Luke 12:1

Fear God, Not People

12:1 Meanwhile, ¹  when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus ²  began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against ³  the yeast of the Pharisees, ⁴  which is hypocrisy. ⁵ 

Luke 14:25

Counting the Cost

14:25 Now large crowds ⁶  were accompanying Jesus, ⁷  and turning to them he said,

Matthew 4:25

4:25 And large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, ⁸  Jerusalem, ⁹  Judea, and beyond the Jordan River. ¹⁰ 

Matthew 15:30-31

15:30 Then ¹¹  large crowds came to him bringing with them the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others. They ¹²  laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 15:31 As a result, the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

Mark 2:1-2

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

2:1 Now ¹³  after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, ¹⁴  the news spread ¹⁵  that he was at home. 2:2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by ¹⁶  the door, and he preached the word to them.

Mark 3:7

Crowds by the Sea

3:7 Then ¹⁷  Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. ¹⁸  And from Judea,

John 6:2

6:2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick.

¹ tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”

² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn According to L&N 27.59, “to pay attention to, to keep on the lookout for, to be alert for, to be on your guard against.” This is another Lukan present imperative calling for constant vigilance.

⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

⁵ sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.

⁶ sn It is important to note that the following remarks are not just to disciples, but to the large crowds who were following Jesus.

⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the places in the list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

⁹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹⁰ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).

¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹³ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

¹⁴ sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.

¹⁵ tn Grk “it was heard.”

¹⁶ tn Some translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) take the preposition πρός (pro"), which indicates proximity, to mean “outside the door.” Others render it as “in front of the door” (TEV, CEV), and still others, “around the door” (NAB). There is some ambiguity inherent in the description here.

¹⁷ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹⁸ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.