Luke 8:13

8:13 Those ¹  on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, ²  but ³  in a time of testing ⁴  fall away. ⁵ 

Luke 14:18

14:18 But one after another they all ⁶  began to make excuses. ⁷  The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, ⁸  and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ ⁹ 

Luke 16:26

16:26 Besides all this, ¹⁰  a great chasm ¹¹  has been fixed between us, ¹²  so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

[8:13]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:13]  ² sn This time of temporary faith represented by the description believe for a while is presented rather tragically in the passage. The seed does not get a chance to do all it can.

[8:13]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:13]  ⁴ tn Traditionally, “temptation.” Such a translation puts the emphasis on temptation to sin rather than testing of faith, which is what the context seems to indicate.

[8:13]  ⁵ sn Fall away. On the idea of falling away and the warnings against it, see 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 3:12; Jer 3:14; Dan 9:9.

[14:18]  ⁶ tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). "One after another" is suggested by L&N 61.2.

[14:18]  ⁷ sn To make excuses and cancel at this point was an insult in the culture of the time. Regardless of customs concerning responses to invitations, refusal at this point was rude.

[14:18]  ⁸ sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.

[14:18]  ⁹ sn The expression Please excuse me is probably a polite way of refusing, given the dynamics of the situation, although it is important to note that an initial acceptance had probably been indicated and it was now a bit late for a refusal. The semantic equivalent of the phrase may well be “please accept my apologies.”

[16:26]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And in all these things.” There is no way Lazarus could carry out this request even if divine justice were not involved.

[16:26]  ¹² sn The great chasm between heaven and hell is impassable forever. The rich man’s former status meant nothing now.

[16:26]  ¹³ tn Grk “between us and you.”