Luke 11:6-7

11:6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, ¹  and I have nothing to set before ²  him.’ 11:7 Then ³  he will reply ⁴  from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed. ⁵  I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁶ 

[11:6]  ¹ tn Grk “has come to me from the road.”

[11:6]  ² 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]  ³ tn Κἀκεῖνος (kakeino") has been translated “Then he.”

[11:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “answering, he will say.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he will reply.”

[11:7]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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.