Lukas 10:1

The Mission of the Seventy-Two

10:1 After this ¹  the Lord appointed seventy-two ²  others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town ³  and place where he himself was about to go.

Lukas 10:39

10:39 She ⁴  had a sister named Mary, who sat ⁵  at the Lord’s feet ⁶  and listened to what he said.

Lukas 10:41

10:41 But the Lord ⁷  answered her, ⁸  “Martha, Martha, ⁹  you are worried and troubled ¹⁰  about many things,

[10:1]  ¹ tn Grk “And after these things.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:1]  ² tc There is a difficult textual problem here and in v. 17, where the number is either “seventy” (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï and several church fathers and early versions) or “seventy-two” (Ì⁷⁵ B D 0181 pc lat as well as other versions and fathers). The more difficult reading is “seventy-two,” since scribes would be prone to assimilate this passage to several OT passages that refer to groups of seventy people (Num 11:13-17; Deut 10:22; Judg 8:30; 2 Kgs 10:1 et al.); this reading also has slightly better ms support. “Seventy” could be the preferred reading if scribes drew from the tradition of the number of translators of the LXX, which the Letter of Aristeas puts at seventy-two (TCGNT 127), although this is far less likely. All things considered, “seventy-two” is a much more difficult reading and accounts for the rise of the other. Only Luke notes a second larger mission like the one in 9:1-6.

[10:1]  ³ tn Or “city.”

[10:39]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[10:39]  ⁵ tn This reflexive makes it clear that Mary took the initiative in sitting by Jesus.

[10:39]  ⁶ sn The description of Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to him makes her sound like a disciple (compare Luke 8:35).

[10:41]  ⁷ tc Most mss (A B* C D W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï it) read “Jesus” instead of “the Lord” here, but κύριος (kurios, “Lord”) has the support of some weighty papyri, uncials, and other witnesses (Ì^3,[45],75 א B² L 579 892 pc lat sa).

[10:41]  ⁸ tn Grk “answering, said to her.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered her.”

[10:41]  ⁹ sn The double vocative Martha, Martha communicates emotion.

[10:41]  ¹⁰ tn Or “upset.” Here the meanings of μεριμνάω (merimnaw) and θορυβάζομαι (qorubazomai) reinforce each other (L&N 25.234).