Luke 8:5

8:5 “A sower went out to sow ¹  his seed. ²  And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds ³  devoured it.

Luke 8:16

Showing the Light

8:16 “No one lights ⁴  a lamp ⁵  and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light. ⁶ 

Luke 11:44

11:44 Woe to you! ⁷  You are like unmarked graves, and people ⁸  walk over them without realizing it!” ⁹ 

Luke 21:21

21:21 Then those who are in Judea must flee ¹⁰  to the mountains. Those ¹¹  who are inside the city must depart. Those ¹²  who are out in the country must not enter it,

Luke 22:37

22:37 For I tell you that this scripture must be ¹³  fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ ¹⁴  For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” ¹⁵ 

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¹ sn A sower went out to sow. The background for this well-known parable is a field through which a well-worn path runs in the Palestinian countryside. Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest. The use of seed as a figure for God’s giving life has OT roots: Isa 55:10-11.

² tn Luke’s version of the parable, like Mark’s (cf. Mark 4:1-9) uses the collective singular to refer to the seed throughout, so singular pronouns have been used consistently throughout this parable in the English translation. However, the parallel account in Matt 13:1-9 begins with plural pronouns in v. 4 but then switches to the collective singular in v. 5 ff.

³ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

⁴ tn The participle ἅψας ({aya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁵ sn This is probably an ancient oil burning lamp or perhaps a candlestick. Jesus is comparing revelation to light, particularly the revelation of his ministry; see 1:78-79.

⁶ tn Or “its light,” if the Greek article is translated as a possessive pronoun (for such usage, cf. ExSyn 215).

⁷ tc Most mss (A [D] W Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï it) have “experts in the law and Pharisees, hypocrites” after “you,” but this looks like an assimilation to the parallel in Matt 23:25, 27, 29. The shorter reading has earlier attestation from a variety of reliable mss (Ì^45,75 א B C L ˹ 33 1241 2542 lat sa).

⁸ tn Grk “men.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.

⁹ sn In Judaism to come into contact with the dead or what is associated with them, even without knowing it, makes one unclean (Num 19:11-22; Lev 21:1-3; Mishnah, m. Demai 2:3). To Pharisees, who would have been so sensitive about contracting ceremonial uncleanness, it would have been quite a stinging rebuke to be told they caused it.

¹⁰ sn Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5.

¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹³ sn This scripture must be fulfilled in me. The statement again reflects the divine necessity of God’s plan. See 4:43-44.

¹⁴ tn Or “with the lawless.”

sn This is a quotation from Isa 53:12. It highlights a theme of Luke 22-23. Though completely innocent, Jesus dies as if he were a criminal.

¹⁵ tn Grk “is having its fulfillment.”