Luke 15:1-9

The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin

15:1 Now all the tax collectors ¹  and sinners were coming ²  to hear him. 15:2 But ³  the Pharisees ⁴  and the experts in the law ⁵  were complaining, ⁶  “This man welcomes ⁷  sinners and eats with them.”

15:3 So ⁸  Jesus ⁹  told them ¹⁰  this parable: ¹¹  15:4 “Which one ¹²  of you, if he has a hundred ¹³  sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture ¹⁴  and go look for ¹⁵  the one that is lost until he finds it? ¹⁶  15:5 Then ¹⁷  when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 15:6 Returning ¹⁸  home, he calls together ¹⁹  his ²⁰  friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner ²¹  who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people ²²  who have no need to repent. ²³ 

15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins ²⁴  and loses ²⁵  one of them, ²⁶  does not light a lamp, sweep ²⁷  the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 15:9 Then ²⁸  when she has found it, she calls together her ²⁹  friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice ³⁰  with me, for I have found the coin ³¹  that I had lost.’

[15:1]  ¹ sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.

[15:1]  ² tn Grk “were drawing near.”

[15:2]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[15:2]  ⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[15:2]  ⁵ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

[15:2]  ⁶ tn Or “grumbling”; Grk “were complaining, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:2]  ⁷ tn Or “accepts,” “receives.” This is not the first time this issue has been raised: Luke 5:27-32; 7:37-50.

[15:3]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ telling of the parable is in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and experts in the law.

[15:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:3]  ¹⁰ sn Them means at the minimum the parable is for the leadership, but probably also for those people Jesus accepted, but the leaders regarded as outcasts.

[15:3]  ¹¹ tn Grk “parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:4]  ¹² tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.

[15:4]  ¹³ sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.

[15:4]  ¹⁴ tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.

[15:4]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.

[15:4]  ¹⁶ sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.

[15:5]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:6]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “And coming into his…” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[15:6]  ¹⁹ sn A touch of drama may be present, as the term calls together can mean a formal celebration (1 Kgs 1:9-10).

[15:6]  ²⁰ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215). It occurs before “neighbors” as well (“his friends and his neighbors”) but has not been translated the second time because of English style.

[15:7]  ²¹ sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.

[15:7]  ²² tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”

[15:7]  ²³ tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”

[15:8]  ²⁴ sn This silver coin is a drachma, equal to a denarius, that is, a day’s pay for the average laborer.

[15:8]  ²⁵ tn Grk “What woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses.” The initial participle ἔχουσα (ecousa) has been translated as a finite verb parallel to ἀπολέσῃ (apolesh) in the conditional clause to improve the English style.

[15:8]  ²⁶ tn Grk “one coin.”

[15:8]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and sweep,” 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.

[15:9]  ²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:9]  ²⁹ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[15:9]  ³⁰ sn Rejoice. Besides the theme of pursuing the lost, the other theme of the parable is the joy of finding them.

[15:9]  ³¹ tn Grk “drachma.”