Luke 18:3-7

Context
18:3 There was also a widow¹ in that city² who kept coming³ to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 18:4 For⁴ a while he refused, but later on⁵ he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people,⁶ 18:5 yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out⁷ by her unending pleas.’”⁸ 18:6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says!⁹ 18:7 Won’t¹⁰ God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out¹¹ to him day and night?¹² Will he delay¹³ long to help them?

[18:3] ¹sn This widow was not necessarily old, since many people lived only into their thirties in the 1st century.

[18:3] ²tn Or “town.”

[18:3] ³tn This is an iterative imperfect; the widow did this on numerous occasions.

[18:4] ⁴tn Grk “And for.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:4] ⁵tn Grk “after these things.”

[18:4] ⁶tn Grk “man,” but the singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic in comparison to God.

[18:5] ⁷tn The term ὑπωπιάζω (Jupwpiazw) in this context means “to wear someone out by continual annoying” (L&N 25.245).

[18:5] ⁸tn Grk “by her continual coming,” but the point of annoyance to the judge is her constant pleas for justice (v. 3).

[18:6] ⁹sn Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! The point of the parable is that the judge’s lack of compassion was overcome by the widow’s persistence.

[18:7] ¹⁰tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:7] ¹¹sn The prayers have to do with the righteous who cry out to him to receive justice. The context assumes the righteous are persecuted.

[18:7] ¹²tn The emphatic particles in this sentence indicate that God will indeed give justice to the righteous.

[18:7] ¹³sn The issue of delay has produced a whole host of views for this verse. (1) Does this assume provision to endure in the meantime? Or (2) does it mean God restricts the level of persecution until he comes? Either view is possible.