Lukas 2:8

The Shepherds’ Visit

2:8 Now ¹  there were shepherds ²  nearby ³  living out in the field, keeping guard ⁴  over their flock at night.

Lukas 6:32

6:32 “If ⁵  you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners ⁶  love those who love them. ⁷ 

Lukas 10:23

10:23 Then ⁸  Jesus ⁹  turned ¹⁰  to his ¹¹  disciples and said privately, “Blessed ¹²  are the eyes that see what you see!

Lukas 12:16

12:16 He then ¹³  told them a parable: ¹⁴  “The land of a certain rich man produced ¹⁵  an abundant crop,

Lukas 19:43

19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build ¹⁶  an embankment ¹⁷  against you and surround you and close in on you from every side.

Lukas 21:1

The Widow’s Offering

21:1 Jesus ¹⁸  looked up ¹⁹  and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box. ²⁰ 

Lukas 21:27

21:27 Then ²¹  they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud ²²  with power and great glory.

Lukas 22:8

22:8 Jesus ²³  sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover ²⁴  for us to eat.” ²⁵ 

Lukas 23:31

23:31 For if such things are done ²⁶  when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” ²⁷ 

[2:8]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[2:8]  ² sn Some argue that shepherds were among the culturally despised, but the evidence for this view of shepherds is late, coming from 5th century Jewish materials. December 25 as the celebrated date of Jesus’ birth arose around the time of Constantine (ca. a.d. 306-337), though it is mentioned in material from Hippolytus (a.d. 165-235). Some think that the reason for celebration on this date was that it coincided with the pagan Roman festival of Saturnalia, and Christians could celebrate their own festival at this time without fear of persecution. On the basis of the statement that the shepherds were living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night it is often suggested that Jesus’ birth took place in early spring, since it was only at lambing time that shepherds stood guard over their flocks in the field. This is not absolutely certain, however.

[2:8]  ³ tn Grk “in that region.”

[2:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “living in the field (see BDAG 15 s.v. ἀγραυλέω) and guarding their flock.”

[6:32]  ⁵ tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. This is a first class condition, but the next two conditional clauses are third class conditions, so that stylistic variation is probably at work.

[6:32]  ⁶ sn Here the term sinners may refer to people who had no concern for observing the details of the Mosaic law; these were often treated as social outcasts. See L&N 88.295.

[6:32]  ⁷ sn Jesus’ point in the statement even sinners love those who love them is that disciples are to go farther than sinners do. The examples replay vv. 29-30.

[10:23]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[10:23]  ⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:23]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “turning to the disciples, he said.” The participle στραφείς (strafei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:23]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[10:23]  ¹² sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation, as v. 20 also noted. See also Luke 2:30.

[12:16]  ¹³ tn Grk “And he.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the connection to the preceding statement.

[12:16]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “a parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:16]  ¹⁵ tn Or “yielded a plentiful harvest.”

[19:43]  ¹⁶ sn Jesus now predicted the events that would be fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. The details of the siege have led some to see Luke writing this after Jerusalem’s fall, but the language of the verse is like God’s exilic judgment for covenant unfaithfulness (Hab 2:8; Jer 6:6, 14; 8:13-22; 9:1; Ezek 4:2; 26:8; Isa 29:1-4). Specific details are lacking and the procedures described (build an embankment against you) were standard Roman military tactics.

[19:43]  ¹⁷ sn An embankment refers to either wooden barricades or earthworks, or a combination of the two.

[21:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:1]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “looking up, he saw.” The participle ἀναβλέψας (anableya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:1]  ²⁰ tn On the term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion), often translated “treasury,” see BDAG 186 s.v., which states, “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[21:1]  sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41; John 8:20).

[21:27]  ²¹ tn Grk “And then” (καὶ τότε, kai tote). Here καί has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:27]  ²² sn An allusion to Dan 7:13. Here is Jesus returning with full judging authority.

[22:8]  ²³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:8]  ²⁴ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 22:14). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.

[22:8]  ²⁵ tn Grk “for us, so that we may eat.”

[23:31]  ²⁶ tn Grk “if they do such things.” The plural subject here is indefinite, so the active voice has been translated as a passive (see ExSyn 402).

[23:31]  ²⁷ sn The figure of the green wood and the dry has been variously understood. Most likely the picture compares the judgment on Jesus as the green (living) wood to the worse judgment that will surely come for the dry (dead) wood of the nation.