Luke 8:12

8:12 Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil ¹  comes and takes away the word ²  from their hearts, so that they may not believe ³  and be saved.

Luke 8:18

8:18 So listen carefully, ⁴  for whoever has will be given more, but ⁵  whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has ⁶  will be taken from him.”

Luke 17:31

17:31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof, ⁷  with his goods in the house, must not come down ⁸  to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back.

Luke 19:22

19:22 The king ⁹  said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, ¹⁰  you wicked slave! ¹¹  So you knew, did you, that I was a severe ¹²  man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow?

Luke 22:36

22:36 He said to them, “But now, the one who ¹³  has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag ¹⁴  too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.

[8:12]  ¹ sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for the devil here: Matt 13:19 has “the evil one,” while Mark 4:15 has “Satan.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.

[8:12]  ² sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.

[8:12]  ³ tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") has been translated as a finite verb here. It may be regarded as an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance. From a logical standpoint the negative must govern both the participle and the finite verb.

[8:18]  ⁴ tn Or “Therefore pay close attention”; Grk “Take heed therefore how you hear.”

[8:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:18]  ⁶ sn The phrase what he thinks he has is important, because it is not what a person thinks he has that is important but whether he actually has something or not. Jesus describes the person who does not heed his word as having nothing. The person who has nothing loses even that which he thought was something but was not. In other words, he has absolutely nothing at all. Jesus’ teaching must be taken seriously.

[17:31]  ⁷ sn Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.

[17:31]  ⁸ sn The swiftness and devastation of the judgment will require a swift escape. There is no time to come down from one’s roof and pick up anything from inside one’s home.

[19:22]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the nobleman of v. 12, now a king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:22]  ¹¹ tn Grk “out of your own mouth” (an idiom).

[19:22]  ¹² tn Note the contrast between this slave, described as “wicked,” and the slave in v. 17, described as “good.”

[19:22]  ¹³ tn Or “exacting,” “harsh,” “hard.”

[22:36]  ¹³ tn The syntax of this verse is disputed, resulting in various translations. The major options are either (1) that reflected in the translation or (2) that those who have a money bag and traveler’s bag should get a sword, just as those who do not have these items should sell their cloak to buy a sword. The point of all the options is that things have changed and one now needs full provisions. Opposition will come. But “sword” is a figure for preparing to fight. See Luke 22:50-51.

[22:36]  ¹⁴ tn Or possibly “beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145).