Luke 12:38

12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night ¹  and finds them alert, ²  blessed are those slaves! ³ 

Luke 22:33

22:33 But Peter ⁴  said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” ⁵ 

Luke 23:19

23:19 (This ⁶  was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection ⁷  started in the city, and for murder.) ⁸ 

[12:38]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ tn Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:33]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:33]  ⁵ sn The confidence Peter has in private (Lord, I am ready…) will wilt under the pressure of the public eye.

[23:19]  ⁷ tn Grk “who” (a continuation of the previous sentence).

[23:19]  ⁸ sn Ironically, what Jesus was alleged to have done, started an insurrection, this man really did.

[23:19]  ⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.