2:15 When 1 the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem 2 and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord 3 has made known to us.”
21:25 “And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, 17 and on the earth nations will be in distress, 18 anxious 19 over the roaring of the sea and the surging waves.
1 tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 map For location see Map5-B1; Map7-E2; Map8-E2; Map10-B4.
3 sn Note how although angels delivered the message, it was the Lord whose message is made known, coming through them.
4 sn Elijah’s days. Jesus, by discussing Elijah and Elisha, pictures one of the lowest periods in Israel’s history. These examples, along with v. 24, also show that Jesus is making prophetic claims as well as messianic ones. See 1 Kgs 17-18.
5 tn Or “the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. Since the context here refers to a drought (which produced the famine), “sky” is preferable.
6 tn Grk “as.” The particle ὡς can also function temporally (see BDAG 1105-6 s.v. 8).
7 sn The background to the image pressed down, shaken together, running over is pouring out grain for measure in the marketplace. One often poured the grain into a container, shook it to level out the grain and then poured in some more. Those who are generous have generosity running over for them.
8 tn Grk “they will give”; that is, “pour.” The third person plural has been replaced by the passive in the translation.
9 tn Grk “by [the measure] with which you measure it will be measured back to you.”
10 tn Grk “And in all these things.” There is no way Lazarus could carry out this request even if divine justice were not involved.
11 sn The great chasm between heaven and hell is impassable forever. The rich man’s former status meant nothing now.
12 tn Grk “between us and you.”
13 sn But before all this. Another note of timing is present, this one especially important in understanding the sequence in the discourse. Before the things noted in vv. 8-11 are the events of vv. 12-19.
14 tn Grk “will lay their hands on you.”
15 sn Some of the persecution is of Jewish origin (the synagogues). Some fulfillment of this can be seen in Acts. See the note on synagogues in 4:15.
16 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
17 sn Signs in the sun and moon and stars are cosmic signs that turn our attention to the end and the Son of Man’s return for the righteous. OT imagery is present: See Isa 13:9-10; 24:18-20; 34:4; Ezek 32:7-8; Joel 2:1, 30-31; 3:15.
18 tn Grk “distress of nations.”
19 tn Or “in consternation” (L&N 32.9).