21:28 “What 7 do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
1 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
2 tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.
3 tn Grk “And behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
4 tn Grk “shouted, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.
5 sn Have mercy on us is a request for healing. It is not owed to the men. They simply ask for God’s kind grace.
6 sn There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).
5 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
8 sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.