Luke 7:31-50

7:31 “To what then should I compare the people ¹  of this generation, and what are they like? 7:32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, ² 

‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; ³ 

we wailed in mourning, ⁴  yet you did not weep.’

7:33 For John the Baptist has come ⁵  eating no bread and drinking no wine, ⁶  and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ ⁷  7:34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him, ⁸  a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ⁹  7:35 But wisdom is vindicated ¹⁰  by all her children.” ¹¹ 

Jesus’ Anointing

7:36 Now one of the Pharisees ¹²  asked Jesus ¹³  to have dinner with him, so ¹⁴  he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ¹⁵  7:37 Then ¹⁶  when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus ¹⁷  was dining ¹⁸  at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar ¹⁹  of perfumed oil. ²⁰  7:38 As ²¹  she stood ²²  behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She ²³  wiped them with her hair, ²⁴  kissed ²⁵  them, ²⁶  and anointed ²⁷  them with the perfumed oil. 7:39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, ²⁸  he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, ²⁹  he would know who and what kind of woman ³⁰  this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 7:40 So ³¹  Jesus answered him, ³²  “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied, ³³  “Say it, Teacher.” 7:41 “A certain creditor ³⁴  had two debtors; one owed him ³⁵  five hundred silver coins, ³⁶  and the other fifty. 7:42 When they could not pay, he canceled ³⁷  the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 7:43 Simon answered, ³⁸  “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” ³⁹  Jesus ⁴⁰  said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 7:44 Then, ⁴¹  turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, ⁴²  but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 7:45 You gave me no kiss of greeting, ⁴³  but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. 7:46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet ⁴⁴  with perfumed oil. 7:47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; ⁴⁵  but the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 7:48 Then ⁴⁶  Jesus ⁴⁷  said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁸  7:49 But ⁴⁹  those who were at the table ⁵⁰  with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 7:50 He ⁵¹  said to the woman, “Your faith ⁵²  has saved you; ⁵³  go in peace.”

[7:31]  ¹ tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"). The comparison that follows in vv. 32-34 describes “this generation,” not Jesus and John.

[7:32]  ² tn Grk “They are like children sitting…and calling out…who say.”

[7:32]  ³ sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 33-34) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.

[7:32]  ⁴ tn The verb ἐθρηνήσαμεν (eqrhnhsamen) refers to the loud wailing and lamenting used to mourn the dead in public in 1st century Jewish culture.

[7:33]  ⁵ tn The perfect tenses in both this verse and the next do more than mere aorists would. They not only summarize, but suggest the characteristics of each ministry were still in existence at the time of speaking.

[7:33]  ⁶ tn Grk “neither eating bread nor drinking wine,” but this is somewhat awkward in contemporary English.

[7:33]  ⁷ sn John the Baptist was too separatist and ascetic for some, and so he was accused of not being directed by God, but by a demon.

[7:34]  ⁸ tn Grk “Behold a man.”

[7:34]  ⁹ sn Neither were they happy with Jesus (the Son of Man), even though he was the opposite of John and associated freely with people like tax collectors and sinners. Either way, God’s messengers were subject to complaint.

[7:35]  ¹⁰ tn Or “shown to be right.” This is the same verb translated “acknowledged… justice” in v. 29, with a similar sense – including the notion of response. Wisdom’s children are those who respond to God through John and Jesus.

[7:35]  ¹¹ tn Or “by all those who follow her” (cf. CEV, NLT). Note that the parallel in Matt 11:19 reads “by her deeds.”

[7:36]  ¹² sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[7:36]  ¹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:36]  ¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ action was the result of the Pharisee’s invitation.

[7:36]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “and reclined at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[7:37]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. 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).

[7:37]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:37]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “was reclining at table.”

[7:37]  ¹⁹ sn A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used.

[7:37]  ²⁰ tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The same phrase occurs at the end of v. 38 and in v. 46.

[7:38]  ²¹ tn Grk “And standing.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[7:38]  ²² tn Grk “standing”; the participle στᾶσα (stasa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[7:38]  ²³ tn Grk “tears, and she.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[7:38]  ²⁴ tn Grk “with the hair of her head.”

[7:38]  ²⁵ tn Grk “and kissed,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[7:38]  ²⁶ tn Grk “kissed his feet,” but this has been replaced by the pronoun “them” in keeping with contemporary English style.

[7:38]  ²⁷ sn The series of verbs in this verse detail the woman’s every move, much as if the onlookers were watching her every step. That she attended the meal is not so surprising, as teachers often ate an open meal where listeners were welcome, but for her to approach Jesus was unusual and took great nerve, especially given her reputation.

[7:39]  ²⁸ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[7:39]  ²⁹ tn This is a good example of a second class (contrary to fact) Greek conditional sentence. The Pharisee said, in effect, “If this man were a prophet (but he is not)…”

[7:39]  ³⁰ sn The Pharisees believed in a form of separationism that would have prevented them from any kind of association with such a sinful woman.

[7:40]  ³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the connection with the preceding statement recording the Pharisee’s thoughts.

[7:40]  ³² tn Grk “answering, said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered him.”

[7:40]  ³³ tn Grk “he said.”

[7:41]  ³⁴ sn A creditor was a moneylender, whose business was to lend money to others at a fixed rate of interest.

[7:41]  ³⁵ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[7:41]  ³⁶ tn Grk “five hundred denarii.”

[7:42]  ³⁷ tn The verb ἐχαρίσατο (ecarisato) could be translated as “forgave.” Of course this pictures the forgiveness of God’s grace, which is not earned but bestowed with faith (see v. 49).

[7:43]  ³⁸ tn Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered.”

[7:43]  ³⁹ tn Grk “the one to whom he forgave more” (see v. 42).

[7:43]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[7:44]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[7:44]  ⁴² sn It is discussed whether these acts in vv. 44-46 were required by the host. Most think they were not, but this makes the woman’s acts of respect all the more amazing.

[7:45]  ⁴³ tn Grk “no kiss.” This refers to a formalized kiss of greeting, standard in that culture. To convey this to the modern reader, the words “of greeting” have been supplied to qualify what kind of kiss is meant.

[7:46]  ⁴⁴ sn This event is not equivalent to the anointing of Jesus that takes place in the last week of his life (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8). That woman was not a sinner, and Jesus was eating in the home of Simon the leper, who, as a leper, could never be a Pharisee.

[7:47]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “for she loved much.” The connection between this statement and the preceding probably involves an ellipsis, to the effect that the ὅτι clause gives the evidence of forgiveness, not the ground. For similar examples of an “evidentiary” ὅτι, cf. Luke 1:22; 6:21; 13:2. See discussion in D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:703-5. Further evidence that this is the case here is the final statement: “the one who is forgiven little loves little” means that the one who is forgiven little is thus not able to love much. The REB renders this verse: “her great love proves that her many sins have been forgiven; where little has been forgiven, little love is shown.”

[7:48]  ⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[7:48]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:48]  ⁴⁸ sn Jesus showed his authority to forgive sins, something that was quite controversial. See Luke 5:17-26 and the next verse.

[7:49]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And”; here καί (kai) has been translated as an adversative (contrastive).

[7:49]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “were reclining at table.”

[7:50]  ⁵¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[7:50]  ⁵² sn On faith see Luke 5:20; 7:9; 8:25; 12:28; 17:6; 18:8; 22:32.

[7:50]  ⁵³ sn The questioning did not stop Jesus. He declared authoritatively that the woman was forgiven by God (your faith has saved you). This event is a concrete example of Luke 5:31-32.