Proverbs 17:15

17:15 The one who acquits the guilty and the one who condemns the innocent ¹  –

both of them are an abomination to the Lord. ² 

Malachi 2:17

Resistance to the Lord through Self-deceit

2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” Because you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s opinion, ³  and he delights in them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

Malachi 3:15

3:15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. ⁴  In fact, those who challenge ⁵  God escape!’”

Matthew 6:23

6:23 But if your eye is diseased, ⁶  your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matthew 15:3-6

15:3 He answered them, ⁷  “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4 For God said, ⁸  ‘Honor your father and mother’ ⁹  and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ ¹⁰  15:5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” ¹¹  15:6 he does not need to honor his father.’ ¹²  You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition.

Matthew 23:16-23

23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. ¹³  But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. ¹⁴  But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.

23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law ¹⁵  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth ¹⁶  of mint, dill, and cumin, ¹⁷  yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You ¹⁸  should have done these things without neglecting the others.

Luke 11:35

11:35 Therefore see to it ¹⁹  that the light in you ²⁰  is not darkness.

Luke 16:15

16:15 But ²¹  Jesus ²²  said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, ²³  but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized ²⁴  among men is utterly detestable ²⁵  in God’s sight.

Luke 16:2

16:2 So ²⁶  he called the manager ²⁷  in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? ²⁸  Turn in the account of your administration, ²⁹  because you can no longer be my manager.’

Luke 3:1-5

The Ministry of John the Baptist

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, ³⁰  when Pontius Pilate ³¹  was governor of Judea, and Herod ³²  was tetrarch ³³  of Galilee, and his brother Philip ³⁴  was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ³⁵  was tetrarch of Abilene, 3:2 during the high priesthood ³⁶  of Annas and Caiaphas, the word ³⁷  of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³⁸  3:3 He ³⁹  went into all the region around the Jordan River, ⁴⁰  preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴¹ 

3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice ⁴²  of one shouting in the wilderness: ⁴³ 

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make ⁴⁴  his paths straight.

3:5 Every valley will be filled, ⁴⁵ 

and every mountain and hill will be brought low,

and the crooked will be made straight,

and the rough ways will be made smooth,

Luke 3:2

3:2 during the high priesthood ⁴⁶  of Annas and Caiaphas, the word ⁴⁷  of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ⁴⁸ 

Luke 2:1

The Census and the Birth of Jesus

2:1 Now ⁴⁹  in those days a decree ⁵⁰  went out from Caesar ⁵¹  Augustus ⁵²  to register ⁵³  all the empire ⁵⁴  for taxes.

Luke 2:18-19

2:18 and all who heard it were astonished ⁵⁵  at what the shepherds said. 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. ⁵⁶ 

[17:15]  ¹ tn Heb “he who justifies the wicked and and he who condemns the righteous” (so NASB). The first colon uses two Hiphil participles, מַצְדִּיק (matsdiq) and מַרְשִׁיעַ (marshia’). The first means “to declare righteous” (a declarative Hiphil), and the second means “to make wicked [or, guilty]” or “to condemn” (i.e., “to declare guilty”). To declare someone righteous who is a guilty criminal, or to condemn someone who is innocent, are both abominations for the Righteous Judge of the whole earth.

[17:15]  ² tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.”

[2:17]  ³ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “built up” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “prosper”; NLT “get rich.”

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Or “test”; NRSV, CEV “put God to the test.”

[6:23]  ⁷ tn Or “if your eye is sick” (L&N 23.149).

[15:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.”

[15:4]  ¹¹ tc Most mss (א*^,2 C L W 0106 33 Ï) have an expanded introduction here; instead of “For God said,” they read “For God commanded, saying” (ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἐνετείλατο λέγων, Jo gar qeo" eneteilato legwn). But such expansions are generally motivated readings; in this case, most likely it was due to the wording of the previous verse (“the commandment of God”) that caused early scribes to add to the text. Although it is possible that other witnesses reduced the text to the simple εἶπεν (eipen, “[God] said”) because of perceived redundancy with the statement in v. 3, such is unlikely in light of the great variety and age of these authorities (א¹ B D Θ 073 Ë^1,13 579 700 892 pc lat co, as well as other versions and fathers).

[15:4]  ¹² sn A quotation from Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.

[15:4]  ¹³ sn A quotation from Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9.

[15:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “is a gift,” that is, something dedicated to God.

[15:6]  ¹⁵ tc The logic of v. 5 would seem to demand that both father and mother are in view in v. 6. Indeed, the majority of mss (C L W Θ 0106 ˹ Ï) have “or his mother” (ἢ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, h thn mhtera autou) after “honor his father” here. However, there are significant witnesses that have variations on this theme (καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ [kai thn mhtera autou, “and his mother”] in Φ 565 1241 pc and ἢ τὴν μητέρα [“or mother”] in 073 ˹³ 33 579 700 892 pc), which is usually an indication of a predictable addition to the text rather than an authentic reading. Further, the shorter reading (without any mention of “mother”) is found in early and important witnesses (א B D sa). Although it is possible that the shorter reading came about accidentally (due to the repetition of –ερα αὐτοῦ), the evidence more strongly suggests that the longer readings were intentional scribal alterations.

[23:16]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”

[23:18]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”

[23:23]  ²¹ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:23]  ²² tn Or “you tithe mint.”

[23:23]  ²³ sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.

[23:23]  ²⁴ tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ Ë^1,13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[11:35]  ²³ tn This is a present imperative, calling for a constant watch (L&N 24.32; ExSyn 721).

[11:35]  ²⁴ sn Here you is a singular pronoun, individualizing the application.

[16:15]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:15]  ²⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ²⁷ tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.

[16:15]  ²⁸ tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.

[16:15]  ²⁹ tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).

[16:2]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the reports the man received about his manager.

[16:2]  ²⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:2]  ²⁹ sn Although phrased as a question, the charges were believed by the owner, as his dismissal of the manager implies.

[16:2]  ³⁰ tn Or “stewardship”; the Greek word οἰκονομία (oikonomia) is cognate with the noun for the manager (οἰκονόμος, oikonomo").

[3:1]  ²⁹ tn Or “Emperor Tiberius” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[3:1]  ³⁰ sn The rule of Pontius Pilate is also described by Josephus, J. W. 2.9.2-4 (2.169-177) and Ant. 18.3.1 (18.55-59).

[3:1]  ³¹ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. He ruled from 4 b.c.-a.d. 39, sharing the rule of his father’s realm with his two brothers. One brother, Archelaus (Matt 2:22) was banished in a.d. 6 and died in a.d. 18; the other brother, Herod Philip (mentioned next) died in a.d. 34.

[3:1]  ³² sn A tetrarch was a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, who ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod tetrarch of Galilee is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage.

[3:1]  ³³ sn Philip refers to Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great and brother of Herod Antipas. Philip ruled as tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis from 4 b.c.-a.d. 34.

[3:1]  ³⁴ sn Nothing else is known about Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene.

[3:2]  ³¹ sn Use of the singular high priesthood to mention two figures is unusual but accurate, since Annas was the key priest from a.d. 6-15 and then his relatives were chosen for many of the next several years. After two brief tenures by others, his son-in-law Caiaphas came to power and stayed there until a.d. 36.

[3:2]  ³² tn The term translated “word” here is not λόγος (logos) but ῥῆμα (rJhma), and thus could refer to the call of the Lord to John to begin ministry.

[3:2]  ³³ tn Or “desert.”

[3:3]  ³³ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:3]  ³⁴ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[3:3]  ³⁵ sn A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was a call for preparation for the arrival of the Lord’s salvation. To participate in this baptism was a recognition of the need for God’s forgiveness with a sense that one needed to live differently as a response to it (Luke 3:10-14).

[3:4]  ³⁵ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:4]  ³⁶ tn Or “desert.” The syntactic position of the phrase “in the wilderness” is unclear in both Luke and the LXX. The MT favors taking it with “Prepare a way,” while the LXX takes it with “a voice shouting.” If the former, the meaning would be that such preparation should be done “in the wilderness.” If the latter, the meaning would be that the place from where John’s ministry went forth was “in the wilderness.” There are Jewish materials that support both renderings: 1QS 8:14 and 9.19-20 support the MT while certain rabbinic texts favor the LXX (see D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:290-91). While it is not absolutely necessary that a call in the wilderness led to a response in the wilderness, it is not unlikely that such would be the case. Thus, in the final analysis, the net effect between the two choices may be minimal. In any case, a majority of commentators and translations take “in the wilderness” with “The voice of one shouting” (D. L. Bock; R. H. Stein, Luke [NAC], 129; I. H. Marshall, Luke [NIGTC], 136; NIV, NRSV, NKJV, NLT, NASB, REB).

[3:4]  ³⁷ tn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance as the verb ποιέω (poiew) reappears in vv. 8, 10, 11, 12, 14.

[3:5]  ³⁷ sn The figurative language of this verse speaks of the whole creation preparing for the arrival of a major figure, so all obstacles to his approach are removed.

[3:2]  ³⁹ sn Use of the singular high priesthood to mention two figures is unusual but accurate, since Annas was the key priest from a.d. 6-15 and then his relatives were chosen for many of the next several years. After two brief tenures by others, his son-in-law Caiaphas came to power and stayed there until a.d. 36.

[3:2]  ⁴⁰ tn The term translated “word” here is not λόγος (logos) but ῥῆμα (rJhma), and thus could refer to the call of the Lord to John to begin ministry.

[3:2]  ⁴¹ tn Or “desert.”

[2:1]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” 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.

[2:1]  ⁴² sn This decree was a formal decree from the Roman Senate.

[2:1]  ⁴³ tn Or “from the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[2:1]  ⁴⁴ sn Caesar Augustus refers to Octavian, who was Caesar from 27 b.c. to a.d. 14. He was known for his administrative prowess.

[2:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “that all the empire should be registered for taxes.” The passive infinitive ἀπογράφεσθαι (apografesqai) has been rendered as an active in the translation to improve the English style. The verb is regarded as a technical term for official registration in tax lists (BDAG 108 s.v. ἀπογράφω a).

[2:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “the whole (inhabited) world,” but this was a way to refer to the Roman empire (L&N 1.83).

[2:18]  ⁴³ tn Grk “marveled.” It is a hard word to translate with one term in this context. There is a mixture of amazement and pondering at work in considering the surprising events here. See Luke 1:21, 63; 2:33.

[2:19]  ⁴⁵ tn The term συμβάλλουσα (sumballousa) suggests more than remembering. She is trying to put things together here (Josephus, Ant. 2.5.3 [2.72]). The words “what they might mean” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.