Luke 12:7-12

12:7 In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; ¹  you are more valuable than many sparrows.

12:8 “I ²  tell you, whoever acknowledges ³  me before men, ⁴  the Son of Man will also acknowledge ⁵  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 ⁶  will not be forgiven. ⁷  12:11 But when they bring you before the synagogues, ⁸  the ⁹  rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense ¹⁰  or what you should say, 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment ¹¹  what you must say.” ¹² 

[12:7]  ¹ sn Do not be afraid. One should respect and show reverence to God (v. 5), but need not fear his tender care.

[12:8]  ² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:8]  ³ tn Or “confesses.”

[12:8]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Grk “it will not be forgiven the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.”

[12:11]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “in that very hour” (an idiom).

[12:12]  ⁶ tn Grk “what it is necessary to say.”