Luke 18:9--19:27
Context18:9 Jesus 1 also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down 2 on everyone else. 18:10 “Two men went up 3 to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee 4 and the other a tax collector. 5 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: 6 ‘God, I thank 7 you that I am not like other people: 8 extortionists, 9 unrighteous people, 10 adulterers – or even like this tax collector. 11 18:12 I fast twice 12 a week; I give a tenth 13 of everything I get.’ 18:13 The tax collector, however, stood 14 far off and would not even look up 15 to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful 16 to me, sinner that I am!’ 17 18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified 18 rather than the Pharisee. 19 For everyone who exalts 20 himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
18:15 Now people 21 were even bringing their babies 22 to him for him to touch. 23 But when the disciples saw it, they began to scold those who brought them. 24 18:16 But Jesus called for the children, 25 saying, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God 26 belongs to such as these. 27 18:17 I tell you the truth, 28 whoever does not receive 29 the kingdom of God like a child 30 will never 31 enter it.”
18:18 Now 32 a certain ruler 33 asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 34 18:19 Jesus 35 said to him, “Why do you call me good? 36 No one is good except God alone. 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’” 37 18:21 The man 38 replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed 39 all these laws 40 since my youth.” 41 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have 42 and give the money 43 to the poor, 44 and you will have treasure 45 in heaven. Then 46 come, follow me.” 18:23 But when the man 47 heard this he became very sad, 48 for he was extremely wealthy. 18:24 When Jesus noticed this, 49 he said, “How hard 50 it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 51 18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle 52 than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 18:26 Those who heard this said, “Then 53 who can be saved?” 54 18:27 He replied, “What is impossible 55 for mere humans 56 is possible for God.” 18:28 And Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we own 57 to follow you!” 58 18:29 Then 59 Jesus 60 said to them, “I tell you the truth, 61 there is no one who has left home or wife or brothers 62 or parents or children for the sake of God’s kingdom 18:30 who will not receive many times more 63 in this age 64 – and in the age to come, eternal life.” 65
18:31 Then 66 Jesus 67 took the twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, 68 and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 69 18:32 For he will be handed over 70 to the Gentiles; he will be mocked, 71 mistreated, 72 and spat on. 73 18:33 They will flog him severely 74 and kill him. Yet 75 on the third day he will rise again.” 18:34 But 76 the twelve 77 understood none of these things. This 78 saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp 79 what Jesus meant. 80
18:35 As 81 Jesus 82 approached 83 Jericho, 84 a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 18:36 When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was going on. 18:37 They 85 told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 18:38 So 86 he called out, 87 “Jesus, Son of David, 88 have mercy 89 on me!” 18:39 And those who were in front 90 scolded 91 him to get him to be quiet, but he shouted 92 even more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 18:40 So 93 Jesus stopped and ordered the beggar 94 to be brought to him. When the man 95 came near, Jesus 96 asked him, 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, 97 “Lord, let me see again.” 98 18:42 Jesus 99 said to him, “Receive 100 your sight; your faith has healed you.” 101 18:43 And immediately he regained 102 his sight and followed Jesus, 103 praising 104 God. When 105 all the people saw it, they too 106 gave praise to God.
19:1 Jesus 107 entered Jericho 108 and was passing through it. 19:2 Now 109 a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector 110 and was rich. 19:3 He 111 was trying to get a look at Jesus, 112 but being a short man he could not see over the crowd. 113 19:4 So 114 he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree 115 to see him, because Jesus 116 was going to pass that way. 19:5 And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up 117 and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, 118 because I must 119 stay at your house today.” 120 19:6 So he came down quickly 121 and welcomed Jesus 122 joyfully. 123 19:7 And when the people 124 saw it, they all complained, 125 “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 126 19:8 But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give 127 to the poor, and if 128 I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!” 19:9 Then 129 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation 130 has come to this household, 131 because he too is a son of Abraham! 132 19:10 For the Son of Man came 133 to seek and to save the lost.”
19:11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus 134 proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, 135 and because they thought 136 that the kingdom of God 137 was going to 138 appear immediately. 19:12 Therefore he said, “A nobleman 139 went to a distant country to receive 140 for himself a kingdom and then return. 141 19:13 And he summoned ten of his slaves, 142 gave them ten minas, 143 and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 19:14 But his citizens 144 hated 145 him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man 146 to be king 147 over us!’ 19:15 When 148 he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned 149 these slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted 150 to know how much they had earned 151 by trading. 19:16 So 152 the first one came before him and said, ‘Sir, 153 your mina 154 has made ten minas more.’ 19:17 And the king 155 said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful 156 in a very small matter, you will have authority 157 over ten cities.’ 19:18 Then 158 the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ 19:19 So 159 the king 160 said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 19:20 Then another 161 slave 162 came and said, ‘Sir, here is 163 your mina that I put away for safekeeping 164 in a piece of cloth. 165 19:21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe 166 man. You withdraw 167 what you did not deposit 168 and reap what you did not sow.’ 19:22 The king 169 said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, 170 you wicked slave! 171 So you knew, did you, that I was a severe 172 man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow? 19:23 Why then didn’t you put 173 my money in the bank, 174 so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest?’ 19:24 And he said to his attendants, 175 ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten.’ 176 19:25 But 177 they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten minas already!’ 178 19:26 ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, 179 but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 180 19:27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, 181 bring them here and slaughter 182 them 183 in front of me!’”
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[18:9] 1 tn Grk “He”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:9] 2 tn Grk “and despised.” This is a second parable with an explanatory introduction.
[18:10] 3 sn The temple is on a hill in Jerusalem, so one would go up to enter its precincts.
[18:10] 4 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[18:10] 5 sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.
[18:11] 5 tn Or “stood by himself and prayed like this.” The prepositional phrase πρὸς ἑαυτόν (pros eauton, “to/about himself”) could go with either the aorist participle σταθείς (staqeis, “stood”) or with the imperfect verb προσηύχετο (proshuceto, “he prayed”). If taken with the participle, then the meaning would seem at first glance to be: “stood ‘by himself’,” or “stood ‘alone’.” Now it is true that πρός can mean “by” or “with” when used with intransitive verbs such as ἵστημι ({isthmi, “I stand”; cf. BDAG 874 s.v. πρός 2.a), but πρὸς ἑαυτόν together never means “by himself” or “alone” in biblical Greek. On the other hand, if πρὸς ἑαυτόν is taken with the verb, then two different nuances emerge, both of which highlight in different ways the principal point Jesus seems to be making about the arrogance of this religious leader: (1) “prayed to himself,” but not necessarily silently, or (2) “prayed about himself,” with the connotation that he prayed out loud, for all to hear. Since his prayer is really a review of his moral résumé, directed both at advertising his own righteousness and exposing the perversion of the tax collector, whom he actually mentions in his prayer, the latter option seems preferable. If this is the case, then the Pharisee’s mention of God is really nothing more than a formality.
[18:11] 6 sn The Pharisee’s prayer started out as a thanksgiving psalm to God, but the praise ended up not being about God.
[18:11] 7 tn Here the plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used as a generic and can refer to both men and women (NASB, NRSV, “people”; NLT, “everyone else”; NAB, “the rest of humanity”).
[18:11] 8 tn Or “swindlers” (BDAG 134 s.v. ἅρπαξ 2); see also Isa 10:2; Josephus, J. W. 6.3.4 [6.203].
[18:11] 9 sn A general category for “sinners” (1 Cor 6:9; Lev 19:3).
[18:11] 10 sn Note what the Pharisee assumes about the righteousness of this tax collector by grouping him with extortionists, unrighteous people, and adulterers.
[18:12] 7 sn The law only required fasting on the Day of Atonement. Such voluntary fasting as this practiced twice a week by the Pharisee normally took place on Monday and Thursday.
[18:13] 9 tn Grk “standing”; the Greek participle has been translated as a finite verb.
[18:13] 10 tn Grk “even lift up his eyes” (an idiom).
[18:13] 11 tn The prayer is a humble call for forgiveness. The term for mercy (ἱλάσκομαι, Jilaskomai) is associated with the concept of a request for atonement (BDAG 473-74 s.v. 1; Ps 51:1, 3; 25:11; 34:6, 18).
[18:13] 12 tn Grk “the sinner.” The tax collector views himself not just as any sinner but as the worst of all sinners. See ExSyn 222-23.
[18:14] 11 sn The prayer that was heard and honored was the one given with humility; in a surprising reversal it was the tax collector who went down to his home justified.
[18:14] 12 tn Grk “the other”; the referent (the Pharisee, v. 10) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:14] 13 sn Everyone who exalts himself. See Luke 14:11. Jesus often called for humility and condemned those who sought honor.
[18:15] 14 tn The term βρέφος (brefos) here can refer to babies or to toddlers (2:12, 16; Acts 7:19; 2 Tim 3:15; 1 Pet 2:2).
[18:15] 15 tn Grk “so that he would touch them.” Here the touch is connected with (or conveys) a blessing (cf. Mark 10:16; also BDAG 126 s.v. ἅπτω 2.c).
[18:15] 16 tn Grk “the disciples began to scold them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples began scolding the children rather than their parents who brought them.
[18:16] 15 tn Grk “summoned them”; the referent (the children) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:16] 16 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.
[18:16] 17 sn The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.
[18:17] 17 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:17] 18 sn On receive see John 1:12.
[18:17] 19 sn The point of the comparison receive the kingdom of God like a child has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit and willingness to be dependent and receive from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.
[18:17] 20 tn The negation in Greek used here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong.
[18:18] 19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[18:18] 20 sn Only Luke states this man is a ruler (cf. the parallels in Matt 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-22, where the questioner is described only as “someone”). He is probably a civic leader of some kind, a leader in the society.
[18:18] 21 sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (18:17). See the similar question about inheriting eternal life in Luke 10:25.
[18:19] 21 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:19] 22 sn Jesus’ response, Why do you call me good?, was designed to cause the ruler to stop and think for a moment about who Jesus really was. The following statement No one is good except God alone seems to point the man in the direction of Jesus’ essential nature and the demands which logically follow on the man for having said it.
[18:20] 23 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16 and Deut 5:16-20. Jesus cited the parts of the ten commandments that relate to how others should be treated.
[18:21] 25 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (the ruler mentioned in v. 18) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:21] 26 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail throughout his life, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
[18:21] 27 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:21] 28 sn Since my youth. Judaism regarded the age of thirteen as the age when a man would have become responsible to live by God’s commands.
[18:22] 27 sn See Luke 14:33.
[18:22] 28 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[18:22] 29 sn See Luke 1:50-53; 6:20-23; 14:12-14.
[18:22] 30 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: …you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
[18:22] 31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the conversation.
[18:23] 29 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:23] 30 tn Or “very distressed” (L&N 25.277).
[18:24] 31 tc ‡ The phrase περίλυπον γενόμενον (perilupon genomenon, “[When Jesus saw him] becoming sad”) is found in the majority of
[18:24] 32 sn For the rich it is hard for wealth not to be the point of focus, as the contrast in vv. 28-30 will show, and for rich people to trust God. Wealth was not an automatic sign of blessing as far as Jesus was concerned.
[18:24] 33 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.
[18:25] 33 sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle, one of the smallest items one might deal with on a regular basis, in contrast to the biggest animal of the region. (The gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” was built during the middle ages and was not in existence in Jesus’ day.) Jesus is saying rhetorically that this is impossible, unless God (v. 27) intervenes.
[18:26] 35 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.
[18:26] 36 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
[18:27] 37 sn The term impossible is in the emphatic position in the Greek text. God makes the impossible possible.
[18:27] 38 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anqrwpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men…possible for God”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation.
[18:28] 39 tn Or “left our homes,” “left our possessions”; Grk “left our own things.” The word ἴδιος (idios) can refer to one’s home (including the people and possessions in it) or to one’s property or possessions. Both options are mentioned in BDAG 467 s.v. 4.b. See also I. H. Marshall, Luke (NIGTC), 688; D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1488.
[18:28] 40 tn Grk “We have left everything we own and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
[18:29] 41 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[18:29] 42 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:29] 43 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[18:29] 44 tn The term “brothers” could be understood as generic here, referring to either male or female siblings. However, it is noteworthy that in the parallel passages in both Matt 19:29 and Mark 10:29, “sisters” are explicitly mentioned in the Greek text.
[18:30] 43 sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (many times more) and (2) eternal life in the age to come will be given.
[18:30] 44 tn Grk “this time” (καιρός, kairos), but for stylistic reasons this has been translated “this age” here.
[18:30] 45 sn Note that Luke (see also Matt 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 10:25) portrays eternal life as something one receives in the age to come, unlike John, who emphasizes the possibility of receiving eternal life in the present (John 5:24).
[18:31] 45 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[18:31] 46 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:31] 47 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[18:31] 48 tn Or “fulfilled.” Jesus goes to Jerusalem by divine plan as the scripture records (Luke 2:39; 12:50; 22:37; Acts 13:29). See Luke 9:22, 44.
[18:32] 47 sn The passive voice verb be handed over does not indicate by whom, but other passages note the Jewish leadership and betrayal (9:22, 44).
[18:32] 48 sn See Luke 22:63; 23:11, 36.
[18:32] 49 tn Or “and insulted.” L&N 33.390 and 88.130 note ὑβρίζω (Jubrizw) can mean either “insult” or “mistreat with insolence.”
[18:32] 50 sn And spat on. Later Luke does not note this detail in the passion narrative in chaps. 22-23, but see Mark 14:65; 15:19; Matt 26:67; 27:30 where Jesus’ prediction is fulfilled.
[18:33] 49 tn Traditionally, “scourge” (the term means to beat severely with a whip, L&N 19.9). BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1. states, “Of the beating (Lat. verberatio) given those condemned to death…J 19:1; cf. Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33.” Here the term has been translated “flog…severely” to distinguish it from the term φραγελλόω (fragellow) used in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15.
[18:33] 50 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[18:34] 51 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
[18:34] 52 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the twelve, v. 31) has been specified in the context for clarity.
[18:34] 53 tn Grk “And this.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[18:34] 54 sn This failure of the Twelve to grasp what Jesus meant probably does not mean that they did not understand linguistically what Jesus said, but that they could not comprehend how this could happen to him, if he was really God’s agent. The saying being hidden probably refers to God’s sovereign timing.
[18:34] 55 tn Grk “the things having been said.” The active agent, Jesus, has been specified for clarity, and “said” has been translated as “meant” to indicate that comprehension of the significance is really in view here.
[18:35] 53 tn Grk “Now 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.
[18:35] 54 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[18:35] 55 tn The phrase is “he drew near to” (19:29; 24:28). It is also possible the term merely means “is in the vicinity of.” Also possible is a reversal in the timing of the healing and Zacchaeus events for literary reasons as the blind man “sees” where the rich man with everything did not.
[18:35] 56 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[18:37] 55 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated. “They” could refer to bystanders or people in the crowd.
[18:38] 57 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the blind man learning that Jesus was nearby.
[18:38] 58 tn Grk “called out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[18:38] 59 sn Jesus was more than a Nazarene to this blind person, who saw quite well that Jesus was Son of David. He understood what Luke 7:22-23 affirms. There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).
[18:38] 60 sn Have mercy on me is a request for healing (cf. 17:13). It is not owed the man. He simply asks for God’s kind grace.
[18:39] 59 sn That is, those who were at the front of the procession.
[18:39] 60 tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.
[18:39] 61 sn Public opinion would not sway the blind man from getting Jesus’ attention. The term shouted is strong as it can be used of animal cries.
[18:40] 61 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the beggar’s cries.
[18:40] 62 tn Grk “ordered him”; the referent (the blind beggar, v. 35) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:40] 63 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the beggar) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:40] 64 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:41] 64 tn Grk “Lord, that I may see [again].” The phrase can be rendered as an imperative of request, “Please, give me sight.” Since the man is not noted as having been blind from birth (as the man in John 9 was) it is likely the request is to receive back the sight he once had.
[18:42] 65 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:42] 66 tn Or “Regain” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in the previous verse).
[18:42] 67 tn Grk “has saved you,” but in a nonsoteriological sense; the man has been delivered from his disability.
[18:43] 67 tn Or “received” (see the note on the phrase “let me see again” in v. 41).
[18:43] 68 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:43] 69 sn The presence of God’s work leads again to joy, with both the beggar and the people praising God (1:64; 2:20; 5:25-26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 19:37).
[18:43] 70 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[18:43] 71 tn The word “too” has been supplied for stylistic reasons.
[19:1] 69 tn Grk “And entering, he passed through”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:1] 70 map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.
[19:2] 71 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new character. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[19:2] 72 sn This is the one place in the NT the office of chief tax collector is noted. He would organize the other tax collectors and collect healthy commissions (see also the note on the word tax collector in 3:12).
[19:3] 73 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[19:3] 74 tn Grk “He was trying to see who Jesus was.”
[19:3] 75 tn Grk “and he was not able to because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.”
[19:4] 75 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Zacchaeus not being able to see over the crowd.
[19:4] 76 sn A sycamore tree would have large branches near the ground like an oak tree and would be fairly easy to climb. These trees reach a height of some 50 ft (about 15 m).
[19:4] 77 tn Grk “that one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:5] 77 tc Most
[19:5] 78 tn Grk “hastening, come down.” σπεύσας (speusa") has been translated as a participle of manner.
[19:5] 79 sn I must stay. Jesus revealed the necessity of his associating with people like Zacchaeus (5:31-32). This act of fellowship indicated acceptance.
[19:5] 80 sn On today here and in v. 9, see the note on today in 2:11.
[19:6] 79 tn Grk “hastening, he came down.” σπεύσας (speusas) has been translated as a participle of manner.
[19:6] 80 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:6] 81 tn The participle χαίρων (cairwn) has been taken as indicating manner.
[19:7] 81 tn Grk “they”; the referent is unspecified but is probably the crowd in general, who would have no great love for a man like Zacchaeus who had enriched himself many times over at their expense.
[19:7] 82 tn This term is used only twice in the NT, both times in Luke (here and 15:2) and has negative connotations both times (BDAG 227 s.v. διαγογγύζω). The participle λέγοντες (legonte") is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
[19:7] 83 sn Being the guest of a man who is a sinner was a common complaint about Jesus: Luke 5:31-32; 7:37-50; 15:1-2.
[19:8] 83 sn Zacchaeus was a penitent man who resolved on the spot to act differently in the face of Jesus’ acceptance of him. In resolving to give half his possessions to the poor, Zacchaeus was not defending himself against the crowd’s charges and claiming to be righteous. Rather as a result of this meeting with Jesus, he was a changed individual. So Jesus could speak of salvation coming that day (v. 9) and of the lost being saved (v. 10).
[19:8] 84 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text. It virtually confesses fraud.
[19:9] 85 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative
[19:9] 86 sn This is one of the few uses of the specific term salvation in Luke (1:69, 71, 77), though the concept runs throughout the Gospel.
[19:9] 87 sn The household is not a reference to the building, but to the people who lived within it (L&N 10.8).
[19:9] 88 sn Zacchaeus was personally affirmed by Jesus as a descendant (son) of Abraham and a member of God’s family.
[19:10] 87 sn The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost is Jesus’ mission succinctly defined. See Luke 15:1-32.
[19:11] 89 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:11] 90 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[19:11] 91 tn The present active infinitive δοκεῖν (dokein) has been translated as causal.
[19:11] 92 sn Luke means here the appearance of the full kingdom of God in power with the Son of Man as judge as Luke 17:22-37 describes.
[19:11] 93 tn Or perhaps, “the kingdom of God must appear immediately (see L&N 71.36).
[19:12] 91 tn Grk “a man of noble birth” or “a man of noble status” (L&N 87.27).
[19:12] 92 sn Note that the receiving of the kingdom takes place in the far country. This suggests that those in the far country recognize and acknowledge the king when his own citizens did not want him as king (v. 14; cf. John 1:11-12).
[19:12] 93 sn The background to this story about the nobleman who went…to receive for himself a kingdom had some parallels in the area’s recent history: Archelaus was appointed ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea in 4
[19:13] 93 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
[19:13] 94 sn That is, one for each. A mina was a Greek monetary unit worth one hundred denarii or about four months’ wages for an average worker based on a six-day work week.
[19:14] 95 tn Or “subjects.” Technically these people were not his subjects yet, but would be upon his return. They were citizens of his country who opposed his appointment as their king; later the newly-appointed king will refer to them as his “enemies” (v. 27).
[19:14] 96 tn The imperfect is intense in this context, suggesting an ongoing attitude.
[19:14] 97 tn Grk “this one” (somewhat derogatory in this context).
[19:15] 97 tn Grk “And it happened that when.” 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.
[19:15] 98 tn Grk “he said for these slaves to be called to him.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one and simplified to “he summoned.”
[19:15] 99 tn Grk “in order that he might know” (a continuation of the preceding sentence). Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he” as subject and the verb “wanted” to convey the idea of purpose.
[19:15] 100 sn The Greek verb earned refers to profit from engaging in commerce and trade (L&N 57.195). This is an examination of stewardship.
[19:16] 99 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the royal summons.
[19:16] 100 tn Or “Lord”; or “Master.” (and so throughout this paragraph).
[19:16] 101 tn See the note on the word “minas” in v. 13.
[19:17] 101 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:17] 102 tn See Luke 16:10.
[19:17] 103 sn The faithful slave received expanded responsibility (authority over ten cities) as a result of his faithfulness; this in turn is an exhortation to faithfulness for the reader.
[19:18] 103 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[19:19] 105 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the second slave’s report.
[19:19] 106 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:20] 107 sn Though ten were given minas, the story stops to focus on the one who did nothing with the opportunity given to him. Here is the parable’s warning about the one who does not trust the master. This figure is called “another,” marking him out as different than the first two.
[19:20] 108 tn The word “slave” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for stylistic reasons.
[19:20] 110 tn Or “that I stored away.” L&N 85.53 defines ἀπόκειμαι (apokeimai) here as “to put something away for safekeeping – ‘to store, to put away in a safe place.’”
[19:20] 111 tn The piece of cloth, called a σουδάριον (soudarion), could have been a towel, napkin, handkerchief, or face cloth (L&N 6.159).
[19:21] 109 tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”
[19:21] 110 tn Grk “man, taking out.” The Greek word can refer to withdrawing money from a bank (L&N 57.218), and in this context of financial accountability that is the most probable meaning. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “you” as subject and translating the participle αἴρεις (airei") as a finite verb.
[19:21] 111 tn The Greek verb τίθημι (tiqhmi) can be used of depositing money with a banker to earn interest (L&N 57.217). In effect the slave charges that the master takes what he has not earned.
[19:22] 111 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:22] 112 tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).
[19:22] 113 tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”
[19:22] 114 tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”
[19:23] 113 tn That is, “If you really feared me why did you not do a minimum to get what I asked for?”
[19:23] 114 tn Grk “on the table”; the idiom refers to a place where money is kept or managed, or credit is established, thus “bank” (L&N 57.215).
[19:24] 115 tn Grk “to those standing by,” but in this context involving an audience before the king to give an accounting, these would not be casual bystanders but courtiers or attendants.
[19:24] 116 tn Grk “the ten minas.”
[19:25] 117 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context. Those watching the evaluation are shocked, as the one with the most gets even more. The word “already” is supplied at the end of the statement to indicate this surprise and shock.
[19:25] 118 tc A few
[19:26] 119 tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”
[19:26] 120 sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken away from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either. Three groups are represented in the parable: the faithful of various sorts (vv. 16, 18); the unfaithful who associate with Jesus but do not trust him (v. 21); and the enemies (v. 27).
[19:27] 121 tn Grk “to rule over them.”
[19:27] 122 tn This term, when used of people rather than animals, has some connotations of violence and mercilessness (L&N 20.72).
[19:27] 123 sn Slaughter them. To reject the king is to face certain judgment from him.