1:68 “Blessed 1 be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help 2 and has redeemed 3 his people.
1 sn The traditional name of this psalm, the “Benedictus,” comes from the Latin wording of the start of the hymn (“Blessed be…”).
2 sn The verb come to help can refer to a visit, but can also connote concern or assistance (L&N 85.11).
3 tn Or “has delivered”; Grk “has accomplished redemption.”
4 tn Or “reasonings” (in a hostile sense). See G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
5 sn The remark the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed shows that how people respond to Jesus indicates where their hearts really are before God.
6 sn A sword refers to a very large, broad two-edged sword. The language is figurative, picturing great pain. Though it refers in part to the cross, it really includes the pain all of Jesus’ ministry will cause, including the next event in Luke 2:41-52 and extending to the opposition he faced throughout his ministry.
7 sn This remark looks to be parenthetical and addressed to Mary alone, not the nation. Many modern English translations transpose this to make it the final clause in Simeon’s utterance as above to make this clear.
7 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
8 tn That is, the experts in the interpretation of the Mosaic law (see also Luke 5:17, although the Greek term is not identical there, and Luke 10:25, where it is the same).
9 tn Or “plan.”
10 tn The participle βαπτισθέντες (baptisqente") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as means (“for themselves, by not having been baptized”). This is similar to the translation found in the NRSV.
11 tn Grk “by him”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 sn Luke 7:29-30 forms something of an aside by the author. To indicate this, they have been placed in parentheses.
10 tn Grk “knowing the thoughts of their hearts” (an idiom).
11 tn On this use of παρά (para), see BDF §239.1.1.
13 tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.
14 tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
15 tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”
16 sn Though ten were given minas, the story stops to focus on the one who did nothing with the opportunity given to him. Here is the parable’s warning about the one who does not trust the master. This figure is called “another,” marking him out as different than the first two.
17 tn The word “slave” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for stylistic reasons.
18 tn Grk “behold.”
19 tn Or “that I stored away.” L&N 85.53 defines ἀπόκειμαι (apokeimai) here as “to put something away for safekeeping – ‘to store, to put away in a safe place.’”
20 tn The piece of cloth, called a σουδάριον (soudarion), could have been a towel, napkin, handkerchief, or face cloth (L&N 6.159).
19 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
20 tn The direct question using “if” in Greek is not unusual (BDF §440.3).
21 sn “Should we use our swords?” The disciples’ effort to defend Jesus recalls Luke 22:35-38. One individual did not wait for the answer.