Luke 1:1

Explanatory Preface

1:1 Now ¹  many have undertaken to compile an account ²  of the things ³  that have been fulfilled ⁴  among us,

Luke 1:14

1:14 Joy and gladness will come ⁵  to you, and many will rejoice at ⁶  his birth, ⁷ 

Luke 14:25

Counting the Cost

14:25 Now large crowds ⁸  were accompanying Jesus, ⁹  and turning to them he said,

Luke 13:24

13:24 “Exert every effort ¹⁰  to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Luke 4:27

4:27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, ¹¹  yet ¹²  none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” ¹³ 

Luke 5:15

5:15 But the news about him spread even more, ¹⁴  and large crowds were gathering together to hear him ¹⁵  and to be healed of their illnesses.

Luke 10:24

10:24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see ¹⁶  what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Luke 21:8

21:8 He ¹⁷  said, “Watch out ¹⁸  that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ ¹⁹  and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them!

¹ tn Grk “Since” or “Because.” This begins a long sentence that extends through v. 4. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, the Greek sentence has been divided up into shorter English sentences in the translation.

² tn This is sometimes translated “narrative,” but the term itself can refer to an oral or written account. It is the verb “undertaken” which suggests a written account, since it literally is “to set one’s hand” to something (BDAG 386 s.v. ἐπιχειρέω). “Narrative” is too specific, denoting a particular genre of work for the accounts that existed in the earlier tradition. Not all of that material would have been narrative.

³ tn Or “events.”

⁴ tn Or “have been accomplished.” Given Luke’s emphasis on divine design (e.g., Luke 24:43-47) a stronger sense (“fulfilled”) is better than a mere reference to something having taken place (“accomplished”).

⁵ tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”

⁶ tn Or “because of.”

⁷ tn “At his birth” is more precise as the grammatical subject (1:58), though “at his coming” is a possible force, since it is his mission, as the following verses note, that will really bring joy.

⁹ sn It is important to note that the following remarks are not just to disciples, but to the large crowds who were following Jesus.

¹⁰ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹³ 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.

¹⁷ sn On Elisha see 2 Kgs 5:1-14.

¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast.

¹⁹ sn The reference to Naaman the Syrian (see 2 Kgs 5:1-24) is another example where an outsider and Gentile was blessed. The stress in the example is the missed opportunity of the people to experience God’s work, but it will still go on without them.

²¹ sn That is, in spite of Jesus’ instructions to the man to tell no one about the healing (v. 14).

²² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

²⁵ sn This is what past prophets and kings had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.

²⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

³⁰ tn Or “Be on guard.”

³¹ tn That is, “I am the Messiah.”