2 Kings 25:12

25:12 But he ¹  left behind some of the poor of the land and gave them fields and vineyards.

Jeremiah 39:10

39:10 But he ²  left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing. He gave them fields and vineyards at that time.

Jeremiah 40:6

40:6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah ³  and lived there with him. He stayed there to live among the people who had been left in the land of Judah. ⁴ 

Jeremiah 52:16

52:16 But he ⁵  left behind some of the poor ⁶  and gave them fields and vineyards.

Matthew 7:14

7:14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Luke 13:23-24

13:23 Someone ⁷  asked ⁸  him, “Lord, will only a few ⁹  be saved?” So ¹⁰  he said to them, 13:24 “Exert every effort ¹¹  to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Luke 13:1

A Call to Repent

13:1 Now ¹²  there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ¹³ 

Luke 4:18

4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed ¹⁴  me to proclaim good news ¹⁵  to the poor. ¹⁶ 

He has sent me ¹⁷  to proclaim release ¹⁸  to the captives

and the regaining of sight ¹⁹  to the blind,

to set free ²⁰  those who are oppressed, ²¹ 

¹ tn Heb “the captain of the royal guard.” However, the subject is clear from the preceding and contemporary English style would normally avoid repeating the proper name and title.

² tn Heb “Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard.” However, the subject is clear from the preceding and contemporary English style would normally avoid repeating the proper name and title.

³ sn Mizpah. It is generally agreed that this is the Mizpah that was on the border between Benjamin and Judah. It was located approximately eight miles north of Jerusalem and had been an important military and religious center from the time of the judges on (cf., e.g., Judg 20:1-3; 1 Sam 7:5-14; 1 Sam 10:17; 1 Kgs 15:22). It was not far from Ramah which was approximately four miles north of Jerusalem.

⁴ tn Heb “So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah…and lived with him among the people who had been left in the land.” The long Hebrew sentence has been divided in two to better conform with contemporary English style.

⁵ tn Heb “Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard.” However, the subject is clear from the preceding and modern English style would normally avoid repeating the proper name and title.

⁶ tn Heb “poor of the land.”

⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁸ tn Grk “said to.”

⁹ sn The warnings earlier in Jesus’ teaching have led to the question whether only a few will be saved.

¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ reply was triggered by the preceding question.

¹¹ tn Or “Make every effort” (L&N 68.74; cf. NIV); “Do your best” (TEV); “Work hard” (NLT); Grk “Struggle.” The idea is to exert one’s maximum effort (cf. BDAG 17 s.v. ἀγωνίζομαι 2.b, “strain every nerve to enter”) because of the supreme importance of attaining entry into the kingdom of God.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

¹³ sn This is an event that otherwise is unattested, though several events similar to it are noted in Josephus (J. W. 2.9.2-4 [2.169-177]; Ant. 13.13.5 [13.372-73], 18.3.1-2 [18.55-62]; 18.4.1 [18.85-87]). It would have caused a major furor.

¹⁴ sn The phrase he has anointed me is an allusion back to Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:21-22.

¹⁵ tn Grk “to evangelize,” “to preach the gospel.”

¹⁶ sn The poor is a key term in Luke. It refers to the pious poor and indicates Jesus’ desire to reach out to those the world tends to forget or mistreat. It is like 1:52 in force and also will be echoed in 6:20 (also 1 Pet 2:11-25). Jesus is commissioned to do this.

¹⁷ tc The majority of mss, especially the later Byzantines, include the phrase “to heal the brokenhearted” at this point (A Θ Ψ 0102 ˹ Ï). The phrase is lacking in several weighty mss (א B D L W Ξ Ë¹³ 33 579 700 892* pc lat sy^s co), including representatives from both the Alexandrian and Western texttypes. From the standpoint of external evidence, the omission of the phrase is more likely original. When internal evidence is considered, the shorter reading becomes almost certain. Scribes would be much more prone to add the phrase here to align the text with Isa 61:1, the source of the quotation, than to remove it from the original.

¹⁸ sn The release in view here is comprehensive, both at a physical level and a spiritual one, as the entire ministry of Jesus makes clear (Luke 1:77-79; 7:47; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43).

¹⁹ sn Again, as with the previous phrase, regaining of sight may well mean more than simply miraculously restoring physical sight, which itself pictures a deeper reality (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).

²⁰ sn The essence of Jesus’ messianic work is expressed in the phrase to set free. This line from Isa 58 says that Jesus will do what the nation had failed to do. It makes the proclamation messianic, not merely prophetic, because Jesus doesn’t just proclaim the message – he brings the deliverance. The word translated set free is the same Greek word (ἄφεσις, afesi") translated release earlier in the verse.

²¹ sn Again, as with the previous phrases, oppressed may well mean more than simply political or economic oppression, but a deeper reality of oppression by sin (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43).