Luke 6:29-49

6:29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, ¹  offer the other as well, ²  and from the person who takes away your coat, ³  do not withhold your tunic ⁴  either. ⁵  6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, ⁶  and do not ask for your possessions ⁷  back ⁸  from the person who takes them away. 6:31 Treat others ⁹  in the same way that you would want them to treat you. ¹⁰ 

6:32 “If ¹¹  you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners ¹²  love those who love them. ¹³  6:33 And ¹⁴  if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ¹⁵  sinners ¹⁶  do the same. 6:34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, ¹⁷  what credit is that to you? Even sinners ¹⁸  lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. ¹⁹  6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. ²⁰  Then ²¹  your reward will be great, and you will be sons ²²  of the Most High, ²³  because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. ²⁴  6:36 Be merciful, ²⁵  just as your Father is merciful.

Do Not Judge Others

6:37 “Do ²⁶  not judge, ²⁷  and you will not be judged; ²⁸  do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, ²⁹  and you will be forgiven. 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, ³⁰  will be poured ³¹  into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.” ³² 

6:39 He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? ³³  Won’t they both fall ³⁴  into a pit? 6:40 A disciple ³⁵  is not greater than ³⁶  his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. 6:41 Why ³⁷  do you see the speck ³⁸  in your brother’s eye, but fail to see ³⁹  the beam of wood ⁴⁰  in your own? 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

6:43 “For ⁴¹  no good tree bears bad ⁴²  fruit, nor again ⁴³  does a bad tree bear good fruit, 6:44 for each tree is known ⁴⁴  by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered ⁴⁵  from thorns, nor are grapes picked ⁴⁶  from brambles. ⁴⁷  6:45 The good person out of the good treasury of his ⁴⁸  heart ⁴⁹  produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury ⁵⁰  produces evil, for his mouth speaks ⁵¹  from what fills ⁵²  his heart.

6:46 “Why ⁵³  do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ ⁵⁴  and don’t do what I tell you? ⁵⁵ 

6:47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice ⁵⁶  – I will show you what he is like: 6:48 He is like a man ⁵⁷  building a house, who dug down deep, ⁵⁸  and laid the foundation on bedrock. When ⁵⁹  a flood came, the river ⁶⁰  burst against that house but ⁶¹  could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁶²  6:49 But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice ⁶³  is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When ⁶⁴  the river burst against that house, ⁶⁵  it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!” ⁶⁶ 

[6:29]  ¹ sn The phrase strikes you on the cheek probably pictures public rejection, like the act that indicated expulsion from the synagogue.

[6:29]  ² sn This command to offer the other cheek as well is often misunderstood. It means that there is risk involved in reaching out to people with God’s hope. But if one is struck down in rejection, the disciple is to continue reaching out.

[6:29]  ³ tn Or “cloak.”

[6:29]  ⁴ tn See the note on the word “tunics” in 3:11.

[6:29]  ⁵ sn The command do not withhold your tunic either is again an image of continually being totally at risk as one tries to keep contact with those who are hostile to what Jesus and his disciples offer.

[6:30]  ⁶ sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to everyone who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).

[6:30]  ⁷ tn Grk “your things,” sometimes translated “what is yours” or “what belongs to you.”

[6:30]  ⁸ sn Do not ask for your possessions back… is an example of showing forgiveness. Paul’s remarks in 1 Cor 6:7 may reflect this principle.

[6:31]  ⁹ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.

[6:31]  ¹⁰ sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others in the same way you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but it is stated here in its most emphatic, selfless form.

[6:32]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. This is a first class condition, but the next two conditional clauses are third class conditions, so that stylistic variation is probably at work.

[6:32]  ¹² sn Here the term sinners may refer to people who had no concern for observing the details of the Mosaic law; these were often treated as social outcasts. See L&N 88.295.

[6:32]  ¹³ sn Jesus’ point in the statement even sinners love those who love them is that disciples are to go farther than sinners do. The examples replay vv. 29-30.

[6:33]  ¹⁴ tc ‡ Three key mss (Ì⁷⁵ א* B) have “for” here, but it is unlikely that it was present originally. The addition of conjunctions, especially to the beginning of a clause, are typically suspect because they fit the pattern of Koine tendencies toward greater explicitness. NA²⁷ has the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[6:33]  ¹⁵ tc Most mss (A D L Θ Ξ Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï lat) include γάρ (gar, “for”) following καί (kai, here translated “even”), but a few important mss (א B W 700 892* 1241 pc) lack the conjunction. The inclusion of the conjunction seems to be motivated by clarity and should probably be considered inauthentic.

[6:33]  ¹⁶ sn See the note on the word sinners in v. 32.

[6:34]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “to receive”; but in context the repayment of the amount lent is implied. Jesus was noting that utilitarian motives are the way of the world.

[6:34]  ¹⁸ sn See the note on the word sinners in v. 32.

[6:34]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “to receive as much again.”

[6:35]  ²⁰ tn Or “in return.”

[6:35]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the outcome or result. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[6:35]  ²² sn The character of these actions reflects the grace and kindness of God, bearing witness to a “line of descent” or relationship of the individual to God (sons of the Most High). There is to be a unique kind of ethic at work with disciples. Jesus refers specifically to sons here because in the ancient world sons had special privileges which were rarely accorded to daughters. However, Jesus is most likely addressing both men and women in this context, so women too would receive these same privileges.

[6:35]  ²³ sn That is, “sons of God.”

[6:35]  ²⁴ tn Or “to the ungrateful and immoral.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[6:36]  ²⁵ sn Merciful is a characteristic of God often noted in the OT: Exod 34:6; Deut 4:31; Joel 2:31; Jonah 4:2; 2 Sam 24:14. This remark also echoes the more common OT statements like Lev 19:2 or Deut 18:13: “you must be holy as I am holy.”

[6:37]  ²⁶ tn Grk “And do.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:37]  ²⁷ sn As the Gospel makes clear, with the statement do not judge Jesus had in mind making a judgment that caused one to cut oneself off from someone so that they ceased to be reached out to (5:27-32; 15:1-32). Jesus himself did make judgments about where people stand (11:37-54), but not in such a way that he ceased to continue to offer them God’s grace.

[6:37]  ²⁸ sn The point of the statement do not judge, and you will not be judged is that the standards one applies to others God applies back. The passive verbs in this verse look to God’s action.

[6:37]  ²⁹ sn On forgive see Luke 11:4; 1 Pet 3:7.

[6:38]  ³⁰ sn The background to the image pressed down, shaken together, running over is pouring out grain for measure in the marketplace. One often poured the grain into a container, shook it to level out the grain and then poured in some more. Those who are generous have generosity running over for them.

[6:38]  ³¹ tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.

[6:38]  ³² tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”

[6:39]  ³³ 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 he?”).

[6:39]  ³⁴ sn The picture of a blind man leading a blind man is a warning to watch who one follows: Won’t they both fall into a pit? The sermon has been about religious choices and reacting graciously to those who oppose the followers of Jesus. Here Jesus’ point was to be careful who you follow and where they are taking you.

[6:40]  ³⁵ tn Or “student.”

[6:40]  ³⁶ tn Or “significantly different.” The idea, as the next phrase shows, is that teachers build followers who go the same direction they do.

[6:41]  ³⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:41]  ³⁸ sn A speck (also twice in v. 42) refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw (L&N 3.66).

[6:41]  ³⁹ tn Or “do not notice.”

[6:41]  ⁴⁰ sn The beam of wood (also twice in v. 42) refers to a big piece of wood, the main beam of a building, in contrast to the speck in the other’s eye (L&N 7.78).

[6:43]  ⁴¹ tn The explanatory connective γάρ (gar) is often dropped from translations, but the point of the passage is that one should be self-corrective and be careful who one follows (vv. 41-42), because such choices also reflect what the nature of the tree is and its product.

[6:43]  ⁴² tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying both “fruit” and “tree,” can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).

[6:43]  ⁴³ tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C D Θ Ψ 33 Ï lat sy sa), lack the adverb πάλιν (palin, “again”) here. Its presence is attested, however, by several good witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B L W Ξ Ë^1,13 579 892 1241 2542).

[6:44]  ⁴⁴ sn The principle of the passage is that one produces what one is.

[6:44]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “they do not gather”; this has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.

[6:44]  ⁴⁶ tn This is a different verb (τρυγῶσιν, trugwsin) for gathering from the previous one (συλλέγουσιν, sullegousin).

[6:44]  ⁴⁷ tn This is a different term (βάτος, batos) for a thorn or bramble bush than the previous one (ἄκανθα, akanqa).

[6:45]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “the”; the Greek article has been translated here and in the following clause (“out of the evil”) as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[6:45]  ⁴⁹ sn Mention of the heart shows that Jesus is not interested in what is done, but why. Motives are more important than actions for him.

[6:45]  ⁵⁰ tn The word “treasury” is not repeated in the Greek text at this point, but is implied.

[6:45]  ⁵¹ sn What one utters from one’s mouth is especially singled out as the example of this principle. James seems to have known this teaching (Jas 1:26; 3:1-12).

[6:45]  ⁵² tn Grk “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

[6:46]  ⁵³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:46]  ⁵⁴ tn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

[6:46]  ⁵⁵ sn Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you? Respect is not a matter of mere words, but is reflected in obedient action. This short saying, which is much simpler than its more developed conceptual parallel in Matt 7:21-23, serves in this form to simply warn and issue a call to hear and obey, as the last parable also does in vv. 47-49.

[6:47]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “and does them.”

[6:48]  ⁵⁷ tn Here and in v. 49 the Greek text reads ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), while the parallel account in Matt 7:24-27 uses ἀνήρ (anhr) in vv. 24 and 26.

[6:48]  ⁵⁸ tn There are actually two different Greek verbs used here: “who dug (ἔσκαψεν, eskayen) and dug deep (ἐβάθυνεν, ebaqunen).” Jesus is placing emphasis on the effort to which the man went to prepare his foundation.

[6:48]  ⁵⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:48]  ⁶⁰ sn The picture here is of a river overflowing its banks and causing flooding and chaos.

[6:48]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.

[6:48]  ⁶² tc Most mss, especially later ones (A C D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï latt), read “because he built [it] on the rock” rather than “because it had been well built” (Ì^75vid א B L W Ξ 33 579 892 1241 2542 pc sa). The reading of the later mss seems to be a harmonization to Matt 7:25, rendering it most likely secondary.

[6:49]  ⁶³ tn Grk “does not do [them].”

[6:49]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “against which”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative clause was converted to a temporal clause in the translation and a new sentence started here.

[6:49]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “it”; the referent (that house) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:49]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “and its crash was great.”