Lukas 7:18-23

Jesus and John the Baptist

7:18 John’s ¹  disciples informed him about all these things. So ²  John called ³  two of his disciples 7:19 and sent them to Jesus ⁴  to ask, ⁵  “Are you the one who is to come, ⁶  or should we look for another?” 7:20 When ⁷  the men came to Jesus, ⁸  they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ⁹  ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” ¹⁰  7:21 At that very time ¹¹  Jesus ¹²  cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, ¹³  and evil spirits, and granted ¹⁴  sight to many who were blind. 7:22 So ¹⁵  he answered them, ¹⁶  “Go tell ¹⁷  John what you have seen and heard: ¹⁸  The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the ¹⁹  deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 7:23 Blessed is anyone ²⁰  who takes no offense at me.”

Lukas 9:7-9

Herod’s Confusion about Jesus

9:7 Now Herod ²¹  the tetrarch ²²  heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, ²³  because some people were saying that John ²⁴  had been raised from the dead, 9:8 while others were saying that Elijah ²⁵  had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. ²⁶  9:9 Herod said, “I had John ²⁷  beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus. ²⁸ 

[7:18]  ¹ tn Grk “And John’s.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. This is a reference to John the Baptist as the following context makes clear.

[7:18]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that John’s action was a result of the report he had heard.

[7:18]  ³ tn Grk “And calling two of his disciples, John sent.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[7:19]  ⁴ tc ‡ Although most mss (א A W Θ Ψ Ë¹ Ï it sy bo) read πρὸς τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν (pro" ton Ihsoun, “to Jesus”), other important witnesses (B L Ξ Ë¹³ 33 pc sa) read πρὸς τὸν κύριον (pro" ton kurion, “to the Lord”). A decision is difficult in this instance, as there are good witnesses on both sides. In light of this, that “Jesus” is more widespread than “the Lord” with almost equally important witnesses argues for its authenticity.

[7:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “to Jesus, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.

[7:19]  ⁶ sn Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Luke 3:15-17.

[7:20]  ⁷ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[7:20]  ⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:20]  ⁹ tn Grk “to you, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.

[7:20]  ¹⁰ tn This question is repeated word for word from v. 19.

[7:21]  ¹¹ tn Grk “In that hour.”

[7:21]  ¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:21]  ¹³ tn Grk “and sicknesses,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[7:21]  ¹⁴ tn Or “and bestowed (sight) on.”

[7:22]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the relationship to Jesus’ miraculous cures in the preceding sentence.

[7:22]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “answering, he said to them.” This is redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “he answered them.”

[7:22]  ¹⁷ sn The same verb has been translated “inform” in 7:18.

[7:22]  ¹⁸ sn What you have seen and heard. The following activities all paraphrase various OT descriptions of the time of promised salvation: Isa 35:5-6; 26:19; 29:18-19; 61:1. Jesus is answering not by acknowledging a title, but by pointing to the nature of his works, thus indicating the nature of the time.

[7:22]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[7:23]  ²⁰ tn Grk “whoever.”

[9:7]  ²¹ sn Herod refers here to Herod Antipas. See the note on Herod Antipas in 3:1.

[9:7]  ²² sn See the note on tetrarch in 3:1.

[9:7]  ²³ tn Or “was very confused.” See L&N 32.10 where this verse is given as an example of the usage.

[9:7]  ²⁴ sn John refers to John the Baptist, whom Herod had beheaded (v. 9).

[9:8]  ²⁵ sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.

[9:8]  ²⁶ sn The phrase had risen could be understood to mean “had been resurrected,” but this is only a possible option, not a necessary one, since the phrase could merely mean that a figure had appeared on the scene who mirrored an earlier historical figure. The three options of vv. 7-8 will be repeated in v. 19.

[9:9]  ²⁷ tn Grk “John I beheaded”; John’s name is in emphatic position in the Greek text. The verb is causative, since Herod would not have personally carried out the execution.

[9:9]  ²⁸ tn The expression ἐζήτει ἰδεῖν αὐτόν (ezhtei idein auton, “was seeking to see him”) probably indicates that Herod, for curiosity’s sake or more likely for evil purposes, wanted to get to know Jesus, i.e., who he was and what he was doing. See I. H. Marshall, Luke (NIGTC), 357. Herod finally got his wish in Luke 23:6-12, with inconclusive results from his point of view.