Genesis 32:26

32:26 Then the man ¹  said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” ²  “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, ³  “unless you bless me.” ⁴ 

Matthew 15:22-27

15:22 A ⁵  Canaanite woman from that area came ⁶  and cried out, ⁷  “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!” 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. Then ⁸  his disciples came and begged him, ⁹  “Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us.” 15:24 So ¹⁰  he answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 15:25 But she came and bowed down ¹¹  before him and said, ¹²  “Lord, help me!” 15:26 “It is not right ¹³  to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” ¹⁴  he said. ¹⁵  15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, ¹⁶  “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Luke 11:5-13

11:5 Then ¹⁷  he said to them, “Suppose one of you ¹⁸  has a friend, and you go to him ¹⁹  at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ²⁰  11:6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, ²¹  and I have nothing to set before ²²  him.’ 11:7 Then ²³  he will reply ²⁴  from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. ²⁵  I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ²⁶  11:8 I tell you, even though the man inside ²⁷  will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s ²⁸  sheer persistence ²⁹  he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

11:9 “So ³⁰  I tell you: Ask, ³¹  and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door ³²  will be opened for you. 11:10 For everyone who asks ³³  receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door ³⁴  will be opened. 11:11 What father among you, if your ³⁵  son asks for ³⁶  a fish, will give him a snake ³⁷  instead of a fish? 11:12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ³⁸  11:13 If you then, although you are ³⁹  evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit ⁴⁰  to those who ask him!”

Luke 18:1-8

Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then ⁴¹  Jesus ⁴²  told them a parable to show them they should always ⁴³  pray and not lose heart. ⁴⁴  18:2 He said, ⁴⁵  “In a certain city ⁴⁶  there was a judge ⁴⁷  who neither feared God nor respected people. ⁴⁸  18:3 There was also a widow ⁴⁹  in that city ⁵⁰  who kept coming ⁵¹  to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 18:4 For ⁵²  a while he refused, but later on ⁵³  he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, ⁵⁴  18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out ⁵⁵  by her unending pleas.’” ⁵⁶  18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! ⁵⁷  18:7 Won’t ⁵⁸  God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out ⁵⁹  to him day and night? ⁶⁰  Will he delay ⁶¹  long to help them? 18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. ⁶²  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith ⁶³  on earth?”

Luke 18:39

18:39 And those who were in front ⁶⁴  scolded ⁶⁵  him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted ⁶⁶  even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Luke 18:1

Prayer and the Parable of the Persistent Widow

18:1 Then ⁶⁷  Jesus ⁶⁸  told them a parable to show them they should always ⁶⁹  pray and not lose heart. ⁷⁰ 

Luke 5:17

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

5:17 Now on ⁷¹  one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees ⁷²  and teachers of the law ⁷³  sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem), ⁷⁴  and the power of the Lord was with him ⁷⁵  to heal.

Revelation 6:10

6:10 They ⁷⁶  cried out with a loud voice, ⁷⁷  “How long, ⁷⁸  Sovereign Master, ⁷⁹  holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”

[32:26]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:26]  ² tn Heb “dawn has arisen.”

[32:26]  ³ tn Heb “and he said, ‘I will not let you go.’” The referent of the pronoun “he” (Jacob) has been specified for clarity, and the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[32:26]  ⁴ sn Jacob wrestled with a man thinking him to be a mere man, and on that basis was equal to the task. But when it had gone on long enough, the night visitor touched Jacob and crippled him. Jacob’s request for a blessing can only mean that he now knew that his opponent was supernatural. Contrary to many allegorical interpretations of the passage that make fighting equivalent to prayer, this passage shows that Jacob stopped fighting, and then asked for a blessing.

[15:22]  ⁵ tn Grk “And behold a Canaanite.” 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).

[15:22]  ⁶ tn Grk The participle ἐξελθοῦσα (exelqousa) is here translated as a finite verb. The emphasis is upon her crying out to Jesus.

[15:22]  ⁷ tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:23]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”

[15:23]  ⁹ tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:24]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The construction in Greek is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ request.

[15:25]  ¹¹ tn In this context the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew), which often describes worship, probably means simply bowing down to the ground in an act of reverence or supplication (see L&N 17.21).

[15:25]  ¹² tn Grk “she bowed down to him, saying.”

[15:26]  ¹³ tn Grk “And answering, he said, ‘It is not right.’” The introductory phrase “answering, he said” has been simplified and placed at the end of the English sentence for stylistic reasons. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[15:26]  ¹⁴ tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”

[15:26]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant and has not been translated.

[15:27]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “she said.”

[11:5]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[11:5]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Who among you will have a friend and go to him.”

[11:5]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “he will go to him.”

[11:5]  ²⁰ tn The words “of bread” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by ἄρτους (artou", “loaves”).

[11:6]  ²¹ tn Grk “has come to me from the road.”

[11:6]  ²² sn The background to the statement I have nothing to set before him is that in ancient Middle Eastern culture it was a matter of cultural honor to be a good host to visitors.

[11:7]  ²³ tn Κἀκεῖνος (kakeino") has been translated “Then he.”

[11:7]  ²⁴ tn Grk “answering, he will say.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he will reply.”

[11:7]  ²⁵ tn Grk “my children are with me in the bed.” In Jewish homes in the time of Jesus, the beds were often all together in one room; thus the householder may be speaking of individual beds (using a collective singular) rather than a common bed.

[11:7]  ²⁶ tn The syntax of vv. 6-7 is complex. In the Greek text Jesus’ words in v. 6 begin as a question. Some see Jesus’ question ending at v. 6, but the reply starting in v. 8 favors extending the question through the entire illustration. The translation breaks up the long sentence at the beginning of v. 7 and translates Jesus’ words as a statement for reasons of English style.

[11:8]  ²⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man in bed in the house) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:8]  ²⁸ tn Grk “his”; the referent (the first man mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:8]  ²⁹ tn The term ἀναίδεια (anaideia) is hard to translate. It refers to a combination of ideas, a boldness that persists over time, or “audacity,” which comes close. It most likely describes the one making the request, since the unit’s teaching is an exhortation about persistence in prayer. Some translate the term “shamelessness” which is the term’s normal meaning, and apply it to the neighbor as an illustration of God responding for the sake of his honor. But the original question was posed in terms of the first man who makes the request, not of the neighbor, so the teaching underscores the action of the one making the request.

[11:9]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai, from καγώ [kagw]) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion drawn from the preceding parable.

[11:9]  ³¹ sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.

[11:9]  ³² tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:10]  ³³ sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 9 with the encouragement that God does respond.

[11:10]  ³⁴ tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:11]  ³⁵ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[11:11]  ³⁶ tc Most mss (א A C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy^c,p,h bo) have “bread, does not give him a stone instead, or” before “a fish”; the longer reading, however, looks like a harmonization to Matt 7:9. The shorter reading is thus preferred, attested by Ì^45,75 B 1241 pc sy^s sa.

[11:11]  ³⁷ sn The snake probably refers to a water snake.

[11:12]  ³⁸ sn The two questions of vv. 11-12 expect the answer, “No father would do this!”

[11:13]  ³⁹ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a concessive participle.

[11:13]  ⁴⁰ 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.

[18:1]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[18:1]  ⁴² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁴³ tn Or “should pray at all times” (L&N 67.88).

[18:1]  ⁴⁴ sn This is one of the few parables that comes with an explanation at the start: …they should always pray and not lose heart. It is part of Luke’s goal in encouraging Theophilus (1:4).

[18:2]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “lose heart, saying.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronominal subject “He.”

[18:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “town.”

[18:2]  ⁴⁷ sn The judge here is apparently portrayed as a civil judge who often handled financial cases.

[18:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “man,” but the singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic in comparison to God.

[18:3]  ⁴⁹ sn This widow was not necessarily old, since many people lived only into their thirties in the 1st century.

[18:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “town.”

[18:3]  ⁵¹ tn This is an iterative imperfect; the widow did this on numerous occasions.

[18:4]  ⁵² tn Grk “And for.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:4]  ⁵³ tn Grk “after these things.”

[18:4]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “man,” but the singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic in comparison to God.

[18:5]  ⁵⁵ tn The term ὑπωπιάζω (Jupwpiazw) in this context means “to wear someone out by continual annoying” (L&N 25.245).

[18:5]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “by her continual coming,” but the point of annoyance to the judge is her constant pleas for justice (v. 3).

[18:6]  ⁵⁷ sn Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! The point of the parable is that the judge’s lack of compassion was overcome by the widow’s persistence.

[18:7]  ⁵⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:7]  ⁵⁹ sn The prayers have to do with the righteous who cry out to him to receive justice. The context assumes the righteous are persecuted.

[18:7]  ⁶⁰ tn The emphatic particles in this sentence indicate that God will indeed give justice to the righteous.

[18:7]  ⁶¹ sn The issue of delay has produced a whole host of views for this verse. (1) Does this assume provision to endure in the meantime? Or (2) does it mean God restricts the level of persecution until he comes? Either view is possible.

[18:8]  ⁶² tn Some argue this should be translated “suddenly.” When vindication comes it will be quick. But the more natural meaning is “soon.” God will not forget his elect and will respond to them. It may be that this verse has a prophetic perspective. In light of the eternity that comes, vindication is soon.

[18:8]  ⁶³ sn Will he find faith on earth? The Son of Man is looking for those who continue to believe in him, despite the wait.

[18:39]  ⁶⁴ sn That is, those who were at the front of the procession.

[18:39]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.

[18:39]  ⁶⁶ sn Public opinion would not sway the blind man from getting Jesus’ attention. The term shouted is strong as it can be used of animal cries.

[18:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[18:1]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “should pray at all times” (L&N 67.88).

[18:1]  ⁷⁰ sn This is one of the few parables that comes with an explanation at the start: …they should always pray and not lose heart. It is part of Luke’s goal in encouraging Theophilus (1:4).

[5:17]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “And it happened that on.” 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.

[5:17]  ⁷² sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.

[5:17]  ⁷³ tn That is, those who were skilled in the teaching and interpretation of the OT law. These are called “experts in the law” (Grk “scribes”) in v. 21.

[5:17]  ⁷⁴ sn Jesus was now attracting attention outside of Galilee as far away as Jerusalem, the main city of Israel.

[5:17]  ⁷⁵ tc Most mss (A C D [K] Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt bo) read αὐτούς (autous) instead of αὐτόν (auton) here. If original, this plural pronoun would act as the direct object of the infinitive ἰᾶσθαι (iasqai, “to heal”). However, the reading with the singular pronoun αὐτόν, which acts as the subject of the infinitive, is to be preferred. Externally, it has support from better mss (א B L W al sa). Internally, it is probable that scribes changed the singular αὐτόν to the plural αὐτούς, expecting the object of the infinitive to come at this point in the text. The singular as the harder reading accounts for the rise of the other reading.

[6:10]  ⁷⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:10]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “voice, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[6:10]  ⁷⁸ tn The expression ἕως πότε (ews pote) was translated “how long.” Cf. BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.γ.

[6:10]  ⁷⁹ tn The Greek term here is δεσπότης (despoths; see L&N 37.63).