² tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

¹³ sn The double mention of the Spirit in this verse makes it clear that the temptation was neither the fault of Jesus nor an accident.

¹⁴ tc Most mss (A Θ Ξ Ψ 0102 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) read εἰς τὴν ἔρημον (ei" thn erhmon, “into the wilderness”), apparently motivated by the parallel in Matt 4:1. However, the reading behind the translation (ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, en th ejrhmw) is found in overall better witnesses (Ì^4vid,7,75vid א B D L W 579 892 1241 pc it).

¹⁵ tn Or “desert.”