Luke 2:27

2:27 So ¹  Simeon, ²  directed by the Spirit, ³  came into the temple courts, ⁴  and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, ⁵ 

Luke 2:1

The Census and the Birth of Jesus

2:1 Now ⁶  in those days a decree ⁷  went out from Caesar ⁸  Augustus ⁹  to register ¹⁰  all the empire ¹¹  for taxes.

Luke 18:12

18:12 I fast twice ¹²  a week; I give a tenth ¹³  of everything I get.’

Ezekiel 3:14

3:14 A wind lifted me up and carried me away. I went bitterly, ¹⁴  my spirit full of fury, and the hand of the Lord rested powerfully ¹⁵  on me.

Mark 1:12-13

1:12 The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness. 1:13 He was in the wilderness forty days, ¹⁶  enduring temptations from Satan. He ¹⁷  was with wild animals, and angels were ministering to his needs. ¹⁸ 

Acts 8:39

8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but ¹⁹  went on his way rejoicing. ²⁰ 

[2:27]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the action.

[2:27]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Simeon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:27]  ³ tn Grk “So in the Spirit” or “So by the Spirit,” but since it refers to the Spirit’s direction the expanded translation “directed by the Spirit” is used here.

[2:27]  ⁴ tn Grk “the temple.”

[2:27]  ⁵ tn Grk “to do for him according to the custom of the law.” See Luke 2:22-24.

[2:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[2:1]  ⁷ sn This decree was a formal decree from the Roman Senate.

[2:1]  ⁸ tn Or “from the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[2:1]  ⁹ sn Caesar Augustus refers to Octavian, who was Caesar from 27 b.c. to a.d. 14. He was known for his administrative prowess.

[2:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “that all the empire should be registered for taxes.” The passive infinitive ἀπογράφεσθαι (apografesqai) has been rendered as an active in the translation to improve the English style. The verb is regarded as a technical term for official registration in tax lists (BDAG 108 s.v. ἀπογράφω a).

[2:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the whole (inhabited) world,” but this was a way to refer to the Roman empire (L&N 1.83).

[18:12]  ¹² sn The law only required fasting on the Day of Atonement. Such voluntary fasting as this practiced twice a week by the Pharisee normally took place on Monday and Thursday.

[18:12]  ¹³ tn Or “I tithe.”

[3:14]  ¹⁴ tn The traditional interpretation is that Ezekiel embarked on his mission with bitterness and anger, either reflecting God’s attitude toward the sinful people or his own feelings about having to carry out such an unpleasant task. L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:13) takes “bitterly” as a misplaced marginal note and understands the following word, normally translated “anger,” in the sense of fervor or passion. He translates, “I was passionately moved” (p. 4). Another option is to take the word translated “bitterly” as a verb meaning “strengthened” (attested in Ugaritic). See G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 152.

[3:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was on me heavily.” The “hand of the Lord” is a metaphor for his power or influence; the modifier conveys intensity.

[1:13]  ¹⁶ sn The forty days may allude to the experience of Moses (Exod 34:28), Elijah (1 Kgs 19:8, 15), or David and Goliath (1 Sam 17:16).

[1:13]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And he.”

[1:13]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “were serving him,” “were ministering to him.”

[8:39]  ¹⁹ tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).

[8:39]  ²⁰ sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).