Luke 6:46-48

6:46 “Why ¹  do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ ²  and don’t do what I tell you? ³ 

6:47 “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice ⁴  – I will show you what he is like: 6:48 He is like a man ⁵  building a house, who dug down deep, ⁶  and laid the foundation on bedrock. When ⁷  a flood came, the river ⁸  burst against that house but ⁹  could not shake it, because it had been well built. ¹⁰ 

Luke 6:2

6:2 But some of the Pharisees ¹¹  said, “Why are you ¹²  doing what is against the law ¹³  on the Sabbath?”

Luke 5:10-14

5:10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. ¹⁴  Then ¹⁵  Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on ¹⁶  you will be catching people.” ¹⁷  5:11 So ¹⁸  when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed ¹⁹  him.

Healing a Leper

5:12 While ²⁰  Jesus ²¹  was in one of the towns, ²²  a man came ²³  to him who was covered with ²⁴  leprosy. ²⁵  When ²⁶  he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground ²⁷  and begged him, ²⁸  “Lord, if ²⁹  you are willing, you can make me clean.” 5:13 So ³⁰  he stretched out his hand and touched ³¹  him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 5:14 Then ³²  he ordered the man ³³  to tell no one, ³⁴  but commanded him, ³⁵  “Go ³⁶  and show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering ³⁷  for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, ³⁸  as a testimony to them.” ³⁹ 

Ezekiel 37:4-7

37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 37:5 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath ⁴⁰  into you and you will live. 37:6 I will put tendons ⁴¹  on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath ⁴²  in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard ⁴³  a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

John 2:5

2:5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” ⁴⁴ 

John 15:14

15:14 You are my friends ⁴⁵  if you do what I command you.

[6:46]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:46]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Grk “and does them.”

[6:48]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:48]  ⁸ sn The picture here is of a river overflowing its banks and causing flooding and chaos.

[6:48]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.

[6:48]  ¹⁰ 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.

[6:2]  ¹¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[6:2]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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.

[5:10]  ¹⁴ tn Or “business associates.”

[5:10]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:10]  ¹⁶ sn From now on is a common Lukan expression, see Luke 1:48.

[5:10]  ¹⁷ tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”

[5:11]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of Jesus’ pronouncement.

[5:11]  ¹⁹ sn The expression left everything and followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

[5:12]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:12]  ²² tn Or “cities.”

[5:12]  ²³ 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]  ²⁴ tn Grk “full of leprosy” (an idiom for a severe condition).

[5:12]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Grk “he fell on his face”; an idiom for bowing down with one’s face to the ground.

[5:12]  ²⁸ tn Grk “and begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[5:12]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response of Jesus to the man’s request.

[5:13]  ³¹ 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]  ³² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[5:14]  ³³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:14]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ sn On the phrase as Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.

[5:14]  ³⁹ 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.

[37:5]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “I am about to bring a spirit.”

[37:6]  ⁴¹ tn The exact physiological meaning of the term is uncertain. In addition to v. 8, the term occurs only in Gen 32:33; Job 10:11; 40:17; and Jer 48:4.

[37:6]  ⁴² tn Or “a spirit.”

[37:7]  ⁴³ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[2:5]  ⁴⁴ tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[15:14]  ⁴⁵ sn This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisers to the Roman Emperor who were called “Friends of the Emperor.” Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of “inner circle” of Christians who are more privileged than mere “believers” or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus’ words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).