Luke 6:1

Lord of the Sabbath

6:1 Jesus 1  was going through the grain fields on 2  a Sabbath, 3  and his disciples picked some heads of wheat, 4  rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 5 

Luke 6:44

6:44 for each tree is known 6  by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered 7  from thorns, nor are grapes picked 8  from brambles. 9 

1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 tn Grk “Now it happened that on.” 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.

3 tc Most later mss (A C D Θ Ψ [Ë13] Ï lat) read ἐν σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ (en sabbatw deuteroprwtw, “a second-first Sabbath”), while the earlier and better witnesses have simply ἐν σαββάτῳ (Ì4 א B L W Ë1 33 579 1241 2542 it sa). The longer reading is most likely secondary, though various explanations may account for it (for discussion, see TCGNT 116).

4 tn Or “heads of grain.” While the generic term στάχυς (stacus) can refer to the cluster of seeds at the top of grain such as barley or wheat, in the NT the term is restricted to wheat (L&N 3.40; BDAG 941 s.v. 1).

5 tn Grk “picked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.” The participle ψώχοντες (ywconte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style, and the order of the clauses has been transposed to reflect the logical order, which sounds more natural in English.

6 sn The principle of the passage is that one produces what one is.

7 tn Grk “they do not gather”; this has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.

8 tn This is a different verb (τρυγῶσιν, trugwsin) for gathering from the previous one (συλλέγουσιν, sullegousin).

9 tn This is a different term (βάτος, batos) for a thorn or bramble bush than the previous one (ἄκανθα, akanqa).

sn The statement nor are grapes picked from brambles illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit, does not produce fruit.