Lukas 1:37

1:37 For nothing ¹  will be impossible with God.”

Lukas 3:18

3:18 And in this way, ²  with many other exhortations, John ³  proclaimed good news to the people.

Lukas 18:38

18:38 So ⁴  he called out, ⁵  “Jesus, Son of David, ⁶  have mercy ⁷  on me!”

[1:37]  ¹ tn In Greek, the phrase πᾶν ῥῆμα (pan rJhma, “nothing”) has an emphatic position, giving it emphasis as the lesson in the entire discussion. The remark is a call for faith.

[3:18]  ² tn On construction μὲν οὖν καί (men oun kai), see BDF §451.1.

[3:18]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:38]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the blind man learning that Jesus was nearby.

[18:38]  ⁵ tn Grk “called out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[18:38]  ⁶ sn Jesus was more than a Nazarene to this blind person, who saw quite well that Jesus was Son of David. He understood what Luke 7:22-23 affirms. There was a tradition in Judaism that the Son of David (Solomon) had great powers of healing (Josephus, Ant. 8.2.5 [8.42-49]).

[18:38]  ⁷ sn Have mercy on me is a request for healing (cf. 17:13). It is not owed the man. He simply asks for God’s kind grace.