Discovery BoxLuke 12:37 
Context12:37 Blessed are those slaves 1 whom their master finds alert 2 when he returns! I tell you the truth, 3 he will dress himself to serve, 4 have them take their place at the table, 5 and will come 6 and wait on them! 7
Luke 12:45
Context12:45 But if 8 that 9 slave should say to himself, 10 ‘My master is delayed 11 in returning,’ and he begins to beat 12 the other 13 slaves, both men and women, 14 and to eat, drink, and get drunk,
Luke 17:10
Context17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; 15 we have only done what was our duty.’” 16
Luke 19:15
Context19:15 When 17 he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned 18 these slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted 19 to know how much they had earned 20 by trading.
1 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
2 tn Or “watching”; Grk “awake,” but in context this is not just being awake but alert and looking out.
3 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
5 tn Grk “have them recline at table,” as 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.
6 tn The participle παρελθών (parelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
7 sn He…will come and wait on them is a reversal of expectation, but shows that what Jesus asks for he is willing to do as well; see John 13:5 and 15:18-27, although those instances merely foreshadow what is in view here.
8 tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).
9 tn The term “that” (ἐκεῖνος, ekeino") is used as a catchword to list out, in the form of a number of hypothetical circumstances, what the possible responses of “that” servant could be. He could be faithful (vv. 43-44) or totally unfaithful (vv. 45-46). He does not complete his master’s will with knowledge (v. 47) or from ignorance (v 48). These differences are indicated by the different levels of punishment in vv. 46-48.
10 tn Grk “should say in his heart.”
11 tn Or “is taking a long time.”
12 sn The slave’s action in beginning to beat the other slaves was not only a failure to carry out what was commanded but involved doing the exact reverse.
13 tn The word “other” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
14 tn Grk “the menservants and the maidservants.” The term here, used in both masculine and feminine grammatical forms, is παῖς (pais), which can refer to a slave, but also to a slave who is a personal servant, and thus regarded kindly (L&N 87.77).
15 tn Some translations describe the slaves as “worthless” (NRSV) or “unworthy” (NASB, NIV) but that is not Jesus’ point. These disciples have not done anything deserving special commendation or praise (L&N 33.361), but only what would normally be expected of a slave in such a situation (thus the translation “we have only done what was our duty”).
16 tn Or “we have only done what we were supposed to do.”
17 tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
18 tn Grk “he said for these slaves to be called to him.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one and simplified to “he summoned.”
19 tn Grk “in order that he might know” (a continuation of the preceding sentence). Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he” as subject and the verb “wanted” to convey the idea of purpose.
20 sn The Greek verb earned refers to profit from engaging in commerce and trade (L&N 57.195). This is an examination of stewardship.
