Luke 17

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek anendekton ('impossible not to happen, inevitable') is stronger than a mere prediction — it acknowledges the fallen reality of the world. The word skandala ('stumbling blocks, snares') refers to anything that causes someone to fall away from faith, not merely 'offenses' in the modern sense.

Translator Notes

1. The lithos mylikos ('millstone') refers to the large upper stone of a donkey-driven mill — heavy enough to guarantee drowning. The 'little ones' (mikrōn) likely refers to new or vulnerable believers, not only children. The hyperbolic comparison — drowning is preferable to leading others astray — underscores the gravity of spiritual harm.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek prosechete heautois ('watch yourselves, be on guard') shifts the focus from the one who causes stumbling to the disciples' own responsibility. The verb epitimēson ('rebuke') carries the sense of a corrective confrontation, not mere criticism. The sequence — rebuke, repentance, forgiveness — presents reconciliation as a structured process, not an automatic response.

Translator Notes

1. The number 'seven' (heptakis) represents completeness and fullness in biblical numerology — the point is not a literal count but an unlimited willingness to forgive. The verb epistrepsē ('turns back') carries the same turning/returning imagery as the Hebrew teshuvah. The command aphēseis ('you will forgive') is a future indicative used as an imperative, making forgiveness not optional but obligatory.

Translator Notes

1. This is one of only six times Luke uses the term apostoloi ('apostles') rather than mathētai ('disciples') during the ministry narrative. Their request reveals that they recognize the demands of verses 3-4 as exceeding their current capacity. The verb prosthes ('add to, increase') suggests they view faith as something quantifiable — a misunderstanding Jesus corrects in the next verse.

Translator Notes

1. The sykaminō ('mulberry tree') is distinct from the sykomorea ('sycamore-fig') of 19:4. Luke's version uses a mulberry tree rather than Matthew's mountain (17:20), but the point is identical: the issue is not the quantity of faith but its genuine presence. A mustard seed (kokkon sinapeōs) was proverbially the smallest seed known in Palestine. The conditional ei echete ('if you had') is a contrary-to-fact condition, implying they do not yet possess even this minimal faith.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek doulos means 'slave,' not merely 'servant' — the parable depends on the absolute obligation of a slave to his master. The verb anapese ('recline') refers to the Greco-Roman dining posture of reclining on a couch, the standard position for meals in Jesus's context.

Translator Notes

1. The verb perizōsamenos ('having girded yourself') refers to tucking up the outer garment into a belt for active work — a practical preparation for serving. The sequence is clear: the master's needs come first, the slave's needs second. This is not an endorsement of slavery but a parable using a familiar social structure to make a theological point about duty.

Translator Notes

1. The expected answer is 'no.' The Greek charin echei ('have gratitude toward') implies that obedience to clear commands does not earn special recognition. The KJV's 'I trow not' is an addition — the Greek simply asks the rhetorical question and moves on.

Translator Notes

1. The word achreioi ('unworthy, useless, unprofitable') is striking — Jesus instructs his followers to consider themselves 'useless' even after full obedience. This counters any theology of merit: complete obedience is the baseline, not an achievement deserving reward. The verb ōpheilomen ('we were obligated') frames service as debt, not generosity.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase dia meson Samareias kai Galilaias ('through the middle of Samaria and Galilee') is geographically unusual — traveling south to Jerusalem, one would pass through Galilee first, then Samaria. 'Along the border between' captures the sense that Jesus was traveling the boundary region where the two territories met, which is the most coherent geographical reading.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek leproi ('lepers') covers a range of skin conditions beyond what modern medicine calls leprosy (Hansen's disease). Levitical law (Leviticus 13-14) required those with such conditions to remain isolated. Their standing 'at a distance' (porrōthen) reflects the social and ritual separation required by the Torah.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Leviticus 13-14. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The title epistata ('master, commander') is used exclusively in Luke among the Gospels and always by disciples or those seeking help — it implies recognized authority. Their loud cry from a distance reflects both their desperation and the physical separation their condition imposed.

Translator Notes

1. The command to show themselves to the priests follows the Levitical procedure for certifying a healed skin condition (Leviticus 14:1-32). The healing occurs en route — 'as they went' (en tō hypagein) — requiring them to act in faith before seeing results. This is the only mass healing of lepers recorded in the Gospels.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Leviticus 14:1-32. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The verb hypestrepsen ('turned back, returned') contrasts with the obedient departure of the nine — this one interrupts his journey to the priest in order to give thanks. His loud praise (phōnēs megalēs, 'great voice') echoes the loud cry of verse 13, transforming a plea for mercy into a shout of gratitude.

Translator Notes

1. Luke delays the revelation that the man is a Samaritēs ('Samaritan') until the end of the verse for dramatic effect. The Samaritans were despised by Jews as religious and ethnic outsiders (cf. John 4:9). The posture — falling on his face at Jesus's feet — is the posture of worship. The verb eucharistōn ('giving thanks') is the root of 'Eucharist,' linking gratitude to the deepest form of worship.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus's two rhetorical questions expose the ingratitude of the nine — they received healing but did not return to give glory to God. The verb ekatharisthēsan ('were cleansed') recalls the Levitical language of ritual purification, connecting physical healing with spiritual restoration.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The word allogenēs ('foreigner, one of another race') is a loaded term — it was inscribed on the warning stones in the Jerusalem temple prohibiting non-Jews from entering the inner courts. Jesus uses it to highlight the irony: the one deemed unfit for God's temple is the only one who returns to glorify God.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The phrase hē pistis sou sesōken se ('your faith has saved you') uses sōzō, which means both 'to heal' and 'to save.' All ten were cleansed (katharizō, v. 14), but only this one is 'saved' (sōzō). Luke distinguishes between physical healing (which all ten received) and the deeper salvation that comes through faith and gratitude. This same phrase appears in 7:50 (the sinful woman) and 8:48 (the hemorrhaging woman).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The word paratērēseōs ('observation, watching') suggests watching for visible, datable signs — the kind of apocalyptic timetable the Pharisees were seeking. Jesus rejects the premise: the kingdom cannot be tracked like a military campaign or astronomical event.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase entos hymōn estin is one of the most debated in the Gospels. Entos can mean 'within' (interior, spiritual) or 'among/in the midst of' (present in the community). Since Jesus is addressing Pharisees hostile to his message, 'within you' seems unlikely as a commendation of their spiritual state. 'In your midst' better captures the idea that the kingdom is present in Jesus's own person and activity, standing right before them whether they recognize it or not. The alternative reading 'within you' is noted for completeness.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus shifts from addressing the Pharisees to the disciples. The phrase 'one of the days of the Son of Man' is unusual — it may mean 'even a single day' of the messianic age, suggesting a period of absence or suffering during which the disciples will yearn for his visible presence. The title 'Son of Man' (huios tou anthrōpou) draws from Daniel 7:13.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Daniel 7:13. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The warning against following false messianic claims echoes the Pharisees' question in verse 20. The verbs apelthēte ('go out') and diōxēte ('pursue, chase') suggest an active and potentially dangerous quest that Jesus forbids.

Translator Notes

1. The simile of lightning (astrapē) makes two points: the Son of Man's coming will be sudden (no time to prepare) and universally visible (no need to search for it). This directly answers both the Pharisees' question about timing and the warning against localized messianic claims. Some manuscripts omit 'in his day' (en tē hēmera autou), but the SBLGNT retains it.

Translator Notes

1. The word dei ('it is necessary, must') indicates divine necessity — the suffering is not accidental but part of God's plan. The verb apodokimasthēnai ('to be rejected after examination') implies a deliberate evaluation and verdict: this generation examines Jesus and officially declares him unfit. This passion prediction interrupts the eschatological discourse to anchor future glory in present suffering.

Translator Notes

1. The comparison to Noah's days (Genesis 6-7) emphasizes not the wickedness of that generation but their obliviousness — they were living normally, unaware of impending judgment. The Greek Nōe is the Septuagint spelling of the Hebrew Noach.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Genesis 6-7. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The four imperfect verbs (ēsthion, epinon, egamoun, egamizonto) describe ongoing, routine activities — the emphasis is on normalcy, not depravity. The shift to the aorist 'came' (ēlthen) and 'destroyed' (apōlesen) marks the sudden, decisive interruption of judgment. The kibōton ('ark, chest') is the same word used for the ark of the covenant in the Septuagint.

Translator Notes

1. The Lot comparison (unique to Luke's version) adds commercial and agricultural activities to the list — buying, selling, planting, building. These are not sinful activities but routine preoccupations that blinded people to coming judgment. Six imperfect verbs create a rhythm of uninterrupted normalcy.

Translator Notes

1. The reference is to Genesis 19:24-25. The Greek theion ('sulfur, brimstone') combined with fire from heaven represents total divine judgment. As with Noah, the transition from imperfect (routine activity) to aorist (sudden destruction) is abrupt and decisive.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Genesis 19:24-25. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The verb apokalyptetai ('is revealed') is a present tense used for future certainty. The passive voice implies that God is the one doing the revealing — the Son of Man does not simply appear but is unveiled by divine action. This is the theological climax of the Noah-Lot comparison.

Translator Notes

1. The flat rooftops of Palestinian houses were used as living and working spaces, accessed by an external staircase. The instruction not to go back inside emphasizes the urgency and suddenness of the coming judgment. The parallel with Lot's escape (Genesis 19:17, 'Do not look back') is explicit.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Genesis 19:17. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The shortest verse in this discourse — three words in Greek (mnēmoneuete tēs gynaikos Lōt). Lot's wife looked back at Sodom and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). She serves as the paradigmatic example of attachment to what is being left behind. The imperative 'remember' (mnēmoneuete) is plural, addressed to all disciples.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Genesis 19:26. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek psychē means both 'life' and 'soul,' creating a deliberate double meaning. The verb peripoiēsasthai ('to preserve, to acquire for oneself') suggests self-protective hoarding. The contrasting verb zōogonēsei ('will give life to, will keep alive') is vivid — it means to generate life, to bring to life. The paradox: grasping at life kills it; releasing it generates it.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek does not specify 'men' — the masculine form is generic, and the reference to sharing a bed could apply to any two people in a household. The verbs paralēmphthēsetai ('will be taken') and aphethēsetai ('will be left') are both passive — the agent of separation is not specified, leaving the meaning deliberately open: taken in judgment or taken in rescue? The text does not resolve this.

Translator Notes

1. The participle alēthousai ('grinding') is feminine, so 'women' is explicit in the Greek here. Grinding grain with a hand mill was a daily domestic task typically done by women. The imagery pairs with the previous verse: whether in rest (bed) or work (grinding), the separation is sudden and total.

Translator Notes

1. This verse is absent from many early manuscripts and is likely assimilated from Matthew 24:40. The SBLGNT includes it in brackets. We include it here following the SBLGNT text but note its disputed status. The pattern of three pairs (bed, mill, field) creates a comprehensive picture: judgment reaches into every sphere of life.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek aetoi can mean either 'eagles' or 'vultures.' Since eagles do not typically feed on carrion while vultures do, and the saying describes gathering around a corpse (sōma, 'body'), 'vultures' is the more accurate zoological rendering. The proverb is enigmatic — it may mean that judgment, like vultures, finds its target inevitably, or that the signs of the end will be as unmistakable as vultures circling over death. Jesus answers the 'where' question with a riddle rather than a map coordinate.