Luke 22

Translator Notes

1. Technically, the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were distinct celebrations (Passover on Nisan 14, Unleavened Bread from Nisan 15-21), but by the first century, the terms were used interchangeably in popular speech. Luke's phrase hē legomenē pascha ('which is called Passover') reflects this common usage. The imperfect ēngizen ('was approaching') creates narrative tension — the reader knows what the festival will bring.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect ezētoun ('they were seeking') indicates ongoing, frustrated plotting. The verb anelōsin ('to destroy, to kill, to do away with') is a euphemism for execution. Their fear of the people (ephobounts ton laon) has been the obstacle since 19:47-48 and 20:19. What changes the equation is Judas's offer in the next verses.

Translator Notes

1. Luke and John (13:27) are the only Gospels that attribute Judas's betrayal to Satan's direct intervention. Luke last mentioned Satan in 4:13, where the devil departed from Jesus 'until an opportune time' (achri kairou) — this is that opportune time. The epithet 'Iscariot' (Iskariōtēn) may mean 'man of Kerioth' (a Judean town) or may derive from the Latin sicarius ('dagger-man, assassin'). The phrase onta ek tou arithmou tōn dōdeka ('being from the number of the twelve') underscores the horror: the betrayer comes from within the innermost circle.

Translator Notes

1. Luke uniquely includes stratēgois ('temple officers, captains of the temple guard'), the security force that controlled the temple precincts. Their involvement is practical — any arrest in or near the temple would require their cooperation. The verb paradō ('hand over, betray') is the same word used for Jesus being 'handed over' to the Gentiles (18:32) and for God 'handing over' his Son — the word carries multiple theological layers.

Translator Notes

1. The verb echarēsan ('they rejoiced, were delighted') reveals the authorities' emotional state — they are pleased to have found their solution. The verb synethento ('they agreed, covenanted together') is a formal term for making an agreement. Luke does not specify the amount (Matthew 26:15 names 'thirty pieces of silver'). The word argyrion ('silver, money') is generic.

Translator Notes

1. The verb exōmologēsen ('he consented, agreed, confessed') here means 'he assented to the arrangement.' The phrase ater ochlou ('without a crowd, in the absence of the multitude') is the crucial tactical detail — Judas's value to the authorities is his ability to deliver Jesus at a time and place where public reaction cannot interfere. This solves the problem identified in 19:48, 20:19, and 22:2.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase edei thyesthai to pascha ('it was necessary to sacrifice the Passover') refers to the afternoon of Nisan 14, when the Passover lambs were slaughtered in the temple. The verb dei ('it was necessary') indicates Torah requirement (Exodus 12:6). The chronological relationship between Luke's account and John's (where Jesus dies at the hour the lambs are slaughtered) is a well-known harmonization challenge that we do not attempt to resolve.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Exodus 12:6. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. Luke alone names the two disciples sent — Peter and John, the inner circle. Preparing the Passover involved acquiring a lamb, having it sacrificed at the temple, roasting it, and preparing the accompanying elements (unleavened bread, bitter herbs, wine, charoset). This was a substantial task requiring several hours.

Translator Notes

1. The question is practical — Jerusalem would have been packed with pilgrims for the festival, and securing a suitable room for the meal was not trivial. The subjunctive hetoimasōmen ('should we prepare') expresses deference to Jesus's choice.

Translator Notes

1. A man carrying a keramion ('earthenware jar') of water would have been conspicuous — water-carrying was typically women's work, and men used leather skins rather than clay jars. This detail would make the man easy to identify in a crowded city. Whether this was a prearranged signal or prophetic knowledge is debated; Luke's narrative implies the latter.

Translator Notes

1. The title ho didaskalos ('the Teacher') functions as a recognized identifier, suggesting an existing relationship between Jesus and the homeowner. The word katalyma ('guest room, lodging place') is the same word used for the place where there was 'no room' at Jesus's birth (2:7) — creating a subtle literary connection between the beginning and end of Luke's narrative.

Translator Notes

1. The anagaion ('upper room') was a second-story room, typically the best room in the house, used for important gatherings. The participle estrōmenon ('furnished, spread out, arranged') indicates the room already has the necessary carpets, cushions, and dining arrangements for a Passover meal. This level of preparation suggests prior arrangement.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kathōs eirēkei autois ('just as he had told them') echoes the preparation for the triumphal entry (19:32) — the same pattern of prophetic instruction followed by exact fulfillment. The verb hētoimasan ('they prepared') covers the extensive work of Passover preparation, compressed into a single word.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase hē hōra ('the hour') carries theological weight beyond mere clock time — this is the appointed hour, the kairos toward which the entire Gospel has been moving. The verb anepesen ('he reclined') describes the dining posture: reclining on the left side on cushions around a low table, the standard practice for formal meals and required for the Passover seder. Luke uses 'apostles' (apostoloi) rather than 'disciples,' emphasizing their commissioned role.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase epithymia epethymēsa ('with desire I have desired') is a Semitic intensifying construction (cognate accusative) that expresses the deepest possible longing. This statement is unique to Luke and reveals Jesus's emotional state — he has longed for this meal. The phrase pro tou me pathein ('before I suffer') shows Jesus's full awareness of what lies ahead.

Translator Notes

1. The double negative ou mē ('I will by no means eat') is emphatic — this is Jesus's last Passover. The word plērōthē ('is fulfilled, completed') implies that the Passover itself is a type that points forward to a greater reality to be consummated in the kingdom. The Passover lamb, the exodus from Egypt, the covenant meal — all find their fulfillment in what Jesus is about to accomplish through his death.

Translator Notes

1. This is the first of two cups in Luke's account (the second appears in v. 20). The Passover seder traditionally included four cups of wine. This first cup likely corresponds to one of the earlier seder cups. The verb eucharistēsas ('having given thanks') is the root of 'Eucharist' and refers to the Jewish blessing over wine (likely the kiddush: 'Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine').

Translator Notes

1. The phrase genēmatos tēs ampelou ('fruit of the vine') is the traditional liturgical term for wine in Jewish blessings. The eschatological vow — not drinking wine until the kingdom comes — mirrors the Nazirite vow's abstinence from wine as a sign of consecration. Jesus consecrates himself for his coming sacrifice. The phrase 'until the kingdom of God comes' (heōs hou hē basileia tou theou elthē) holds the future open — this is not the end of fellowship but a temporary suspension until its consummation.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The four actions — took (labōn), gave thanks (eucharistēsas), broke (eklasen), gave (edōken) — become the foundational pattern of Christian worship. The phrase to hyper hymōn didomenon ('which is being given for you') uses the present participle, indicating an ongoing action — Jesus's body is being given in the very act of the meal. The command touto poieite eis tēn emēn anamnēsin ('do this in remembrance of me') establishes the meal as a repeated memorial. The word anamnēsis ('remembrance, memorial') in Jewish thought means not merely mental recall but active re-presentation — making the past event present again.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The phrase meta to deipnēsai ('after having eaten the meal') places this second cup after the main course, likely corresponding to the third cup of the Passover seder (the 'cup of blessing,' cf. 1 Corinthians 10:16). The phrase hē kainē diathēkē ('the new covenant') explicitly invokes Jeremiah 31:31-34, the only Old Testament passage that uses 'new covenant.' The diathēkē ('covenant, testament') is not a contract between equals but God's sovereign arrangement. The phrase en tō haimati mou ('in my blood') echoes Exodus 24:8 ('This is the blood of the covenant'), where Moses sealed the Sinai covenant with sacrificial blood.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 24:8 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. In Luke's arrangement (unlike Matthew and Mark), the betrayal announcement comes after the institution of the supper, not before. This means Judas participates in the covenant meal, intensifying the horror of the betrayal. The phrase hē cheir tou paradidontos me ('the hand of the one handing me over') places the betraying hand literally on the same table where Jesus has just given his body and blood. Psalm 41:9 (quoted in John 13:18) provides the background: 'Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.'
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Psalm 41:9. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kata to hōrismenon ('according to what has been determined, decreed') uses the same root as horizō ('to fix, to decree, to appoint'), which Luke uses elsewhere for God's sovereign plan (Acts 2:23, 10:42, 17:26, 31). The tension between divine determination and human responsibility is held without resolution: the Son of Man's death is God's plan (kata to hōrismenon), yet the betrayer bears full moral culpability (ouai). Luke does not collapse either side of this tension.

Translator Notes

1. The verb syzētein ('to discuss, to dispute, to investigate') indicates animated debate rather than quiet reflection. The optative eiē ('might be') expresses uncertainty and speculation. Their inability to identify the betrayer reveals both their self-awareness (each apparently considers himself capable) and their ignorance (no one suspects Judas specifically).

Translator Notes

1. The word philoneikia ('rivalry, love of strife, contentiousness') appears only here in the New Testament. The timing is staggering — at the very meal where Jesus gives his body and blood and announces his betrayal, the disciples argue about rank. In Mark and Matthew, this dispute occurs earlier in the ministry; Luke's placement at the Last Supper maximizes the contrast between Jesus's self-giving and the disciples' self-seeking.

Translator Notes

1. The verb kyrieuousin ('exercise lordship, dominate') describes coercive, top-down power. The title euergetai ('Benefactors') was an actual honorific title given to Hellenistic rulers — Ptolemy III and VIII of Egypt were both called 'Euergetes.' The irony: those who dominate are called 'benefactors,' wrapping exploitation in the language of generosity. Jesus exposes the fundamental dishonesty of power structures.

Translator Notes

1. The 'youngest' (neōteros) held the lowest status in ancient households — they served the eldest. The 'one who serves' (ho diakonōn) is literally 'the one who waits tables.' Jesus inverts the hierarchy completely: greatness is defined by service, leadership by the willingness to take the lowest position. The word diakonōn is the root of 'deacon,' later institutionalized as a church office.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus asks a question with an obvious cultural answer — the one reclining is always greater than the one serving — and then claims the server's role for himself. The phrase egō de en mesō hymōn eimi hōs ho diakonōn ('I am among you as the one serving') is the most radical leadership statement in the Gospels. The present tense eimi ('I am') makes this a permanent identity, not a temporary condescension. John's Gospel dramatizes this with the foot-washing scene (John 13:1-17).

Translator Notes

1. The perfect participle diamemenēkotes ('having remained throughout, having continued steadfastly') acknowledges the disciples' loyalty despite everything. The word peiramois ('trials, testings, temptations') encompasses the full range of opposition Jesus has faced. Despite their failures (which will become more apparent in the hours ahead), Jesus credits them with faithfulness.

Translator Notes

1. The verb diatithemai ('I confer, I covenant, I bequeath') is related to diathēkē ('covenant') — Jesus is making a covenant grant of royal authority. The chain of conferral runs from the Father to Jesus to the disciples, establishing a succession of delegated authority. This is a testamentary act — the last will of someone about to die.

Translator Notes

1. The promise has two dimensions: table fellowship (eating and drinking with Jesus) and governmental authority (sitting on thrones judging the tribes). The verb krinontes ('judging') echoes the judges of Israel who both governed and adjudicated. The 'twelve tribes' indicates the restoration of all Israel, not merely the existing southern tribes. This promise is given to the same men who moments ago were arguing about rank — Jesus answers their ambition with a grant that far exceeds anything they imagined.

Translator Notes

1. The double name 'Simon, Simon' (Simōn Simōn) signals urgency and tenderness. The verb exētēsato ('demanded, asked for, claimed') echoes Job 1-2, where Satan requests permission to test Job. The 'you' (hymas) is plural — Satan targets all the disciples, not Peter alone. The sifting metaphor (siniasai, 'to sift') describes violent shaking to separate grain from chaff; the trials ahead will expose what each disciple is truly made of.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Job 1-2. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The 'you' (sou) switches to singular — Jesus prays specifically for Peter. The verb edeēthēn ('I have prayed, I have besought') is an aorist indicating a specific, completed prayer. The phrase eklipē hē pistis sou ('your faith might fail, give out, be eclipsed') uses a word that means to cease or be extinguished — like a lamp going out. The verb epistrepsas ('having turned back, having returned') acknowledges that Peter will fall but also promises restoration. The command stērison ('strengthen, establish, make firm') gives Peter a post-failure ministry: his own recovery becomes the basis for strengthening others.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's declaration is sincere but overconfident. He offers willingness for the extreme scenarios (prison and death) but will stumble at a far lesser test (a servant girl's question). Luke places Peter's boast in the context of the Last Supper discourse rather than on the Mount of Olives (as in Mark 14:29-31), integrating it into the farewell conversation.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus uses Peter's apostolic name (Petre) rather than 'Simon,' sharpening the personal address. The specificity is devastating: not merely a general prediction of failure but a precise count (three denials), a precise timeframe (before the rooster crows), and a precise content (denying that he knows Jesus). Luke adds eidenai ('to know me'), specifying that Peter will deny the relationship itself, not just association.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus refers back to the mission of the seventy-two (10:1-12), where he sent them out with no provisions and they lacked nothing. The three items — ballantion ('money bag'), pēra ('traveler's bag, knapsack'), and hypodēmata ('sandals') — represent financial resources, food supplies, and basic equipment. Their unanimous answer 'Nothing' (outhenos) confirms that divine provision was sufficient during the earlier, more receptive phase of ministry.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase alla nyn ('but now') marks a dramatic shift in circumstances. The earlier instructions (travel without provisions) are reversed — the time of hospitality and reception is over; a time of hostility and self-provision has arrived. The instruction to sell one's himation ('outer cloak,' essential for warmth and sleeping) to buy a machaira ('sword, large knife') is startling. Whether Jesus speaks literally (prepare for danger) or figuratively (the situation has become dire) is debated. The next verses suggest the disciples take it literally and Jesus corrects them.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus quotes Isaiah 53:12 ('he was numbered with the transgressors'), the fourth Servant Song. The word anomōn ('lawless ones, transgressors') foreshadows his crucifixion between two criminals (23:32-33). The phrase to peri emou telos echei ('what concerns me has its end/completion') can mean either 'is being fulfilled' or 'is coming to its conclusion.' Luke's Jesus frames his death as the fulfillment of Isaiah's suffering servant prophecy — the only explicit quotation of Isaiah 53 by Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 53:12. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The disciples take Jesus's words literally and produce two swords. Jesus's response hikanon estin ('it is enough') is often read as weary dismissal: 'Enough of this' — they have missed his point entirely. Two swords would be militarily useless against a Roman cohort; Jesus was not calling for armed resistance. Alternatively, 'it is enough' may mean two swords suffice to fulfill the prophecy of being 'counted among the lawless' (v. 37) — mere possession of weapons classifies them as armed rebels.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase kata to ethos ('according to custom, as was his habit') connects to 21:37 — Jesus regularly spent nights on the Mount of Olives. This habitual pattern is what enabled Judas to know where to find him (v. 47). Luke does not name Gethsemane (as Mark and Matthew do) but simply refers to the Mount of Olives.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase epi tou topou ('at the place') is vague in Luke — no garden is named. The command proseuches the mē eiselthein eis peirasmon ('pray not to enter into temptation/testing') echoes the Lord's Prayer (11:4) and frames what follows: the disciples' failure to pray will lead to their failure in the testing. The peirasmos ('temptation, trial, testing') refers specifically to the crisis of Jesus's arrest and death.

Translator Notes

1. The verb apespasthē ('he was torn away, he withdrew') carries the connotation of painful separation — the passive voice may suggest reluctance. The distance 'about a stone's throw' (hōsei lithou bolēn) is roughly 50-100 feet — close enough to be seen but far enough for privacy. Kneeling (theis ta gonata, 'placing the knees') was not the usual Jewish prayer posture (standing with uplifted hands was standard), suggesting intense supplication.

Translator Notes

1. Luke's version of the prayer is more concise than Mark's. The address 'Father' (Pater) without 'Abba' (which Mark includes) still conveys intimate filial relationship. The 'cup' (potērion) is a biblical metaphor for suffering and divine judgment (Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 25:15). The conditional ei boulei ('if you are willing') respects the Father's sovereignty. The concluding mē to thelēma mou alla to son ginesthō ('not my will but yours be done') is the model of perfect submission — the same petition Jesus taught in the Lord's Prayer (11:2, 'your will be done') now enacted at infinite personal cost.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Psalm 75:8. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 51:17. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Jeremiah 25:15. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. TEXTUAL NOTE: This verse and the next (v. 44) are absent from several important early manuscripts (P75, Codex Vaticanus, the original hand of Codex Sinaiticus) but present in others (the corrected Sinaiticus, Codex Bezae, and most later manuscripts). The SBLGNT places them in double brackets, indicating their disputed status. If original, they are unique to Luke and present a portrait of Jesus's genuine human vulnerability — the Son of God needs angelic strengthening. If later additions, they reflect early Christian reflection on Jesus's humanity. We include them but note the evidence. The verb enischyōn ('strengthening') implies giving power to endure rather than removing the cause of distress.

Translator Notes

1. TEXTUAL NOTE: See note on verse 43 regarding the disputed status of this verse. The word agōnia ('agony, anguish, intense struggle') is a contest metaphor — it describes the strain of an athlete in the arena. The comparative ektenesteron ('more earnestly, more intensely') shows prayer escalating under pressure. The phrase hōsei thromboi haimatos ('like clots/drops of blood') uses hōsei ('as if, like'), indicating a comparison — Luke says the sweat resembled blood drops in appearance (thick, heavy drops), not necessarily that it was blood. The medical condition hematidrosis (sweat mixed with blood under extreme stress) is rare but documented.

Translator Notes

1. Luke compresses Mark's three prayer episodes into one and offers an explanation for the disciples' sleep: apo tēs lypēs ('from grief, because of sorrow'). This is a compassionate detail unique to Luke — they are not merely indifferent but emotionally overwhelmed. Their grief, however, does not excuse their failure to pray.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus's rebuke forms a bracket with verse 40 — the same command to pray against temptation opens and closes the Gethsemane scene. The question ti katheudete ('why are you sleeping?') is not merely rhetorical; it expresses genuine anguish that at the hour of greatest need, his closest companions have failed to keep watch. The imperative anastantes proseuchesthe ('having risen, pray!') demands immediate action.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase eti autou lalountos ('while he was still speaking') emphasizes the abruptness — there is no pause between the prayer and the arrest. Judas is again identified as heis tōn dōdeka ('one of the Twelve'), a phrase that never loses its shock. The verb philēsai ('to kiss') refers to the standard greeting kiss between rabbi and disciple — Judas weaponizes a gesture of loyalty and affection. He proērcheto ('was going before, was leading') the crowd, placing himself at the head of the arrest party.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus addresses Judas by name and exposes the horrifying irony: the gesture of devotion (philēmati, 'with a kiss') is the instrument of betrayal (paradidōs, 'you are handing over'). The question form allows Judas one final moment of self-awareness — Jesus does not merely accuse but invites recognition of what he is doing. The title 'Son of Man' frames the betrayal in its full cosmic significance.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase hoi peri auton ('those around him') refers to the disciples. Their question is addressed to kyrie ('Lord') and shows they are prepared to fight — the two swords from verse 38 are at hand. The question pataxomen en machairē ('shall we strike with a sword?') uses the same verb (patassō) used in the Septuagint for the LORD striking Egypt with plagues (Exodus 12:12).
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 12:12. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. Luke does not name the attacker (John 18:10 identifies him as Peter) or the victim (John 18:10 names him Malchus). The detail 'right ear' (to ous autou to dexion) is shared with John and adds realistic specificity. The verb apheilen ('cut off, removed') indicates a clean severing. The disciple acts without waiting for Jesus's answer to the question in verse 49.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase eate heōs toutou ('permit until this point' or 'stop, that is enough') ends the violence. Jesus's healing of the servant's ear is unique to Luke and is his last recorded miracle — an act of mercy toward his enemy during his own arrest. The verb iasato ('he healed') indicates complete restoration. The juxtaposition of a disciple causing harm and Jesus healing it encapsulates the contrast between their understanding of the mission and his.

Translator Notes

1. Luke uniquely specifies that the chief priests, temple officers, and elders themselves are present at the arrest — in Mark, they send subordinates. The word lēstēn ('bandit, revolutionary, insurrectionist') is the same word used for the men crucified with Jesus (Mark 15:27) and for Barabbas's associates. It carries political overtones of armed rebellion. Jesus's question exposes the absurdity: he taught openly in the temple every day (v. 53) and could have been confronted at any time.

Translator Notes

1. The final phrase is unique to Luke and theologically profound: hautē estin hymōn hē hōra kai hē exousia tou skotous ('this is your hour and the authority of darkness'). Jesus concedes that this specific hour belongs to his enemies and to the cosmic power of darkness (skotous) behind them. The word exousia ('authority, power, right') indicates that darkness has been given temporary jurisdiction — not by its own power but by divine permission (cf. v. 53's connection to v. 22's 'as it has been determined'). This is not defeat but a controlled yielding.

Translator Notes

1. The verbs syllabontes ('having seized'), ēgagon ('they led'), and eisēgagon ('they brought into') mark the progression from arrest to custody. Luke does not name the high priest (Caiaphas, according to Matthew 26:57). Peter's following makrothen ('from a distance') is an ominous detail — close enough to be tested, far enough to be alone. The imperfect ēkolouthei ('was following') indicates ongoing, hesitant pursuit.

Translator Notes

1. The aulē ('courtyard') was the open-air interior space of the high priest's residence. The fire (pyr) provides both warmth (it was a spring night in Jerusalem, which can be cold) and light — the light that will illuminate Peter's face and lead to his identification. Peter sits mesos autōn ('in the middle of them'), surrounded by those loyal to the high priest. The setting is claustrophobic and dangerous.

Translator Notes

1. The paidiskē ('servant girl, maid') holds no social power whatever — Peter, who declared readiness for prison and death (v. 33), is undone by the lowest-ranking person in the household. The verb atenisasa ('having fixed her gaze, having stared intently') indicates she studied his face carefully. The phrase syn autō ēn ('was with him') identifies Peter as a follower of Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. The verb ērnēsato ('he denied') is the verb Jesus used in his prediction (v. 34). Peter denies knowing Jesus (ouk oida auton, 'I do not know him'), fulfilling the specific content predicted. The address gynai ('woman') is not disrespectful in Greek (Jesus uses it for his mother in John 2:4) but is dismissive in this context.

Translator Notes

1. The second accuser is male (heteros, masculine), providing a different source for the identification. The accusation ex autōn ei ('you are of them') identifies Peter as belonging to Jesus's group. Peter's denial ouk eimi ('I am not') is a stark inversion of Jesus's egō eimi ('I am') declarations. Each denial drives Peter further from his declared identity.

Translator Notes

1. The interval hōsei hōras mias ('about one hour') makes the third denial deliberate rather than impulsive. The verb diischyrizeto ('insisted, affirmed confidently, maintained vehemently') is a strong word — this accuser is certain. The evidence is Peter's accent: kai gar Galilaios estin ('for he is indeed a Galilean'). Galilean Aramaic had distinctive pronunciation features that were recognizable in Jerusalem.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's final denial is not merely 'I don't know him' but 'I don't know what you're talking about' — he denies understanding the accusation itself. The phrase parachrēma eti lalountos autou ('immediately while he was still speaking') means the rooster crows before Peter finishes his sentence — the prediction is fulfilled with devastating precision.

Translator Notes

1. This detail — the Lord turning and looking at Peter (strapheis ho kyrios eneblepsen tō Petrō) — is unique to Luke and is one of the most poignant moments in the Gospels. The verb eneblepsen ('looked intently at') is the same word used in 20:17 when Jesus 'looked directly at' the religious leaders. The look carries no recorded words — only the gaze that Peter must have remembered for the rest of his life. Jesus is apparently being led through the courtyard, making eye contact possible. The title ho kyrios ('the Lord') emphasizes the contrast: the Lord remembers and watches; Peter forgot and failed.

Translator Notes

1. The verb eklausen ('he wept') indicates audible sobbing (the same word used for Jesus weeping over Jerusalem in 19:41). The adverb pikrōs ('bitterly') describes the quality of the tears — not merely sad but acutely painful. Peter leaves the courtyard (exelthōn exō, 'going out outside'), removing himself from the scene of his failure. This is the last we see of Peter in Luke's passion narrative until the empty tomb report reaches him (24:12).

Translator Notes

1. The verb synechontes ('holding, guarding, keeping in custody') identifies the abusers as the guards. The verbs enepaizon ('were mocking, were ridiculing') and derontes ('beating, striking, flaying') describe sustained physical abuse and humiliation. In Luke, this abuse occurs before the trial (unlike Mark, where it follows the trial), placing it during the night while Peter's denial is still reverberating.

Translator Notes

1. The verb perikalypsantes ('having covered around, having blindfolded') sets up the cruel game: they blindfold Jesus and then demand he identify who strikes him, mocking his prophetic claims. The imperative prophēteuson ('prophesy!') is deeply ironic — at this very moment, Jesus's prophecy about Peter's denial has just been fulfilled with exact precision. The guards mock a prophetic ability they do not realize has been demonstrated.

Translator Notes

1. The verb blasphēmountes ('blaspheming, reviling') is notable — Luke uses 'blasphemy' for what the guards say to Jesus, a term the Sanhedrin will use against Jesus in verse 71. The irony is double: those who blaspheme accuse Jesus of blasphemy. The phrase hetera polla ('many other things') indicates the abuse was extensive and sustained.

Translator Notes

1. Luke's trial before the Sanhedrin occurs at dawn (hōs egeneto hēmera, 'when it became day'), not during the night as in Mark. This may reflect Luke's knowledge of Jewish legal procedure, which prohibited capital trials at night. The presbyterion ('council of elders') is defined as consisting of archiereis ('chief priests') and grammateis ('scribes'). The synedrion ('Sanhedrin, council') was the supreme judicial body of Judaism.

Translator Notes

1. The question ei sy ei ho christos ('if you are the Christ') demands a direct messianic claim. Jesus's response ean hymin eipō ou mē pisteusēte ('if I tell you, you will by no means believe') exposes their bad faith — they are not seeking truth but building a case. The double negative ou mē ('you will absolutely not believe') indicates Jesus's certainty about their disposition.

Translator Notes

1. The second conditional extends the point: not only will they not believe his answer, they will not engage honestly with his questions. This recalls their refusal to answer his question about John's baptism (20:1-8). The trial is predetermined, not a genuine inquiry.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus combines Daniel 7:13 (Son of Man) with Psalm 110:1 (seated at the right hand) — the two texts he brought together in 20:41-44. The phrase apo tou nyn ('from now on, henceforth') is a temporal marker unique to Luke, indicating that the exaltation begins immediately, not at some distant future point. The seated position (kathēmenos) is a position of completed authority. The circumlocution tēs dynameōs tou theou ('the power of God') avoids speaking God's name directly, as was customary.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Daniel 7:13. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Psalm 110:1. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The question shifts from 'Christ' (v. 67) to 'Son of God' (huios tou theou) — the council draws the theological implication from Jesus's claim about the Son of Man. Jesus's answer hymeis legete hoti egō eimi ('you say that I am') is neither a direct affirmation nor a denial — it places the declaration in their mouths while not disowning it. The phrase egō eimi ('I am') echoes the divine name (Exodus 3:14), which the council would recognize.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 3:14 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The council declares that Jesus's own words constitute sufficient evidence (martyrias, 'testimony, witness') — no additional witnesses are needed. The phrase apo tou stomatos autou ('from his own mouth') emphasizes that Jesus has self-incriminated. Luke's trial account is more compact than Mark's — there are no false witnesses, no torn robes, no formal verdict of blasphemy. The council proceeds directly from Jesus's self-identification to the decision to bring him before Pilate (23:1). The speed of the proceedings underscores their predetermined outcome.