Luke 1:2

1:2 like the accounts ¹  passed on ²  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ³  from the beginning. ⁴ 

Luke 1:4

1:4 so that you may know for certain ⁵  the things you were taught. ⁶ 

Luke 4:32

4:32 They ⁷  were amazed ⁸  at his teaching, because he spoke ⁹  with authority. ¹⁰ 

Luke 8:11

8:11 “Now the parable means ¹¹  this: The seed is the word of God.

Luke 23:9

23:9 So ¹²  Herod ¹³  questioned him at considerable length; Jesus ¹⁴  gave him no answer.

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

[1:2]  ² tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.

[1:4]  ⁵ tn Or “know the truth about”; or “know the certainty of.” The issue of the context is psychological confidence; Luke’s work is trying to encourage Theophilus. So in English this is better translated as “know for certain” than “know certainty” or “know the truth,” which sounds too cognitive. “Certain” assumes the truth of the report. On this term, see Acts 2:36; 21:34; 22:30; and 25:26. The meaning “have assurance concerning” is also possible here.

[1:4]  ⁶ tn Or “you heard about.” This term can refer merely to a report of information (Acts 21:24) or to instruction (Acts 18:25). The scope of Luke’s Gospel as a whole, which calls for perseverance in the faith and which assumes much knowledge of the OT, suggests Theophilus had received some instruction and was probably a believer.

[4:32]  ⁹ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[4:32]  ¹⁰ sn They were amazed. The astonishment shown here is like that in Luke 2:48.

[4:32]  ¹¹ tn Grk “because his word was.”

[4:32]  ¹² sn Jesus’ teaching impressed the hearers with the directness of its claim (with authority). A study of Jewish rabbinic interpretation shows that it was typical to cite a list of authorities to make one’s point. Apparently Jesus addressed the issues in terms of his own understanding.

[8:11]  ¹³ tn Grk “is,” but in this context it is clearly giving an explanation of the parable.

[23:9]  ¹⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous statements in the narrative about Herod’s desire to see Jesus.

[23:9]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:9]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.