Luke 12:19-20

Context
12:19 And I will say to myself,¹ “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 life² will be demanded back from³ you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’⁴

Luke 12:45

Context
12:45 But if⁵ that⁶ slave should say to himself,⁷ ‘My master is delayed⁸ in returning,’ and he begins to beat⁹ the other¹⁰ slaves, both men and women,¹¹ and to eat, drink, and get drunk,

[12:19] ¹tn Grk “to my soul,” which is repeated as a vocative in the following statement, but is left untranslated as redundant.

[12:20] ²tn Grk “your soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.

[12:20] ³tn 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] ⁴tn Grk “the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” The words “for yourself” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:45] ³tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).

[12:45] ⁴tn The term “that” (ἐκεῖνος, ekeino") is used as a catchword to list out, in the form of a number of hypothetical circumstances, what the possible responses of “that” servant could be. He could be faithful (vv. 43-44) or totally unfaithful (vv. 45-46). He does not complete his master’s will with knowledge (v. 47) or from ignorance (v 48). These differences are indicated by the different levels of punishment in vv. 46-48.

[12:45] ⁵tn Grk “should say in his heart.”

[12:45] ⁶tn Or “is taking a long time.”

[12:45] ⁷sn The slave’s action in beginning to beat the other slaves was not only a failure to carry out what was commanded but involved doing the exact reverse.

[12:45] ⁸tn The word “other” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[12:45] ⁹tn Grk “the menservants and the maidservants.” The term here, used in both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, is παῖς (pais), which can refer to a slave, but also to a slave who is a personal servant, and thus regarded kindly (L&N 87.77).