Luke 14:28-30

14:28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down ¹  first and compute the cost ²  to see if he has enough money to complete it? 14:29 Otherwise, ³  when he has laid ⁴  a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, ⁵  all who see it ⁶  will begin to make fun of ⁷  him. 14:30 They will say, ⁸  ‘This man ⁹  began to build and was not able to finish!’ ¹⁰ 

[14:28]  ¹ tn The participle καθίσας (kaqisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[14:28]  ² tn The first illustration involves checking to see if enough funds exist to build a watchtower. Both ψηφίζω (yhfizw, “compute”) and δαπάνη (dapanh, “cost”) are economic terms.

[14:29]  ³ tn Grk “to complete it, lest.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and ἵνα μήποτε ({ina mhpote, “lest”) has been translated as “Otherwise.”

[14:29]  ⁴ tn The participle θέντος (qentos) has been taken temporally.

[14:29]  ⁵ tn The words “the tower” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[14:29]  ⁶ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[14:29]  ⁷ tn Or “mock,” “ridicule.” The person who did not plan ahead becomes an object of joking and ridicule.

[14:30]  ⁸ tn Grk “make fun of him, saying.”

[14:30]  ⁹ sn The phrase this man is often used in Luke in a derogatory sense; see “this one” and expressions like it in Luke 5:21; 7:39; 13:32; 23:4, 14, 22, 35.

[14:30]  ¹⁰ sn The failure to finish the building project leads to embarrassment (in a culture where avoiding public shame was extremely important). The half completed tower testified to poor preparation and planning.