12:1 Meanwhile, 3 when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus 4 began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against 5 the yeast of the Pharisees, 6 which is hypocrisy. 7
20:34 So 10 Jesus said to them, “The people of this age 11 marry and are given in marriage.
40:9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s, 22
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
12:20 Now Herod 26 was having an angry quarrel 27 with the people of Tyre 28 and Sidon. 29 So they joined together 30 and presented themselves before him. And after convincing 31 Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, 32 to help them, 33 they asked for peace, 34 because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.
1 sn The term magistrate (ἄρχων, arcwn) refers to an official who, under the authority of the government, serves as judge in legal cases (see L&N 56.29).
2 sn The officer (πράκτωρ, praktwr) was a civil official who functioned like a bailiff and was in charge of debtor’s prison. The use of the term, however, does not automatically demand a Hellenistic setting (BDAG 859 s.v.; K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:539; C. Maurer, TDNT 6:642).
3 tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”
4 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 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.
6 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
7 sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.
8 sn The point is a dilemma. In a world arguing a person should have one wife, whose wife will she be in the afterlife? The question was designed to show that (in the opinion of the Sadducees) resurrection leads to a major problem.
9 tn Grk “For the seven had her as wife.”
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ response is a result of their framing of the question.
11 tn Grk “sons of this age” (an idiom, see L&N 11.16). The following clause which refers to being “given in marriage” suggests both men and women are included in this phrase.
12 tn Grk “and said, saying to him.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
13 tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ.
14 sn The leadership is looking back to acts like the temple cleansing (19:45-48). How could a Galilean preacher do these things?
15 sn On the command Do not carry see Luke 9:3. The travel instructions communicate a note of urgency and stand in contrast to philosophical teachers, who often took a bag. There is no ostentation in this ministry.
16 tn Traditionally, “a purse.”
17 tn Or possibly “a beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).
18 tn Or “no one along the way.”
19 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
20 tn Grk “Into whatever house you enter.” This acts as a distributive, meaning every house they enter; this is expressed more naturally in English as “whenever you enter a house.”
21 sn The statement ‘May peace be on this house!’ is really a benediction, asking for God’s blessing. The requested shalom (peace) is understood as coming from God.
22 tn Heb “do you have an arm like God?” The words “as powerful as” have been supplied in the translation to clarify the metaphor.
23 tn Grk “Make friends.”
24 tn The words “to court” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
25 tn Grk “the accuser.”
26 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).
28 sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.
29 sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).
30 tn Or “with one accord.”
31 tn Or “persuading.”
32 tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.
33 tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
34 tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.
35 sn A quotation from Prov 3:34.
36 tn Or “two-minded” (the same description used in 1:8).
37 tn This term and the following one are preceded by καί (kai) in the Greek text, but contemporary English generally uses connectives only between the last two items in such a series.
38 tn Grk “let your laughter be turned.”