As Jesus was on his way, the crowds pressed 17 around him.
14:1 Now 18 one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine 19 at the house of a leader 20 of the Pharisees, 21 they were watching 22 him closely.
1 sn An ancient journey like this would have involved a caravan of people who traveled together as a group for protection and fellowship.
2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
3 tn Or “and friends.” See L&N 28.30 and 34.17.
4 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the men carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher-bearers’ appearance.
5 tn Grk “a man who was paralyzed”; the relative clause in Greek has adjectival force and has been simplified to a simple adjective in the translation.
6 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinh) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
7 tn Grk “stretcher, and.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead, because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
8 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the centurion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn The participle ἀκούσας (akousas) has been taken temporally.
9 sn Why some Jewish elders are sent as emissaries is not entirely clear, but the centurion was probably respecting ethnic boundaries, which were important in ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish culture. The parallel account in Matt 8:5-13 does not mention the emissaries.
10 tn The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as an infinitive in parallel with διασώσῃ (diaswsh) due to requirements of contemporary English style.
10 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to pick up the sequence of the narrative prior to the parenthetical note by the author.
11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
12 sn The name Legion means “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.
13 tn This imperfect verb could be understood ingressively: “she was beginning to die” or “was approaching death.”
14 sn Pressed is a very emphatic term – the crowds were pressing in so hard that one could hardly breathe (L&N 19.48).
16 tn Grk “Now it happened that one.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
17 tn Grk “to eat bread,” an idiom for participating in a meal.
18 tn Grk “a ruler of the Pharisees.” He was probably a synagogue official.
19 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
20 sn Watching…closely is a graphic term meaning to lurk and watch; see Luke 11:53-54.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 sn Learning that Jesus was from Galilee and therefore part of Herod’s jurisdiction, Pilate decided to rid himself of the problem by sending him to Herod.
21 sn Herod was Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. See the note on Herod in 3:1.
22 sn Herod would probably have come to Jerusalem for the feast, although his father was only half Jewish (Josephus, Ant. 14.15.2 [14.403]). Josephus does mention Herod’s presence in Jerusalem during a feast (Ant. 18.5.3 [18.122]).
22 tn This is a continuation of the previous Greek sentence, but because of its length and complexity, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying “then” to indicate the sequence of events.
23 sn This mockery involved putting elegant royal clothes on Jesus, either white or purple (the colors of royalty). This was no doubt a mockery of Jesus’ claim to be a king.
24 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.