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.”
‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; 16
we wailed in mourning, 17 yet you did not weep.’
12:1 Meanwhile, 22 when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus 23 began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against 24 the yeast of the Pharisees, 25 which is hypocrisy. 26
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 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
5 tn This imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
6 tn Grk “What is this word?” The Greek term λόγος (logos) has a wide range of meaning. Here it seems to mean, “What is this matter?” More idiomatically it would be, “What’s going on here?!”
7 sn The phrase with authority and power is in an emphatic position in the Greek text. Once again the authority of Jesus is the point, but now it is not just his teaching that is emphasized, but his ministry. Jesus combined word and deed into a powerful testimony in Capernaum.
8 tn Grk “having soldiers under me.”
9 sn I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
10 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.
11 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
12 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Grk “to you, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.
14 tn This question is repeated word for word from v. 19.
15 tn Grk “They are like children sitting…and calling out…who say.”
16 sn ‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance…’ The children of this generation were making the complaint (see vv. 33-34) that others were not playing the game according to the way they played the music. John and Jesus did not follow “their tune.” Jesus’ complaint was that this generation wanted things their way, not God’s.
17 tn The verb ἐθρηνήσαμεν (eqrhnhsamen) refers to the loud wailing and lamenting used to mourn the dead in public in 1st century Jewish culture.
18 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
19 sn “Where is your faith?” The call is to trust God and realize that those who exercise faith can trust in his care.
20 sn The combination of fear and respect (afraid and amazed) shows that the disciples are becoming impressed with the great power at work in Jesus, a realization that fuels their question. For a similar reaction, see Luke 5:9.
21 sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (“Who then is this?”). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.
22 tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”
23 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn According to L&N 27.59, “to pay attention to, to keep on the lookout for, to be alert for, to be on your guard against.” This is another Lukan present imperative calling for constant vigilance.
25 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
26 sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.
27 tn Or “all unanimously” (BDAG 107 s.v. ἀπό 6). "One after another" is suggested by L&N 61.2.
28 sn To make excuses and cancel at this point was an insult in the culture of the time. Regardless of customs concerning responses to invitations, refusal at this point was rude.
29 sn I have bought a field. An examination of newly bought land was a common practice. It was this person’s priority.
30 sn The expression Please excuse me is probably a polite way of refusing, given the dynamics of the situation, although it is important to note that an initial acceptance had probably been indicated and it was now a bit late for a refusal. The semantic equivalent of the phrase may well be “please accept my apologies.”
31 tn The participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
32 tn On the meaning of this verb see also L&N 55.3, “to meet in battle, to face in battle.”
33 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the second debtor) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
34 sn The hundred measures here was a hundreds cors. A cor was a Hebrew dry measure for grain, flour, etc., of between 10-12 bushels (about 390 liters). This was a huge amount of wheat, representing the yield of about 100 acres, a debt of between 2500-3000 denarii.
35 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 sn The percentage of reduction may not be as great because of the change in material.
37 tn Grk “They will raze you to the ground.”
sn The singular pronoun you refers to the city of Jerusalem personified.
38 tn Grk “your children within you.” The phrase “[your] walls” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the city of Jerusalem, metaphorically pictured as an individual, is spoken of here.
39 sn (Not) one stone on top of another is an idiom for total destruction.
40 tn Grk “leave stone on stone.”
41 tn Grk “the time of your visitation.” To clarify what this refers to, the words “from God” are supplied at the end of the verse, although they do not occur in the Greek text.
sn You did not recognize the time of your visitation refers to the time God came to visit them. They had missed the Messiah; see Luke 1:68-79.