Luke 14:8-10

14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, ¹  do not take ²  the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. ³  14:9 So ⁴  the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, ⁵  you will begin to move to the least important ⁶  place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host ⁷  approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ ⁸  Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.

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¹ tn Or “banquet.” This may not refer only to a wedding feast, because this term can have broader sense (note the usage in Esth 2:18; 9:22 LXX). However, this difference does not affect the point of the parable.

² tn Grk “do not recline in the place of honor.” 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

³ tn Grk “by him”; the referent (the host) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴ tn Grk “host, and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate this action is a result of the situation described in the previous verse. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁵ tn Or “then in disgrace”; Grk “with shame.” In this culture avoiding shame was important.

⁶ tn Grk “lowest place” (also in the repetition of the phrase in the next verse).

⁷ tn Grk “the one who invited you.”

⁸ tn Grk “Go up higher.” This means to move to a more important place.