1:24 After some time 1 his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, 2 and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. 3 She said, 4
1 tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.
2 tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”
3 sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.
4 tn Grk “she kept herself in seclusion, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
5 sn A creditor was a moneylender, whose business was to lend money to others at a fixed rate of interest.
6 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
7 tn Grk “five hundred denarii.”
sn The silver coins were denarii. The denarius was worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth not quite two years’ pay. The debts were significant: They represented two months’ pay and one and three quarter years’ pay (20 months) based on a six day work week.
8 sn The pennies refer to the assarion, a small Roman copper coin. One of them was worth one sixteenth of a denarius or less than a half hour’s average wage. Sparrows were the cheapest thing sold in the market. God knows about even the most financially insignificant things; see Isa 49:15.
9 sn From now on is a popular phrase in Luke: 1:48; 5:10; 22:18, 69; see Mic 7:6.
10 tn Grk “And another.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
11 sn Five yoke of oxen. This was a wealthy man, because the normal farmer had one or two yoke of oxen.
12 tn The translation “going out” for πορεύομαι (poreuomai) is used because “going” in this context could be understood to mean “I am about to” rather than the correct nuance, “I am on my way to.”
13 sn To warn them. The warning would consist of a call to act differently than their dead brother had, or else meet his current terrible fate.
14 tn Grk “lest they also come.”