Luke 1:4

1:4 so that you may know for certain ¹  the things you were taught. ² 

Luke 1:34

1:34 Mary ³  said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with ⁴  a man?”

Luke 5:22

5:22 When Jesus perceived ⁵  their hostile thoughts, ⁶  he said to them, ⁷  “Why are you raising objections ⁸  within yourselves?

Luke 8:21

8:21 But he replied ⁹  to them, “My mother and my brothers are those ¹⁰  who hear the word of God and do it.” ¹¹ 

Luke 12:30

12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue ¹²  these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Luke 24:31

24:31 At this point ¹³  their eyes were opened and they recognized ¹⁴  him. ¹⁵  Then ¹⁶  he vanished out of their sight.

[1:4]  ¹ 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]  ² 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.

[1:34]  ³ tn Grk “And Mary.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:34]  ⁴ tn Grk “have not known.” The expression in the Greek text is a euphemism for sexual relations. Mary seems to have sensed that the declaration had an element of immediacy to it that excluded Joseph. Many modern translations render this phrase “since I am a virgin,” but the Greek word for virgin is not used in the text, and the euphemistic expression is really more explicit, referring specifically to sexual relations.

[5:22]  ⁵ sn Jesus often perceived people’s thoughts in Luke; see 4:23; 6:8; 7:40; 9:47. Such a note often precedes a rebuke.

[5:22]  ⁶ tn Grk “reasonings.” This is the noun form of the infinitive διαλογίζεσθαι (dialogizesqai, “began to reason to themselves”) used in v. 21. Jesus’ reply to them in the latter part of the present verse makes clear that these reasonings were mental and internal, so the translation “thoughts” was used here. On the hostile or evil nature of these thoughts, see G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.

[5:22]  ⁷ tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation.

[5:22]  ⁸ tn The Greek verb διαλογίζεσθε (dialogizesqe, “you reason”), used in context with διαλογισμούς (dialogismous, “reasonings”), connotes more than neutral reasoning or thinking. While the verb can refer to normal “reasoning,” “discussion,” or “reflection” in the NT, its use here in Luke 5:22, alongside the noun – which is regularly used with a negative sense in the NT (cf. Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21; Luke 2:35, 6:8, 9:47; Rom 1:21; 1 Cor 3:20; G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:96-97; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:484) – suggests the idea of “contention.” Therefore, in order to reflect the hostility evident in the reasoning of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the verb has been translated as “raising objections.”

[8:21]  ⁷ tn Grk “answering, he said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he replied.”

[8:21]  ⁸ tn There is some discussion about the grammar of this verse in Greek. If “these” is the subject, then it reads, “These are my mother and brothers, those who.” If “these” is a nominative absolute, which is slightly more likely, then the verse more literally reads, “So my mother and brothers, they are those who.” The sense in either case is the same.

[8:21]  ⁹ sn Hearing and doing the word of God is another important NT theme: Luke 6:47-49; Jas 1:22-25.

[12:30]  ⁹ tn Grk “seek.”

[24:31]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “At this point” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. “Then,” which is normally used to indicate this, would be redundant with the following clause.

[24:31]  ¹² sn They recognized him. Other than this cryptic remark, it is not told how the two disciples were now able to recognize Jesus.

[24:31]  ¹³ tn This pronoun is somewhat emphatic.

[24:31]  ¹⁴ tn This translates a καί (kai, “and”) that has clear sequential force.