Luke 7:40-44

7:40 So¹ Jesus answered him,² “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied,³ “Say it, Teacher.” 7:41 “A certain creditor⁴ had two debtors; one owed him⁵ five hundred silver coins,⁶ and the other fifty. 7:42 When they could not pay, he canceled⁷ the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 7:43 Simon answered,⁸ “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”⁹ Jesus¹⁰ said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 7:44 Then,¹¹ turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet,¹² but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

¹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the connection with the preceding statement recording the Pharisee’s thoughts.

²tn Grk “answering, said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered him.”

sn Jesus answered him. Note that as the Pharisee is denying to himself that Jesus is a prophet, Jesus is reading his thoughts.

³tn Grk “he said.”

⁴sn A creditor was a moneylender, whose business was to lend money to others at a fixed rate of interest.

⁵tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

⁶tn Grk “five hundred denarii.”

sn The silver coins were denarii. The denarius was worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth not quite two years’ pay. The debts were significant: They represented two months’ pay and one and three quarter years’ pay (20 months) based on a six day work week.

⁷tn The verb ἐχαρίσατο (ecarisato) could be translated as “forgave.” Of course this pictures the forgiveness of God’s grace, which is not earned but bestowed with faith (see v. 49).

⁸tn Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered.”

⁹tn Grk “the one to whom he forgave more” (see v. 42).

¹⁰tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹¹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

¹²sn It is discussed whether these acts in vv. 44-46 were required by the host. Most think they were not, but this makes the woman’s acts of respect all the more amazing.