OET interlinear LUKE 5:12

5:12a

While: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as While is literally “and it happened.” This phrase introduces the beginning of a new story. Luke did not indicate when this story occurred. Introduce this event in a natural way in your language. For example:

One day (GW)

When (NCV)

Once (GNT)

Jesus was in one of the towns: The phrase one of the towns does not indicate the exact location of the town. Mark 1:38–40 indicates that it was one of the towns in Galilee. In some languages, it may be necessary to say something more precise. For example:

While Jesus was in one of the towns of/in that region

While Jesus was in one of the towns of Galilee

5:12b

a man came along who was covered with leprosy: The phrase that the BSB translates as a man came along who was covered with leprosy is literally “and look, a man full of leprosy.” The phrase “and look” introduces the man with leprosy. It also draws attention to him as a person who will be important in the story. (“Look” is the same word that the BSB translates elsewhere as “behold” or “look” or “now.”) Introduce this man in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

There was a certain man there. He had leprosy over his whole body

there was a man covered with a serious skin disease (GW)

Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy (NLT)

covered with leprosy: The phrase that the BSB translates as covered with leprosy is literally “full of leprosy.” This means that the disease was all over the man’s skin. He had probably had the disease for a long time. The disease was in an advanced and serious state.

leprosy: The Greek word that the BSB translates as leprosy refers to several different skin diseases. Scholars disagree as to whether these diseases included modern-day leprosy (Hansen’s disease). They agree that in New Testament times the Greek word referred to dreaded skin diseases. People believed that these diseases were spread by contact with someone who had the disease. A person who had one of these diseases was also considered ritually unclean.

Some ways to translate this word are:

• Use a general phrase that describes the nature or significance of the disease. For example:

  a dreaded skin disease (GNT)

  a serious skin disease (GW)

  a contagious skin disease

• Use a term that refers specifically to leprosy. For example:

  leprosy

  something like leprosy

A term that refers specifically to leprosy may be appropriate in areas where people are already familiar with the term “leprosy.”

5:12c

When he saw Jesus: This clause introduces the actions of this event. Use a natural way in your language to begin the main actions of an event. Some ways to translate this clause are:

When the man saw Jesus (CEV)

As soon as he saw Jesus

Seeing Jesus

he fell facedown: The phrase he fell facedown means that the man knelt down and then lowered his face to the ground. He did this deliberately in order to show his humility and his great respect for Jesus. He did not fall by accident.

Some ways to translate this are:

he bowed with his face to the ground (NLT)

he knelt down to the ground in front of Jesus (CEV)

he got on his knees and bowed/prostrated himself with his face on the ground

5:12d

and begged Him: The Greek word that the BSB translates as begged means “to plead for” something. It emphasizes how much the speaker desires what he is asking for. The man with leprosy made an earnest request in a humble way.

Use the most natural way in your language to introduce what the man asked for. For example:

He begged Jesus (GW)

begging to be healed (NLT)

Lord: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Lord is the same word that Simon used in 5:8c. Translate the word in the same way here.

See Lord, Context 3, in the Glossary for more information.

if You are willing, You can make me clean: When he said this, the man with leprosy showed that he believed that Jesus had the power to heal him. However, he did not know whether Jesus was willing to do it. This statement was a polite way for the man to ask Jesus to heal him.

In some languages, it may be necessary to make that request explicit. In some languages, it is more polite to request something by using a question form.

Some ways to translate this are:

If you are willing, you can make me clean, so will you please heal me?

Please make me clean! I know you are able to do this if you want to!

You can make me clean: The phrase make me clean in this context means “make me ritually clean by healing me.” It does not refer to cleansing from physical dirt.

According to Jewish law, people with the skin disease called “leprosy” were ritually unclean or impure. They were not allowed to participate in public religious ceremonies or to worship God at the temple. They had to live away from other people who did not have this disease. When they were healed, they became ritually clean. Then they were allowed to come to the temple again and participate in community activities.

Here are several ways to translate the phrase make me clean:

• Translate both the idea of healing and the idea of causing the man to become ritually clean. Translate the ideas in a natural order in your language. For example:

  you can heal me and make me ritually clean

  you can heal me so that I will be ritually pure

• Translate only the idea of healing here. For example:

  you have the power to make me well (CEV)

  you can heal me if you will (NCV)

• Translate only the idea of causing the man to be ritually clean. For example:

  you can make me ritually clean