Luke 12:35

Call to Faithful Stewardship

12:35 “Get dressed for service ¹  and keep your lamps burning; ² 

Luke 8:16

Showing the Light

8:16 “No one lights ³  a lamp ⁴  and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light. ⁵ 

Luke 11:33-34

Internal Light

11:33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place ⁶  or under a basket, ⁷  but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. 11:34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, ⁸  your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, ⁹  your body is full of darkness.

Luke 11:36

11:36 If ¹⁰  then ¹¹  your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, ¹²  it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.” ¹³ 

Luke 15:8

15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins ¹⁴  and loses ¹⁵  one of them, ¹⁶  does not light a lamp, sweep ¹⁷  the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it?

¹ tn Grk “Let your loins be girded,” an idiom referring to the practice of tucking the ends of the long cloak (outer garment) into the belt to shorten it in preparation for activities like running, etc.

² sn Keep your lamps burning means to be ready at all times.

³ tn The participle ἅψας ({aya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁴ sn This is probably an ancient oil burning lamp or perhaps a candlestick. Jesus is comparing revelation to light, particularly the revelation of his ministry; see 1:78-79.

⁵ tn Or “its light,” if the Greek article is translated as a possessive pronoun (for such usage, cf. ExSyn 215).

⁵ tn Or perhaps “in a cellar” (L&N 28.78). The point is that the light of Jesus’ teaching has been put in public view.

⁶ tc The phrase “or under a basket” is lacking in some important and early mss (Ì^45,75 L Γ Ξ 070 ˹ 700* 1241 2542 pc sy^s sa). It is hard to decide in this case, since the inclusion of “or under a basket” is widely attested by some early and decent witnesses, as well as the overwhelming majority of mss (א A B C D W Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï latt). The parallel passage in Luke 8:16 does not include “under a basket.” If the phrase “under a basket” were added as a harmonization with Mark 4:21 and Matt 5:15, it is perhaps surprising that scribes did not add the phrase at Luke 8:16 as well. It seems somewhat more likely that a scribe copying Luke would be inclined to harmonize 11:33 with 8:16 by omitting the phrase here. Thus, the words “or under a basket” seem to have the marks of authenticity.

⁷ tn Or “sound” (so L&N 23.132 and most scholars). A few scholars take this word to mean something like “generous” here (L&N 57.107), partly due to the immediate context of this saying in Matt 6:22 which concerns money, in which case the “eye” is a metonymy for the entire person (“if you are generous”).

⁸ tn Or “when it is sick” (L&N 23.149).

⁹ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text, so the example ends on a hopeful, positive note.

¹⁰ tn Grk “Therefore”; the same conjunction as at the beginning of v. 35, but since it indicates a further inference or conclusion, it has been translated “then” here.

¹¹ tn Grk “not having any part dark.”

¹² tn Grk “it will be completely illumined as when a lamp illumines you with its rays.”

¹¹ sn This silver coin is a drachma, equal to a denarius, that is, a day’s pay for the average laborer.

¹² tn Grk “What woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses.” The initial participle ἔχουσα (ecousa) has been translated as a finite verb parallel to ἀπολέσῃ (apolesh) in the conditional clause to improve the English style.

¹³ tn Grk “one coin.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “and sweep,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.