Discovery BoxLuke 12:1-40
Context12:1 Meanwhile, 1 when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus 2 began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against 3 the yeast of the Pharisees, 4 which is hypocrisy. 5 12:2 Nothing is hidden 6 that will not be revealed, 7 and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 12:3 So then 8 whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered 9 in private rooms 10 will be proclaimed from the housetops. 11
12:4 “I 12 tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, 13 and after that have nothing more they can do. 12:5 But I will warn 14 you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, 15 has authority to throw you 16 into hell. 17 Yes, I tell you, fear him! 12:6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? 18 Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 12:7 In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; 19 you are more valuable than many sparrows.
12:8 “I 20 tell you, whoever acknowledges 21 me before men, 22 the Son of Man will also acknowledge 23 before God’s angels. 12:9 But the one who denies me before men will be denied before God’s angels. 12:10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit 24 will not be forgiven. 25 12:11 But when they bring you before the synagogues, 26 the 27 rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense 28 or what you should say, 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment 29 what you must say.” 30
12:13 Then 31 someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell 32 my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 12:14 But Jesus 33 said to him, “Man, 34 who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?” 35 12:15 Then 36 he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from 37 all types of greed, 38 because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 12:16 He then 39 told them a parable: 40 “The land of a certain rich man produced 41 an abundant crop, 12:17 so 42 he thought to himself, 43 ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 44 12:18 Then 45 he said, ‘I 46 will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 12:19 And I will say to myself, 47 “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 12:20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life 48 will be demanded back from 49 you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 50 12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, 51 but is not rich toward God.”
12:22 Then 52 Jesus 53 said to his 54 disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry 55 about your 56 life, what you will eat, or about your 57 body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 12:24 Consider the ravens: 58 They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds 59 them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! 12:25 And which of you by worrying 60 can add an hour to his life? 61 12:26 So if 62 you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about 63 the rest? 12:27 Consider how the flowers 64 grow; they do not work 65 or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 12:28 And if 66 this is how God clothes the wild grass, 67 which is here 68 today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, 69 how much more 70 will he clothe you, you people of little faith! 12:29 So 71 do not be overly concerned about 72 what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. 73 12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue 74 these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 12:31 Instead, pursue 75 his 76 kingdom, 77 and these things will be given to you as well.
12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased 78 to give you the kingdom. 12:33 Sell your possessions 79 and give to the poor. 80 Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven 81 that never decreases, 82 where no thief approaches and no moth 83 destroys. 12:34 For where your treasure 84 is, there your heart will be also.
12:35 “Get dressed for service 85 and keep your lamps burning; 86 12:36 be like people 87 waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, 88 so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 12:37 Blessed are those slaves 89 whom their master finds alert 90 when he returns! I tell you the truth, 91 he will dress himself to serve, 92 have them take their place at the table, 93 and will come 94 and wait on them! 95 12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night 96 and finds them alert, 97 blessed are those slaves! 98 12:39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief 99 was coming, he would not have let 100 his house be broken into. 12:40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” 101
[12:1] 1 tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”
[12:1] 2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:1] 3 tn According to L&N 27.59, “to pay attention to, to keep on the lookout for, to be alert for, to be on your guard against.” This is another Lukan present imperative calling for constant vigilance.
[12:1] 4 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[12:1] 5 sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.
[12:2] 7 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.
[12:3] 8 tn Or “because.” Understanding this verse as a result of v. 2 is a slightly better reading of the context. Knowing what is coming should impact our behavior now.
[12:3] 9 tn Grk “spoken in the ear,” an idiom. The contemporary expression is “whispered.”
[12:3] 10 sn The term translated private rooms refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).
[12:3] 11 tn The expression “proclaimed from the housetops” is an idiom for proclaiming something publicly (L&N 7.51). Roofs of many first century Jewish houses in Judea and Galilee were flat and had access either from outside or from within the house. Something shouted from atop a house would be heard by everyone in the street below.
[12:4] 12 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:4] 13 sn Judaism had a similar exhortation in 4 Macc 13:14-15.
[12:5] 14 tn Grk “will show,” but in this reflective context such a demonstration is a warning or exhortation.
[12:5] 15 sn The actual performer of the killing is not here specified. It could be understood to be God (so NASB, NRSV) but it could simply emphasize that, after a killing has taken place, it is God who casts the person into hell.
[12:5] 16 tn The direct object (“you”) is understood.
[12:5] 17 sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
[12:6] 18 sn The pennies refer to the assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest thing sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.
[12:7] 19 sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God (v. 5), but need not fear his tender care.
[12:8] 20 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:8] 22 tn Although this is a generic reference and includes both males and females, in this context “men” has been retained because of the wordplay with the Son of Man and the contrast with the angels. The same is true of the occurrence of “men” in v. 9.
[12:8] 23 sn This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. Of course, the Son of Man is a reference to Jesus as it has been throughout the Gospel. On Jesus and judgment, see 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.
[12:10] 24 sn Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit probably refers to a total rejection of the testimony that the Spirit gives to Jesus and the plan of God. This is not so much a sin of the moment as of one’s entire life, an obstinate rejection of God’s message and testimony. Cf. Matt 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-30.
[12:10] 25 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.”
[12:11] 26 sn The saying looks at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to the rulers and the authorities suggests.
[12:11] 27 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[12:11] 28 tn Grk “about how or what you should say in your defense,” but this is redundant with the following clause, “or what you should say.”
[12:12] 29 tn Grk “in that very hour” (an idiom).
[12:12] 30 tn Grk “what it is necessary to say.”
[12:13] 31 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:13] 32 sn Tell my brother. In 1st century Jewish culture, a figure like a rabbi was often asked to mediate disputes, except that here mediation was not requested, but representation.
[12:14] 33 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:14] 34 tn This term of address can be harsh or gentle depending on the context (BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8). Here it is a rebuke.
[12:14] 35 tn The pronoun ὑμᾶς (Jumas) is plural, referring to both the man and his brother; thus the translation “you two.”
[12:15] 36 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:15] 37 tn See L&N 13.154 for this use of the middle voice of φυλάσσω (fulassw) in this verse.
[12:15] 38 tn Or “avarice,” “covetousness.” Note the warning covers more than money and gets at the root attitude – the strong desire to acquire more and more possessions and experiences.
[12:16] 39 tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.
[12:16] 40 tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:16] 41 tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”
[12:17] 42 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this is a result of the preceding statement.
[12:17] 43 tn Grk “to himself, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:17] 44 sn I have nowhere to store my crops. The thinking here is prudent in terms of recognizing the problem. The issue in the parable will be the rich man’s solution, particularly the arrogance reflected in v. 19.
[12:18] 45 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[12:18] 46 sn Note how often the first person pronoun is present in these verses. The farmer is totally self absorbed.
[12:19] 47 tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.
[12:20] 48 tn Grk “your soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.
[12:20] 49 tn Or “required back.” This term, ἀπαιτέω (apaitew), has an economic feel to it and is often used of a debt being called in for repayment (BDAG 96 s.v. 1).
[12:20] 50 tn Grk “the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The words “for yourself” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[12:21] 51 sn It is selfishness that is rebuked here, in the accumulation of riches for himself. Recall the emphasis on the first person pronouns throughout the parable.
[12:22] 52 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Jesus’ remarks to the disciples are an application of the point made in the previous parable.
[12:22] 53 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:22] 54 tc αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) is lacking in Ì45vid,75 B 1241 c e. Although the addition of clarifying pronouns is a known scribal alteration, in this case it is probably better to view the dropping of the pronoun as the alteration in light of its minimal attestation.
[12:22] 55 tn Or “do not be anxious.”
[12:22] 56 tc Most
[12:22] 57 tc Some
[12:24] 58 tn Or “crows.” Crows and ravens belong to the same family of birds. English uses “crow” as a general word for the family. Palestine has several indigenous members of the crow family.
[12:24] 59 tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”
[12:25] 60 tn Or “by being anxious.”
[12:25] 61 tn Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, “hour” is usually used [BDAG 812 s.v.] although “day” has been suggested [L&N 67.151]). The term ἡλικία (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as πῆχυς. Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BDAG 435-36 s.v. 1.a for discussion). Worry about length of life seems a more natural figure than worry about height. However, the point either way is clear: Worrying adds nothing to life span or height.
[12:26] 62 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.
[12:26] 63 tn Or “why are you anxious for.”
[12:27] 64 tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.
[12:27] 65 tn Traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English scans better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.
[12:28] 66 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.
[12:28] 67 tn Grk “grass in the field.”
[12:28] 68 tn Grk “which is in the field today.”
[12:28] 69 tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.
[12:28] 70 sn The phrase how much more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.
[12:29] 71 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion drawn from the previous illustrations.
[12:29] 72 tn Grk “do not seek,” but this could be misunderstood to mean that people should make no attempt to obtain their food. The translation “do not be overly concerned” attempts to reflect the force of the original.
[12:29] 73 tn The words “about such things” have been supplied to qualify the meaning; the phrase relates to obtaining food and drink mentioned in the previous clause.
[12:31] 75 tn Grk “seek,” but in the sense of the previous verses.
[12:31] 76 tc Most
[12:31] 77 sn His (that is, God’s) kingdom is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
[12:32] 78 tn Or perhaps, “your Father chooses.”
[12:33] 79 sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.
[12:33] 80 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.
[12:33] 81 tn Grk “in the heavens.”
[12:33] 82 tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”
[12:33] 83 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.
[12:34] 84 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so; see Luke 6:35-36.
[12:35] 85 tn Grk “Let your loins be girded,” an idiom referring to the practice of tucking the ends of the long cloak (outer garment) into the belt to shorten it in preparation for activities like running, etc.
[12:35] 86 sn Keep your lamps burning means to be ready at all times.
[12:36] 87 tn That is, like slaves (who are mentioned later, vv. 37-38), although the term ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used here. Since in this context it appears generic rather than gender-specific, the translation “people” is employed.
[12:36] 88 sn An ancient wedding celebration could last for days (Tob 11:18).
[12:37] 89 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
[12:37] 90 tn Or “watching”; Grk “awake,” but in context this is not just being awake but alert and looking out.
[12:37] 91 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[12:37] 92 tn See v. 35 (same verb).
[12:37] 93 tn Grk “have them recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
[12:37] 94 tn The participle παρελθών (parelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[12:37] 95 sn He…will come and wait on them is a reversal of expectation, but shows that what Jesus asks for he is willing to do as well; see John 13:5 and 15:18-27, although those instances merely foreshadow what is in view here.
[12:38] 96 sn The second or third watch of the night would be between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on a Roman schedule and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on a Jewish schedule. Luke uses the four-watch schedule of the Romans in Acts 12:4, so that is more probable here. Regardless of the precise times of the watches, however, it is clear that the late-night watches when a person is least alert are in view here.
[12:38] 97 tn Grk “finds (them) thus”; but this has been clarified in the translation by referring to the status (“alert”) mentioned in v. 37.
[12:38] 98 tn Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:39] 99 sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
[12:39] 100 tc Most
[12:40] 101 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it might take some time – so long, in fact, that some would not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).
