¹ tn Grk “behold.”

² sn The predicted fulfillment in the expression my words, which will be fulfilled in their time takes place in Luke 1:63-66.

³ sn Silent, unable to speak. Actually Zechariah was deaf and mute as 1:61-63 indicates, since others had to use gestures to communicate with him.

⁴ tn Grk “cast.”

⁵ tn Or “city.”

⁶ tn The Greek conjunction ὥστε (Jwste) here indicates their purpose.

⁷ sn The attempt to throw him down the cliff looks like “lynch law,” but it may really be an indication that Jesus was regarded as a false prophet who was worthy of death (Deut 13:5). Such a sentence meant being thrown into a pit and then stoned.

⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate consequential nature of the action.

⁹ tn That is, “they signaled by making gestures” (L&N 33.485).

¹⁰ tn This infinitive conveys the idea that the boats were at the point of sinking.

¹¹ sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for the devil here: Matt 13:19 has “the evil one,” while Mark 4:15 has “Satan.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.

¹² sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.

¹³ tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") has been translated as a finite verb here. It may be regarded as an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance. From a logical standpoint the negative must govern both the participle and the finite verb.

¹⁴ tn That is, like slaves (who are mentioned later, vv. 37-38), although the term ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used here. Since in this context it appears generic rather than gender-specific, the translation “people” is employed.

¹⁵ sn An ancient wedding celebration could last for days (Tob 11:18).

¹⁶ tn Grk “And the Lord said.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁷ tn Or “administrator,” “steward” (L&N 37.39).

¹⁸ tn This term, θεραπεία (qerapeia), describes the group of servants working in a particular household (L&N 46.6).

¹⁹ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²⁰ sn Is the manager dishonest because of what he just did? Or is it a reference to what he had done earlier, described in v. 1? This is a difficult question, but it seems unlikely that the master, having fired the man for prior dishonesty, would now commend those same actions. It would also be unusual for Jesus to make that point of the story the example. Thus it is more likely the reference to dishonesty goes back to the earliest events, while the commendation is for the cleverness of the former manager reflected in vv. 5-7.

²¹ sn Where this parable ends is debated: Does it conclude with v. 7, after v. 8a, after v. 8b, or after v. 9? Verse 8a looks as if it is still part of the story, with its clear reference to the manager, while 8b looks like Jesus’ application, since its remarks are more general. So it is most likely the parable stops after v. 8a.

²² tn Grk “sons” (an idiom).

²³ tn Grk “with their own generation.”

²⁴ tn Grk “sons.” Here the phrase “sons of light” is a reference to the righteous. The point is that those of the world often think ahead about consequences better than the righteous do.

²⁵ sn Great distress means that this is a period of great judgment.

²⁶ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

²⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁹ sn Their council is probably a reference to the Jewish Sanhedrin, the council of seventy leaders.