By Mark D. Taylor, Senior Stylist, New Living Translation
Greek: ἰδού (idou)
English: behold, lo, look, see, now, listen, note this, here it is, consider, what’s more, suddenly
The simple Greek word ἰδού (idou, pronounced ee-DOO) has many meanings depending on the context. It has traditionally been translated as “behold,” since idou is related to another word that can be translated as “sight.” In the King James Version, we find 222 instances of “behold” in the New Testament. But that is not a word we use in modern English, so most modern translations (including NLT and NIV) do not translate idou as “behold.” Instead, the context of the passage suggests numerous ways of translating this term.
Here are eight examples from the Gospel of Luke as to how idou is translated in the NLT.
Luke 1:20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.
Luke 1:36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.
Luke 2:25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.
Luke 7:27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’
Luke 9:30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus.
Luke 11:31 The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.
Luke 13:30 And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.
Luke 18:31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.
The Greek text of the New Testament had no punctuation, and no chapter or verse breaks. But the term idou often functions as an indicator that a new scene or a new character is being introduced. In Luke’s Gospel, the word idou is used 57 times, and in about half of those times, it seems to function this way. Modern translations typically show literary breaks and chapter and verse breaks. As such, those breaks themselves can often reflect the meaning of the word idou.
Is this flexibility in translating idou legitimate in translating the Greek text? Absolutely! The NLT provides many different translations of idou in order to render the meaning clearly in the various contexts in which this Greek word is used.
As we read the Bible, we need to understand the meaning of the text. The translators of the NLT have given readers an advantage in translating a word like idou in ways that make the meaning of the text very clear.