Lukas 12:54-59

Reading the Signs

12:54 Jesus ¹  also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, ²  you say at once, ‘A rainstorm ³  is coming,’ and it does. 12:55 And when you see the south wind ⁴  blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. 12:56 You hypocrites! ⁵  You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how ⁶  to interpret the present time?

Clear the Debts

12:57 “And ⁷  why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 12:58 As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate, ⁸  make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, ⁹  and the officer throw you into prison. 12:59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent!” ¹⁰ 

[12:54]  ¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “also” and δέ (de) has not been translated.

[12:54]  ² sn A cloud rising in the west refers to moisture coming from the Mediterranean Sea.

[12:54]  ³ tn The term ὄμβρος (ombro") refers to heavy rain, such as in a thunderstorm (L&N 14.12).

[12:55]  ⁴ sn The south wind comes from the desert, and thus brings scorching heat.

[12:56]  ⁵ sn In Luke, the term hypocrites occurs here, in 6:42, and in 13:15.

[12:56]  ⁶ tc Most mss (Ì⁴⁵ A W Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat) have a syntax here that reflects a slightly different rhetorical question: “but how do you not interpret the present time?” The reading behind the translation, however, has overall superior support: Ì⁷⁵ א B L Θ 33 892 1241 pc.

[12:57]  ⁷ tn Jesus calls for some personal reflection. However, this unit probably does connect to the previous one – thus the translation of δέ (de) here as “And” – to make a good spiritual assessment, thus calling for application to the spiritual, rather than personal, realm.

[12:58]  ⁸ sn The term magistrate (ἄρχων, arcwn) refers to an official who, under the authority of the government, serves as judge in legal cases (see L&N 56.29).

[12:58]  ⁹ sn The officer (πράκτωρ, praktwr) was a civil official who functioned like a bailiff and was in charge of debtor’s prison. The use of the term, however, does not automatically demand a Hellenistic setting (BDAG 859 s.v.; K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:539; C. Maurer, TDNT 6:642).

[12:59]  ¹⁰ tn Here the English word “cent” is used as opposed to the parallel in Matt 5:26 where “penny” appears, since the Greek word there is different and refers to a different but similar coin.

[12:59]  sn This cent was a lepton, the smallest coin available. It was copper or bronze, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius. The parallel in Matt 5:26 mentions the quadrans instead of the lepton. The illustration refers to the debt one owes God and being sure to settle with him in the right time, before it is too late. Some interpreters, however, consider it to be like Matt 5:26, which has similar imagery but a completely different context.