6:39 He also told them a parable: “Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? 1 Won’t they both fall 2 into a pit?
8:4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus 6 from one town after another, 7 he spoke to them 8 in a parable:
1 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “can he?”).
2 sn The picture of a blind man leading a blind man is a warning to watch who one follows: Won’t they both fall into a pit? The sermon has been about religious choices and reacting graciously to those who oppose the followers of Jesus. Here Jesus’ point was to be careful who you follow and where they are taking you.
3 tc ‡ Although most
4 tn Grk “to Jesus, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.
5 sn Aspects of Jesus’ ministry may have led John to question whether Jesus was the promised stronger and greater one who is to come that he had preached about in Luke 3:15-17.
6 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn This phrase renders a distributive use of κατά (kata) with πόλις (polis), literally “according to [each] town.”
8 tn The words “to them” do not appear in the Greek text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
9 sn Though ten were given minas, the story stops to focus on the one who did nothing with the opportunity given to him. Here is the parable’s warning about the one who does not trust the master. This figure is called “another,” marking him out as different than the first two.
10 tn The word “slave” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied for stylistic reasons.
11 tn Grk “behold.”
12 tn Or “that I stored away.” L&N 85.53 defines ἀπόκειμαι (apokeimai) here as “to put something away for safekeeping – ‘to store, to put away in a safe place.’”
13 tn The piece of cloth, called a σουδάριον (soudarion), could have been a towel, napkin, handkerchief, or face cloth (L&N 6.159).
14 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ question.
15 sn With the statement days will come when not one stone will be left on another Jesus predicted the total destruction of the temple, something that did occur in
16 tn Grk “the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”