Proverbs 16:32

16:32 Better to be slow to anger ¹  than to be a mighty warrior,

and one who controls his temper ²  is better than ³  one who captures a city. ⁴ 

Luke 6:27-30

6:27 “But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, ⁵  do good to those who hate you, 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat ⁶  you. 6:29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, ⁷  offer the other as well, ⁸  and from the person who takes away your coat, ⁹  do not withhold your tunic ¹⁰  either. ¹¹  6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, ¹²  and do not ask for your possessions ¹³  back ¹⁴  from the person who takes them away.

Luke 6:1

Lord of the Sabbath

6:1 Jesus ¹⁵  was going through the grain fields on ¹⁶  a Sabbath, ¹⁷  and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, ¹⁸  rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. ¹⁹ 

Luke 3:9

3:9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, ²⁰  and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be ²¹  cut down and thrown into the fire.”

[16:32]  ¹ tn One who is “slow to anger” is a patient person (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). This is explained further in the parallel line by the description of “one who rules his spirit” (וּמֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ, umoshel bÿrukho), meaning “controls his temper.” This means the person has the emotions under control and will not “fly off the handle” quickly.

[16:32]  ² tn Heb “who rules his spirit” (so NASB).

[16:32]  ³ tn The phrase “is better than” does not appear in this line in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism.

[16:32]  ⁴ sn The saying would have had greater impact when military prowess was held in high regard. It is harder, and therefore better, to control one’s passions than to do some great exploit on the battlefield.

[6:27]  ⁵ sn Love your enemies is the first of four short exhortations that call for an unusual response to those who are persecuting disciples. Disciples are to relate to hostility in a completely unprecedented manner.

[6:28]  ⁶ tn The substantival participle ἐπηρεαζόντων (ephreazontwn), sometimes translated “those who abuse” (NRSV), is better rendered “those who mistreat,” a more general term (see L&N 88.129).

[6:29]  ⁷ sn The phrase strikes you on the cheek probably pictures public rejection, like the act that indicated expulsion from the synagogue.

[6:29]  ⁸ sn This command to offer the other cheek as well is often misunderstood. It means that there is risk involved in reaching out to people with God’s hope. But if one is struck down in rejection, the disciple is to continue reaching out.

[6:29]  ⁹ tn Or “cloak.”

[6:29]  ¹⁰ tn See the note on the word “tunics” in 3:11.

[6:29]  ¹¹ sn The command do not withhold your tunic either is again an image of continually being totally at risk as one tries to keep contact with those who are hostile to what Jesus and his disciples offer.

[6:30]  ¹² sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to everyone who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).

[6:30]  ¹³ tn Grk “your things,” sometimes translated “what is yours” or “what belongs to you.”

[6:30]  ¹⁴ sn Do not ask for your possessions back… is an example of showing forgiveness. Paul’s remarks in 1 Cor 6:7 may reflect this principle.

[6:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:1]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “Now it happened that on.” 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.

[6:1]  ¹⁷ tc Most later mss (A C D Θ Ψ [˹³] Ï lat) read ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ (en sabbatw deuteroprwtw, “a second-first Sabbath”), while the earlier and better witnesses have simply ἐν σαββάτῳ (Ì⁴ א B L W ˹ 33 579 1241 2542 it sa). The longer reading is most likely secondary, though various explanations may account for it (for discussion, see TCGNT 116).

[6:1]  ¹⁸ tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).

[6:1]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “picked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.” The participle ψώχοντες (ywconte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style, and the order of the clauses has been transposed to reflect the logical order, which sounds more natural in English.

[3:9]  ²⁰ sn Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees. The imagery of an “ax already laid at the root of the trees” is vivid, connoting sudden and catastrophic judgment for the unrepentant and unfruitful. The image of “fire” serves to further heighten the intensity of the judgment referred to. It is John’s way of summoning all people to return to God with all their heart and avoid his unquenchable wrath soon to be poured out. John’s language and imagery is probably ultimately drawn from the OT where Israel is referred to as a fruitless vine (Hos 10:1-2; Jer 2:21-22) and the image of an “ax” is used to indicate God’s judgment (Ps 74:5-6; Jer 46:22).

[3:9]  ²¹ tn Grk “is”; the present tense (ἐκκόπτεται, ekkoptetai) has futuristic force here.