5:29 Then 3 Levi gave a great banquet 4 in his house for Jesus, 5 and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting 6 at the table with them.
8:4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus 7 from one town after another, 8 he spoke to them 9 in a parable:
1 sn That is, in spite of Jesus’ instructions to the man to tell no one about the healing (v. 14).
2 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
4 sn A great banquet refers to an elaborate meal. Many of the events in Luke take place in the context of meal fellowship: 7:36-50; 9:12-17; 10:38-42; 11:37-54; 14:1-24; 22:7-38; 24:29-32, 41-43.
5 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Grk “reclining.” This term reflects the normal practice in 1st century Jewish culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position. Since it is foreign to most modern readers, the translation “sitting” has been substituted.
7 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn This phrase renders a distributive use of κατά (kata) with πόλις (polis), literally “according to [each] town.”
9 tn The words “to them” do not appear in the Greek text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.
11 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.