Discovery BoxLuke 5:12--6:11
Context5:12 While 1 Jesus 2 was in one of the towns, 3 a man came 4 to him who was covered with 5 leprosy. 6 When 7 he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground 8 and begged him, 9 “Lord, if 10 you are willing, you can make me clean.” 5:13 So 11 he stretched out his hand and touched 12 him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 5:14 Then 13 he ordered the man 14 to tell no one, 15 but commanded him, 16 “Go 17 and show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering 18 for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, 19 as a testimony to them.” 20 5:15 But the news about him spread even more, 21 and large crowds were gathering together to hear him 22 and to be healed of their illnesses. 5:16 Yet Jesus himself 23 frequently withdrew 24 to the wilderness 25 and prayed.
5:17 Now on 26 one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees 27 and teachers of the law 28 sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem), 29 and the power of the Lord was with him 30 to heal. 5:18 Just then 31 some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man 32 on a stretcher. 33 They 34 were trying to bring him in and place him before Jesus. 35 5:19 But 36 since they found 37 no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof 38 and let him down on the stretcher 39 through the roof tiles 40 right 41 in front of Jesus. 42 5:20 When 43 Jesus 44 saw their 45 faith he said, “Friend, 46 your sins are forgiven.” 47 5:21 Then 48 the experts in the law 49 and the Pharisees began to think 50 to themselves, 51 “Who is this man 52 who is uttering blasphemies? 53 Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 5:22 When Jesus perceived 54 their hostile thoughts, 55 he said to them, 56 “Why are you raising objections 57 within yourselves? 5:23 Which is easier, 58 to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 5:24 But so that you may know 59 that the Son of Man 60 has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the paralyzed man 61 – “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher 62 and go home.” 63 5:25 Immediately 64 he stood up before them, picked 65 up the stretcher 66 he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying 67 God. 5:26 Then 68 astonishment 69 seized them all, and they glorified 70 God. They were filled with awe, 71 saying, “We have seen incredible 72 things 73 today.” 74
5:27 After 75 this, Jesus 76 went out and saw a tax collector 77 named Levi 78 sitting at the tax booth. 79 “Follow me,” 80 he said to him. 5:28 And he got up and followed him, leaving everything 81 behind. 82
5:29 Then 83 Levi gave a great banquet 84 in his house for Jesus, 85 and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting 86 at the table with them. 5:30 But 87 the Pharisees 88 and their experts in the law 89 complained 90 to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 91 5:31 Jesus 92 answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 93 5:32 I have not come 94 to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” 95
5:33 Then 96 they said to him, “John’s 97 disciples frequently fast 98 and pray, 99 and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, 100 but yours continue to eat and drink.” 101 5:34 So 102 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the wedding guests 103 fast while the bridegroom 104 is with them, can you? 105 5:35 But those days are coming, and when the bridegroom is taken from them, 106 at that time 107 they will fast.” 5:36 He also told them a parable: 108 “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews 109 it on an old garment. If he does, he will have torn 110 the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 111 5:37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. 112 If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 5:38 Instead new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 113 5:39 114 No 115 one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’” 116
6:1 Jesus 117 was going through the grain fields on 118 a Sabbath, 119 and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, 120 rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 121 6:2 But some of the Pharisees 122 said, “Why are you 123 doing what is against the law 124 on the Sabbath?” 6:3 Jesus 125 answered them, 126 “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry – 6:4 how he entered the house of God, took 127 and ate the sacred bread, 128 which is not lawful 129 for any to eat but the priests alone, and 130 gave it to his companions?” 131 6:5 Then 132 he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord 133 of the Sabbath.”
6:6 On 134 another Sabbath, Jesus 135 entered the synagogue 136 and was teaching. Now 137 a man was there whose right hand was withered. 138 6:7 The experts in the law 139 and the Pharisees 140 watched 141 Jesus 142 closely to see if 143 he would heal on the Sabbath, 144 so that they could find a reason to accuse him. 6:8 But 145 he knew 146 their thoughts, 147 and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Get up and stand here.” 148 So 149 he rose and stood there. 6:9 Then 150 Jesus said to them, “I ask you, 151 is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?” 6:10 After 152 looking around 153 at them all, he said to the man, 154 “Stretch out your hand.” The man 155 did so, and his hand was restored. 156 6:11 But they were filled with mindless rage 157 and began debating with one another what they would do 158 to Jesus.
[5:12] 1 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” 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.
[5:12] 2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:12] 4 tn Grk “towns, behold, a man covered with leprosy.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou, “behold”) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[5:12] 5 tn Grk “full of leprosy” (an idiom for a severe condition).
[5:12] 6 sn The ancient term for leprosy covers 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).
[5:12] 7 tn Grk “And seeing.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here. The participle ἰδών (idwn) has been taken temporally.
[5:12] 8 tn Grk “he fell on his face”; an idiom for bowing down with one’s face to the ground.
[5:12] 9 tn Grk “and begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[5:12] 10 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
[5:13] 11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response of Jesus to the man’s request.
[5:13] 12 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
[5:14] 13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:14] 14 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:14] 15 sn The silence ordered by Jesus was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 4:35, 41; 8:56 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence with reference to miracles.
[5:14] 16 tn The words “commanded him” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied for clarity. This verse moves from indirect to direct discourse. This abrupt change is very awkward, so the words have been supplied to smooth out the transition.
[5:14] 17 tn Grk “Going, show.” The participle ἀπελθών (apelqwn) has been translated as an attendant circumstance participle. Here the syntax also changes somewhat abruptly from indirect discourse to direct discourse.
[5:14] 18 tn The words “the offering” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[5:14] 19 sn On the phrase as Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
[5:14] 20 tn Or “as an indictment against them”; or “as proof to the people.” This phrase could be taken as referring to a positive witness to the priests, a negative testimony against them, or as a testimony to the community that the man had indeed been cured. In any case, the testimony shows that Jesus is healing and ministering to those in need.
[5:15] 21 sn That is, in spite of Jesus’ instructions to the man to tell no one about the healing (v. 14).
[5:15] 22 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[5:16] 23 tn Here αὐτός (autos) has been translated reflexively.
[5:16] 24 tn Grk “was withdrawing” (ἦν ὑποχωρῶν, hn jJupocwrwn). The adverb “frequently” has been added in the translation to bring out what is most likely an iterative force to the imperfect. However, the imperfect might instead portray an ingressive idea: “he began to withdraw.” See ExSyn 542-43.
[5:17] 26 tn Grk “And 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.
[5:17] 27 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
[5:17] 28 tn That is, those who were skilled in the teaching and interpretation of the OT law. These are called “experts in the law” (Grk “scribes”) in v. 21.
[5:17] 29 sn Jesus was now attracting attention outside of Galilee as far away as Jerusalem, the main city of Israel.
[5:17] 30 tc Most
[5:18] 31 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καὶ ἰδού (kai idou) has been translated as “just then” to indicate the somewhat sudden appearance of the men carrying the paralytic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1), especially in conjunction with the suddenness of the stretcher-bearers’ appearance.
[5:18] 32 tn Grk “a man who was paralyzed”; the relative clause in Greek has adjectival force and has been simplified to a simple adjective in the translation.
[5:18] 33 tn Traditionally, “on a bed,” but this could be confusing to the modern reader who might envision a large piece of furniture. In various contexts, κλίνη (klinh) may be translated “bed, couch, cot, stretcher, or bier” (in the case of a corpse). See L&N 6.106.
[5:18] 34 tn Grk “stretcher, and.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead, because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
[5:18] 35 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:19] 36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast implied in the context: They wanted to bring the man to Jesus, but found no way.
[5:19] 37 tn Grk “But finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
[5:19] 38 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
[5:19] 39 tn This word, κλινίδιον (klinidion), is a different Greek word than the one used in the previous verse (κλίνη, klinh). In this context both may be translated “stretcher” (see L&N 6.106 and 6.107).
[5:19] 40 tn There is a translational problem at this point in the text. The term Luke uses is κέραμος (keramo"). It can in certain contexts mean “clay,” but usually this is in reference to pottery (see BDAG 540 s.v. 1). The most natural definition in this instance is “roof tile” (used in the translation above). However, tiles were generally not found in Galilee. Recent archaeological research has suggested that this house, which would have probably been typical for the area, could not have supported “a second story, nor could the original roof have been masonry; no doubt it was made from beams and branches of trees covered with a mixture of earth and straw” (J. F. Strange and H. Shanks, “Has the House Where Jesus Stayed in Capernaum Been Found?” BAR 8, no. 6 [Nov/Dec 1982]: 34). Luke may simply have spoken of building materials that would be familiar to his readers.
[5:19] 41 tn Grk “in the midst.”
[5:19] 42 sn The phrase right in front of Jesus trailing as it does at the end of the verse is slightly emphatic, adding a little note of drama: What would Jesus do?
[5:20] 43 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:20] 44 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:20] 45 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
[5:20] 46 tn Grk “Man,” but the term used in this way was not derogatory in Jewish culture. Used in address (as here) it means “friend” (see BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8).
[5:20] 47 tn Grk “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke stresses the forgiveness of sins (cf. 1:77; 3:3; 24:47). In 5:20 he uses both the perfect ἀφέωνται and the personal pronoun σοι which together combine to heighten the subjective aspect of the experience of forgiveness. The σοι has been omitted in translation in light of normal English style.
[5:21] 48 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:21] 49 tn Or “Then the scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
[5:21] 50 tn Or “to reason” (in a hostile sense). See G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
[5:21] 51 tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
[5:21] 52 tn Grk “this one” (οὗτος, Joutos).
[5:21] 53 sn Uttering blasphemies meant to say something that dishonored God. To claim divine prerogatives or claim to speak for God when one really does not would be such an act of offense. The remark raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry.
[5:22] 54 sn Jesus often perceived people’s thoughts in Luke; see 4:23; 6:8; 7:40; 9:47. Such a note often precedes a rebuke.
[5:22] 55 tn Grk “reasonings.” This is the noun form of the infinitive διαλογίζεσθαι (dialogizesqai, “began to reason to themselves”) used in v. 21. Jesus’ reply to them in the latter part of the present verse makes clear that these reasonings were mental and internal, so the translation “thoughts” was used here. On the hostile or evil nature of these thoughts, see G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:97.
[5:22] 56 tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation.
[5:22] 57 tn The Greek verb διαλογίζεσθε (dialogizesqe, “you reason”), used in context with διαλογισμούς (dialogismous, “reasonings”), connotes more than neutral reasoning or thinking. While the verb can refer to normal “reasoning,” “discussion,” or “reflection” in the NT, its use here in Luke 5:22, alongside the noun – which is regularly used with a negative sense in the NT (cf. Matt 15:19; Mark 7:21; Luke 2:35, 6:8, 9:47; Rom 1:21; 1 Cor 3:20; G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:96-97; D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:484) – suggests the idea of “contention.” Therefore, in order to reflect the hostility evident in the reasoning of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the verb has been translated as “raising objections.”
[5:23] 58 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
[5:24] 59 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
[5:24] 60 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
[5:24] 61 tn Grk “to the one who was paralyzed”; the Greek participle is substantival and has been simplified to a simple adjective and noun in the translation.
[5:24] 62 tn This word, κλινίδιον (klinidion), is the same as the one used in v. 19. In this context it may be translated “stretcher” (see L&N 6.107).
[5:24] 63 tn Grk “to your house.”
[5:25] 64 tn Grk “And immediately.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:25] 65 tn Grk “and picked up.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because contemporary English normally places a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series.
[5:25] 66 tn Grk “picked up what he had been lying on”; the referent of the relative pronoun (the stretcher) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:25] 67 sn Note the man’s response, glorifying God. Joy at God’s work is also a key theme in Luke: 2:20; 4:15; 5:26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43; 23:47.
[5:26] 68 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:26] 69 tn Or “amazement.” See L&N 25.217, which translates this clause, “astonishment seized all of them.”
[5:26] 70 tn This imperfect verb could be translated as an ingressive (“they began to glorify God”), but this is somewhat awkward in English since the following verb is aorist and is normally translated as a simple past.
[5:26] 71 tn Grk “fear,” but the context and the following remark show that it is mixed with wonder; see L&N 53.59.
[5:26] 72 tn Or “remarkable.” The term παράδοξος (paradoxos) is hard to translate exactly; it suggests both the unusual and the awe inspiring in this context. For the alternatives see L&N 31.44 (“incredible”) and 58.56 (“remarkable”). It is often something beyond belief (G. Kittel, TDNT 2:255).
[5:26] 73 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied because the adjective παράδοξος (paradoxos) is substantival. Other translations sometimes supply alternate words like “miracles” or “signs,” but “things” is the most neutral translation.
[5:26] 74 sn See the note on today in 2:11.
[5:27] 75 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:27] 76 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[5:27] 77 sn See the note on tax collectors in 3:12.
[5:27] 78 sn It is possible that Levi is a second name for Matthew, because people often used alternative names in 1st century Jewish culture.
[5:27] 79 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion; so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.
[5:27] 80 sn Follow me. For similar calls on the part of Jesus see Luke 5:10-11; 9:23, 59; 18:22.
[5:28] 81 sn On the phrase leaving everything see Luke 5:10-11; 14:33.
[5:28] 82 tn The participial phrase “leaving everything behind” occurs at the beginning of the sentence, but has been transposed to the end in the translation for logical reasons, since it serves to summarize Levi’s actions.
[5:29] 83 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:29] 84 sn A great banquet refers to an elaborate meal. Many of the events in Luke take place in the context of meal fellowship: 7:36-50; 9:12-17; 10:38-42; 11:37-54; 14:1-24; 22:7-38; 24:29-32, 41-43.
[5:29] 85 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:29] 86 tn Grk “reclining.” This term reflects the normal practice in 1st century Jewish culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position. Since it is foreign to most modern readers, the translation “sitting” has been substituted.
[5:30] 87 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast present in this context.
[5:30] 88 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[5:30] 89 tn Or “and their scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
[5:30] 90 tn Or “grumbled”; a term often used in the OT for inappropriate grumbling: Exod 15:24; 16:7-8; Num 14:2, 26-35; 16:11.
[5:30] 91 sn The issue here is inappropriate associations (eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners) and the accusation comes not against Jesus, but his disciples.
[5:31] 92 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:31] 93 sn Jesus’ point is that he associates with those who are sick because they have the need and will respond to the offer of help. A person who is well (or who thinks mistakenly that he is) will not seek treatment.
[5:32] 94 sn I have not come is another commission statement by Jesus; see 4:43-44.
[5:32] 95 sn Though parallels exist to this saying (Matt 9:13; Mark 2:17), only Luke has this last phrase but sinners to repentance. Repentance is a frequent topic in Luke’s Gospel: 3:3, 8; 13:1-5; 15:7, 10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47.
[5:33] 96 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[5:33] 97 tc Most
[5:33] 98 sn John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.
[5:33] 99 tn Grk “and offer prayers,” but this idiom (δέησις + ποιέω) is often simply a circumlocution for praying.
[5:33] 100 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[5:33] 101 tn Grk “but yours are eating and drinking.” The translation “continue to eat and drink” attempts to reflect the progressive or durative nature of the action described, which in context is a practice not limited to the specific occasion at hand (the banquet).
[5:34] 102 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ pronouncement is a result of their statements about his disciples.
[5:34] 103 tn Grk “the sons of the wedding hall,” an idiom referring to guests at the wedding, or more specifically, friends of the bridegroom present at the wedding celebration (L&N 11.7).
[5:34] 104 sn The expression while the bridegroom is with them is an allusion to messianic times (John 3:29; Isa 54:5-6; 62:4-5; 4 Ezra 2:15, 38).
[5:34] 105 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “can you?”).
[5:35] 106 sn The statement when the bridegroom is taken from them is a veiled allusion by Jesus to his death, which he did not make explicit until the incident at Caesarea Philippi in 9:18ff.
[5:35] 107 tn Grk “then in those days.”
[5:36] 108 sn The term parable in a Semitic context can cover anything from a long story to a brief wisdom saying. Here it is the latter.
[5:36] 109 tn Grk “puts”; but since the means of attachment would normally be sewing, the translation “sews” has been used.
[5:36] 110 tn Grk “he tears.” The point is that the new garment will be ruined to repair an older, less valuable one.
[5:36] 111 sn The piece from the new will not match the old. The imagery in this saying looks at the fact that what Jesus brings is so new that it cannot simply be combined with the old. To do so would be to destroy what is new and to put together something that does not fit.
[5:37] 112 sn Wineskins were bags made of skin or leather, used for storing wine in NT times. As the new wine fermented and expanded, it would stretch the new wineskins. Putting new (unfermented) wine in old wineskins, which had already been stretched, would result in the bursting of the wineskins.
[5:38] 113 tc Most
[5:39] 114 tc The Western textual tradition (D it) lacks 5:39. The verse is unique to Luke, so the omission by these
[5:39] 115 tc ‡ Although most
[5:39] 116 tc Most
[6:1] 117 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:1] 118 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.
[6:1] 119 tc Most later
[6:1] 120 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).
[6:1] 121 tn Grk “picked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.” The participle ψώχοντες (ywconte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style, and the order of the clauses has been transposed to reflect the logical order, which sounds more natural in English.
[6:2] 122 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[6:2] 123 tn Note that the verb is second person plural (with an understood plural pronominal subject in Greek). The charge is again indirectly made against Jesus by charging the disciples.
[6:2] 124 sn The alleged violation expressed by the phrase what is against the law is performing work on the Sabbath. That the disciples ate from such a field is no problem given Deut 23:25, but Sabbath activity is another matter in the leaders’ view (Exod 20:8-11 and Mishnah, m. Shabbat 7.2). The supposed violation involved reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food. This probably explains why the clause describing the disciples “rubbing” the heads of grain in their hands is mentioned last, in emphatic position. This was preparation of food.
[6:3] 125 tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[6:3] 126 tn Grk “Jesus, answering them, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “Jesus answered them.”
[6:4] 128 tn Grk “the bread of presentation.”
[6:4] 129 sn Jesus’ response to the charge that what his disciples were doing was not lawful is one of analogy: ‘If David did it for his troops in a time of need, then so can I with my disciples.’ Jesus is clear that on the surface there was a violation here. What is not as clear is whether he is arguing a “greater need” makes this permissible or that this was within the intention of the law all along.
[6:4] 130 tc Most
[6:4] 131 tc The Western ms D adds here a full saying that reads, “On the same day, as he saw someone working on the Sabbath he said, ‘Man, if you know what you are doing, you are blessed, but if you do not know, you are cursed and a violator of the law.’” Though this is not well enough attested to be considered authentic, many commentators have debated whether this saying might go back to Jesus. Most reject it, though it does have wording that looks like Rom 2:25, 27 and Jas 2:11.
[6:5] 132 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[6:5] 133 tn The term “lord” is in emphatic position in the Greek text. To make this point even clearer a few
[6:6] 134 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.
[6:6] 135 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:6] 136 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:15.
[6:6] 137 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. In addition, because the Greek sentence is rather long and complex, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[6:6] 138 tn Grk “a man was there and his right hand was withered.”
[6:7] 139 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
[6:7] 140 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
[6:7] 141 sn The term translated watched…closely is emotive, since it carries negative connotations. It means they were watching him out of the corner of their eye or spying on him.
[6:7] 142 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:7] 143 tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text; Jesus’ opponents anticipated he would do this.
[6:7] 144 sn The background for this is the view that only if life was endangered should one attempt to heal on the Sabbath (see the Mishnah, m. Shabbat 6.3; 12.1; 18.3; 19.2; m. Yoma 8.6).
[6:8] 145 tn Here the conjunction δέ (de) has been translated as contrastive.
[6:8] 146 sn The statement that Jesus knew their thoughts adds a prophetic note to his response; see Luke 5:22.
[6:8] 147 tn Grk “their reasonings.” The implication is that Jesus knew his opponents’ plans and motives, so the translation “thoughts” was used here.
[6:8] 148 sn Most likely synagogues were arranged with benches along the walls and open space in the center for seating on the floor.
[6:8] 149 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the man’s action was a result of Jesus’ order.
[6:9] 150 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[6:9] 151 sn With the use of the plural pronoun (“you”), Jesus addressed not just the leaders but the crowd with his question to challenge what the leadership was doing. There is irony as well. As Jesus sought to restore on the Sabbath (but improperly according to the leaders’ complaints) the leaders were seeking to destroy, which surely is wrong. The implied critique recalls the OT: Isa 1:1-17; 58:6-14.
[6:10] 152 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[6:10] 153 tn The aorist participle περιβλεψάμενος (peribleyameno") has been translated as antecedent (prior) to the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as contemporaneous (“Looking around… he said”).
[6:10] 154 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man with the withered hand) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:10] 155 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[6:10] 156 sn The passive was restored points to healing by God. Now the question became: Would God exercise his power through Jesus, if what Jesus was doing were wrong? Note also Jesus’ “labor.” He simply spoke and it was so.
[6:11] 157 tn The term ἄνοια (anoia) denotes a kind of insane or mindless fury; the opponents were beside themselves with rage. They could not rejoice in the healing, but could only react against Jesus.
[6:11] 158 tn The use of the optative (ποιήσαιεν, poihsaien, “might do”) in an indirect question indicates that the formal opposition and planning of Jesus’ enemies started here (BDF §§385.1; 386.1).
