9:40 Some of the Pharisees 23 who were with him heard this 24 and asked him, 25 “We are not blind too, are we?” 26
1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is healthy (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
3 sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).
4 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
5 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is well (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
6 sn I have not come is another commission statement by Jesus; see 4:43-44.
7 sn Though parallels exist to this saying (Matt 9:13; Mark 2:17), only Luke has this last phrase but sinners to repentance. Repentance is a frequent topic in Luke’s Gospel: 3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7, 10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47.
8 sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.
9 tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”
10 tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”
11 tn Grk “but answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “but he answered.”
12 tn Or simply, “have served,” but in the emotional context of the older son’s outburst the translation given is closer to the point.
13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to bring out the contrast indicated by the context.
14 sn You never gave me even a goat. The older son’s complaint was that the generous treatment of the younger son was not fair: “I can’t get even a little celebration with a basic food staple like a goat!”
15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.
18 tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.
19 tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).
20 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”
21 tn Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.
22 tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”
23 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
24 tn Grk “heard these things.”
25 tn Grk “and said to him.”
26 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are we?”).