31:19 How great is your favor, 1
which you store up for your loyal followers! 2
In plain sight of everyone you bestow it on those who take shelter 3 in you. 4
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 5 and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
4:1 Then 18 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River 19 and was led by the Spirit 20 in 21 the wilderness, 22
1 tn Or “How abundant are your blessings!”
2 tn Heb “for those who fear you.”
3 tn “Taking shelter” in the
4 tn Heb “you work [your favor] for the ones seeking shelter in you before the sons of men.”
5 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
6 sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.
7 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.
8 tn Grk “in the heavens.”
9 tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”
10 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
11 tn Or “concealed.”
12 sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice verbs here (“be revealed,” be made known”) see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known, though the stress with the images of darkness and what is hidden in vv. 2-3 is on the attempt to conceal.
13 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
14 tc Most
15 tn Or “You will prostrate yourself in worship before…” The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) can allude not only to the act of worship but the position of the worshiper. See L&N 53.56.
16 tc Most later
17 sn A quotation from Deut 6:13. The word “only” is an interpretive expansion not found in either the Hebrew or Greek (LXX) text of the OT.
18 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate continuity with the previous topic.
19 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
20 sn The double mention of the Spirit in this verse makes it clear that the temptation was neither the fault of Jesus nor an accident.
21 tc Most
22 tn Or “desert.”
23 tn The conjunction “so” is supplied here to bring out the force of the latter part of this Greek sentence, which the translation divides up because of English style. Luke, in compiling his account, is joining a tradition with good precedent.
24 sn When Luke says it seemed good to me as well he is not being critical of the earlier accounts, but sees himself stepping into a tradition of reporting about Jesus to which he will add uniquely a second volume on the early church when he writes the Book of Acts.
25 tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parhkolouqhkoti) has been translated causally.
26 sn An orderly account does not necessarily mean that all events are recorded in the exact chronological sequence in which they occurred, but that the account produced is an orderly one. This could include, for example, thematic or topical order rather than strict chronological order.
27 tn Or “know the truth about”; or “know the certainty of.” The issue of the context is psychological confidence; Luke’s work is trying to encourage Theophilus. So in English this is better translated as “know for certain” than “know certainty” or “know the truth,” which sounds too cognitive. “Certain” assumes the truth of the report. On this term, see Acts 2:36; 21:34; 22:30; and 25:26. The meaning “have assurance concerning” is also possible here.
28 tn Or “you heard about.” This term can refer merely to a report of information (Acts 21:24) or to instruction (Acts 18:25). The scope of Luke’s Gospel as a whole, which calls for perseverance in the faith and which assumes much knowledge of the OT, suggests Theophilus had received some instruction and was probably a believer.