Luke 17:1-35

Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service

17:1 Jesus ¹  said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe ²  to the one through whom they come! 17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone ³  tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea ⁴  than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. ⁵  17:3 Watch ⁶  yourselves! If ⁷  your brother ⁸  sins, rebuke him. If ⁹  he repents, forgive him. 17:4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive ¹⁰  him.”

17:5 The ¹¹  apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ¹²  17:6 So ¹³  the Lord replied, ¹⁴  “If ¹⁵  you had faith the size of ¹⁶  a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry ¹⁷  tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ ¹⁸  and it would obey ¹⁹  you.

17:7 “Would any one of you say ²⁰  to your slave ²¹  who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? ²²  17:8 Won’t ²³  the master ²⁴  instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready ²⁵  to serve me while ²⁶  I eat and drink. Then ²⁷  you may eat and drink’? 17:9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, ²⁸  will he? ²⁹  17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; ³⁰  we have only done what was our duty.’” ³¹ 

The Grateful Leper

17:11 Now on ³²  the way to Jerusalem, ³³  Jesus ³⁴  was passing along ³⁵  between Samaria and Galilee. 17:12 As ³⁶  he was entering ³⁷  a village, ten men with leprosy ³⁸  met him. They ³⁹  stood at a distance, 17:13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy ⁴⁰  on us.” 17:14 When ⁴¹  he saw them he said, “Go ⁴²  and show yourselves to the priests.” ⁴³  And ⁴⁴  as they went along, they were cleansed. 17:15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising ⁴⁵  God with a loud voice. 17:16 He ⁴⁶  fell with his face to the ground ⁴⁷  at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. ⁴⁸  (Now ⁴⁹  he was a Samaritan.) ⁵⁰  17:17 Then ⁵¹  Jesus said, ⁵²  “Were ⁵³  not ten cleansed? Where are the other ⁵⁴  nine? 17:18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ⁵⁵  17:19 Then ⁵⁶  he said to the man, ⁵⁷  “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.” ⁵⁸ 

The Coming of the Kingdom

17:20 Now at one point ⁵⁹  the Pharisees ⁶⁰  asked Jesus ⁶¹  when the kingdom of God ⁶²  was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs ⁶³  to be observed, 17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is ⁶⁴  in your midst.” ⁶⁵ 

The Coming of the Son of Man

17:22 Then ⁶⁶  he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days ⁶⁷  of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 17:23 Then people ⁶⁸  will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’ ⁶⁹  or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. ⁷⁰  17:24 For just like the lightning flashes ⁷¹  and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. ⁷²  17:25 But first he must ⁷³  suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 17:26 Just ⁷⁴  as it was ⁷⁵  in the days of Noah, ⁷⁶  so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 17:27 People ⁷⁷  were eating, ⁷⁸  they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage – right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then ⁷⁹  the flood came and destroyed them all. ⁸⁰  17:28 Likewise, just as it was ⁸¹  in the days of Lot, people ⁸²  were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 17:29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. ⁸³  17:30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 17:31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, ⁸⁴  with his goods in the house, must not come down ⁸⁵  to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife! ⁸⁶  17:33 Whoever tries to keep ⁸⁷  his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life ⁸⁸  will preserve it. 17:34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. ⁸⁹  17:35 There will be two women grinding grain together; ⁹⁰  one will be taken and the other left.”

[17:1]  ¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[17:1]  ² sn See Luke 6:24-26.

[17:2]  ³ tn This term refers to the heavy upper stone of a grinding mill (L&N 7.70; BDAG 660 s.v. μυλικός).

[17:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “if a millstone were tied…and he were thrown.” The conditional construction in Greek has been translated by English infinitives: “to have… and be thrown.”

[17:2]  ⁵ tn Or “to stumble.” This verb, σκανδαλίσῃ (skandalish), has the same root as the noun σκάνδαλον (skandalon) in 17:1, translated “stumbling blocks”; this wordplay is difficult to reproduce in English. It is possible that the primary cause of offense here would be leading disciples (“little ones”) astray in a similar fashion.

[17:3]  ⁶ tn It is difficult to know if this looks back or forward or both. The warning suggests it looks back. For this verb, see Luke 8:18; 12:1, 15; 20:46; 21:8, 34. The present imperative reflects an ongoing spirit of watchfulness.

[17:3]  ⁷ tn Both the “if” clause in this verse and the “if” clause in v. 4 are third class conditions in Greek.

[17:3]  ⁸ tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a, contra BDAG 19 s.v. 2.c), but with a familial connotation. It refers equally to men, women, or children. However, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).

[17:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:4]  ¹⁰ sn You must forgive him. Forgiveness is to be readily given and not withheld. In a community that is to have restored relationships, grudges are not beneficial.

[17:5]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:5]  ¹² sn The request of the apostles, “Increase our faith,” is not a request for a gift of faith, but a request to increase the depth of their faith.

[17:6]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[17:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “said.”

[17:6]  ¹⁵ tn This is a mixed condition, with ἄν (an) in the apodosis.

[17:6]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “faith as,” “faith like.”

[17:6]  ¹⁷ sn A black mulberry tree is a deciduous fruit tree that grows about 20 ft (6 m) tall and has black juicy berries. This tree has an extensive root system, so to pull it up would be a major operation.

[17:6]  ¹⁸ tn The passives here (ἐκριζώθητι and φυτεύθητι, ekrizwqhti and futeuqhti) are probably a circumlocution for God performing the action (the so-called divine passive, see ExSyn 437-38). The issue is not the amount of faith (which in the example is only very tiny), but its presence, which can accomplish impossible things. To cause a tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea is impossible. The expression is a rhetorical idiom. It is like saying a camel can go through the eye of a needle (Luke 18:25).

[17:6]  ¹⁹ tn The verb is aorist, though it looks at a future event, another rhetorical touch to communicate certainty of the effect of faith.

[17:7]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Who among you, having a slave… would say to him.”

[17:7]  ²¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

[17:7]  ²² tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. See BDAG 70 s.v. ἀναπίπτω 1.

[17:8]  ²³ tn The question includes a Greek particle, οὐχί (ouci), that expects a positive reply. The slave is expected to prepare a meal before eating himself.

[17:8]  ²⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:8]  ²⁵ tn Grk “and gird yourself” (with an apron or towel, in preparation for service).

[17:8]  ²⁶ tn BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 2.b, “to denote contemporaneousness as long as, while… w. subjunctive… Lk 17:8.”

[17:8]  ²⁷ tn Grk “after these things.”

[17:9]  ²⁸ tn Grk “did what was commanded.”

[17:9]  ²⁹ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “will he?” Thanks are not required.

[17:10]  ³⁰ tn Some translations describe the slaves as “worthless” (NRSV) or “unworthy” (NASB, NIV) but that is not Jesus’ point. These disciples have not done anything deserving special commendation or praise (L&N 33.361), but only what would normally be expected of a slave in such a situation (thus the translation “we have only done what was our duty”).

[17:10]  ³¹ tn Or “we have only done what we were supposed to do.”

[17:11]  ³² tn Grk “Now it happened that on.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[17:11]  ³³ sn This is another travel note about Jesus going to Jerusalem in Luke 9:51-19:48, the so-called “Jerusalem journey” section of Luke’s Gospel. It is not a straight line journey, because to travel along the Galilean and Samaritan border is to go east or west, not south to Jerusalem.

[17:11]  ³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ³⁵ tn Or “was traveling about.”

[17:12]  ³⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:12]  ³⁷ tn The participle εἰσερχομένου (eisercomenou) is taken temporally.

[17:12]  ³⁸ sn The ten men with leprosy would have been unable to approach Jesus (Lev 13:45-46; Num 5:2-3). The ancient term for leprosy covered a wider array of conditions than what is called leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).

[17:12]  ³⁹ tn Grk “leprosy, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun was replaced with a personal pronoun and a new sentence started at this point in the translation.

[17:13]  ⁴⁰ sn “Have mercy on us” is a request to heal them (Luke 18:38-39; 16:24; Matt 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:31-32; Mark 10:47-49).

[17:14]  ⁴¹ tn Καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:14]  ⁴² tn The participle πορευθέντες (poreuqente") is a good example of an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance. As such, it picks up the force of an imperative from the verb to which it is related (ExSyn 640-45).

[17:14]  ⁴³ sn These are the instructions of what to do with a healing (Lev 13:19; 14:1-11; Luke 5:14).

[17:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “And it happened that as.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[17:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “glorifying God.”

[17:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:16]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “he fell on his face” (an idiom for complete prostration).

[17:16]  ⁴⁸ sn And thanked him. This action recognized God’s healing work through Jesus.

[17:16]  ⁴⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a parenthetical comment.

[17:16]  ⁵⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment that the man was a Samaritan means that to most Jews of Jesus’ day he would have been despised as a half-breed and a heretic. The note adds a touch of irony to the account (v. 18).

[17:17]  ⁵¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:17]  ⁵² tn Grk “Jesus answering said”; this is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:17]  ⁵³ tn The Greek construction used here (οὐχί, ouci) expects a positive reply.

[17:17]  ⁵⁴ tn The word “other” is implied in the context.

[17:18]  ⁵⁵ sn Jesus’ point in calling the man a foreigner is that none of the other nine, who were presumably Israelites, responded with gratitude. Only the “outsiders” were listening and responding.

[17:19]  ⁵⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:19]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “to him”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” The remark about faith suggests the benefit of trusting in Jesus’ ability to deliver. Apparently the Samaritan benefited from the healing in a way the other nine did not.

[17:20]  ⁵⁹ tn The words “at one point” are supplied to indicate that the following incident is not necessarily in chronological sequence with the preceding event.

[17:20]  ⁶⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[17:20]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “having been asked by the Pharisees.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the direct object, Jesus, has been supplied from the context.

[17:20]  ⁶² sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[17:20]  ⁶³ tn Or “is not coming in a way that it can be closely watched” (L&N 24.48). Although there are differing interpretations of what this means, it probably refers to the cosmic signs often associated with the kingdom’s coming in the Jewish view (1 En. 91, 93; 2 Bar. 53—74). See D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1412-14, also H. Riesenfeld, TDNT 8:150.

[17:21]  ⁶⁴ tn This is a present tense in the Greek text. In contrast to waiting and looking for the kingdom, it is now available.

[17:21]  ⁶⁵ tn This is a far better translation than “in you.” Jesus would never tell the hostile Pharisees that the kingdom was inside them. The reference is to Jesus present in their midst. He brings the kingdom. Another possible translation would be “in your grasp.” For further discussion and options, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1414-19.

[17:22]  ⁶⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:22]  ⁶⁷ sn This is a reference to the days of the full manifestation of Jesus’ power in a fully established kingdom. The reference to “days” instead of “day” is unusual, appearing only here and in v. 26, but it may be motivated merely by parallelism with the “days” of Noah there and the “days of Lot” in v. 28.

[17:23]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “And they will say.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:23]  ⁶⁹ tn The words “he is” here and in the following clause are understood and have been supplied from the context.

[17:23]  ⁷⁰ sn Do not go out or chase after them. There will be no need to search for the Son of Man at his coming, though many will falsely claim its arrival.

[17:24]  ⁷¹ sn The Son of Man’s coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.

[17:24]  ⁷² tc Some very important mss (Ì⁷⁵ B D it sa) lack the words ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ (en th Jhmera autou, “in his day”), but the words are included in א A L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy bo. On the one hand, the shorter reading is impressive because it has some of the best Alexandrian and Western witnesses in support; on the other hand, the expression ἐν τῇ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ is unusual (found nowhere else in the NT), and may be considered the harder reading. A decision is difficult, but it is probably best to retain the words. NA²⁷ rightly has the words in brackets, expressing doubt as to their authenticity.

[17:25]  ⁷³ sn The Son of Man’s suffering and rejection by this generation is another “it is necessary” type of event in God’s plan (Luke 4:43; 24:7, 26, 44) and the fifth passion prediction in Luke’s account (9:22, 44; 12:50; 13:32-33; for the last, see 18:32-33).

[17:26]  ⁷⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:26]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “as it happened.”

[17:26]  ⁷⁶ sn Like the days of Noah, the time of the flood in Gen 6:5-8:22, the judgment will come as a surprise as people live their day to day lives.

[17:27]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “They.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

[17:27]  ⁷⁸ tn These verbs (“eating… drinking… marrying… being given in marriage”) are all progressive imperfects, describing action in progress at that time.

[17:27]  ⁷⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:27]  ⁸⁰ sn Like that flood came and destroyed them all, the coming judgment associated with the Son of Man will condemn many.

[17:28]  ⁸¹ tn Or “as it happened.”

[17:28]  ⁸² tn Grk “they.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

[17:29]  ⁸³ sn And destroyed them all. The coming of the Son of Man will be like the judgment on Sodom, one of the most immoral places of the OT (Gen 19:16-17; Deut 32:32-33; Isa 1:10).

[17:31]  ⁸⁴ sn Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.

[17:31]  ⁸⁵ sn The swiftness and devastation of the judgment will require a swift escape. There is no time to come down from one’s roof and pick up anything from inside one’s home.

[17:32]  ⁸⁶ sn An allusion to Gen 19:26. The warning about Lot’s wife is not to look back and long to be where one used to be. The world is being judged, and the person who delays or turns back will be destroyed.

[17:33]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “tries to preserve”; Grk “seeks to gain.”

[17:33]  ⁸⁸ sn Whoever loses his life. Suffering and persecution caused by the world, even to death, cannot stop God from saving (Luke 12:4-6).

[17:34]  ⁸⁹ sn There is debate among commentators and scholars over the phrase one will be taken and the other left about whether one is taken for judgment or for salvation. If the imagery is patterned after the rescue of Noah from the flood and Lot from Sodom, as some suggest, the ones taken are the saved (as Noah and Lot were) andthose left behind are judged. The imagery, however, is not directly tied to theidentification of the two groups. Its primary purposein context is topicture the sudden, surprisingseparation of the righteous and the judged (i.e., condemned) at the return of the Son of Man.

[17:35]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “at the same place.” According to L&N 46.16, this refers to a hand mill normally operated by two women.