Lukas 13:26-30

13:26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ ¹  13:27 But ²  he will reply, ³  ‘I don’t know where you come from! ⁴  Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ ⁵  13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth ⁶  when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, ⁷  and all the prophets in the kingdom of God ⁸  but you yourselves thrown out. ⁹  13:29 Then ¹⁰  people ¹¹  will come from east and west, and from north and south, and take their places at the banquet table ¹²  in the kingdom of God. ¹³  13:30 But ¹⁴  indeed, ¹⁵  some are last ¹⁶  who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

[13:26]  ¹ sn This term refers to wide streets, and thus suggests the major streets of a city.

[13:27]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[13:27]  ³ tc Most mss (Ì^75* A D L W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 Ï) have ἐρεῖ λέγω ὑμῖν (erei legw Jumin; “he will say, ‘I say to you’”) here, while some have only ἐρεῖ ὑμῖν (“he will say to you” in א 579 pc lat sa) or simply ἐρεῖ (“he will say” in 1195 pc). The variety of readings seems to have arisen from the somewhat unusual wording of the original, ἐρεῖ λέγων ὑμῖν (erei legwn Jumin; “he will say, saying to you” found in Ì^75c B 892 pc). Given the indicative λέγω, it is difficult to explain how the other readings would have arisen. But if the participle λέγων were original, the other readings can more easily be explained as arising from it. Although the external evidence is significantly stronger in support of the indicative reading, the internal evidence is on the side of the participle.

[13:27]  tn Grk “he will say, saying to you.” The participle λέγων (legwn) and its indirect object ὑμῖν (Jumin) are redundant in contemporary English and have not been translated.

[13:27]  ⁴ sn The issue is not familiarity (with Jesus’ teaching) or even shared activity (eating and drinking with him), but knowing Jesus. Those who do not know him, he will not know where they come from (i.e., will not acknowledge) at the judgment.

[13:27]  ⁵ tn Grk “all you workers of iniquity.” The phrase resembles Ps 6:8.

[13:28]  ⁶ sn Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a figure for remorse and trauma, which occurs here because of exclusion from God’s promise.

[13:28]  ⁷ tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” 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.

[13:28]  ⁸ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[13:28]  ⁹ tn Or “being thrown out.” The present accusative participle, ἐκβαλλομένους (ekballomenous), related to the object ὑμᾶς (Jumas), seems to suggest that these evildoers will witness their own expulsion from the kingdom.

[13:29]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the discourse.

[13:29]  ¹¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (people who will come to participate in the kingdom) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:29]  ¹² tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of accompanying those who are included as the people of God at the end.

[13:29]  ¹³ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[13:30]  ¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[13:30]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “behold.”

[13:30]  ¹⁶ sn Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. Jesus’ answer is that some who are expected to be there (many from Israel) will not be there, while others not expected to be present (from other nations) will be present. The question is not, “Will the saved be few?” (see v. 23), but “Will it be you?”