Luke 14:29-31

14:29 Otherwise, ¹  when he has laid ²  a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, ³  all who see it ⁴  will begin to make fun of ⁵  him. 14:30 They will say, ⁶  ‘This man ⁷  began to build and was not able to finish!’ ⁸  14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down ⁹  first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose ¹⁰  the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

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¹ tn Grk “to complete it, lest.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and ἵνα μήποτε ({ina mhpote, “lest”) has been translated as “Otherwise.”

² tn The participle θέντος (qentos) has been taken temporally.

³ tn The words “the tower” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁴ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁵ tn Or “mock,” “ridicule.” The person who did not plan ahead becomes an object of joking and ridicule.

⁶ tn Grk “make fun of him, saying.”

⁷ sn The phrase this man is often used in Luke in a derogatory sense; see “this one” and expressions like it in Luke 5:21; 7:39; 13:32; 23:4, 14, 22, 35.

⁸ sn The failure to finish the building project leads to embarrassment (in a culture where avoiding public shame was extremely important). The half completed tower testified to poor preparation and planning.

⁹ tn The participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

¹⁰ tn On the meaning of this verb see also L&N 55.3, “to meet in battle, to face in battle.”