11:27 As 32 he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out 33 to him, “Blessed is the womb 34 that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!” 35
1 tn The verb here is ποιέω (poiew; see v. 4).
2 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).
3 tn In other words, “do not even begin to think this.”
4 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.
5 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.
6 tn This phrase is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descends like one in some type of bodily representation.
7 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
8 tc Instead of “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight,” one Greek ms and several Latin
11 tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
12 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
13 sn The form of the question assumes a positive reply. It really amounts to an objection, as Jesus’ response in the next verses shows. Jesus spoke smoothly and impressively. He made a wonderful declaration, but could a local carpenter’s son make such an offer? That was their real question.
16 tn Grk “Getting into”; the participle ἐμβάς (embas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Grk “sitting down”; the participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Grk “stepped out on land.”
24 tn Or “city.”
25 tn Grk “who had demons.”
26 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the demon-possessed man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 tn Or “in.”
26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
27 tn Grk “eating and drinking the things from them” (an idiom for what the people in the house provide the guests).
28 sn On the phrase the worker deserves his pay see 1 Tim 5:18 and 1 Cor 9:14.
31 tn Or “city.”
32 sn See Luke 9:5, where the verb is different but the meaning is the same. This was a sign of rejection.
33 tn Here ὑμῖν (Jumin) has been translated as a dative of disadvantage.
34 tn Or “has come near.” As in v. 9 (see above), the combination of ἐγγίζω (engizw) with the preposition ἐπί (epi) is decisive in showing that the sense is “has come” (see BDAG 270 s.v. ἐγγίζω 2, and W. R. Hutton, “The Kingdom of God Has Come,” ExpTim 64 [Dec 1952]: 89-91).
36 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a concessive participle.
37 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.
41 tn Grk “And it happened that as.” 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 δέ (de) has not been translated.
42 tn Grk “lifted up her voice and said.” This idiom is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “spoke out.”
43 tn For this term see L&N 8.69.
44 sn Both the reference to the womb and the breasts form a figure of speech called metonymy. In this case the parts are mentioned instead of the whole; the meaning is “Blessed is your mother!” The warnings seem to have sparked a little nervousness that brought forth this response. In the culture a mother was valued for the accomplishments of her son. So this amounts to a compliment to Jesus.
46 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
47 sn For the imagery of judgment, see Luke 10:13-15 and 11:19. The warnings are coming consistently now.
48 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as is the case here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1, 2). The same term, translated the same way, occurs in v. 32.
49 tn Grk “behold.”
50 sn The message of Jesus was something greater than what Solomon offered. On Jesus and wisdom, see Luke 7:35; 10:21-22; 1 Cor 1:24, 30.
51 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
52 tn See L&N 13.154 for this use of the middle voice of φυλάσσω (fulassw) in this verse.
53 tn Or “avarice,” “covetousness.” Note the warning covers more than money and gets at the root attitude – the strong desire to acquire more and more possessions and experiences.
56 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
57 tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).
58 tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”
59 tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”
61 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
62 tn Grk “to see some sign performed by him.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style.
63 sn Herod, hoping to see him perform some miraculous sign, seems to have treated Jesus as a curiosity (cf. 9:7-9).
66 tn Grk “sending on you.”
67 tn Grk “the promise of my Father,” with τοῦ πατρός (tou patros) translated as a subjective genitive. This is a reference to the Holy Spirit and looks back to how one could see Messiah had come with the promise of old (Luke 3:15-18). The promise is rooted in Jer 31:31 and Ezek 36:26.
68 sn The city refers to Jerusalem.
69 sn Until you have been clothed with power refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. What the Spirit supplies is enablement. See Luke 12:11-12; 21:12-15. The difference the Spirit makes can be seen in Peter (compare Luke 22:54-62 with Acts 2:14-41).