Discovery BoxLuke 19:37-48
Context19:37 As he approached the road leading down from 1 the Mount of Olives, 2 the whole crowd of his 3 disciples began to rejoice 4 and praise 5 God with a loud voice for all the mighty works 6 they had seen: 7 19:38 “Blessed is the king 8 who comes in the name of the Lord! 9 Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 19:39 But 10 some of the Pharisees 11 in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 12 19:40 He answered, 13 “I tell you, if they 14 keep silent, the very stones 15 will cry out!”
19:41 Now 16 when Jesus 17 approached 18 and saw the city, he wept over it, 19:42 saying, “If you had only known on this day, 19 even you, the things that make for peace! 20 But now they are hidden 21 from your eyes. 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build 22 an embankment 23 against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. 19:44 They will demolish you 24 – you and your children within your walls 25 – and they will not leave within you one stone 26 on top of another, 27 because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” 28
19:45 Then 29 Jesus 30 entered the temple courts 31 and began to drive out those who were selling things there, 32 19:46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be a house of prayer,’ 33 but you have turned it into a den 34 of robbers!” 35
19:47 Jesus 36 was teaching daily in the temple courts. The chief priests and the experts in the law 37 and the prominent leaders among the people were seeking to assassinate 38 him, 19:48 but 39 they could not find a way to do it, 40 for all the people hung on his words. 41
[19:37] 1 tn Grk “the descent of”; this could refer to either the slope of the hillside itself or the path leading down from it (the second option has been adopted for the translation, see L&N 15.109).
[19:37] 2 sn See the note on the name Mount of Olives in v. 29.
[19:37] 3 tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
[19:37] 4 tn Here the participle χαίροντες (caironte") has been translated as a finite verb in English; it could also be translated adverbially as a participle of manner: “began to praise God joyfully.”
[19:37] 5 sn See 2:13, 20; Acts 2:47; 3:8-9.
[19:37] 6 tn Or “works of power,” “miracles.” Jesus’ ministry of miracles is what has drawn attention. See Luke 7:22.
[19:37] 7 tn Grk “they had seen, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[19:38] 8 sn Luke adds the title king to the citation from Ps 118:26 to make clear who was meant (see Luke 18:38). The psalm was used in looking for the deliverance of the end, thus leading to the Pharisees’ reaction.
[19:38] 9 sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
[19:39] 10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. Not all present are willing to join in the acclamation.
[19:39] 11 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[19:39] 12 sn Teacher, rebuke your disciples. The Pharisees were complaining that the claims were too great.
[19:40] 13 tn Grk “and answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “He answered.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:40] 15 sn This statement amounts to a rebuke. The idiom of creation speaking means that even creation knows what is taking place, yet the Pharisees miss it. On this idiom, see Gen 4:10 and Hab 2:11.
[19:41] 16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[19:41] 18 sn When Jesus approached and saw the city. This is the last travel note in Luke’s account (the so-called Jerusalem journey), as Jesus approached and saw the city before entering it.
[19:42] 19 sn On this day. They had missed the time of Messiah’s coming; see v. 44.
[19:42] 20 tn Grk “the things toward peace.” This expression seems to mean “the things that would ‘lead to,’ ‘bring about,’ or ‘make for’ peace.”
[19:42] 21 sn But now they are hidden from your eyes. This becomes an oracle of doom in the classic OT sense; see Luke 13:31-35; 11:49-51; Jer 9:2; 13:7; 14:7. They are now blind and under judgment (Jer 15:5; Ps 122:6).
[19:43] 22 sn Jesus now predicted the events that would be fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in
[19:43] 23 sn An embankment refers to either wooden barricades or earthworks, or a combination of the two.
[19:44] 24 tn Grk “They will raze you to the ground.”
[19:44] 25 tn Grk “your children within you.” The phrase “[your] walls” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the city of Jerusalem, metaphorically pictured as an individual, is spoken of here.
[19:44] 26 sn (Not) one stone on top of another is an idiom for total destruction.
[19:44] 27 tn Grk “leave stone on stone.”
[19:44] 28 tn Grk “the time of your visitation.” To clarify what this refers to, the words “from God” are supplied at the end of the verse, although they do not occur in the Greek text.
[19:45] 29 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[19:45] 31 tn Grk “the temple” (also in v. 47).
[19:45] 32 sn Matthew (21:12-27), Mark (11:15-19) and Luke (here, 19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.
[19:46] 33 sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.
[19:46] 34 tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).
[19:46] 35 sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.
[19:47] 36 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:47] 37 tn Grk “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
[19:47] 38 tn Grk “to destroy.”
[19:48] 39 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[19:48] 40 tn Grk “they did not find the thing that they might do.”
[19:48] 41 sn All the people hung on his words is an idiom for intent, eager listening. Jesus’ popularity and support made it unwise for the leadership to seize him.
