Luke 9:52-62
Context9:52 He 1 sent messengers on ahead of him. 2 As they went along, 3 they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance 4 for him, 9:53 but the villagers 5 refused to welcome 6 him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 7 9:54 Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume 8 them?” 9 9:55 But Jesus 10 turned and rebuked them, 11 9:56 and they went on to another village.
9:57 As 12 they were walking 13 along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 14 9:58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky 15 have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 16 9:59 Jesus 17 said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, 18 “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 9:60 But Jesus 19 said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, 20 but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 21 9:61 Yet 22 another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” 23 9:62 Jesus 24 said to him, “No one who puts his 25 hand to the plow and looks back 26 is fit for the kingdom of God.” 27
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[9:52] 1 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[9:52] 2 tn Grk “sent messengers before his face,” an idiom.
[9:52] 3 tn Grk “And going along, they entered.” The aorist passive participle πορευθέντες (poreuqente") has been taken temporally. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[9:52] 4 tn Or “to prepare (things) for him.”
[9:53] 5 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the villagers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:53] 6 tn Or “did not receive”; this verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality or welcome (L&N 34.53).
[9:53] 7 tn Grk “because his face was set toward Jerusalem.”
[9:54] 9 tc Most
[9:55] 10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:55] 11 tc Many
[9:57] 12 tn Grk “And as.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[9:57] 13 tn Grk “going,” but “walking” is an accurate description of how they traveled about.
[9:57] 14 tc Most
[9:58] 15 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
[9:58] 16 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
[9:59] 17 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:60] 19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:60] 20 sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20
[9:60] 21 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
[9:61] 22 tn Grk “And another also said.”
[9:61] 23 tn Grk “to those in my house.”
[9:62] 24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[9:62] 25 tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
[9:62] 26 sn Jesus warns that excessive concern for family ties (looks back) will make the kingdom a lesser priority, which is not appropriate for discipleship. The image is graphic, for who can plow straight ahead toward a goal while looking back? Discipleship cannot be double-minded.
[9:62] 27 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.