LUKE 2:11 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ὅτι
2. hoti
3. because
4. because
5. 37540
6. C·······
7. because
8. because
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38822
1. ἐτέχθη
2. tiktō
3. was born
4. born
5. 50880
6. VIAP3··S
7. ˓was˒ born
8. ˓was˒ born
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38823
1. ὑμῖν
2. su
3. to you all
4. -
5. 47710
6. R···2D·P
7. ˱to˲ you_all
8. ˱to˲ you_all
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus; R38762
11. 38824
1. σήμερον
2. sēmeron
3. today
4. today
5. 45940
6. D·······
7. today
8. today
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38825
1. Σωτήρ
2. sōtēr
3. +a saviour
4. saviour
5. 49900
6. N····NMS
7. ˓a˒ saviour
8. ˓a˒ Savior
9. G
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38826
1. ὅς
2. hos
3. who
4. -
5. 37390
6. R····NMS
7. who
8. who
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38827
1. ἐστίν
2. eimi
3. is
4. -
5. 15100
6. VIPA3··S
7. is
8. is
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38828
1. Χριστός
2. χristos
3. +the chosen one messiah
4. messiah
5. 55470
6. N····NMS
7. ˓the˒ chosen_one/messiah
8. ˓the˒ Messiah
9. WN
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus; Person=Jesus
11. 38829
1. Κύριος
2. kurios
3. +the master
4. Yahweh
5. 29620
6. N····NMS
7. ˓the˒ master
8. ˓the˒ Lord
9. GN
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38830
1. Χριστός
2. χristos
3. -
4. -
5. 55470
6. N····NMS
7. ˓the˒ chosen_one/messiah
8. ˓the˒ Messiah
9. WN
10. Person=Jesus
11. 38831
1. ἐν
2. en
3. in
4. -
5. 17220
6. P·······
7. in
8. in
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38832
1. πόλει
2. polis
3. +the city
4. town
5. 41720
6. N····DFS
7. ˓the˒ city
8. ˓the˒ city
9. -
10. Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38833
1. Δαυίδ
2. dauid
3. of Dawid
4. -
5. 11380
6. N····GMS
7. ˱of˲ Dawid/(Dāvid)
8. ˱of˲ David
9. U
10. Person=David; Y4; TBirth_of_Jesus
11. 38834

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:8–20: Angels announced to shepherds that the Savior was born

In this section some shepherds were taking care of their sheep in fields near Bethlehem. An angel came to them and told them that Christ the Savior had been born that night in Bethlehem. He told them that they would find the baby lying in a feeding box for animals. Then other angels came and praised God. After the angels left, the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby, just as the angel had said they would.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

Angels tell shepherds about Jesus’ birth and the shepherds visit him

The Shepherds and the Angels (GNT)

2:11a

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you.

Today in David’s town a Savior has been born for you.
This good news is that he who will save you has been born here tonight in King David’s home town.
Today a woman has borne a child in David’s home town. This child is the one who will save/rescue you.

In Greek, 2:11 begins with a word that connects 2:10 to 2:11–12. The BSB does not translate this word. There are two ways to interpret the word in this context:

It indicates that 2:11 is the content of the angel’s announcement. Most English versions that do not translate this word are probably following this interpretation. For example:
^10bI bring you good news…. ^11aToday there has been born… (REB) (BSB, NIV, GNT, NJB, NET, REB, GW, NLT, CEV, JBP, NCV)
It indicates that 2:11 is the reason that all the people will have great joy. This meaning can be translated in English as “because/for.” For example:
^10bI bring you good news…^11afor today…there has been born… (NASB) (RSV, NASB, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you: In Greek this is a passive clause. Use a natural way in your language to announce a birth. Another way to translate this is:

This very day in David's town your Savior was born (GNT)

Today: To the Jews, each new day began at sunset, about 6:00 p.m. Verse 8 indicates that the angel spoke to the shepherds at night. When the angel announced that Jesus had been born, the angel said Today. Because a new day had begun at 6:00 p.m., it is clear that Jesus was born at night after the sun had already set. For this reason, it may be more natural in some languages to say “tonight” rather than Today. For example:

The Savior…has been born tonight. (NLT96)

the city of David: The shepherds understood that the city of David referred to the town that was called Bethlehem, where David was born. Another way to translate this phrase is:

the hometown of David

the town where David was born

This phrase, the city of David, also occurs in 2:4b. You may translate it the same way in both places.

Savior: The word Savior means “someone who saves/rescues (others) from harm or danger.” This same word occurs in 1:47. Other ways to translate this are:

he who will save you

deliverer (REB)

one who will rescue you

If you must indicate from what he will save, you can say:

he who will save you from your sins

See save in the Glossary (see the note on Savior).

born to you: The pronoun you is plural. It refers to the shepherds, but in this context it also applies to “all the people” in 2:10b. The phrase born to you indicates that the Savior’s birth would benefit them. Some ways to translate this include:

born for you

born for your benefit

born to help you

If you have translated the word “Savior” as a clause such as “he who will save you,” you may not need to repeat the idea to you. For example, you may be able to translate “a Savior has been born to you” as:

he who will save you has been born

2:11b

He is Christ the Lord!

He is the Christ/Messiah, and he is the Lord.
He is the Christ/Deliverer. He is the Lord.
He is the Christ/Rescuer whom God promised to send. He is the Lord.

Christ the Lord: Both the word Christ and the word Lord are descriptive titles. If it is not natural in your language to put two titles together like this, you may be able to say:

he is the Christ, he is the Lord

Christ: Here the word Christ is used as a title. It is not just one of Jesus’ names. The Jews used this title to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as King and Savior. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning.

Some ways to translate Christ are:

Use a title or a descriptive phrase in your language that has the same meaning as Christ. For example:
Messiah
Promised Deliverer
the Rescuer-King whom God sent
Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:
Karisiti, the appointed one
Cristo, the Savior whom God promised to send
Transliterate Christ and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:
the Kirisita

You may want to explain the meaning of Christ in a footnote or in a glossary. For example:

The word/title “Christ” refers to the King and Savior whom God had promised to send.

See also Christ in the Glossary.

the Lord: The Greek word that the BSB translates as the Lord was one of the terms that the Jews used to refer to God.This is not meant to imply that they used kurios when speaking to each other in Hebrew or Aramaic. It is assumed that they might use it when they spoke or wrote in Greek, as Luke was doing here. Its basic meaning in Greek was “master” or “one who has authority over others.” Use a term from your language that is appropriate for this context. See Lord, Context 2 in the Glossary.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον Σωτὴρ, ὅς ἐστιν Χριστὸς, Κύριος, ἐν πόλει Δαυείδ

˓was˒_born ˱to˲_you_all today (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον Σωτήρ ὅς ἐστίν Χριστός Κύριος ἐν πόλει Δαυίδ)

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: [a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, has been born for you today in the city of David]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον

˓was˒_born ˱to˲_you_all today

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [we are announcing the birth for you today]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐν πόλει Δαυείδ

in ˓the˒_city (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον Σωτήρ ὅς ἐστίν Χριστός Κύριος ἐν πόλει Δαυίδ)

This means Bethlehem. See the explanation in the note to [2:4](../02/04.md). Alternate translation: [in Bethlehem]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅς ἐστιν Χριστὸς, Κύριος

who (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτι ἐτέχθη ὑμῖν σήμερον Σωτήρ ὅς ἐστίν Χριστός Κύριος ἐν πόλει Δαυίδ)

Christ is the Greek word for “Messiah.” Alternate translation: [who is the Messiah, the Lord]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear LUKE 2:11

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 2:8–20: Angels announced to shepherds that the Savior was born

2:11a

2:11b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)