Matius 12:24-32
Konteks12:24 But when the Pharisees 1 heard this they said, “He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, 2 the ruler 3 of demons!” 12:25 Now when Jesus 4 realized what they were thinking, he said to them, 5 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 6 and no town or house divided against itself will stand. 12:26 So if 7 Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons 8 cast them 9 out? For this reason they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God 10 has already overtaken 11 you. 12:29 How 12 else can someone enter a strong man’s 13 house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. 14 12:30 Whoever is not with me is against me, 15 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 16 12:31 For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, 17 but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. 18 But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 19 either in this age or in the age to come.
Matius 12:38-45
Konteks12:38 Then some of the experts in the law 20 along with some Pharisees 21 answered him, 22 “Teacher, we want to see a sign 23 from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, 24 “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 12:40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish 25 for three days and three nights, 26 so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 12:41 The people 27 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 28 – and now, 29 something greater than Jonah is here! 12:42 The queen of the South 30 will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 31 something greater than Solomon is here!
12:43 “When 32 an unclean spirit 33 goes out of a person, 34 it passes through waterless places 35 looking for rest but 36 does not find it. 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 37 When it returns, 38 it finds the house 39 empty, swept clean, and put in order. 40 12:45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 41 the last state of that person is worse than the first. It will be that way for this evil generation as well!”
Matius 16:1-4
Konteks16:1 Now when the Pharisees 42 and Sadducees 43 came to test Jesus, 44 they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 45 16:2 He 46 said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 16:3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’ 47 You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky, 48 but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then 49 he left them and went away.
Markus 3:20-30
Konteks3:20 Now 50 Jesus 51 went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat. 3:21 When his family 52 heard this they went out to restrain him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 3:22 The experts in the law 53 who came down from Jerusalem 54 said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” 55 and, “By the ruler 56 of demons he casts out demons.” 3:23 So 57 he called them and spoke to them in parables: 58 “How can Satan cast out Satan? 3:24 If 59 a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to stand. 3:25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 3:26 And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his end has come. 3:27 But no one is able to enter a strong man’s 60 house and steal his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his house. 61 3:28 I tell you the truth, 62 people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the blasphemies they utter. 63 3:29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin” 64 3:30 (because they said, “He has an unclean spirit” 65 ).
Markus 8:11
Konteks8:11 Then the Pharisees 66 came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for 67 a sign from heaven 68 to test him.
Lukas 11:15-26
Konteks11:15 But some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul, 69 the ruler 70 of demons, he casts out demons.” 11:16 Others, to test 71 him, 72 began asking for 73 a sign 74 from heaven. 11:17 But Jesus, 75 realizing their thoughts, said to them, 76 “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed, 77 and a divided household falls. 78 11:18 So 79 if 80 Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because 81 you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 11:19 Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons 82 cast them 83 out? Therefore they will be your judges. 11:20 But if I cast out demons by the finger 84 of God, then the kingdom of God 85 has already overtaken 86 you. 11:21 When a strong man, 87 fully armed, guards his own palace, 88 his possessions are safe. 89 11:22 But 90 when a stronger man 91 attacks 92 and conquers him, he takes away the first man’s 93 armor on which the man relied 94 and divides up 95 his plunder. 96 11:23 Whoever is not with me is against me, 97 and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 98
11:24 “When an unclean spirit 99 goes out of a person, 100 it passes through waterless places 101 looking for rest but 102 not finding any. Then 103 it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ 104 11:25 When it returns, 105 it finds the house 106 swept clean and put in order. 107 11:26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so 108 the last state of that person 109 is worse than the first.” 110
Lukas 11:29-32
Konteks11:29 As 111 the crowds were increasing, Jesus 112 began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, 113 but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 114 11:30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, 115 so the Son of Man will be a sign 116 to this generation. 117 11:31 The queen of the South 118 will rise up at the judgment 119 with the people 120 of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, 121 something greater 122 than Solomon is here! 11:32 The people 123 of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them 124 – and now, 125 something greater than Jonah is here!
Lukas 12:54-56
Konteks12:54 Jesus 126 also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, 127 you say at once, ‘A rainstorm 128 is coming,’ and it does. 12:55 And when you see the south wind 129 blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. 12:56 You hypocrites! 130 You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how 131 to interpret the present time?
[12:24] 1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:24] 2 tn Grk “except by Beelzebul.”
[12:24] sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
[12:25] 4 tc The majority of
[12:25] 5 sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 25-28) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 29) about tying up the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-11) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 12:31-32).
[12:25] 6 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
[12:26] 7 tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
[12:27] 8 sn Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists (cf. “your followers,” L&N 9.4), but more likely this is a reference to the disciples of Jesus themselves, who are also Jewish and have been healing as well (R. J. Shirock, “Whose Exorcists are they? The Referents of οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19,” JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). If this is a reference to the disciples, then Jesus’ point is that it is not only him, but those associated with him whose power the hearers must assess. The following reference to judging also favors this reading.
[12:27] 9 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:28] 10 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.
[12:28] 11 tn The phrase ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (efqasen ef’ Juma") is quite important. Does it mean merely “approach” (which would be reflected in a translation like “has come near to you”) or actually “come upon” (as in the translation given above, “has already overtaken you,” which has the added connotation of suddenness)? Is the arrival of the kingdom merely anticipated or already in process? Two factors favor arrival over anticipation here. First, the prepositional phrase ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (ef’ Jumas, “upon you”) in the Greek text suggests arrival (Dan 4:24, 28 Theodotion). Second, the following illustration in v. 29 looks at the healing as portraying Satan being overrun. So the presence of God’s authority has arrived. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of φθάνω (fqanw) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already.”
[12:29] 12 tn Grk “Or how can.”
[12:29] 13 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
[12:29] 14 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
[12:30] 15 sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.
[12:30] 16 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
[12:31] 17 tn Grk “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men.”
[12:32] 18 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
[12:32] 19 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven him.”
[12:32] sn Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning.
[12:38] 20 tn Or “Then some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
[12:38] 21 tn Grk “and Pharisees.” The word “some” before “Pharisees” has been supplied for clarification.
[12:38] sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[12:38] 22 tn Grk “answered him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant, but the syntax of the sentence was changed to conform to English style.
[12:38] 23 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[12:39] 24 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.
[12:40] 25 tn Grk “large sea creature.”
[12:40] 26 sn A quotation from Jonah 1:17.
[12:41] 27 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1.a, 2).
[12:41] 28 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[12:42] 30 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
[12:43] 32 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:43] 33 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
[12:43] 34 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females. This same use occurs in v. 45.
[12:43] 35 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
[12:43] 36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[12:44] 37 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
[12:44] 39 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
[12:44] 40 sn The image of the house empty, swept clean, and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
[12:45] 41 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
[16:1] 42 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
[16:1] 43 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
[16:1] 44 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
[16:1] 45 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[16:2] 46 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.
[16:3] 47 tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).
[16:3] 48 tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
[16:4] 49 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[3:20] 50 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
[3:20] 51 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:21] 52 tc Western witnesses D W it, instead of reading οἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ (Joi par’ aujtou, here translated “family”), have περὶ αὐτοῦ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ λοιποί (peri autou Joi grammatei" kai Joi loipoi, “[when] the scribes and others [heard] about him”). But this reading is obviously motivated, for it removes the embarrassing statement about Jesus’ family’s opinion of him as “out of his mind” and transfers this view to the Lord’s opponents. The fact that virtually all other witnesses have οἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ here, coupled with the strong internal evidence for the shorter reading, shows this Western reading to be secondary.
[3:21] tn On the meaning “family” for οἱ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ (Joi par’ autou), see BDAG 756-57 s.v. παρά A.3.b.β.ב.
[3:21] sn The incident involving the religious leaders accusing Jesus of being in league with the devil (3:22-30) is sandwiched between Mark’s mention of Jesus’ family coming to restrain him (the Greek word for restrain here is also used to mean arrest; see Mark 6:17; 12:12; 14:1, 44, 46, 49, 51) because they thought he was out of his mind (3:21). It is probably Mark’s intention in this structure to show that Jesus’ family is to be regarded as not altogether unlike the experts in the law [scribes] in their perception of the true identity of Jesus; they are incorrect in their understanding of him as well. The tone is obviously one of sadness and the emphasis on Jesus’ true family in vv. 31-35 serves to underscore the comparison between his relatives and the scribes on the one hand, and those who truly obey God on the other.
[3:22] 53 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
[3:22] 54 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[3:22] 55 tn Grk “He has Beelzebul.”
[3:22] sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
[3:23] 57 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
[3:23] 58 sn Jesus spoke two parables to demonstrate the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. The first parable (vv. 23-26) teaches that if Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. The second parable (v. 28) about tying up a strong man proves that Jesus does not need to align himself with the devil because Jesus is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (1:12-13) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 3:29-30). For an explanation of what a parable is, see the note on parables in 4:2.
[3:24] 59 sn The three conditional statements in vv. 24-26 express the logical result of the assumption that Jesus heals by Satan’s power, expressed by the religious leaders. The point is clear: If the leaders are correct, then Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
[3:27] 60 sn The strong man here pictures Satan.
[3:27] 61 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
[3:28] 62 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
[3:28] 63 tn Grk “all the sins and blasphemies they may speak will be forgiven the sons of men.”
[3:29] 64 sn Is guilty of an eternal sin. This passage has troubled many people, who have wondered whether or not they have committed this eternal sin. Three things must be kept in mind: (1) the nature of the sin is to ascribe what is the obvious work of the Holy Spirit (e.g., releasing people from Satan’s power) to Satan himself; (2) it is not simply a momentary doubt or sinful attitude, but is indeed a settled condition which opposes the Spirit’s work, as typified by the religious leaders who opposed Jesus; and (3) a person who is concerned about it has probably never committed this sin, for those who commit it here (i.e., the religious leaders) are not in the least concerned about Jesus’ warning. On this last point see W. W. Wessel, “Mark,” EBC 8:645-46.
[3:30] 65 sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.
[8:11] 66 sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.
[8:11] 67 tn Grk “seeking from him.” The participle ζητοῦντες (zhtountes) shows the means by which the Pharisees argued with Jesus.
[8:11] 68 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[11:15] 69 tn Grk “By Beelzebul.”
[11:15] sn Beelzebul is another name for Satan. So some people recognized Jesus’ work as supernatural, but called it diabolical.
[11:16] 71 tn Grk “testing”; the participle is taken as indicating the purpose of the demand.
[11:16] 72 tn The pronoun “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[11:16] 73 tn Grk “seeking from him.” The imperfect ἐζήτουν (ezhtoun) is taken ingressively. It is also possible to regard it as iterative (“kept on asking”).
[11:16] 74 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
[11:17] 75 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:17] 76 sn Jesus here demonstrated the absurdity of the thinking of those who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. He first teaches (vv. 17-20) that if he casts out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. He then teaches (v. 21-22) about defeating the strong man to prove that he does not need to align himself with the devil because he is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (4:1-13) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan.
[11:17] 77 tn Or “is left in ruins.”
[11:17] 78 tn Grk “and house falls on house.” This phrase pictures one house collapsing on another, what is called today a “house of cards.”
[11:18] 79 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the clause that follows is a logical conclusion based on the preceding examples.
[11:18] 80 tn This first class condition, the first of three “if” clauses in the following verses, presents the example vividly as if it were so. In fact, all three conditions in these verses are first class. The examples are made totally parallel. The expected answer is that Satan’s kingdom will not stand, so the suggestion makes no sense. Satan would not seek to heal.
[11:18] 81 tn Grk “because.” “I ask you this” is supplied for the sake of English.
[11:19] 82 sn Most read your sons as a reference to Jewish exorcists (cf. “your followers,” L&N 9.4; for various views see D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1077-78), but more likely this is a reference to the disciples of Jesus themselves, who are also Jewish and have been healing as well (R. J. Shirock, “Whose Exorcists are they? The Referents of οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν at Matthew 12:27/Luke 11:19,” JSNT 46 [1992]: 41-51). If this is a reference to the disciples, then Jesus’ point is that it is not only him, but those associated with him whose power the hearers must assess. The following reference to judging also favors this reading.
[11:19] 83 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[11:20] 84 sn The finger of God is a figurative reference to God’s power (L&N 76.3). This phrase was used of God’s activity during the Exodus (Exod 8:19).
[11:20] 85 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.
[11:20] 86 tn The phrase ἔφθασεν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς (efqasen ef’ Juma") is important. Does it mean merely “approach” (which would be reflected in a translation like “has come near to you”) or actually “come upon” (as in the translation given above, “has already overtaken you,” which has the added connotation of suddenness)? The issue here is like the one in 10:9 (see note there on the phrase “come on”). Is the arrival of the kingdom merely anticipated or already in process? Two factors favor arrival over anticipation here. First, the prepositional phrase “upon you” suggests arrival (Dan 4:24, 28 Theodotion). Second, the following illustration in vv. 21-23 looks at the healing as portraying Satan being overrun. So the presence of God’s authority has arrived. See also L&N 13.123 for the translation of φθάνω (fqanw) as “to happen to already, to come upon, to come upon already.”
[11:21] 87 tn The referent of the expression “a strong man” is Satan.
[11:21] 88 tn The word αὐλή (aulh) describes any building large and elaborate enough to have an interior courtyard, thus “dwelling, palace, mansion” (L&N 7.6).
[11:21] 89 tn Grk “his goods are in peace.”
[11:22] 90 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[11:22] 91 tn The referent of the expression “a stronger man” is Jesus.
[11:22] 92 tn Grk “stronger man than he attacks.”
[11:22] 93 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the first man mentioned) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:22] 94 tn Grk “on which he relied.”
[11:22] 95 tn Or “and distributes.”
[11:22] 96 sn Some see the imagery here as similar to Eph 4:7-10, although no opponents are explicitly named in that passage. Jesus has the victory over Satan. Jesus’ acts of healing mean that the war is being won and the kingdom is coming.
[11:23] 97 sn Whoever is not with me is against me. The call here is to join the victor. Failure to do so means that one is being destructive. Responding to Jesus is the issue.
[11:23] 98 sn For the image of scattering, see Pss. Sol. 17:18.
[11:24] 99 sn This is a reference to an evil spirit. See Luke 4:33.
[11:24] 100 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
[11:24] 101 sn The background for the reference to waterless places is not entirely clear, though some Jewish texts suggest spirits must have a place to dwell, but not with water (Luke 8:29-31; Tob 8:3). Some suggest that the image of the desert or deserted cities as the places demons dwell is where this idea started (Isa 13:21; 34:14).
[11:24] 102 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[11:24] 103 tc ‡ Most
[11:24] 104 tn Grk “I will return to my house from which I came.”
[11:25] 106 tn The words “the house” are not in Greek but are implied.
[11:25] 107 sn The image of the house swept clean and put in order refers to the life of the person from whom the demon departed. The key to the example appears to be that no one else has been invited in to dwell. If an exorcism occurs and there is no response to God, then the way is free for the demon to return. Some see the reference to exorcism as more symbolic; thus the story’s only point is about responding to Jesus. This is possible and certainly is an application of the passage.
[11:26] 108 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding point of the story.
[11:26] 109 tn Grk “man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.
[11:26] 110 sn The point of the story is that to fail to respond is to risk a worse fate than when one started.
[11:29] 111 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[11:29] 112 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:29] 113 sn The mention of a sign alludes back to Luke 11:16. Given what Jesus had done, nothing would be good enough. This leads to the rebuke that follows.
[11:29] 114 sn As the following comparisons to Solomon and Jonah show, in the present context the sign of Jonah is not an allusion to Jonah being three days in the belly of the fish, but to Jesus’ teaching about wisdom and repentance.
[11:30] 115 tn Grk “to the Ninevites.” What the Ninevites experienced was Jonah’s message (Jonah 3:4, 10; 4:1).
[11:30] 116 tn The repetition of the words “a sign” are not in the Greek text, but are implied and are supplied here for clarity.
[11:30] 117 tc Only the Western ms D and a few Itala
[11:31] 118 sn On the queen of the South see 1 Kgs 10:1-3 and 2 Chr 9:1-12, as well as Josephus, Ant. 8.6.5-6 (8.165-175). The South most likely refers to modern southwest Arabia, possibly the eastern part of modern Yemen, although there is an ancient tradition reflected in Josephus which identifies this geo-political entity as Ethiopia.
[11:31] 119 sn For the imagery of judgment, see Luke 10:13-15 and 11:19. The warnings are coming consistently now.
[11:31] 120 tn Grk “men”; the word here (ἀνήρ, anhr) usually indicates males or husbands, but occasionally is used in a generic sense of people in general, as is the case here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 1, 2). The same term, translated the same way, occurs in v. 32.
[11:31] 122 sn The message of Jesus was something greater than what Solomon offered. On Jesus and wisdom, see Luke 7:35; 10:21-22; 1 Cor 1:24, 30.
[11:32] 123 tn See the note on the word “people” in v. 31.
[11:32] 124 tn Grk “at the preaching of Jonah.”
[11:32] sn The phrase repented when Jonah preached to them confirms that in this context the sign of Jonah (v. 30) is his message.
[12:54] 126 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “also” and δέ (de) has not been translated.
[12:54] 127 sn A cloud rising in the west refers to moisture coming from the Mediterranean Sea.
[12:54] 128 tn The term ὄμβρος (ombro") refers to heavy rain, such as in a thunderstorm (L&N 14.12).
[12:55] 129 sn The south wind comes from the desert, and thus brings scorching heat.
[12:56] 130 sn In Luke, the term hypocrites occurs here, in 6:42, and in 13:15.
[12:56] 131 tc Most
