19:11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus 1 proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, 2 and because they thought 3 that the kingdom of God 4 was going to 5 appear immediately. 19:12 Therefore he said, “A nobleman 6 went to a distant country to receive 7 for himself a kingdom and then return. 8
1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
3 tn The present active infinitive δοκεῖν (dokein) has been translated as causal.
4 sn Luke means here the appearance of the full kingdom of God in power with the Son of Man as judge as Luke 17:22-37 describes.
5 tn Or perhaps, “the kingdom of God must appear immediately (see L&N 71.36).
6 tn Grk “a man of noble birth” or “a man of noble status” (L&N 87.27).
7 sn Note that the receiving of the kingdom takes place in the far country. This suggests that those in the far country recognize and acknowledge the king when his own citizens did not want him as king (v. 14; cf. John 1:11-12).
8 sn The background to this story about the nobleman who went…to receive for himself a kingdom had some parallels in the area’s recent history: Archelaus was appointed ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea in 4