Luke 18:1-2

Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. 18:2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people.


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

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

tn Or “should pray at all times” (L&N 67.88).

sn This is one of the few parables that comes with an explanation at the start: …they should always pray and not lose heart. It is part of Luke’s goal in encouraging Theophilus (1:4).

tn Grk “lose heart, saying.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronominal subject “He.”

tn Or “town.”

sn The judge here is apparently portrayed as a civil judge who often handled financial cases.

tn Grk “man,” but the singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic in comparison to God.