Luke 6:35-37

6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. ¹  Then ²  your reward will be great, and you will be sons ³  of the Most High, ⁴  because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. ⁵  6:36 Be merciful, ⁶  just as your Father is merciful.

Do Not Judge Others

6:37 “Do ⁷  not judge, ⁸  and you will not be judged; ⁹  do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, ¹⁰  and you will be forgiven.

[6:35]  ¹ tn Or “in return.”

[6:35]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ sn That is, “sons of God.”

[6:35]  ⁵ tn Or “to the ungrateful and immoral.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[6:36]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Grk “And do.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:37]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ sn On forgive see Luke 11:4; 1 Pet 3:7.