1 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 tn Grk “when they”; the referent (his parents) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Grk “And his.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
4 tn The Greek word here is τέκνον (teknon) rather than υἱός (Juios, “son”).
5 tn Or “Child, why did you do this to us?”
6 tn Or “your father and I have been terribly worried looking for you.”
7 tn The verb here is ποιέω (poiew; see v. 4).
8 tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit” (so NIV; cf. Matt 3:8 where the singular καρπός is found). Some other translations render the plural καρπούς as “fruits” (e.g., NRSV, NASB, NAB, NKJV).
9 tn In other words, “do not even begin to think this.”
10 sn We have Abraham as our father. John’s warning to the crowds really assumes two things: (1) A number of John’s listeners apparently believed that simply by their physical descent from Abraham, they were certain heirs of the promises made to the patriarch, and (2) God would never judge his covenant people lest he inadvertently place the fulfillment of his promises in jeopardy. In light of this, John tells these people two things: (1) they need to repent and produce fruit in keeping with repentance, for only that saves from the coming wrath, and (2) God will raise up “children for Abraham from these stones” if he wants to. Their disobedience will not threaten the realization of God’s sovereign purposes.
11 sn The point of the statement God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham is that ancestry or association with a tradition tied to the great founder of the Jewish nation is not an automatic source of salvation.
13 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a concessive participle.
14 sn The provision of the Holy Spirit is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. Some apply it to the general provision of the Spirit, but this would seem to look only at one request in a context that speaks of repeated asking. The teaching as a whole stresses not that God gives everything his children want, but that God gives the good that they need. The parallel account in Matthew (7:11) refers to good things where Luke mentions the Holy Spirit.
19 sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
20 tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your… you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill… sent to you”).
21 sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
22 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
23 tn Grk “you were not willing.”
25 tn The Greek term here is τέκνον (teknon), which could be understood as a term of endearment.
26 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92). Here is the reversal Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:20-26.
31 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
32 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
34 tn The term “brothers” could be understood as generic here, referring to either male or female siblings. However, it is noteworthy that in the parallel passages in both Matt 19:29 and Mark 10:29, “sisters” are explicitly mentioned in the Greek text.
37 tn Grk “They will raze you to the ground.”
38 tn Grk “your children within you.” The phrase “[your] walls” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the city of Jerusalem, metaphorically pictured as an individual, is spoken of here.
39 sn (Not) one stone on top of another is an idiom for total destruction.
40 tn Grk “leave stone on stone.”
41 tn Grk “the time of your visitation.” To clarify what this refers to, the words “from God” are supplied at the end of the verse, although they do not occur in the Greek text.